Your Wednesday Briefing

United Nations, Hurricane Maria, Rohingya | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, September 20, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( Asia Edition [Your Wednesday Briefing]( By STEPHEN HILTNER Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times • “If the righteous many don’t confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.” In a bellicose speech at the United Nations General Assembly, [President Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea]( referred to its dictator, Kim Jong-un, as “Rocket Man,” denounced the Iran nuclear agreement and promised to “crush the loser terrorists” in the Middle East. He thanked Russia and China for supporting recent U.N. sanctions on North Korea, but also indirectly criticized them, calling it “an outrage” that “some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply and financially support a country that imperils the world.” Here are [the highlights of the opening day of speeches](. Leaders from Japan and Myanmar speak today; South Korea, Russia, China and Indonesia tomorrow; Australia on Friday; and the Philippines and Singapore on Saturday. _____ Lionel Chamoiseau/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images • In a special session at the U.N., the [leaders of i]( nations appealed for a reconception of humanitarian aid in dealing with climate change](. “Forces far beyond our control have pushed us to this dire situation,” said the leader of Antigua and Barbuda, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Maria, the third major hurricane to sweep through the Caribbean in recent weeks, inflicted [“mind boggling” damage]( on Dominica and is expected to approach the already devastated Virgin Islands and [Puerto Rico]( today. Martinique, above, suffered power outages but was largely unscathed. _____ Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters • Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar, avoided any criticism of the country’s military in [her much-anticipated speech]( in the capital, Naypyidaw, addressing the plight of the country’s Rohingya ethnic minority. A stark satellite analysis by Human Rights Watch shows that [at least 210 Rohingya villages have been burned to the ground]( since late August, sending hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh with accounts of a vast military campaign of killing and rape. [Britain suspended aid]( to the country’s military. _____ Mick Tsikas/Reuters • Australia is reeling [from the flu](. More than 166,000 cases have already been reported, a sharp increase from 91,000 for all of last year. At least 72 people have died, raising questions about Australians’ own “grin and bear it” resilience and the effectiveness of a health care system that fails to vaccinate more than 90 percent of children for flu. _____ Matt Rourke/Associated Press • The special counsel inquiry into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election is opting for aggressive tactics. Paul J. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, woke up one morning in July to find [federal agents with a search warrant had picked the lock of his home]( and raided it. Business Adam Hunger/Reuters • Toys “R” Us, one of the world’s largest toy store chains, has [filed for bankruptcy protection]( but the proceedings are not expected to affect that company’s operations in Asia. • Norway’s sovereign wealth fund [hit $1 trillion for the first time]( its sheer size has made it challenging to find markets big enough to invest in. • New U.S. figures show that the number of [international visitors to the U.S. dropped by close to 700,000]( in the first quarter of 2017, a loss of nearly $2.7 billion in spending. • The iPhone 8 feels like a “swan song,” [our tech columnist writes]( — a worthy, final refinement before the iPhone X and the prospect of a new generation of smartphones. • U.S. stocks [were slightly up](. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. In the News Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press • A giant statue of Lt. Gen. Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, the creator of the AK-47, was unveiled in Moscow in a ceremony that made no mention of the millions killed and wounded by the world’s most prevalent assault weapon. [[The New York Times]( • A powerful earthquake struck Mexico, toppling buildings and rattling the capital for the second time in just two weeks. [[The New York Times]( • Qatar and Kuwait are halting visa renewals for North Korean workers, cutting off a source of foreign income for Pyongyang. [[Reuters]( • China and Russia began a series of joint military drills this week less than 100 miles from the North Korean border. [[The Independent]( • A harrowing video shows a bystander narrowly escaping death when a Russian military helicopter accidentally fires a missile into a parking lot during a training exercise near St. Petersburg. [[The New York Times]( • More than 2 million people in Japan are above the age of 90, leading some experts to call for a new definition for the term “elderly.” [[The Japan Times]( • Our Washington reporter describes how he landed a recent political scoop: by overhearing a conversation of Trump legal advisers at a Washington steakhouse. [[The New York Times]( • In China, plans have been approved for a vast national park dedicated to the country’s giant pandas. [[Xinhua]( Smarter Living Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life. Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times • Recipe of the day: Try [a sweet and spicy roast chicken]( marinated in chile, honey and citrus. • What’s the secret to an organized kitchen? [Experts share their tips](. • Apps can help [keep your eyes on the road](. Noteworthy Arnaud Martin/The George Washington University • Using gene-editing techniques, scientists have taken the first steps in understanding, and potentially controlling, the [patterns and colors of butterfly wings](. • A painting that circulated through several European institutions as a rare Mondrian appears to be a copy, offering [a cautionary lesson in the lack of basic due diligence in the art world](. • In Geneva, an investigation into an attempt to [flush a considerable amount of money down the toilet]( — yes, literally — has raised concerns about money laundering and the financing of terrorist acts. Back Story Dan Grossi/Associated Press For today, a slice of culinary history. The Times introduced readers to pizza 73 years ago today as “a pie made from a yeast dough and filled with any number of different centers.” “With the dexterity of a drum major wielding a baton, the baker picks one up and twirls it around, first in one hand and then in the other,” [the report]( said, describing Luigino’s Pizzeria Alla Napoletana in Times Square. In the early 1800s, Naples was famous for working poor, the [lazzaroni](. Pizza was the answer to their need for quick and cheap food. Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba opened in Naples in 1830 and is widely thought to be the world’s first pizzeria. When Neapolitans began migrating in large numbers to the U.S., they brought their tradition of wood-oven bakeries. The [first U.S. pizzeria]( opened in New York in 1905. Some things have changed. Pizza is now embedded in much of the world’s culinary fabric. (Last week, our dining critic proposed that Jersey City actually has [New York’s best pizza]( But the gluttony pizza can inspire is enduring. “Each one will make four portions,” the original 1944 introduction said. “Although many people can do away with a whole pie single-handed.” Remy Tumin contributed reporting. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. Browse past briefings [here](. This briefing was prepared for the Asian morning. We also have briefings timed for [Australia]( [Europe]( and [the Americas](. You can sign up for these and other Times newsletters [here](. If photographs appear out of order, please download the updated New York Times app [from iTunes]( or [Google Play](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [asiabriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:asiabriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Asia)). 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