In the News
• Syria accused Israel of conducting an airstrike on a military base that analysts say housed chemical weapons and advanced missiles. [The New York Times]
• President Rodrigo Duterte’s son and son-in-law appeared before the Senate to deny involvement in a drug smuggling case that has captivated the Philippines. [Bloomberg]
• An Indian court sentenced two men to death for their role in a 1993 attack that killed 257 people and forever changed Mumbai. [BBC]
• A senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan apologized for a “highly offensive” leaflet that showed a section of the Taliban flag, which contains an Islamic verse, superimposed onto the side of a dog. [Reuters]
• In the U.S, a data breach at Equifax, one of the country’s three major credit reporting agencies, left driver’s license numbers and other sensitive information for 143 million people vulnerable to hackers. [The New York Times]
• Mongolian lawmakers voted to dismiss the prime minister and his cabinet, citing incompetence and corruption related to the granting of government contracts. [Associated Press]
Smarter Living
Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.
• Teens and tweens are glued to their phones. Here’s a primer on some of the apps they might be using, and the minefields that come with them.
• Relationship troubles? Try getting more sleep.
• Recipe of the day: Going meatless is easy with coconut red curry with tofu.
Noteworthy
• New York Fashion Week has started. Our chief fashion critic considers how “the balance of power seems to be shifting from aesthetic influencers to Instagram influencers. From fashion to fashertainment.”
And here’s an inside look at how Times journalists cover the shows, not just in New York, but also London, Milan and Paris.
• Researchers discovered how packs of African wild dogs decidewhether to go on a hunt: They sneeze to cast their vote.
• Finally, our chief movie critics, Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott, reflect on the state of Hollywood movies at a time of political disunion.
Back Story
Whether it’s browsing the internet, checking text messages or skimming a menu, reading is an essential part of our lives.
The United Nations recognized this back in 1966, when it designated Sept. 8 as International Literacy Day.
In line with this year’s theme — “literacy in a digital world” — educators and policy makers will convene at Unesco’s headquarters in Paris to discuss ways to help today’s 750 million illiterate adults (two-thirds of whom are women) catch up in a world where many are increasingly communicating online.
(One study suggests that smartphones will soon have stronger reading skills than the 15 percent of adults who are currently illiterate. Some software has already caught up.)
The U.N. will also distribute International Literacy Prizes to global projects that ingeniously develop literacy skills, like the Citizens Foundation, which runs more than 1,400 schools in poor slums and villages across Pakistan.
Some are celebrating the day in quirkier ways.
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville has been requesting thousands of book donations to support its attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of books.
The donations will be given to children in local Head Start programs, a platform that helps youngsters from low-income families prepare for school.
Sara Aridi contributed reporting.
_____
Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online.
We have briefings timed for the Australian, Asian, European and American mornings. 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.
Mobdro
September 8, 2017 at 10:17 PM
Mobdro is surely an aggregate on excitement ask for Android os program which can enable you to stream Television to set arrangement quickly