Your Tuesday Briefing

> A memo warned the police in Sri Lanka. [The New York Times]( [nytimes.com]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | [View in browser]( Supported by Good morning, We start today with unheeded warnings in Sri Lanka, a path toward better relations between Kosovo and Serbia, and 15 centuries of tradition in Japan. By Melina Delkic and Alisha Haridasani Gupta Security personnel in front of St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where terrorists attacked on Easter Sunday. Adam Dean for The New York Times Unheeded warnings in Sri Lanka A newly revealed memo from the country’s national intelligence chief, dated 12 days before the Easter bombings, [warned the police chief of an imminent suicide terrorist attack](. Several Sri Lankan officials said it would have gone against standard practice for the national intelligence chief to share such classified information with the police without first sharing it with the president, casting doubt on President Maithripala Sirisena’s claims that he did not know the attack was coming. Fallout: Anti-Muslim sentiment has been rising across Sri Lanka after the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. On Monday, Mr. Sirisena banned “all forms of clothing that cover a person’s face and prevents them from being identified,” an order seen as directed at niqabs and burqas. Another angle: On social media, Sri Lankans focused their anger and rage at a doctor with Tamil heritage living in London, who had [simply given a brief interview to the BBC](. Go deeper: Until the Easter bombings, Sri Lanka’s youngest generation had been expected to be spared the horrors of war that older generations know all too well. But [the attacks killed as many as 50 children]( and dozens more were badly injured and traumatized. The Islamic State’s reclusive leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a video released by the group on Monday. The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed, but most counterterrorism experts who have reviewed it concluded that it was authentic. SITE Intelligence Group ISIS releases video of reclusive leader The Islamic State released an 18-minute video of [the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi](. It is the first time he has shown his face since 2014, when he gave a sermon in Mosul, Iraq, at the peak of the terrorist group’s power. In the video, Mr. al-Baghdadi praised the bombers who killed more than 250 people in Sri Lanka and said the battle with the West was far from over, despite the loss of the group’s so-called caliphate. On the ground: Snatching back the final piece of territory from the Islamic State in Syria was hailed as a milestone victory. But our reporter found that [the territory remains in shambles]( overwhelmed by rubble, still under attack from ISIS and the focus of domestic and international power struggles. President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France on Monday. John Macdougall/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A Kosovo-Serbia peace settlement Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France [met the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia]( in Berlin to normalize relations between the two countries, 20 years after a war between them ended. President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, suggested at a meeting in August that a final peace settlement [could include an exchange of territory]( and border changes. But Kosovo’s prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, is adamantly opposed. Perspective: The proposals are profoundly unpopular both with Serbs, who consider Kosovo part of Serbia, and Kosovars, who consider the plan a partition along ethnic lines. “These two leaders are leaders of the past,” a policy research director said. Crime victims and witnesses in Britain will now be asked to sign a form allowing the police to extract data from their electronic devices. Stefan Wermuth/Reuters British police to crime victims: Give us your data The British police delivered a striking warning to crime victims on Monday: If you want the case to be pursued, be prepared to [turn over personal data]( from your mobile phone, laptop, tablet or smart watches. If victims refuse to sign a form consenting to let the police extract data from personal devices — including internet browsing history, text messages, emails, social media records and more — the case might not proceed. In some cases, devices might not be given back to their owners for weeks or even months. Criticism: The police defended the policy by saying they have a duty to pursue all reasonable lines of inquiry. But it raised concerns about potential invasions of privacy and the risk of discouraging people from reporting crimes, particularly offenses like sexual assault that are already underreported because victims fear being treated like the guilty ones. If you have 20 minutes, this is worth it Behind sweet treats, a bitter truth Hazelnuts drying in the sun in northern Turkey. Omer Urer/Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images Turkey grows about 70 percent of [the world’s supply of hazelnuts]( much of which winds up in the world-famous Nutella spread or in Nestlé and Godiva candies. But workers on hazelnut farms say they’re underpaid for grueling, hazardous labor. And because a growing number of workers are Syrian refugees, they lack legal protections. PAID POST: A MESSAGE FROM CAMPAIGN MONITOR Email Marketing 101: Never Sacrifice Beauty for Simplicity A drag-and-drop email builder, a gallery of templates and turnkey designs, personalized customer journeys, and engagement segments. It's everything you need to create stunning, results-driven email campaigns in minutes. And with Campaign Monitor, you have access to it all, along with award-winning support around the clock. It's beautiful email marketing done simply. [Learn More]( Here’s what else is happening China: The country’s