Monday: A Dubai princess' alarming disappearance

India, Jeff Bezos, the Grammys View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, February 11, 2019 [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT Asia Edition [Your Monday Briefing]( By ALISHA HARIDASANI GUPTA Good morning. India’s prime minister turns a religious event into a political one, Jeff Bezos challenges a tabloid newspaper and music’s biggest stars get ready for the Grammys. Here’s the latest: [A cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the banks of the Ganges River in Prayagraj, where the Kumbh Mela festival is taking place.]A cutout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the banks of the Ganges River in Prayagraj, where the Kumbh Mela festival is taking place. Bryan Denton for The New York Times Modi chases votes at the Kumbh Mela festival Every six years, tens of millions of Hindus make a religious pilgrimage to the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to take a dip in the holy waters of the Ganges River — one of [the holiest events in the Hindu calendar]( and among the world’s largest gatherings of humanity. This year’s festival aligns with national elections that are expected to be held in April or May, providing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist bloc, the Bharatiya Janata Party, with a prized opportunity to woo voters and deflect from political and economic woes. By the numbers: Mr. Modi and his close ally, Yogi Adityanath, a monk turned chief minister of the state, have spent $600 million to turn this Kumbh into the most lavish one yet, adding nine new highway flyovers; 22 bridges; 20,000 trash cans; 122,500 toilets; and a new airport terminal. Analysis: Critics argue that Mr. Modi and his party have politicized religion in a secular country, often catering to a Hindu base at the expense of minority communities, such as Muslims. Separately: A nun’s accusations of rape against a bishop in Kerala have [shaken the country’s Catholics]( driving a wedge between those who have called for reforms and those who want to maintain unity amid rising a riding tide of Hindu nationalism. ______ [A selfie taken by Sheikha Latifa with her friend as they tried to escape Dubai last year.]A selfie taken by Sheikha Latifa with her friend as they tried to escape Dubai last year. A princess’ disappearance sheds light on Dubai’s dark side Sheikha Latifa — one of 30 children of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum — tried to escape to the U.S. via India last March, informing her friends that she would be free soon. Less than a week later, she went silent and, in December, her family released photos of her back at home. [Her mysterious case has since become a stain on Dubai’s globalized image](. Background: In a secret video she recorded before her planned departure from Dubai, Sheikha Latifa described her life of constricting privilege. She said she first tried to escape the kingdom many years ago but was taken back immediately and held in solitary confinement for more than three years in which she was frequently beaten and deprived of medical care. At 19, when she was released, she still wasn’t free: She could spend her money only on hobbies and sports. She wasn’t allowed to study medicine, as she wanted, or travel. Analysis: Like the accounts of women who have tried to escape Saudi Arabia, Sheikha Latifa’s case has marred Dubai’s glittering image, reminding the world of the few freedoms women have there, regardless of status or nationality. In other news from the region: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia said in 2017, the year before the dissident journalist [Jamal Khashoggi]( was killed in Turkey, that he would [use “a bullet” on Mr. Khashoggi]( according to current and former American and foreign officials with direct knowledge of intelligence reports. ______ [Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of The Washington Post, accused a tabloid of blackmail last week.]Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of The Washington Post, accused a tabloid of blackmail last week. Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Jeff Bezos takes up a fight with a tabloid newspaper In a surprise blog post last week, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, [accused the tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer]( of “extortion and blackmail,” spurring federal prosecutors to review his claims. Explainer: Last month, The Enquirer published an 11-page exposé on Mr. Bezos’ extramarital affair with Lauren Sanchez, a former host of the Fox TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” The piece, which included paparazzi shots of the couple and their text messages, appeared a day after Mr. Bezos announced he was divorcing his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie. The piece set off questions that the coverage was politically motivated. David Pecker, the chairman of American Media Inc., which publishes The Enquirer, is close to President Trump, who has repeatedly derided Amazon and Mr. Bezos’ other company, The Washington Post. After The Enquirer published the piece, Mr. Bezos began his own investigation into how the paper obtained his private messages and its motives. Mr. Bezos’ response: In his blog post, Mr. Bezos said the paper was threatening to publish graphic photographs of him, including a “below-the-belt selfie,” if he didn’t publicly affirm that The Enquirer’s reporting was not motivated by politics. “If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can?” wrote Mr. Bezos. You can [read excerpts from his blog post here](. And here’s [a timeline of how events unfolded](. Analysis: “By using a digital platform to bring his side of the story directly to the masses, Mr. Bezos