Your Wednesday Briefing

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, March 22, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Wednesday Briefing]( By PATRICK BOEHLER Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Amer Almohibany/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • For the first time in years, Syrian rebels [advanced on the outskirts of Damascus]( demonstrating that they could still threaten the capital despite a long string of defeats. It was not yet clear whether the assault had any staying power. Representatives from 68 nations in the coalition fighting the Islamic State are gathering at the U.S. State Department, their first full meeting in more than two years. Libya will probably be on the agenda, where the terrorist group is [exploiting chaos](. “It’s a powder keg,” said a general from neighboring Chad. _____ Yoan Valat/European Pressphoto Agency • France’s interior minister, [Bruno Le Roux]( resigned amid an inquiry into parliamentary jobs he gave to his daughters. And prosecutors are reportedly seeking to widen a similar investigation into jobs held by the wife of François Fillon, the center-right presidential candidate, to look into suspicions of [fraud and forgery](. Le Canard Enchaîné, the French weekly whose reporting prompted the inquiry, [published allegations today]( that Mr. Fillon received $50,000 from a Lebanese billionaire. Mr. Fillon was said to have facilitated a meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. _____ Jenna Schoenefeld for The New York Times • President Trump will attend [a summit meeting of leaders of NATO members]( in Brussels in May, the White House said, allowing him press his case for higher military spending among European allies and to address concerns over his rapprochement with Russia. Domestically, F.B.I. agents are investigating [Roger Stone, above, a longtime Trump associate]( in connection with an inquiry into Russian interference in the election last year. The ferocity of Mr. Trump’s pushback against the Russia allegations, often untethered from fact, is [wearing down aides and allies](. _____ The New York Times • Mr. Trump is expected to order the Environmental Protection Agency soon [to withdraw and rewrite a set of Obama-era regulations]( known as the Clean Power Plan. In six maps, we look at [how Americans think about climate change](. They overwhelmingly believe that global warming is happening, but fewer are sure the changes will harm them personally. One victory against climate change: [the plummeting popularity of beef](. _____ David Scharf/Science Source • Advances in stem-cell engineering, including the prospect of synthetic embryos, are forcing the scientific community to [confront ethical quandaries](. “We need to address this now, while there’s still time,” said a Harvard researcher who helped write a new report on “synthetic human entities with embryolike features,” or “Sheefs.” _____ Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The New York Times • Planning a family vacation? You might take inspiration from the [stories of four families]( who explored the otherworldliness of Norway’s far north, Dutch petting zoos, the French Alps and Puerto Rico’s beaches. _____ Business Ullstein Bild, via Getty Images • The British and U.S. restrictions on larger electronic devices on some inbound flights [may create additional surveillance opportunities](. Here’s a [guide to help you safeguard your data]( should customs officials demand access to your smartphone. • Google is [trying to stop ads from appearing next to hate speech]( in an effort to protect its lucrative advertising business, after major clients withdrew spots. • After ending eight years of capital controls last week, Iceland [remains wary of private investors](. • The euro [gained against the dollar]( after [France’s first presidential debate](. U.S. stocks [retreated](. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Russell Cheyne/Reuters • Scotland’s Parliament is expected to approve today First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s motion to seek permission from London to hold a second independence referendum. [[The Scotsman]( • Turkey’s governing party said it would no longer send representatives to Germany to campaign among the 1.4 million Turkish voters there for a constitutional amendment to strengthen the Turkish president’s powers. [[The New York Times]( • In Moscow, a lawyer representing the family of Sergei L. Magnitsky, who died in prison after uncovering a $230 million fraud, suffered severe head injuries after falling from his apartment building. [[The New York Times]( • Virginia Raggi, Rome’s mayor, sought to prove that the anti-establishment Five Star Movement could shake up politics, but critics now say her administration isn’t all that different. [[The New York Times]( • In the Philippines, our correspondent explores the many contradictions of President Rodrigo Duterte — an antidrug crusader who has struggled with drug abuse, a child of privilege turned populist strongman. [[The New York Times]( • Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, said he would not hesitate to rule against Mr. Trump if the law required it. [[The New York Times]( • Belgium is marking the first anniversary of terrorist attacks that left 32 dead last year. Among today’s events: “a minute of noise.” [[The Guardian]( Smarter Living Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times • Recipe of the day: Try [Persian herbed rice]( for a fragrant dish scented with dill, mint and saffron. • Heading off to a job you hate? Here are a few [survival tips](. Noteworthy Ruth Fremson /The New York Times • Researchers observed that even when penguin chicks were old enough to hunt, some still begged their parents for food — [and the parents gave in](. • Theresa May, whose deep love of fashion pushes the boundaries of conventional political attire, [has become the first British prime minister to be featured]( in American Vogue. • And have you ever considered using an espresso machine to make scrambled eggs? [Here are some more surprising egg facts](. Back Story Sara Krulwich/The New York Times William Shatner has a birthday today. So does the world-famous character that made his fortune: [Capt. James T. Kirk]( of the Starship Enterprise, who set out “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations” in the U.S. television show “Star Trek.” A Canadian, Mr. Shatner trained as a Shakespearean actor before moving into TV and film. In the mid-60s, the first pilot of the show was rejected by television executives, but the second, in which Mr. Shatner played Kirk for the first time, fared better. “I never thought it’d become a big deal, just 13 episodes and out,” [Mr. Shatner told The Times Magazine]( in 2010. In fact, it lasted 79. The show gained a cult following in syndication and spawned a pop cultural phenomenon that boasts multiple television series (with a new one planned) as well as 13 feature films (and counting). Mr. Shatner turns 86 today, but James Tiberius Kirk won’t be born for another 216 years. For those who don’t want to wait until 2233 to pay tribute to one of science fiction’s best-known names, boldly go to [Riverside, Iowa]( where a plaque proudly announces the “[Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.]( Kenneth R. Rosen contributed reporting. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. Read the [latest edition of the U.S. briefing here]( and the [latest for Asia and Australia here](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). 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 newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018