Tuesday: U.S.-China Trade, Brexit, Benjamin Netanyahu

U.S.-China Trade, Brexit, Benjamin Netanyahu View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, December 4, 2018 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Tuesday Briefing]( By MARY HUI (Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s [the sign-up]( Good morning. Doubts about the U.S.-China trade truce, bracing for the Brexit vote and exploring Europe on the Interrail. Here’s the latest: Tom Brenner for The New York Times • Despite trade truce, doubts persist. [Markets breathed a sigh of relief]( on Monday after the U.S. and China declared a temporary truce in their trade war. Both President Trump and the Chinese government claimed the cease-fire as a success, but [little is known about the deal]( beyond vague official statements. Conflicting signals and a lack of specific commitments from both sides have cast doubt on whether the world’s two largest economies can put their dispute to rest. And Mr. Trump’s choice of Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative and a longtime critic of China’s trade practices, to lead the negotiations could rattle the Chinese. In a tweet, Mr. Trump announced that China would [“reduce and remove” tariffs on American-made cars]( which make up about 1 percent of its market. But it was unclear whether China had indeed agreed to that. The Trump administration also said China would [crack down on the supply of fentanyl]( a significant factor in America’s opioid crisis. But Beijing has made such promises before. _____ Henry Nicholls/Reuters • Damage control as Brexit vote nears. Prime Minister Theresa May could face a crushing defeat in Parliament on Dec. 11, when British lawmakers are to vote on her plan for leaving the E.U. [Analysts]( her to lose]( the only question being by how much, and her allies are trying to manage expectations. Losing by a wide margin could force Mrs. May to abandon her deal, crash her government or even see her ousted her from office. A narrower loss could allow her to renegotiate parts of her agreement in Brussels and return for a second parliamentary vote. Mrs. May has argued that a no-deal Brexit would be disastrous, and that her plan, while not perfect, is superior to any alternate approach. But many Conservative critics say it presents the worst of all worlds, leaving Britain neither in nor fully out of the E.U., with no say in its rule making and without a clear exit. _____ Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images • Troubles ahead for Israel’s prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has dominated his country’s politics for a decade. But a string of legal troubles is threatening to jeopardize his storied career. On Sunday, the [Israeli police recommended that Mr. Netanyahu be prosecuted]( on charges of bribery and fraud, the third time this year that they have pushed for corruption cases against him. Mr. Netanyahu has denied all wrongdoing, and his position remains secure for now. But [as our Jerusalem bureau chief writes]( Mr. Netanyahu’s obsession with his public image may ultimately spell his downfall. Still, no one is writing him off yet. [Here is a look at the combination of factors on which Mr. Netanyahu’s fate now rests](. _____ Pascal Guyot/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • France and the Yellow Vests. In France, three weekends of protests over tough economic conditions have left at least three people dead and 260 wounded, and the Arc de Triomphe alone may have sustained a million euros in damage. Self-selected representatives of the Yellow Vests, the grass-roots movement leading the demonstrations, were supposed to meet with Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Monday, but they backed away after threats and protests from other movement members. The government had kept an aloof stance toward the protests until late last week, hoping they would peter out. But now its approach is changing. [Here’s a look at where things stand]( and what [travelers to Paris should consider](. _____ Business Maneesh Bakshi/Associated Press • Qatar announced it would [withdraw from OPEC in January]( after nearly six decades in the oil cartel, and focus on its natural gas business. Above, a gas production facility at Ras Laffan, Qatar. • Ted Baker’s founder and chief executive, Ray Kelvin, [has been accused of sexual harassment]( by current and former employees. Employees say the British fashion chain’s human resources department ignored complaints about his behavior. • TikTok, the video-sharing app from the Chinese company ByteDance, might be “the only truly pleasant social network in existence,” [writes our columnist](. (In China, there’s a domestic version called Douyin.) • China is investing heavily in quantum encryption to thwart the code-breaking abilities of quantum computers. The U.S. is trying to catch up in [a race that has far-reaching national security implications](. • Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Lillian Suwanrumpha/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, pictured above, joked about using marijuana to stay awake at official events, a comment that critics called insensitive in light of his bloody war on drugs. [[The New York Times]( • Denmark plans to house unwanted migrants on a tiny, hard-to-reach island. [[The New York Times]( • Saudi Arabia has been disqualified from hosting a prominent chess tournament by the international chess governing body. A legal advocacy group representing Israeli players, who were banned by the Saudis in 2017, said it had pressured the organization to act. [[The New York Times]( • Sri Lanka will lower its tax on sugary drinks by 40 percent, the latest populist gesture from the government as it tries to shore up support for the disputed prime minister. Experts fear the move will drive up diabetes and obesity. [[The New York Times]( • Mexico’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has created a truth commission to re-examine the case of 43 students who disappeared after being attacked by police officers in 2014. [[The New York Times]( Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Romulo Yanes for The New York Times • Recipe of the day: Fry some latkes, then top [the]( potato pancakes]( with sour cream and applesauce. • The biggest roadblock to your productivity is the [smartphone on your desk](. • Track your spending meticulously and you might find habits that are [costing you money](. Noteworthy Andrew Testa for The New York Times • For many European youths, an Interrail journey is a coming-of-age adventure. With Brexit looming as a pivotal moment for the E.U., [we followed four 18-year-olds as they spent a month crossing the Continent on slow trains](. • Johannes Vermeer’s paintings are scattered across 18 museums and private collections all over the world. Now they are being brought together in one place — virtually. The Mauritshuis museum in the Netherlands has teamed up with Google Arts and Culture in Paris to build [an app that creates a virtual]( all of the artist’s works](. • The placenta has long been dismissed as “afterbirth.” But scientists are finally paying attention to this ephemeral organ, with three significant new studies signaling its importance to understanding [the health of a pregnancy and the course it takes](. Back Story Howard Burditt/Reuters South Africa is celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela, above, who [died five years ago]( this Wednesday. One highlight: [Beyoncé and Jay-Z headlined]( the Global Citizen Festival, a fund-raiser in his honor in Johannesburg on Sunday. Mandela himself was a passionate fan of music who believed in its transformative powers. “Music is a great blessing,” [he said](. “It has the power to elevate and liberate us. It sets people free to dream.” His musical tastes were far-reaching. He loved traditional Xhosa music; South African artists, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Miriam Makeba; opera; and jazz. When he was jailed in 1964, he [sang songs of freedom and protest]( in prison. In 1997, he professed his [love for the Spice Girls](. Mandela inspired countless musicians to write their own tributes, including Brenda Fassie’s “[Black President]( and Hugh Masekela’s “[Mandela (Bring Him Back Home)]( In 2010, the Cape Town Opera held the premiere of “[Mandela Trilogy]( an opera based on his life. Andrew R. Chow wrote today’s Back Story. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. [Check out this page]( to find a Morning Briefing for your region. (In addition to our European edition, we have Australian, Asian and U.S. editions.) [Sign up here]( to receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights, and [here’s our full range of free newsletters](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). ADVERTISEMENT LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. FOLLOW NYT [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Prefer a different send time? Sign up for the [Americas]( or [A]( and Australia]( editions. | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing: Europe 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