has done something both admirable and also a little scary,” writes [Kara Swisher, our tech opinion columnist](. “It is perhaps the best illustration of the in-your-face aggressiveness that has made him the richest man in the world.” ______ [Aerial view of the mud and waste caused by a dam spill in Brazil.]Aerial view of the mud and waste caused by a dam spill in Brazil. Antonio Lacerda/EPA, via Shutterstock How a mine exploded into a fatal tidal wave of mud in Brazil When a mining dam collapsed in the town of Brumadinho last month, it unleashed a deluge of toxic mud that stretched for five miles, crushing homes and offices and killing more than 150 people. But the tragedy was hardly a surprise, experts told us. Analysis: There are 88 mining dams in Brazil built like the one that failed: enormous reservoirs of mining waste held back by little more than walls of sand and silt. Even more alarming, at least 28 sit directly uphill from cities or towns, with more than 100,000 people living in especially risky areas if the dams failed, an estimate by The New York Times found. How we know: Our team interviewed engineers and locals to take [an expansive look at the disaster]( reconstructing the mud’s deadly journey and illustrating how these dams are built and what led the one in Brumadinho to crumble. ______ Here’s what else is happening Thailand: Hours after his sister entered the race for prime minister, [King Vajiralongkorn rebuked the move as “highly inappropriate,”]( effectively ending her candidacy, in an episode that upended the already volatile political landscape. South Korea: The country signed an agreement to [share the cost of the American military base there]( increasing its contribution by 8.2 percent. The agreement aims to ease fears that President Trump might use the reduction of U.S. troops as a bargaining chip when he meets with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, this month. Turkey: Ankara condemned China’s mass internment of its Uighur Muslim minority as a “great shame for humanity” and urged Beijing to close down the camps in Xinjiang, said to hold an estimated million people. It was [a rare rebuke from a Muslim-majority nation](. China dismissed the statement as a “serious violation of the facts.” Huawei: The Chinese company threatened [legal action against the Czech Republic]( after its cybersecurity agency issued a formal warning about the risks of using Huawei technology, joining a growing wave of skepticism in Europe toward the telecom giant. Grammys: The music industry’s annual award ceremony kicks off imminently, with Alicia Keys hosting. [Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Cardi B and the country singer Kacey Musgraves]( are among the nominees for album of the year, but will that be enough to put out [concerns about the show’s lack of diversity?]( [Women of big-wave surfing contests, one of the most dangerous sports on earth, are fighting for equality.]Women of big-wave surfing contests, one of the most dangerous sports on earth, are fighting for equality. Dina Litovsky/Redux, for The New York Times Gender equality on the waves: [Female surfers are trying to break into the male-dominated arena]( of big-wave contests — and to get paid as much as their counterparts. No chance of a second date: A rare male Sumatran tiger called Asim was matched with a female named Melati. But their first meeting at the London Zoo quickly escalated into aggression and [he mauled her to death](. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai: The young island in the South Pacific, birthed in [an underwater volcano eruption four years ago]( could unearth clues about how water shaped the landscape of Mars. ______ Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. David Malosh for The New York Times Recipe of the day: Transform cauliflower into [a weeknight vegan curry](. (Sign up for the [Five Weeknight Dishes]( newsletter for more recipe recommendations.) Word of the day: gynandromorph. An organism that has both [male and female physical characteristics]( in various parts of its body, like this [rare cardinal bird](. Is your child spending money on in-app purchases? We compiled a few ways to [avoid “bait apps.”]( Once you’ve Marie Kondo-ed your belongings, [what do you do next?]( Back Story It was 1983, and 47 million people in the U.S. were watching when [Michael Jackson moonwalked across the stage]( to his hit “Billie Jean” during a TV special. [Michael Jackson during the performance that immortalized the moonwalk.]Michael Jackson during the performance that immortalized the moonwalk. Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank, via Getty Images The performance immortalized a move that re-entered the public consciousness recently, when Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, said [he had dressed as Jackson and done the moonwalk]( during a dance contest in 1984. The move, in which the dancer glides backward while appearing to walk forward, inspired Mr. Northam, as well as [the title of Jackson’s 1988 autobiography](. In it, the performer describes the moonwalk as “a break-dance step, a ‘popping’ type of thing that black kids had created dancing on street corners in the ghetto.” Jackson didn’t invent the moonwalk, which had been performed for decades by [a range of entertainers]( (albeit often by a more literal name, the backslide). But it was the King of Pop who would be remembered, [as one dance critic put it]( “coasting backward across the stage, step by gliding step, as if on a cushion of air.” Chris Stanford, on the briefings team, 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](. FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing: Asia Edition newsletter. 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