hustle culture is often called “996,” which means working from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., six days a week. Exhausted and discouraged by a weakened job market, workers are now [turning on that cultural flagpole]( urging the government to enforce labor laws. Perspective: Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was shot in his synagogue in California when a gunman opened fire on Saturday, wrote about [his experience for our Opinion section](. “All I can do is try to find meaning in what has happened,” he writes. U.S.: A measles outbreak — surpassing 700 cases this year — is now [the worst in decades](. With the disease spreading globally, officials are urging Americans traveling abroad to make sure they are immunized. France: Anticipating huge waves of visitors, officials at the Louvre Museum in Paris have said that [reservations will be required]( for entry to an exhibition this fall to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death. Snapshot: Above, an attacker, foreground, [neared Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko]( in Okinawa in 1975. There has been an emperor in Japan for more than 15 centuries. On Tuesday, Emperor Akihito will step down, yielding to his eldest son in the first abdication in 200 years. Our series looks at parts of his legacy. Apology from Times Opinion: The editors said they were “deeply sorry” for publishing [an anti-Semitic cartoon last week in the Opinion pages]( of the international edition, saying they expected to make significant changes to a process that left a single editor, “working without adequate oversight,” to choose among syndicated editorial cartoons. What we’re reading: [This essay from Polygon.]( “Like many of us, Shawn Kittelsen was fed up with the effect on his health from long hours spent sitting,” says Jennifer Jett, our Hong Kong-based digital editor. “He got results with virtual-reality exercise games like archery, boxing, rock-climbing and, his favorite, light sabers.” ADVERTISEMENT Now, a break from the news Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: For big flavor in record time, [herby pork larb with chile]( is just the dinner. Watch: Lisa Hanawalt, the illustrator behind “BoJack Horseman,” has created “Tuca & Bertie,” about two 30-something bird-women. “It was important to me to show that women are gross,” [she said](. Read: “Spring” is the most political book thus far in Ali Smith’s earthy and humane series. Its heart is worn far out on its sleeve, [writes our critic](. It beats arrhythmically somewhere down near the knuckles. Go: Bereavement wears a black bathrobe in “[Grief Is the Thing With Feathers]( the heart-clutching British import from Wayward Productions and Complicite. Smarter Living: If you have a running injury, take a cue from the writer of our Running newsletter, who sustained a stress fracture. Revise your training and performance goals to allow yourself the time to heal, and make avoiding re-injury a priority. And remember that [some workout is better than no workout]( so reward yourself for riding the stationary bike or otherwise keeping fit. And we have guidance on how to [declutter and speed up your smartphone](. And now for the Back Story on … A colorful British pastime [The World Snooker Championship]( is underway in Sheffield, England. A variation of billiards, snooker is a mass-audience sport in Britain, thanks in part to a quirk of television history. In 1969, the country’s first color channel, BBC2, seized on the game, with its green table and colored balls, as [a supremely effective way]( to get hours of programming from its [few color cameras](. The final of the World Snooker Championship in 2000. Tom Shaw /Allsport, via Getty Images And gripping programs they were, too, full of [soft-spoken announcers]( and [occasionally hard-drinking players](. Plus, tracking the balls made you want a color TV set. (“For those of you watching in black and white,” ran one famous line of commentary, “the pink is next to the green.”) Regular broadcasts grew in popularity even when color TV became routine. Britain’s record TV audience after midnight remains the 18.5 million who stayed up to see the 1985 world championship [come down to a single ball](. Snooker has never been quite as exciting since, but this year’s final is on May 6. In the United States, it will be [broadcast via an online subscription service]( in several other countries, you can [watch on Facebook](. That’s it for this briefing. Student loan debt has become a hot-button issue in the U.S., and we’d like to understand how paying for university varies around the world. Tell us your story [here](. — Melina Thank you Chris Stanford helped compile this briefing. Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen provided the break from the news. Peter Robins, an editor in our London newsroom, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [briefing@nytimes.com](mailto:briefing+midnight@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback&te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_MBE_p_20190430§ion=endNote;section=endNote). P.S. • We’re listening to “[The Daily]( Our latest episode is about the census case before the U.S. Supreme Court. • Here’s today’s [mini crossword puzzle]( and a clue: Sea ___ (sight off the California coast) (5 letters). [You can find all our puzzles here](. • [Wirecutter]( is a New York Times company that reviews appliances, tech and gear for the home based on research and hands-on testing. Were you sent this briefing by a friend? [Sign up here]( to get the Morning Briefing. [Today's Front Page]( [nytimes.com]( [Subscribe to The Times]( You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing newsletter. Want to change the time you receive your briefing? Click the time zone more relevant to you: [New York]( [Hong Kong]( [Sydney]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2019 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 ADVERTISEMENT