Your Tuesday Briefing

> Let us help you start your day. [The New York Times]( [nytimes.com]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, Apr 9, 2019 | [View in browser]( Supported by Good morning, We start today with a look at Israeli elections, a record seizure of pangolin scales and a remarkable rail journey through the Horn of Africa. By Alisha Haridasani Gupta From left, the pro-democracy campaigners Lee Wing-tat, Chu Yiu-ming, Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man and Tanya Chan outside court in Hong Kong in November. They face up to seven years in prison. Anthony Wallace/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Umbrella Movement activists await a verdict A court is expected to rule today in the case of [nine activists facing public nuisance charges]( over months of large pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2014, symbolized by the umbrellas many protesters carried. The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. Three of the activists were founders of Occupy Central With Love and Peace, one of the main groups that urged a sit-in and demanded changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system. Background: Hong Kong was a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” arrangement that allowed it more robust civil liberties than the mainland. The semiautonomous city had hoped to eventually be able to elect its leader directly, and restrictions set out by Beijing sparked the protests. Impact: The government has prosecuted 266 people in connection with the protests so far, with 118 convictions. Britain seeks a path, days before new Brexit deadline Prime Minister Theresa May’s government met with officials from the opposition Labour Party to [resuscitate stalled talks over a compromise plan]( for Britain’s withdrawal from the E.U., which is currently scheduled to take place on Friday. Over the weekend, Mrs. May suggested that a compromise could be worked out around immigration from the E.U., which could pave the way for maintaining close economic ties with the bloc. What’s next: The prime minister is expected to [seek another Brexit extension from European leaders]( on Wednesday. Some French officials expressed reluctance to grant her the delay unless she had a new plan with “credible political backing” in hand. Trump purges Department of Homeland Security A day after the U.S. homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, resigned, the president expected the departure of the director of the Secret Service, the head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the department’s general counsel. [The exodus appeared to be part of an effort by the president to clear out the department]( and steer it in a “tougher” direction. However, many immigration policy changes require congressional approval. Visas: The federal government [wants to issue more visas for foreign workers]( to take temporary jobs in housekeeping, landscaping and other fields, even as Mr. Trump threatens to seal the border with Mexico, where most of those workers come from. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visiting a market in Jerusalem a day before parliamentary elections. Dan Balilty for The New York Times Israel faces crucial vote The country heads into [a parliamentary election today]( with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the country’s longest-serving leaders, facing stiff competition from a new rival, Benny Gantz, a former army chief. Mr. Netanyahu has overseen healthy economic growth but this time charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust have loomed over his campaign. Political bombshell: Over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu pledged that, if re-elected, he would [extend Israel’s sovereignty over the West Bank]( an apparent last-ditch attempt to woo right-wing voters. The West Bank is home to 2.6 million Palestinians. If Mr. Netanyahu carried out his promise, it could end any possibility of a two-state solution. Iran: In a move that could give Mr. Netanyahu a boost, President Trump designated an arm of the Iranian military — the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — as [a foreign terrorist organization]( the first time the U.S. has made such a declaration about part of a government. If you have 10 minutes, this is worth it Ethiopia to Djibouti, by rail Marcus Westberg for The New York Times Our reporter got aboard [a new train service from Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to the Djibouti coast]( part of a planned network that, with China’s help, is meant to eventually span 3,000 miles. But even the existing segment offers a voyage of many discoveries. PAID POST: A MESSAGE FROM CAMPAIGN MONITOR Email Marketing 101: Never Sacrifice Beauty for Simplicity A drag-and-drop email builder, a gallery of templates and turnkey designs, personalized customer journeys, and engagement segments. It's everything you need to create stunning, results-driven email campaigns in minutes. And with Campaign Monitor, you have access to it all, along with award-winning support around the clock. It's beautiful email marketing done simply. [Learn More]( Here’s what else is happening