Britain, Pamplona, Killer Caterpillars: Your Monday Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/briefing/britain-pamplona-killer-caterpillars.html

Version 0 of 1.

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

A resignation in Britain, outrage in Spain and a taste of right-wing rule in Italy. Here’s the latest:

• Britain’s home secretary, Amber Rudd, above, resigned on Sunday over her handling of a damaging immigration crisis, a significant setback for Prime Minister Theresa May.

Ms. Rudd’s resignation came after intense pressure over the government’s treatment of some Caribbean-born Britons who came to help rebuild postwar Britain yet were declared illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, British officials are warning Londoners about an invasion of toxic caterpillars whose hairs can cause illness and even death in humans. Also, the British Veterinary Association is telling Britons that dogs can’t develop autism, rebutting claims about possible side effects of vaccines, after the so-called anti-vaxxer movement blamed for measles outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe turned to pets.

And Alfie Evans, the terminally ill British toddler who was at the center of a bitter legal battle, died on Saturday, five days after he was taken off life support.

_____

• “Do we have to die to prove rape?”

Judges in Spain defended the country’s judicial system, after mass protests in Pamplona, above, grew against a court sentence that cleared five men of raping a woman during the city’s famous bull-running festival in 2016.

The case has provoked a Spanish version of the #MeToo movement, prompting many Spaniards to condemn a patriarchal culture, while the government vowed to review Spain’s criminal code. But judges have fired back, calling criticism by the justice minister an attack on the judiciary’s independence.

Separately, we asked readers in Ireland, another traditionally Roman Catholic country that has become increasingly liberal, to reflect on next month’s landmark referendum on abortion. Here’s a selection of their responses.

_____

• The new U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, above, is in the Middle East, seeking to gather regional support for new sanctions against Iran.

The visit to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan began just two days after Mr. Pompeo was sworn in. President Trump is set to decide by May 12 whether to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal, which is still supported by top allies in Europe as well as Russia and China.

Mr. Pompeo brought a clear message to the Saudis: Stop the 11-month blockade of Qatar so a united front against Iran can succeed.

_____

• Where Italy’s economic and migrant crises collide.

The new mayor of Sesto San Giovanni, outside Milan, has blocked construction of a mosque, cut services to migrants and given priority to “Italians first,” offering a taste of the right’s creeping anti-immigrant influence in Italian politics and society. Above, an Italian class in Sesto this month.

But longtime immigrants say the mayor’s policies not only make them feel unwelcome, but have encouraged blatantly xenophobic behavior from residents of the region, a marked change after years of tolerance.

_____

• South Korean officials offered more surprising details of North Korea’s diplomatic turnabout.

They said that the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, had pledged to give up his nuclear weapons if Washington agreed to formally end the Korean War and promised not to invade. Above, Mr. Kim embraced the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, on Friday.

For the U.S., the overtures threaten to erode economic sanctions and complicate President Trump’s threats of military action.

This short video tracks Mr. Kim’s extreme image makeover.

_____

• “Blockchain will belong to the Russians.” That was a Russian spy, explaining the Kremlin’s interest in the technology and international standards for virtual currencies. Western governments and corporations are, unsurprisingly, concerned. (Above, cryptocurrency systems in Moscow in December.)

“Avengers: Infinity War” scored the biggest global film opening of all time — an estimated $630 million — $380 million in 52 international markets and $250 million in the U.S.

• A revolt among women at Nike’s corporate headquarters led to the ouster of several top executives. Interviews revealed that women felt ignored, harassed and stymied in their careers, while working in a demeaning environment.

• The European Union and other American allies are worried that the Trump administration may not extend their exemptions from steep tariffs on steel and aluminum. That decision, due Tuesday, and new details on the state of the eurozone’s economy are among the headlines to watch for this week.

• Look, no license! A Briton was banned from driving for 18 months after being videotaped sitting in a Tesla in the passenger seat with his hands behind his head, cruising at 40 miles per hour.

• Here’s a snapshot of global markets.

• Pope Francis is finding himself more isolated as global political trends shift. [The New York Times]

• Dubai of the Balkans: The Serbian government’s plan to transform Belgrade into a playground for the rich involves using foreign money and removing residents from their homes with threats, masked men and baseball bats. [The New York Times]

• In Azerbaijan, a fire engulfed a controversial high-rise that until recently had been called Trump Tower. [The New York Times]

• The White House correspondents’ annual dinner was overshadowed by a raunchy routine by the comedian Michelle Wolf, which included sharp jabs at prominent women in the Trump administration. [The New York Times]

• In France, an art museum discovered that more than half of its collection are fakes. [The Guardian]

• Europol, the E.U. police agency, said it had led a successful international operation against internet propaganda of the Islamic State group. [BBC]

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

• Recipe of the day: Asparagus with brown butter goes with just about any main course.

• You can make use of a financial planner regardless of your income.

• Make yourself aware of the more subtle symptoms of heart disease.

• Paris je t’aime. The French photographer Willy Ronis captured France’s capital and its people with warmth, humanity and compassion. The first major retrospective of his work since his death opened this week at the Pavillon Carré de Baudouin in Paris, and it’s keeping his generosity alive: Entrance is free.

• One of our most-discussed recent stories was about “I Feel Pretty,” the Amy Schumer movie that attests that it’s what’s inside us that matters. It’s not that simple, our critic at large writes. Beauty standards are stricter than ever — it’s just become taboo to admit that.

• How the Golden State Killer left a trail: A serial rapist and murderer in California flaunted his power as well as his belief that he could elude accountability forever. The breakthrough that finally snared a suspect came via a public genealogy website.

Natural wonder, honeymoon site and tourist attraction in two countries.

By the time Niagara Falls was established as a New York State park on this day in 1885, it was already popular.

A French priest is credited with telling the world about the waterfalls at the border of the United States and Canada in the late 1600s.

The region later became a place of escape for slaves fleeing the American South. (The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center opens this weekend.)

In the 1800s, tourists and honeymooners began to come in large numbers, with an 1851 report of up to 100,000 seasonal visitors.

Daredevils helped make it popular. People walked on tightropes across it and went over the edge in barrels — including Anna Edson Taylor, the first recorded person to go over the falls and live. Eventually such stunts were banned as too dangerous.

Just how dangerous Niagara can be is evident in this 1954 video showing the collapse of a section of American Falls.

But despite an increase in kitschy attractions, perhaps not much has changed since an 1889 travel guide: “One might, I imagine, spend two months here and not grow tired of the ever-varying beauty; but he would get tired of the ever-monotonous crowd.”

Sarah Anderson wrote today’s Back Story.

_____

Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online.

Check out this page to find a Morning Briefing for your region. (In addition to our European edition, we have Australian, Asian and U.S. editions.)

What would you like to see here? Contact us at europebriefing@nytimes.com.