Istanbul Nightclub Attack

By Unknown Author from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ikn7WN
via IFTTT Attackers opened fire inside a packed Istanbul nightclub shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, killing at least 35 people and wounding dozens more, Turkish officials said.

Taiwan Leader Urges China for 'Calm' Talks as Pressure Grows

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iSyXIV
via IFTTT Taiwan's leader on Saturday urged China to engage in "calm and rational" dialogue to maintain peace, vowing not to give in to Beijing's recent moves to "threaten and intimidate" the self-ruled island.

The Lauded Russian Hacker Whose Company Landed on the U.S. Blacklist

By ANDREW E. KRAMER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ihzXoP
via IFTTT The United States’ sanctions list includes the company of a minor celebrity hacker who was once recognized by the American government for her work helping companies fight cybercrime.

Trump’s Indonesia Projects, Still Moving Ahead, Create Potential Conflicts

By RICHARD C. PADDOCK and ERIC LIPTON from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hEGkDo
via IFTTT President-elect Donald J. Trump has made deals involving two resorts in Indonesia and forged relationships with powerful political figures there.

ISIS Claims 2 Bombings in Baghdad, While Fighting to Hold On to Mosul

By REUTERS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ij2daL
via IFTTT Over two dozen people were killed in the attacks, which the Islamic State said were directed at Shiite Muslims.

Attackers Open Fire at Nightclub in Istanbul, Killing 35

By SAFAK TIMUR and CHRISTOPHER MELE from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hXii2N
via IFTTT Two attackers in Santa costumes fired inside a packed nightclub in Istanbul, killing at least 35 and wounding dozens, Turkish officials said.

With Trump, Russia Goes From Thursday’s Foe of U.S. to Friday’s Friend

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hEPtvS
via IFTTT With Donald J. Trump making admiring remarks about Vladimir V. Putin, many Americans, accustomed to be suspicious of Russia, are confused and uneasy.

Korean Official Charged With Illegally Swaying Samsung Merger Vote

By CHOE SANG-HUN from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hVTZSC
via IFTTT Prosecutors accused Moon Hyung-pyo of ordering a pension fund to back the deal, which helped ensure that control of Samsung passed from its chairman to his son.

How Russians Pay to Play in Other Countries

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hyf2tw
via IFTTT The Kremlin’s payment of a hefty state fine in the Czech Republic last spring, and the Czech president’s support for Russia, spur cries of influence-buying.

What Happened When Venezuela Outlawed Its Own Currency

By JEREMY ASHKENAS and QUOCTRUNG BUI from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hCmh8M
via IFTTT In mid-December, the Venezuelan government surprised its citizens by withdrawing from circulation the 100-bolívar note, its largest and most used bill, with only 72 hours’ warning. Here’s what happened next.

Some in Mosul Wary of Return of Iraq's Government

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ihMYi5
via IFTTT The 19-year-old resident of Mosul pulled up his shirt and showed a festering wound on his back. It came, he said, from Iraqi troops who detained him for three days and beat him, trying to get him to confess to belong to the Islamic State group.

Brazilian Police: Greek Ambassador Killed by Wife's Lover

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iOz97T
via IFTTT Police in Brazil believe that Greece's ambassador to the country was killed by his wife's lover under her orders in a house in the Rio area and have detained three suspects, authorities said Friday.

Germany Plans to Ring in the New Year With Heightened Security

By MELISSA EDDY from NYT World http://ift.tt/2imdGUS
via IFTTT For the first time, there will be cameras monitoring citizens, and parties from Munich to Berlin will be secured by additional police officers.

Wife and Her Lover Are Arrested in Killing of Greek Envoy in Brazil

By SIMON ROMERO and VINOD SREEHARSHA from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ihb6S5
via IFTTT The police said that the wife of Kyriakos Amiridis, the Greek ambassador to Brazil, had her lover kill him and set his body on fire.

China Bans Its Ivory Trade, Moving Against Elephant Poaching

By EDWARD WONG from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iNNeSV
via IFTTT China’s decision gives wildlife protection advocates hope that the threatened extinction of certain elephant populations in Africa can be averted.

The State of the War in Syria

By SARAH ALMUKHTAR and DEREK WATKINS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2idP4zG
via IFTTT Some of the major developments in Syria surrounding a cease-fire agreement reached Thursday.

