Monday: America's new arms race with China

Venezuela, Roger Stone, Taj Mahal View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, January 28, 2019 [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT Asia Edition [Your Monday Briefing]( By ALISHA HARIDASANI GUPTA Good morning. The U.S. pushes allies to block Huawei, Venezuela faces mounting international pressure and India struggles to keep troublemaking monkeys in line. Here’s the latest: [Poland is under pressure to limit its business dealings with Huawei. Above, Warsaw. ]Poland is under pressure to limit its business dealings with Huawei. Above, Warsaw. Maciek Nabrdalik for The New York Times U.S. corrals allies in a 5G arms race with China Over the past year, the Trump administration has embarked on a global campaign to pressure allies to [prevent Huawei and other Chinese firms from helping build out 5G networks](. The U.S. has suggested to Poland that future deployments of American troops could hinge on whether the country works with Huawei. And in Germany, American officials warned that working with Huawei could pose a security risk to NATO. Why: The U.S. believes that whoever controls the high-speed 5G internet networks will have an economic, military and intelligence edge for much of this century. The Trump administration has therefore adopted a zero-sum calculus in which Beijing — and companies perceived to be working for the Chinese government — must be shut out. What’s next? The U.S. campaign may complicate [the round of trade talks]( with China beginning in Washington later this week, particularly as Beijing seeks to free Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada at the request of the U.S. ______ [President Trump announcing the temporary end of the government shutdown on Friday. ]President Trump announcing the temporary end of the government shutdown on Friday. Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times For the U.S. (and the president), a troubled recovery President Trump [temporarily reopened the government on Friday]( but the clock is ticking. He warned that he was ready to renew the confrontation or bypass Congress altogether if Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree on funding for a border wall by Feb. 15. On the same day the president bowed to pressure, the special counsel [indicted one of his longtime advisers, Roger Stone]( revealing the most direct link yet between the Trump campaign and the WikiLeaks effort to release hacked emails from the Democratic Party. Here’s [a profile of Mr. Stone]( and [an explanation of what his indictment means](. And here’s [a visual representation]( of how many times the Trump campaign had contact with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks. Analysis: The combination of the shutdown and the Stone indictment may have damaged the president’s leverage. According to some estimates, the American economy lost at least $6 billion during the 35-day stalemate. And Mr. Trump’s poll numbers were dragged down, stirring concerns among Republican leaders about [his ability to navigate the next two years of a divided government](. ______ [An opposition political rally in Caracas, Venezuela.]An opposition political rally in Caracas, Venezuela. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times Venezuela faces an international ultimatum European countries — including the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain and Britain — urged President Nicolás Maduro to [hold new elections within eight days](. If Mr. Maduro doesn’t commit to fresh elections, the European governments will recognize the opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, as the interim president of Venezuela. Analysis: The ultimatum presents a new layer of uncertainty in a deepening political crisis. Mr. Guaidó, who proclaimed himself the legitimate leader of the country, urged protesters to keep the pressure on the government “[if they dare to kidnap me]( Mr. Maduro has done an about-face and appeared to be striking a more conciliatory tone. He backed down from demanding that all American diplomats leave the country. And his government has refrained from detaining Mr. Guaidó as support for the opposition leader grows at home and abroad. ______ [American soldiers about 90 miles northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2006.]American soldiers about 90 miles northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2006. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times A deal to end America’s longest war appears possible The U.S. and the Taliban wrapped up six days of negotiations to end the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan. Both sides reported progress — [a first in nine years of intermittent peace efforts](. Details: Though much remains to be ironed out, the deal would kick off a phased withdrawal of American troops in exchange for a Taliban cease-fire. The Taliban would also have to pledge not to allow international terrorist groups to use Afghanistan as a planning hub. How the Taliban would share power with the Afghan government remains to be resolved. Caution: Most observers don’t believe Afghan forces have the ability to stand up against the Taliban without American support, leaving any truce in a precarious state once the U.S. leaves. Another angle: The toll of the war has been immense — at least 62,000 Afghan