Friday: China uses DNA to track Uighurs

Bangladesh, Venezuela, Jussie Smollett View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, February 22, 2019 [NYTimes.com »]( Asia Edition [Your Friday Briefing]( By ALISHA HARIDASANI GUPTA Good morning. China builds a database of Uighurs’ DNA, a fire in Bangladesh fits a disturbing pattern and Karl Lagerfeld’s cat expects a comfortable inheritance. Here’s the latest: [Tahir Imin, a Uighur who had his blood drawn and face scanned by authorities in Xinjiang.]Tahir Imin, a Uighur who had his blood drawn and face scanned by authorities in Xinjiang. Kate Warren for The New York Times China uses DNA to track Uighurs, aided by U.S. expertise The country is collecting genetic material as [part of its vast campaign of oppression of Muslim minority groups](. Critics say the DNA could be used to track and chase down whoever resists conforming. To help it build out the DNA database, China used equipment from a U.S. company, Thermo Fisher, and also got material from a prominent Yale geneticist to compare Uighur DNA with genetic material from people around the world. How it works: Under the guise of free medical checkups in the western region of Xinjiang, where much of the population is Uighur, the government collected DNA samples, images of irises and other personal data of tens of millions of people. In some cases, people were told the checkups were mandatory. Background: In 2016, the government embarked on a campaign to shift the Muslim orientation of Uighurs and other minority groups into support for the Communist Party, [detaining up to a million people in what it calls “re-education” camps]( — efforts that have been widely condemned around the world. The response: Thermo Fisher said it would stop selling equipment in Xinjiang. And the Yale researcher said he had believed that the Chinese authorities were operating within scientific norms that require the informed consent of DNA donors. ______ [Firefighters at the scene in Dhaka.]Firefighters at the scene in Dhaka. Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/Associated Press A fire in Bangladesh kills dozens A blaze ripped through a crowded, historic neighborhood in the capital city of Dhaka, [killing 110 people](. Witnesses said it was set off after a gas cylinder stored at the back of a car exploded. Plastics at a nearby store and chemicals stored illegally at another store fed the flames that eventually engulfed everything in its path. Background: Devastating fires and safety disasters are all too common in the country. In 2010, more than 120 people died in a fire in Dhaka that started when an electrical transformer exploded and ignited illegally stored chemicals — a strikingly similar situation to the recent blaze. In 2012, a fire at a garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka burned for more than 17 hours, killing more than 115 people. Government action: Officials have repeatedly vowed to take action against safety violations. But the promises lack any teeth because of lax enforcement on the ground and, sometimes, corruption as business owners pay off officials and regulators. ______ [Hugo Carvajal, right, Venezuela’s former intelligence chief, urged the military to turn on the president, left.]Hugo Carvajal, left, Venezuela’s former intelligence chief, urged the military to turn on the president, right. Presidencia/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A former Venezuelan official turns on Maduro The country’s former intelligence chief called President Nicolás Maduro a dictator with a corrupt inner circle, [one of the most public rejections to date](. In an interview with The Times, Hugo Carvajal urged the military to break with Mr. Maduro ahead of a showdown with the opposition on Saturday, when tons of aid from the United States and other countries is slated to arrive. “How is it that having the power to allow the entry of international humanitarian aid to our country to save lives, you would decide not to?” he said in a separate statement he released on video. “Would you be so inhuman? So hypnotized?” Complications: On Thursday, Mr. Maduro ordered the closure of [Venezuela’s border]( with Brazil and blocked air and sea traffic from three Caribbean islands to stop aid. Go deeper: An estimated [three million people have left Venezuela]( — largely on foot — fleeing an economic crisis that has created dangerous shortages of food, water, electricity and medicines. ______ Aly Song/Reuters Huawei expands in Canada, despite U.S. pressure The Chinese technology company said it would hire 200 new employees in Canada — a 20 percent increase of its workforce there. The new hires are part of [an expansion of Huawei’s research and development efforts]( in Canada as it tries to secure a place in the development of the country’s 5G network. The U.S. has been pushing its Western allies to ditch Huawei, a company that it claims Beijing uses for espionage. Trend: [Britain has not ruled out using Huawei]( to build out its 5G network, suggesting that the international alliances the U.S. has damaged with various unilateral actions may be shrinking its influence. The U.S. perspective: On Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the U.S. would reconsider its relations with countries that choose Huawei to build out their networks. “If a country adopts this and puts it in some of their critical information systems, we won’t be able to share information with them, we won’t be able to work alongside them,” he said. That could threaten the so-called Five Eyes security arrangement, in which the U.S. and four other close allies, including Britain and Canada, share intelligence. Complications: The American effort to shut out Huawei — as well as the arrest of the company’s top executive, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada — have added to the intricate nature of U.S.