Monday: The U.S. shutdown has ended, for now

Roger Stone, Venezuela, Afghanistan 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 »]( Europe Edition [Your Monday Briefing]( By PENN BULLOCK Good morning. The U.S. partial government shutdown is over (for now), Venezuela faces an international ultimatum, and the Afghan war could be near its end. Here’s the latest: [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]( but the clock is ticking. He warned that he was ready to shut down parts of the government again or bypass Congress altogether if Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on funding for a border wall by Feb. 15. The question in the meantime is whether [the divided government can produce any results](. On the same day the president bowed to pressure, the special counsel [indicted a decades-long adviser of his, Roger Stone]( and revealed the most direct link yet between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks’ effort to release hacked Democratic Party emails. Details: Here’s [a profile of Mr. Stone]( — an eccentric Nixon apostle and self-described dirty trickster — and [an explanation of what his indictment means](. And here is [a visual representation]( of the Trump campaign’s extensive contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks. Analysis: The shutdown and the Stone indictment may have hurt 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 down, stirring concerns among Republican leaders about [his ability to navigate the next two years](. ______ [An opposition rally in Caracas, Venezuela.]An opposition rally in Caracas, Venezuela. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times Venezuela faces an international ultimatum European countries including Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain urged President Nicolás Maduro to [hold new elections within eight days](. If Mr. Maduro doesn’t commit to fresh elections, the European governments say they will recognize the opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, as interim president. Analysis: The ultimatum presents a new layer of uncertainty in a deepening crisis. Mr. Guaidó has urged protesters to keep the pressure on the government “[if they dare to kidnap me]( Mr. Maduro, appearing to be striking a conciliatory tone, backed down from demanding that all American diplomats leave the country. ______ [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 companies 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 therefore calculates that 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 that begin in Washington this week, particularly as Beijing seeks to free Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada at America’s request. ______ [American soldiers in Afghanistan in 2006.]American soldiers in 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 can stand up against the Taliban without American support. Fear: The idea of a U.S. troop withdrawal [worries Afghan women]( who fear that their rights will be taken away. The toll: The war’s toll has been immense: At least 62,000 Afghan military and police officers have been killed, along with possibly as many Taliban — and more than 24,000 Afghan civilians 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: Britain’s Parliament [votes on amendments to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan]( and the U.S. Federal Reserve meets (but will probably not raise interest rates). Germany: A panel of various interest groups laid out a plan to [end the country’s use of coal power within two decades](. Brazil: A dam collapse that left 58 dead and 305 missing in the deadliest mining accident in the country’s history. [Alarm over a second dam]( spread panic and raised outrage about the industry’s perceived impunity. [The 28-story Pearl Bank Apartment in Singapore, completed in 1976.]The 38-story Pearl Bank Apartment in Singapore, completed in 1976. Ore Huiying for The New York Times Singapore: The city-state has landmarks of Brutalist architecture — built by a 1970s movement partly influenced by a similar one in postwar Britain — and they are incubating gritty, artsy subcultures that belie the image of tidy streets and often-authoritarian governance. Some of the [landmarks are on the verge of being sold]( prompting calls to save them. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg plans to [merge 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 allow users to communicate across the platforms. 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 regulations on such sales are rarely enforced. Spain: The authorities said they had [found the body of a 2-year-old boy who fell into a well]( nearly two weeks ago. 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. Australian Open: [Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal]( for his 15th Grand Slam title, and Naomi Osaka became [the first singles player from Japan to clinch a No. 1 ranking globally]( after defeating Petra Kvitova for her second Grand Slam title. In memoriam: [Michel Legrand]( the French pianist, arranger and composer of hundreds of film scores and songs, among them [“The Windmills of Your Mind]( died at 86. #ThankGodIt’sMonday? A 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 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. As someone who covers personal tech for a living, I’ve lost count of how many times hackers have breached companies’ computer systems and stolen customers’ credit card numbers, and worse. (Thanks, [Equifax]( [Marriott]( and [Facebook]( [A hacker convention in Germany last month drew around 16,000 participants for workshops on privacy, ethics and other issues.]A hacker convention in Germany last month drew around 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 reach a vault of all of 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. ______ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings. [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.) [Sign up here]( to receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights, and [here’s our full range of free newsletters](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. FOLLOW NYT [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Prefer a different send time? Sign up for the [Americas]( or [A]( and Australia]( editions. | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing: Europe Edition newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2019 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018