Singapore: [More than 14 tons of pangolin scales]( have been discovered in what conservation specialists called the largest such seizure of a single shipment worldwide. Pangolins, a type of scaly anteater, are believed to be the most frequently illegally trafficked mammal in the world. Japan: Roman Catholic bishops plan to [conduct a nationwide survey on sexual abuse of children]( by members of the clergy, church officials said on Monday. Maldives: The party of the president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, [appeared to have won decisively in parliamentary elections]( over the weekend. The result may help him restore political freedoms in the country, which has an authoritarian past, and some believe he could also push back against China’s growing influence in the archipelago. Britain: The government [has proposed sweeping powers]( to fight the online spread of violent and extremist content, false information, and harmful material aimed at children in one of the world’s most aggressive plans to regulate the internet. Jes Aznar for The New York Times Snapshot: Above, a gunsmith in the Philippines crafting a pistol. [Illegal gun making]( in the city of Danao took off in the 1960s and the trade has contributed an estimated two million unregistered guns in the country. What we’re reading: [This Medium collection]( of interviews with writers about how they paid the bills while they wrote their books. Concepción de León, a staff writer for our Books section, recommends it, saying, “Reading about the jobs these writers worked — librarian, paramedic, apartment building superintendent — lifts the veil on the labor that made possible our favorite stories, aside from the labor of writing them.” ADVERTISEMENT Now, a break from the news Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: [Spicy sausage and sweet butternut squash]( are a perfect match for a sheet-pan dinner. (Our [Five Weeknight Dishes]( newsletter has more recommendations.) Watch: [“Dumbo,”]( Tim Burton’s live-action remake of the Disney tale about an airborne baby elephant, “takes a turn toward the fascinatingly weird,” our critic writes. Read: A history of the moon landing 50 years later and a new novel from Sally Rooney are among the [10 books to watch for this month](. Listen: [“Old Town Road,”]( the viral hit by the rapper Lil Nas X that set off a debate about what is, isn’t or might be country music, is the focus of [our pop music podcast](. Smarter Living: The kitchen-wear entrepreneur Ellen Bennett [organizes her kitchen like a professional chef]( to keep from having to hunt around for ingredients and tools. Her method can work for you. Separate cookware by four main functions: prep, cook, serve, store. Date and label spices, and store them in transparent containers. And good knife skills can replace any number of gadgets. And we also have guidance on [securely mount your flat-screen TV](. And now for the Back Story on … The rise of the mini Lately, [leggings]( have become a cultural lightning rod. But a [new retrospective of the British designer Mary Quant]( reminds us of an earlier fashion flash point: the miniskirt revolution. Ms. Quant, a trailblazer of Swinging Sixties fashion, famously said she “didn’t have time to wait for women’s lib.” Her higher-than-high hemlines insisted on young women’s right to bare their legs. The Mary Quant exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Dominic Lipinski/Press Association, via Associated Press She named her trademark skirt after her favorite car, [the original Mini Cooper](. Pieces of clothing resembling miniskirts have been identified by archaeologists [as far back as the 1300s B.C.]( but it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that the mini really took off. Staying true to the [Hemline Index]( (whereby skirt hemlines rise along with stock prices), the miniskirt perfectly captured 1960s London. The trend has followed a boom-and-bust cycle ever since. Bans on short skirts are enforced in several African countries, however, and wearing a mini can prompt outrage — and even criminal arrest — in parts of the Middle East. That’s it for this briefing. And today, take some inspiration from “Dumbo”: [Don’t just fly, soar](. — Alisha Thank you To Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and James K. Williamson for the break from the news. Elizabeth Paton, our Europe-based Styles reporter, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [briefing@nytimes.com](mailto:briefing+pm@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback&te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_MBAE_p_20190408§ion=endNote;section=endNote). P.S. • We’re listening to “[The Daily]( Our latest episode is about Russia’s campaign of state-sponsored assassinations. • Here’s today’s [mini crossword puzzle]( and a clue: Something raised during a toast (5 letters). [You can find all our puzzles here](. • The Times’s article about the controversy over leggings drew [more than 1,800 comments]( from readers. We translated the article into Chinese: [阅读简体中文版](. Were you sent this briefing by a friend? [Sign up here]( to get the Morning Briefing. 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