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| United Airlines, Borussia Dortmund, Sean Spicer: Your Wednesday Briefing | United Airlines, Borussia Dortmund, Sean Spicer: Your Wednesday Briefing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| Here’s what you need to know: | Here’s what you need to know: |
| • The White House accused Russia of engaging in a cover-up of the Syrian government’s role in last week’s chemical weapons attack. Moscow emphatically denied the claim. | • The White House accused Russia of engaging in a cover-up of the Syrian government’s role in last week’s chemical weapons attack. Moscow emphatically denied the claim. |
| The U.S. also said that it had confirmed that the government of Bashar al-Assad had used sarin gas in the attack. Today, the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on whether to condemn the assault. | The U.S. also said that it had confirmed that the government of Bashar al-Assad had used sarin gas in the attack. Today, the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on whether to condemn the assault. |
| Rex Tillerson, the U.S. secretary of state, is facing an icy day of talks in Moscow, after calling on the Kremlin to drop its support of Mr. Assad. “The Daily” podcast explores how Mr. Assad went from mild-mannered ophthalmology student to brutal ruler. | Rex Tillerson, the U.S. secretary of state, is facing an icy day of talks in Moscow, after calling on the Kremlin to drop its support of Mr. Assad. “The Daily” podcast explores how Mr. Assad went from mild-mannered ophthalmology student to brutal ruler. |
| One remark by Mr. Tillerson at his talks in Italy with G-7 foreign ministers might have been more to Moscow’s liking: Why should U.S. taxpayers care about Ukraine, he was said to have asked his counterparts. | One remark by Mr. Tillerson at his talks in Italy with G-7 foreign ministers might have been more to Moscow’s liking: Why should U.S. taxpayers care about Ukraine, he was said to have asked his counterparts. |
| _____ | _____ |
| • Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, caused outrage by comparing Bashar al-Assad to Hitler and saying incorrectly that Hitler had not used chemical weapons. | • Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, caused outrage by comparing Bashar al-Assad to Hitler and saying incorrectly that Hitler had not used chemical weapons. |
| President Trump has been silent about Syria since the U.S. strike on Friday, but he addressed growing tensions in Asia on Twitter. “North Korea is looking for trouble,” Mr. Trump wrote. “If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.” | President Trump has been silent about Syria since the U.S. strike on Friday, but he addressed growing tensions in Asia on Twitter. “North Korea is looking for trouble,” Mr. Trump wrote. “If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.” |
| _____ | _____ |
| • In Italy, the death of a woman led to soul-searching over what many describe as modern-day slavery. Paola Clemente, 49, died of a heart attack in 2015. She had harvested grapes up to 12 hours per day, often for as little as 27 euros. | • In Italy, the death of a woman led to soul-searching over what many describe as modern-day slavery. Paola Clemente, 49, died of a heart attack in 2015. She had harvested grapes up to 12 hours per day, often for as little as 27 euros. |
| The exploitation of some workers is a measure of the country’s lingering economic crisis, which forces many laborers to accept almost any working conditions. | The exploitation of some workers is a measure of the country’s lingering economic crisis, which forces many laborers to accept almost any working conditions. |
| _____ | _____ |
| • In the German city of Dortmund, three explosions damaged a bus carrying the soccer team Borussia Dortmund as it was heading to the Champions League quarterfinal match against Monaco. Marc Bartra, a Spanish defender, was injured. | • In the German city of Dortmund, three explosions damaged a bus carrying the soccer team Borussia Dortmund as it was heading to the Champions League quarterfinal match against Monaco. Marc Bartra, a Spanish defender, was injured. |
| The playoff has been postponed until this evening. On Twitter, some Dortmund fans offered free accommodation for their rival team’s stranded supporters under the hashtag #bedforawayfans. | The playoff has been postponed until this evening. On Twitter, some Dortmund fans offered free accommodation for their rival team’s stranded supporters under the hashtag #bedforawayfans. |
| (In the other quarterfinal, Juventus beat Barcelona, 3-0.) | |
| _____ | _____ |
| • United Airlines apologized for the forced removal of a passenger from an overbooked flight after a video of the episode caused a public relations crisis and a debate about airline policies. | • United Airlines apologized for the forced removal of a passenger from an overbooked flight after a video of the episode caused a public relations crisis and a debate about airline policies. |
| Outrage reverberated globally: Reports of the episode have been viewed more than half a billion times on Chinese social media. | Outrage reverberated globally: Reports of the episode have been viewed more than half a billion times on Chinese social media. |
| • Workers who experience sexual harassment often don’t file complaints because they fear disbelief, hostility or professional retaliation. Their fears are grounded in reality, researchers concluded. | • Workers who experience sexual harassment often don’t file complaints because they fear disbelief, hostility or professional retaliation. Their fears are grounded in reality, researchers concluded. |
| • On the uselessness of job interviews: A management expert argues that recruiters use the process to try to “get to know” people — and it doesn’t work. | • On the uselessness of job interviews: A management expert argues that recruiters use the process to try to “get to know” people — and it doesn’t work. |
| • Here’s a snapshot of global markets. | • Here’s a snapshot of global markets. |
| • Former President Barack Obama plans to re-emerge on the international stage with a visit to Germany in May to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel. The visit will coincide with a Europe trip by President Trump. [Politico] | • Former President Barack Obama plans to re-emerge on the international stage with a visit to Germany in May to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel. The visit will coincide with a Europe trip by President Trump. [Politico] |
