Your Monday Briefing

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, August 14, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Monday Briefing]( By PATRICK BOEHLER Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Edu Bayer for The New York Times • Trying to stop the fallout over President Trump’s ambiguous response to this [weekend’s bloody rallies in Charlottesville]( Va., the White House [condemned “white supremacists”]( for inciting violence during the protests over the removal of [a statue of Robert E. Lee]( the Confederate general. The statement, issued 36 hours after the protests began, came after lawmakers from both parties called on Mr. Trump to denounce racists affiliated with the so-called alt-right, some of whom brandished pro-Trump banners. The police charged a [20-year-old man]( with second-degree murder, identifying him as the driver who caused a smashup that [killed a 32-year-old woman]( in a crowd of counterprotesters and injured many more. _____ Angelos Tzortzinis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • Several aid groups have said that they would [suspend some migrant rescue operations]( in Libyan waters in the Mediterranean over the increasingly hostile stance of the country’s Coast Guard. Amid rising antimigrant sentiment in Italy, the government in Rome has also pressed aid groups to avoid Libyan waters. Italy last month agreed to send a naval mission to assist the Libyan Coast Guard to curb human trafficking. Critics say there is concern over the inhumane conditions migrants face if they are returned to Libya and held in detention centers. _____ Thomas Mukoya/Reuters • In Kenya, several deaths [have been reported in election-related violence](. Raila Odinga, above, the opposition leader, [called on his supporters to strike today]( claiming that the election had been rigged. International observers concluded that it was generally fair and transparent. Separately in Burkina Faso, at least 17 people [have been reported killed in an attack]( on a restaurant frequented by foreigners in the capital, Ouagadougou. _____ Paulo Cunha/European Pressphoto Agency • Forest fires are spreading again across Southern Europe. In Portugal, our correspondent [looked at political inaction and poor land management, which have exacerbated the hazard](. “There is a big waste of public money in the fight against fires and almost nothing spent on prevention,” one prosecutor said. (Above, firemen pumped water from a river in central Portugal yesterday.) Fires have also spread in southern parts of France, including [Corsica]( and in [Greece](. _____ Franck Robichon/European Pressphoto Agency • At the world track and field championships in London, Usain Bolt, above, [pulled out of his final race]( because of an injury, leading to a surprise British victory. There were no medals for Russia despite victories by Russian athletes. [We explain](. The opening salvos of the Premier League in Britain showed that it is not just the world’s richest league, but also its most entertaining, [our correspondent writes](. For one, the defending champion, Chelsea, [lost]( to visiting Burnley, 3-2. In Germany, Hamburger S.V. was [defeated]( 3-1, by a 10-man team from Osnabrück. In Italy, Lazio [scored a 3-2 victory]( against Juventus. [Neymar’s triumphant debut]( with Paris Saint-Germain against Guingamp [ended 3-0](. In Spain, [Real Madrid beat Barcelona]( 3-1. Here’s a [roundup of]( sports news]( including a 20-year-old German ending Roger Federer’s winning streak. _____ Business John Thys/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • “Our beautiful family farm is hanging by a silk thread.” That’s what a Dutch farmer who has to destroy 100,000 eggs [over Europe’s widening tainted eggs scare]( told us. • The stereotype of the [loner genius nerd has become a damaging myth]( in the U.S. tech industry. • Digital wallets and peer-to-peer payment apps are quickly becoming part of everyday life. [Here’s a primer on leading platforms](. • And here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Peter Thompson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • The Danish owner of a submarine is facing manslaughter charges over the disappearance of Kim Wall, a Swedish journalist. Above, Ms. Wall on the submarine, which was later deliberately sunk, according to an investigator. [[The New York Times]( • In Istanbul, a man believed to be an Islamic State militant killed a police officer while in custody, the official Turkish news media reported. [[Andalou Agency]( • German politicians returned to the campaign trail ahead of general elections in September. The conservatives of Chancellor Angela Merkel remain ahead, and there’s some talk of a coalition with the Free Democratic Party. [[Politico]( • Two rivals in the British cabinet [said]( there was a consensus in the government that Britain’s departure from the E.U. required a “time limited” transitional phase. [[BBC]( • Russia will send thousands of soldiers to Belarus for military drills next month. There are widespread fears they will never leave. [[The New York Times]( • In Washington, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the U.S. elections last year is said to be in talks with the White House about interviewing current and former officials. [[The New York Times]( Smarter Living Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life. Sven Hoppe/DPA, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • If you want to sync your calendar with the solar system, [sign up here]( to add meteor showers, eclipses and other cosmic special events to Google or iOS calendars. • Why you shouldn’t put off a password manager any longer, and more in [our weekly newsletter](. • Recipe of the day: Make practically any fruit into a cobbler with Melissa Clark’s [fantastic recipe](. Noteworthy Justin Gilliland/The New York Times • Among our most-read stories in Europe today is the tale of a couple in New York who met at a gym a few years ago. Aged 98 and 94, [they just got married](. “Age doesn’t mean a damn thing,” the groom said. • A recent article on [bacteria in dirty sponges]( sparked a deluge of questions from readers. [Here are a few answers](. • In baking news, conservationists discovered a 106-year-old British fruitcake in Antarctica that was said to smell “almost” edible. And [here’s what’s next]( for “The Great British Bake Off,” the hit television series. • Here’s our review of the [latest “Game of Thrones” episode]( an hour of soapy intrigue and revelation. • In memoriam: Israel Kristal, a [Holocaust survivor]( who was the world’s oldest man, [died in Israel at 113](. Back Story  Associated Press North and South Korea have agreed on very little in recent decades, but this week their shared past means the two countries have a rare holiday in common: Independence Day. Called [Gwangbokjeol]( (“the day the light returned”) in the South and Chogukhaebangui nal (“Liberation of the Fatherland Day”) in the North, the holiday is what is known in the West as V-J Day, or Victory Over Japan Day. [The Japanese Empire formally surrendered]( on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II and liberating the Korean Peninsula, which had been under colonial rule since 1910. The government of [South Korea was established]( on the same day three years later, and the peninsula was divided. The holiday is celebrated with patriotic fanfare in both countries, although the North has found new ways to reassert its independence. For the 70th Liberation Day in 2015 — amid [renewed military tensions]( with the South — Pyongyang [created its own time zone](. “The wicked Japanese imperialists committed such unpardonable crimes as depriving Korea of even its standard time,” the North’s state-run news agency said. The country had previously been in the same time zone as South Korea and Japan, but its clocks are now set 30 minutes behind. Inyoung Kang contributed reporting. _____ This briefing was prepared for the European morning. [You can browse through past briefings here](. We also have briefings timed for the [Australian]( [Asian]( 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 [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). ADVERTISEMENT 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 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018