Your Wednesday Briefing

The U.N., the Philippines, Vietnam View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, September 26, 2018 [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT Asia Edition [Your Wednesday Briefing]( By ALISHA HARIDASANI GUPTA Good morning. A rejection of globalism, the arrest of a critic, real tales of love in transit. Here’s what you need to know: Tom Brenner for The New York Times • President Trump rejects globalism. In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Trump derided “[the ideology of globalism]( as a threat to American sovereignty. He also undermined the legitimacy of international organizations and trade deals. Mr. Trump’s speech underscored his administration’s “America First” foreign policy agenda, which has antagonized allies and turned foes into friends. [Follow our live updates from the General Assembly session.]( _____ Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press • A growing furor around Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The charges of sexual misconduct against the Supreme Court nominee have fired up both sides of the political divide, as Judge Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, one of his accusers, prepare to testify before a Senate committee tomorrow. Above, Judge Kavanaugh defending himself on Fox News. President Trump, who had been relatively restrained in his commentary, described the other women who accused the judge of misconduct as [“messed up” and “drunk”]( at the time. He also said Democrats were using the accusations to “delay and obstruct” Mr. Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Indeed, the stakes are high: If the Republicans [fail to get the votes]( to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, and if Democrats take control of the Senate in November, the president could [lose his chance]( to put two conservative judges on the Supreme Court. In Opinion: [Padma Lakshmi]( the author, actress and model, writes that she was raped when she was 16 — and she explains why she didn’t speak out about it until now. _____ Philippine National Police • President Rodrigo Duterte jails a critic. Antonio Trillanes, above, a senator in the Philippines and a prominent opponent of Mr. Duterte, was [arrested this week]( after a dramatic political standoff. He is the second senator to be jailed after challenging Mr. Duterte’s antidrug crackdown, which has left thousands dead and drawn international scrutiny. Mr. Trillanes, a former naval officer, led two uprisings against government corruption and was granted amnesty in 2011. Mr. Duterte [ordered his arrest]( this month, declaring the amnesty invalid. “I committed no crime,” Mr. Trillanes said. “This now shows that we no longer have a democracy.” _____ Issei Kato/Reuters • U.S.-China tensions, this time over defense. China rejected a [U.S. Navy ship]( request to visit Hong Kong next month. Just days earlier, China [recalled one of its naval commanders]( from a conference in the U.S. Both actions were prompted by U.S. sanctions on a Chinese military company for buying weapons from Russia. They also follow the Trump administration’s decision to sell $330 million in fighter-jet parts to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. Against the backdrop of a trade war, the developments further strain relations between the world’s two largest economies. _____ The Bachelor Vietnam, via YouTube • A confession of love heard round the world. A woman competing on the Vietnamese version of “The Bachelor,” above, said she had fallen in love with a fellow contestant. The two women then walked off the set together, a first for the TV franchise since its debut in the U.S. in 2002. But while social media was excited by the plot twist, it barely raised an eyebrow in Vietnam. One apparent reason: the country’s [acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships](. _____ Business Gilles Sabrie for The New York Times • Haidilao, the Chinese hot pot chain that offers customers free manicures, shoe shines and games while they wait for food, is set to raise [$1 billion on Wednesday]( in its Hong Kong I.P.O. The company said it would use the money to expand overseas. • Laos has received an influx of Chinese investment in recent years, spurring economic growth and [boosting its property market](. A planned rail line running from China through the country and into Thailand is expected to bring another wave of cash. • Michael Kors confirmed it would [buy the Italian fashion label Versace]( for $2.1 billion, boosting its efforts to move into the higher end of fashion. • Instagram’s co-founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, have [resigned from the company]( and plan to leave in the coming weeks. Here’s how the photo-sharing platform turned into [a cultural powerhouse](. • U.S. stocks [were mixed](. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Pool photo by Mark Makela • Bill Cosby, above, was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for sexual assault, completing the precipitous downfall of the actor once known as America’s Dad. [[The New York Times]( • Russia will provide Syria with ground-to-air missiles, reflecting heightened tensions with Israel a week after a Russian plane was accidentally shot down in response to an Israeli airstrike. [[The New York Times]( • Prime Minister Stefan Lofven of Sweden lost a vote of confidence, leaving Parliament in a deadlock as political parties scramble to form a new government. [[The New York Times]( • Eleven: the number of endangered Asiatic lions that were found dead of unknown causes in the last few weeks in India’s western state of Gujarat. [[BBC]( • Fish oil may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people who have a history of heart disease, a new study found. [[The New York Times]( • Bali is considering banning tourists from visiting its temples unaccompanied, citing a rise in disrespectful behavior like posing for photos in bikinis. [[The South China Morning Post]( Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Romulo Yanes for The New York Times • Recipe of the day: Treat yourself to a simple restaurant-worthy dinner — [garlicky steak with carrot, walnut and dill salad](. • Five packing tips [for traveling couples](. • Here’s how you can [get strong](. • And today’s word is [“basta”]( an Italian and Spanish exclamation that means “that’s enough” or “stop it.” It was among the[top lookups]( on Merriam-Webster’s site yesterday. Noteworthy Debra Cartwright • Love in transit: Read real-life stories of [travel leading to true love]( including after a serendipitous seat shuffle on a crowded flight, on a cruise ship dance floor and during a tour of Israel. • A Sai Ta, a British-Vietnamese designer, has caught the fashion world’s attention with his use of Asian iconography, from a kimono-style shirt to Ming vase pattern prints. “[My clothes just make people feel spicy]( he said. • Noah Centineo turned into “[the internet’s newest boyfriend]( almost overnight after his star turn in the Netflix teen romance “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” The 22-year-old told our reporter: “This feels like the fruits of the harvest coming to fruition.” Back Story Associated Press “Every once in a while in the history of mankind a book has appeared which has substantially altered the course of history,” [Senator Ernest Gruening of Alaska told Rachel Carson]( in praising her book “Silent Spring.” Published on Sept. 27, 1962, the book warned of the devastating environmental effects of pesticides, specifically DDT. Indiscriminate use of these chemicals, she said, was killing off wildlife. Ms. Carson had already written three books about the ocean and marine biology, but it was “Silent Spring” that awoke public and political consciousness about environmentalism. President John F. Kennedy almost immediately opened an investigation into the use of pesticides. Despite a campaign by the chemical industry to discredit Ms. Carson’s research and dismiss her as a Communist-sympathizing spinster, the presidential report corroborated her claims. President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, and the U.S. [banned most uses of DDT two years later](. A writer at the E.P.A. [later referred to the agency]( as “the extended shadow of Rachel Carson.” Ms. Carson would not live to see the full impact of her work. She completed “Silent Spring” while battling breast cancer and [died in 1964](. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980. Aodhan Beirne wrote today’s Back Story. _____ This briefing was prepared for the Asian morning. You can also [sign up]( to get the briefing in the Australian, European or American morning. [Sign up here]( to receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights. Browse our full range of Times newsletters [here](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [asiabriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:asiabriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Asia)). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing: Asia Edition newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018