-China trade talks, which [continue in Washington over the next two days](. ______ Here’s what else is happening The Vatican: Pope Francis called for [“concrete and effective measures” to address clerical sexual abuse]( at the start of a historic four-day conference at the Vatican, with his moral authority in question and his papal legacy in the balance. India: The country appears determined to follow through on a threat to [cut back Pakistan’s water supply]( after two recent attacks on Indian troops in Kashmir. A top official said the Indus River, which provides water for hundreds of millions of people across the subcontinent, could be diverted. U.S.: A Coast Guard officer and self-described white nationalist who was arrested last week was plotting to [kill a long list of journalists and Democratic politicians]( prosecutors said, describing him as a “domestic terrorist.” Johnson & Johnson: The U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating concerns about [possible asbestos contamination of the company’s popular baby powder]( and other talc-based products. The company faces about 13,000 lawsuits around the world in which its body powders are blamed for causing ovarian cancer or mesothelioma. [Jussie Smollett in London in 2017.]Jussie Smollett in London in 2017. Justin Tallis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Jussie Smollett: The “Empire” actor, upset by his salary and seeking publicity, [staged an assault]( after writing himself a threatening letter, the Chicago police said. A visibly angry police superintendent said the hoax had taken advantage of the pain and anger of racism and had drained resources needed to investigate real crimes. Gay rights: The U.S. ambassador to Germany, the most prominent openly gay diplomat in the Trump administration, said he planned to lead a new effort to [decriminalize homosexuality around the world](. Mueller investigation: The special counsel is expected to turn in his report to the new attorney general within weeks. In [an Op-Ed]( the acting solicitor general under President Barack Obama argues that it will most likely act as a “road map” for more investigations, rather than the beginning of their end. New Zealand: A Chinese state newspaper published an opinion piece by a former prime minister, Jenny Shipley, that hailed Beijing’s achievements. But there was one problem: [She didn’t write it](. WeWork: The co-working company’s rapid growth around the world isn’t just because it offers businesses office space but because it has [cultivated a “corporate culture”]( that brings together the patchwork of freelancers, entrepreneurs and large companies into a cohesive whole. China: A teenage girl bought [a robot that could mimic her handwriting]( and do parts of her homework for her, sparking a debate on social media about whether she cheated or found a clever solution. Karl Lagerfeld’s cat: Choupette, the designer’s immensely pampered and incredibly famous white Birman, is expected to [receive a substantial inheritance](. ______ Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Stylist: Vivian Lui Recipe of the day: End the week with [Italian flourless chocolate cake](. Dairy products contribute about 3.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions per year, [so switching to plant-based options]( can decrease your footprint. You don’t have to break your workout routine when you’re traveling. Here are [some exercises that you can do in any hotel room](. Back Story A reader recently asked us about a trader pictured at the New York Stock Exchange who looked familiar. The reader was right:[Peter Tuchman]( below, is one of the most photographed traders on the floor. [The trader Peter Tuchman loves his job.]The trader Peter Tuchman loves his job. Jeenah Moon/Reuters “I think about Tuchman more than any other person when I think about the stock market,” said Jeenah Moon, a photographer who shoots the exchange, and Mr. Tuchman, on occasion. There are currently 233 active traders licensed with the exchange, but Ms. Moon usually sees a far smaller number at work. Among them, Mr. Tuchman,[a broker since 1988]( stands out. In an email, Mr. Tuchman said that he “wears his emotions on his face” and that a resemblance to Albert Einstein “surely brings a lot to the table.” “I thrive off the adrenaline,” he wrote. “I’m like a hurricane whirling its way through the floor,” he added. “And I love it, it’s the greatest job on earth.” Remy Tumin, 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](. 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