military and police lives, and possibly as many Taliban lives, and more than 24,000 Afghan civilians killed over the last decade alone. One photographer set out to capture [the makeshift prosthetics some Afghans use](. ______ Here’s what else is happening Coming this week: The British Parliament [votes on amendments to Prime Minister Theresa May’s latest Brexit plan]( and the U.S. Federal Reserve meets (but will probably hold off on raising interest rates). Philippines: Two bombs exploded at a cathedral on the southern island of Jolo, [killing 20 people and wounding many others]( officials said. The attack came days after voters had rejected a bid to include the Jolo in a Muslim autonomous area, sparking fears of separatist reprisals. [Residents evacuating their homes as heavy rain and strong winds pounded the southern part of Sulawesi in Indonesia.]Residents evacuating their homes as heavy rain and strong winds pounded the southern part of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Indonesia: At least [68 people have died and nearly 7,000 have taken refuge in emergency shelters]( on the island of Sulawesi after floods, landslides and a tornado battered the region last week. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg plans to [merge all of the social media platform’s messaging services — WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger]( — at a time when the company has been scarred by scandal. The services will continue to operate as stand-alone apps but will be more unified, allowing users to communicate across the platforms. Brazil: A dam in southeastern town of Brumadinho collapsed, leaving [34 people dead and almost 300 missing]( in the deadliest mining accident in the country’s history. Gandhi: Around the world, the man who led India into independence is still revered as a peaceful revolutionary. But [his halo has dimmed]( for the Hindu right and lower castes. Germany: A panel drawn from the power industry, environmental movement, miners and local interest groups laid out a plan to [end the country’s use of coal power within two decades]( the most significant national attempt yet to reduce carbon emissions. The Holocaust: On her way to visit Auschwitz, our reporter found [“Heil Hitler” signs and other Nazi swag]( at a flea market in Poland, where laws regulating such sales are little enforced. Australian Open: In a stunning career revival, [Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal]( for his 15th Grand Slam title. And Naomi Osaka became [the first Asian player to clinch a No. 1 ranking globally]( after defeating Petra Kvitova for her second Grand Slam title. Amazon: “Vine Voices” — trusted product reviewers the company has designated since 2007 — have become a [powerful yet secretive force]( on the e-commerce platform. Taj Mahal: In an effort to stop [mischievous monkeys from attacking tourists]( near the famous landmark, Indian security guards are turning to an unusual weapon of choice — slingshots. #ThankGodIt’sMonday? A new workplace culture has emerged in recent years that glorifies the hustle and encourages employees to put in long hours. Our technology reporter considers whether [that’s sustainable](. ______ Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Julia Gartland for The New York Times Recipe of the day: For a quick dinner, make [soba noodles into a salad]( with edamame, carrots and spinach. You can silence notifications on your phone without [missing the really important ones](. Intense exercise could [reduce your interest in food]( some studies suggest. Back Story Happy Data Privacy Day! Or, maybe not so happy. In the years since the[celebration]( was born in Europe and then adopted in the U.S. and Canada, digital privacy has become a mainstream concern. This writer covers personal tech for a living. And I’ve lost count of how many times hackers have breached companies’ computer systems and stolen customer’s credit card numbers, and worse. (Thanks, [Equifax]( [Marriott]( and [Facebook]( [A hacker convention in Germany last month drew some 16,000 participants for workshops on privacy, ethics and other issues.]A hacker convention in Germany last month drew some 16,000 participants for workshops on privacy, ethics and other issues. Jens Schlueter/Getty Images Digital privacy is no joke. If you do one thing to protect your data today — or this week, or this year — set aside a few hours to beef up the strength of your passwords. Make sure every password you use for logging in to a site or an app is unique and complex. [Password management apps]( like 1Password or LastPass make it easy, by letting you use one master password to access a vault of all your passwords. Trust me, you’ll feel a lot better. Brian X. Chen, the lead consumer technology writer at The Times, wrote today’s Back Story. ______ This briefing was prepared for the Asian morning. You can also [sign up]( to get the briefing in the Australian, European or American morning. [Sign up here]( to receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights. Browse our full range of Times newsletters [here](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [asiabriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:asiabriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Asia)). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. 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