Your Friday Briefing

James Comey, Donald Trump, Moon Jae-in | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, May 12, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Asia Edition [Your Friday Briefing]( By CHARLES MCDERMID Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Al Drago/The New York Times • The chaos from President Trump’s abrupt firing of his F.B.I. director hung over a Senate hearing about the biggest security threats facing the United States. Andrew McCabe, the acting F.B.I. director, rejected the White House’s claim that James Comey, the bureau’s former chief, had lost the support of his colleagues, contradicting the [president’s latest explanation for the dismissal](. Mr. McCabe also said that the firing had not affected the Justice Department’s [investigation of Russia’s meddling]( in the presidential election. Follow [the latest developments in Washington](. _____ Baek Seung-Ryul/Yonhap, via Associated Press • It was a busy day of diplomacy for South Korea’s new president, Moon Jae-in. [Mr. Moon told President Xi Jinping of China]( that he would send a delegation to discuss friction over a U.S. antimissile system, and asked Mr. Xi to help end a boycott of South Korean goods. Separately, [Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan called on Mr. Moon]( to carry out a 2015 agreement to resolve the issue of “comfort women” — the Koreans forced into sexual slavery for Japan’s World War II army. Even North Korea appeared to make a overture. Its state-run news media called on the two Koreas to work toward reunification. _____ Newsha Tavakolian for The New York Times • “We want freedom of press, freedom of association and freedom of thought.” That was the[Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani,]( at a campaign rally in Tehran for the May 19 presidential election. During the campaign, which lasts only a few weeks, politics are not only freer, but edgier, our correspondent in Tehran writes. “Whatever you do, go out and vote,” Mr. Rouhani told the crowd. _____ Sonny Tumbelaka/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • The blasphemy [conviction of Jakarta’s Christian former governor]( has renewed criticism of Indonesia’s notoriously capricious judiciary. Legal experts said the verdict relied heavily on public anger from hard-line Islamic groups, who have long opposed a Christian such as Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who goes by Ahok, governing Jakarta. In fact, the prosecutors had asked for probation, but the judges handed down two years in prison. Above, Ahok supporters in Bali. _____ Mick Tsikas/European Pressphoto Agency • Alia Joy Gates, less than 3 months old, made history this week. On Tuesday, she became the first child to be breast-fed in Australia’s federal Parliament. By Thursday, her mother, Senator Larissa Waters, was garnering praise from all over the world. [It was all a bit stunning, Ms. Waters told us.]( “What it really says is that we need more young women in Parliament,” she said,” so that when we breast-feed our babies it’s not considered news.” _____ Minzayar for The New York Times • And thank an earthquake for the chance to see the unvarnished versions of [Myanmar’s most stunning 11th-century monuments.]( After an earthquake last year wiped out the former junta’s “really horrible” restoration work at the temple complex, Bagan, the new government is applying again for World Heritage status. Take a look at Bagan for yourself in our [daily 360 video](. Business David Gray/Reuters • Australia’s internet speed, [eight years after it began a $36 billion upgrade]( ranks No. 51 in the world, behind Thailand and Kenya. What went wrong? • Sony Pictures Entertainment, in a shift toward TV after recent movie misfires, [named Tony Vinciquerra as chairman and chief executive](. • London’s reputation as banker to the world is imperiled by “Brexit.” Banks are [planning to move large numbers of employees](. [Here’s a quick look]( at the potential fallout. • How is Sephora, the top beauty retailer in the world, [thriving amid a global retail slump?]( In part, by turning its stores into high-tech playgrounds. • Nissan Motor Co.’s annual [profits jumped 27 percent]( driven by strong sales in the U.S., China and Europe. • U.S. stocks [were weaker](. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press • President Tran Dai Quang of Vietnam, on an official visit to Beijing, above, discussed the disputed South China Sea with President Xi Jinping. [[Reuters]( • In central India, 24 wedding guests, including four children, were killed when a 14-foot wall collapsed during a thunderstorm. [[The New York Times]( • China wants to “capture” an asteroid by 2020, its space authorities said. The aim is to mine the asteroid for minerals, or to use it as the base for a space station. [[South China Morning Post]( • The police in Australia filed assault and other charges against a man who smashed a pie in the face of the chief executive of Qantas to protest the airline’s support of gay marriage. [[The Age]( • A popular Berlin hostel run on property owned by North Korea’s government, is being shut down to comply with U.N. sanctions. [[The New York Times]( • In Cambodia, nine critically endangered royal turtles hatched after three months under guard. The turtle was believed extinct in Cambodia until 2000. [[T]( Phnom Penh Post]( • A team of Australian scientists is designing miniature ecosystems to simulate the impact of climate change. [[The New York Times]( Smarter Living Getty Images • Mothers tell children to take a [deep breath]( to calm down. There’s now some science to support their advice. • George Schultz, a former secretary of state, has some wisdom for our smartphone-addled world: Take an [hour of solitude](. • Recipe of the day: Harness big flavors with these [sautéed lamb chops.]( Noteworthy Mark Hartman for The New York Times • Take a visual trip to India’s Punjab, where a [photographer staked out temples and train stations]( to capture the region’s eye-popping colors. • Chen Man, [the “Chinese Annie Leibovitz,”]( has a dramatic style that challenges stereotypes about her home country. She was recently honored at a fashion gala in New York. • Singapore’s Keong Saik Road has evolved from a famous red-light district in the 1960s, to [one of the city’s trendiest places](. Back Story Associated Press [The 57th Venice Biennale]( opens this weekend. While attendees appreciate the art from around the globe, they may also want to note an adornment on some shop windows: [a blue line](. The line signifies where floodwaters rose in the Piazza San Marco on Nov. 4, 1966. [The Times reported]( that the flooding, above, was the worst in Italy’s history. “[Acqua alta]( or high water, is the phrase used in the city of canals to describe unusually high (though not uncommon) tides. In addition to flooding, Venice also [faces a potential threat]( as the ground under the city sinks, [research shows](. (The pumping of groundwater, which contributed to the process, has been stopped, but the ground still gives way.) Acqua alta is a phenomenon that occurs predominantly in the winter months, so the biennale, which runs from May 13 to Nov. 26 will — most likely — not be affected. Besides, no flood or rising tide, unlike a world war or two, has ever stopped the art exhibition. Thomas Lotito contributed reporting. _____ This briefing was prepared for the Asian morning. We also have briefings timed for the [Australian]( [European]( and [American]( mornings. You can sign up for these and other Times newsletters [here](. Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [asiabriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:asiabriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Asia)). ADVERTISEMENT 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 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018