Rand Paul Questions Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson
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Photo Credit Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto AgencyThe intrigue over a sensational but entirely unverified dossier on Mr. Trumps ties to Russia deepened. The ex-spy who compiled the information disappeared from his home in Britain, saying he feared for his safety.
Mr. Trump discussed the dossier with James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. They had radically different takeaways from the conversation.
And the Justice Department said it would investigate the decision by James B. Comey, above, the F.B.I. chief, to inform Congress about a new review in the Hillary Clinton email investigation ahead of the election.
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Photo Credit Francis R. Malasig/European Pressphoto AgencyJapans prime minister, Shinzo Abe, ended a two-day visit with President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines in which he promised the country about $8.7 billion worth of business deals, investments and equipment.
Mr. Abe is on four-nation diplomatic push that will continue with stops in Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Separately, Mr. Duterte ordered government agencies to provide free contraception to women, especially the poor, in a move that is likely to face strong resistance from Catholic leadership in the country.
Above, protesters in the Philippines.
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Photo Credit Jean Chung for The New York TimesProsecutors in South Korea are planning to use revelations about a cultural blacklist to strengthen the impeachment charges against President Park Geun-hye.
So far, two versions of the blacklist have been reported by the news media, citing anonymous sources. One version listed more than 9,000 people, including some of the countrys most beloved filmmakers, actors and writers.
Above, Hong Sung-dam, one of the artists who was reportedly blacklisted.
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Photo Credit Chaideer Mahyuddin/Agence France-Presse Getty ImagesAnd we look at Aceh Province, Indonesia, which began enforcing Shariah law in 2001. Women are required to wear head scarves, alcohol is prohibited, and many offenses from adultery to homosexuality to selling alcohol are punishable by public whipping.
The Muslim-majority nation has drifted in a conservative direction, but one Aceh politician says that a silent majority thinks the local government has gone too far.
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BusinessPhoto Credit Josh Haner/The New York TimesIndias largest conglomerate, the Tata Group, named Natarajan Chandrasekaran, 53, to be chairman of its holding company, Tata Sons, ending months of turmoil after the previous chief, Cyrus Mistry, was ousted.
Health care stocks tumbled after Mr. Trump denounced pharmaceutical companies for shifting manufacturing abroad. But many of the imports are generic drugs a large percentage of which are manufactured in India that help keep costs down.
The Environmental Protection Agency accused Fiat Chrysler of cheating on emissions tests on at least 104,000 diesel vehicles, a case with echoes of the Volkswagen scandal.
Vietnams industrial policy will take a hit if Mr. Trump follows through on his pledge to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but companies have their own plans for going global.
U.S. stocks were down. Heres a snapshot of global markets.
In the NewsPhoto Credit Najim Rahim/Associated PressA U.S. military investigation found that 33 civilians were killed and 27 others wounded during a firefight and airstrike in northern Kunduz Province in November. [The New York Times]
New rules will make it easier for the National Security Agency to share globally intercepted personal communications with other U.S. intelligence agencies. [The New York Times]
A renewed push by Iraqi forces brought them closer to controlling the eastern half of Mosul, the Islamic States last major stronghold in the country. [Reuters]
An Australian Supreme Court jury found a Sydney man, Robert Xie, guilty of bludgeoning to death five members of his extended family. [ABC]
Hong Kongs chief secretary, Carrie Lam, leaves her post today. She submitted her resignation and, if approved, will run for chief executive. [Hong Kong Free Press]
In Bangladesh, a popular restaurant in Dhaka"s diplomatic quarter reopened after a terrorist attack in July that killed 22 people. [The New York Times]
Wilbur Ross, the billionaire chosen by Mr. Trump to manage trade with China, once volunteered to be part of project by a famous Chinese artist. [South China Morning Post]
Star Wars was the inspiration for the common name scientists gave to the worlds newest primate the Skywalker hoolock gibbon which was discovered in Chinas Yunnan Province. [BBC]
Smarter Living: Morning EditionPhoto Credit Daniel Leal-Olivas/Agence France-Presse Getty Images(In this new section, well help you start your day right.)
Were not saying you will need this tomorrow, were simply presenting it for your consideration: Heres how to nurse a hangover (and how to head one off). Have a great weekend!
An inspiring story of weight loss and its aftermath: Brooklyns borough president reversed his Type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise, without taking medication.
Recipe of the day: Give baked sweet potato fries a shot.
NoteworthyPhoto Credit Benjamin HaselbergerPortraits of addiction. A German photographer spent a year traveling in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines to explore the regions underworld of ice, or crystal methamphetamine.
The Handmaiden, an erotic period drama from South Korea, earned six nominations for the Asian Film Awards. I Am Not Madame Bovary, from the Chinese director Feng Xiao Gang, earned five. Heres the list.
The newly expanded World Cup may have the biggest impact in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, where it will offer a chance for smaller teams to reach the global stage.
Back StoryPhoto Credit Ian Willms for The New York TimesIf youre superstitious, today isnt your day.
But Friday the 13th isnt universally feared. Many countries disregard it. In Greece and some Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th is the dreaded day. Its Friday the 17th in Italy.
The number 4 is unlucky in parts of Asia its Chinese pronunciation is close to the word death making April 4 (4/4) a day to stay inside.
A maneki-neko, a cute charm showing a cat with a raised paw, is used to ward off the bad luck.
Other animals believed to combat bad omens include pigs. In Germany, marzipan pigs are given as gifts on New Years Eve.
And if a cricket is chirping in your house, dont kill it. Across Asia, Africa and Europe, the insects are viewed as harbingers of wealth.
Magpies have great significance in Britain. Seeing a single magpie can be bad luck, it is believed, though saluting one can ward off ill fortune. But if you spot a group, you may be in luck, according to an old nursery rhyme that goes:
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told.
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Des Shoe contributed reporting.
Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings.
What would you like to see here? Contact us at asiabriefing@nytimes.com.
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