| • Rakhmat Akilov, the man accused of killing four people by steering a stolen beer truck into a crowd in Stockholm last week, intends to plead guilty, his lawyer said in court. [The New York Times] | • Rakhmat Akilov, the man accused of killing four people by steering a stolen beer truck into a crowd in Stockholm last week, intends to plead guilty, his lawyer said in court. [The New York Times] |
| • Three gay men spoke of their persecution in Chechnya, the Russian North Caucasus region. “They constantly threatened to kill us,” one said. [Radio Free Europe] | • Three gay men spoke of their persecution in Chechnya, the Russian North Caucasus region. “They constantly threatened to kill us,” one said. [Radio Free Europe] |
| • A Spanish court cleared a parish priest who had been accused of molesting an altar boy, ending a sexual abuse case in which Pope Francis had personally urged the plaintiff to pursue his complaint. [The New York Times] | • A Spanish court cleared a parish priest who had been accused of molesting an altar boy, ending a sexual abuse case in which Pope Francis had personally urged the plaintiff to pursue his complaint. [The New York Times] |
| • A British judge ruled in one case that doctors can withdraw life-support treatment from a sick baby against his parents’ wishes. [The Guardian] | • A British judge ruled in one case that doctors can withdraw life-support treatment from a sick baby against his parents’ wishes. [The Guardian] |
| • Each degree Celsius of global warming will lead to the thawing of 1.5 million of the planet’s nearly six million square miles of permafrost, a new study suggests. [The New York Times] | • Each degree Celsius of global warming will lead to the thawing of 1.5 million of the planet’s nearly six million square miles of permafrost, a new study suggests. [The New York Times] |
| • There are many types of meditation. Research shows that the health benefits vary widely among individuals. | |
| • Excessive demands are leading to burnout everywhere. What would make things better? Start with work breaks. | • Excessive demands are leading to burnout everywhere. What would make things better? Start with work breaks. |
| • Here are nine ways to cook your eggs this morning. | • Here are nine ways to cook your eggs this morning. |
| • A small Francophile community has sprung up in Harlem, lured by the New York City neighborhood’s storied ties to France. | • A small Francophile community has sprung up in Harlem, lured by the New York City neighborhood’s storied ties to France. |
| • Fashion forward: Edward Enninful, born in Ghana, was named the first male editor of British Vogue since its founding in 1916. He’s the first black editor of any edition of Vogue. | • Fashion forward: Edward Enninful, born in Ghana, was named the first male editor of British Vogue since its founding in 1916. He’s the first black editor of any edition of Vogue. |
| • Every April, thousands of pilgrims trek to a mountaintop shrine in southern Spain. It’s an occasion for old-world pageantry, parades and dancing. | • Every April, thousands of pilgrims trek to a mountaintop shrine in southern Spain. It’s an occasion for old-world pageantry, parades and dancing. |
| • And humbling news for our species: Ants figured out farming millions of years before we did, a study finds. | • And humbling news for our species: Ants figured out farming millions of years before we did, a study finds. |
| President Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, was the setting for the most recent milestone in U.S.-China relations, but it was table tennis — a game intended for factory workers — that originally got the ball rolling. | President Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, was the setting for the most recent milestone in U.S.-China relations, but it was table tennis — a game intended for factory workers — that originally got the ball rolling. |
| It was 46 years ago this week that a 19-year-old American named Glenn Cowan, above, walked onto the Chinese team’s bus at the 1971 World Championships in Japan — and Ping-Pong diplomacy was born. | It was 46 years ago this week that a 19-year-old American named Glenn Cowan, above, walked onto the Chinese team’s bus at the 1971 World Championships in Japan — and Ping-Pong diplomacy was born. |
| After an awkward moment, China’s best player, Zhuang Zedong, welcomed Mr. Cowan and gave him a Chinese silk screen. The next day, Mr. Cowan gave Mr. Zhuang a red, white and blue T-shirt emblazoned with a peace symbol and the Beatles’ lyrics “Let It Be.” | After an awkward moment, China’s best player, Zhuang Zedong, welcomed Mr. Cowan and gave him a Chinese silk screen. The next day, Mr. Cowan gave Mr. Zhuang a red, white and blue T-shirt emblazoned with a peace symbol and the Beatles’ lyrics “Let It Be.” |
| Photographers captured the moment, and Mao Zedong, China’s leader, invited the U.S. team for a tour. | Photographers captured the moment, and Mao Zedong, China’s leader, invited the U.S. team for a tour. |
| Three months later, Henry Kissinger secretly visited Beijing, and President Nixon made his historic trip in 1972. | Three months later, Henry Kissinger secretly visited Beijing, and President Nixon made his historic trip in 1972. |
| “I was as surprised as I was pleased,” Nixon later wrote. “I had never expected that the China initiative would come to fruition in the form of a Ping-Pong team.” | “I was as surprised as I was pleased,” Nixon later wrote. “I had never expected that the China initiative would come to fruition in the form of a Ping-Pong team.” |
| Mao, who had called table tennis China’s “spiritual nuclear weapon” as early as 1959, was more enigmatic. | Mao, who had called table tennis China’s “spiritual nuclear weapon” as early as 1959, was more enigmatic. |
| “The little ball,” he said, “moves the big ball.” | “The little ball,” he said, “moves the big ball.” |
| Charles McDermid contributed reporting. | Charles McDermid contributed reporting. |
| _____ | _____ |
| This briefing was prepared for the European morning. We also have briefings timed for the Australian, Asian and American mornings. You can sign up for these and other Times newsletters here. | This briefing was prepared for the European morning. 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. | Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online. |
| What would you like to see here? Contact us at europebriefing@nytimes.com. | What would you like to see here? Contact us at europebriefing@nytimes.com. |
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