Greek Ambassador to Brazil Is Feared Dead, in a Possible Homicide

By VINOD SREEHARSHA and ILIANA MAGRA from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hzuTLV
via IFTTT A body that might be that of Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, who has been missing for days, was found outside Rio de Janeiro in a car he had rented.

In a Brutal Year in Venezuela, Even Crime Fighters Are Killers

By NICHOLAS CASEY from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hvmHJ0
via IFTTT The deaths of people arrested in anti-crime raids point to an alarming aspect in the wave of violence gripping the nation.

Spies vs. Spies: A Cold War Regularity That Never Quite Cooled

By RUSSELL GOLDMAN from NYT World http://ift.tt/2idSDWr
via IFTTT President Obama’s expulsion of 35 diplomats as retaliation for Russian hacking during the election is not the first such order by either country.

Theresa May Scolds Kerry for Focus on Israel Settlements

By STEVEN ERLANGER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ieVlLB
via IFTTT The comments from the British leader, who has been trying to make inroads with the incoming Trump administration, represented an extraordinary public rebuke.

Russia Set to Expel 35 U.S. Diplomats in Response to Action by Obama

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hz0cpR
via IFTTT The tit-for-tat move ratcheted up tensions. It was also a response to longstanding concerns about harassment of diplomats.

Along Mosul’s Front Line, Desperate Civilians and Dug-In Troops and Fighters

By Photographs and Text by TYLER HICKS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iJPHCc
via IFTTT Witnessing firsthand this volatile zone, first with the Iraqi Army and then with units of the Iraqi Federal Police.

The Latest: Cease-Fire Takes Effect in War-Ravaged Syria

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ijPJxg
via IFTTT The Latest on the conflict in Syria, and the Russia-Turkey-brokered cease-fire agreement (all times local):

Israeli TV: Netanyahu Probe Expected Within Days

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2inXNjl
via IFTTT An Israeli TV channel reported Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suspected of receiving valuable gifts from two businessmen.

In ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ Israel, Separate Lives and Divergent Narratives

By PETER BAKER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iKl6jU
via IFTTT The reactions to international criticism of Israeli settlements made clear that Israelis are just as polarized as Americans.

The Two-State Solution: What It Is and Why It Hasn’t Happened

By MAX FISHER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hRpU71
via IFTTT The two-state solution has for decades been the primary focus of efforts to achieve peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here’s a basic guide.

How Russia Recruited Elite Hackers for Its Cyberwar

By ANDREW E. KRAMER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2icqFu5
via IFTTT The government scouted a wide range of civilian programmers in recent years, even criminals, while expanding its cyberwarfare abilities.

Russia Finds No Signs of Explosion in Black Sea Plane Crash

By IVAN NECHEPURENKO from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iIzzg3
via IFTTT While the authorities stressed that they considered a terrorist attack unlikely, they made clear on Thursday that they were leaving open the possibility.

Facebook’s Safety Check, Now Automated, Turns a Firecracker Into an Explosion

By DANIEL VICTOR from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ht2gws
via IFTTT The social network automatically linked to a bogus article about an “explosion” in Thailand and appeared to conflate it with a 2015 bombing.

John Kerry’s Israel Speech Elicits a Shrug in the Arab World

By BEN HUBBARD from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iuaTIR
via IFTTT The secretary of state had harsh words for the Israeli government, but Arab leaders are less focused on the Palestinian issue than they once were.

China Warmly Welcomes a Giant Rooster With Trumpian Characteristics

By MIKE IVES from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hQ1Ilj
via IFTTT The statue of a bird with big hair, which stands more than two stories tall, was built to celebrate the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese lunar calendar.

Vesna Vulovic, Flight Attendant Who Survived Jetliner Blast, Dies at 66

By RICHARD SANDOMIR from NYT World http://ift.tt/2i9oozX
via IFTTT Ms. Vulovic, who wasn’t scheduled to be on the flight from Copenhagen to Belgrade in 1972, was the only one of 28 people to survive after plummeting thousands of feet onto a snowy hill.

Syrian Government Announces Truce Backed by Russia and Turkey

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR and BEN HUBBARD from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ikLXX8
via IFTTT The extent to which rebels would respect the agreement, which follows the retaking of Aleppo by pro-government forces, was not clear.

Dutch Fertility Clinic Investigates Possible Sperm Mix-Up

By NINA SIEGAL from NYT World http://ift.tt/2i8HPZP
via IFTTT A technician’s error may have led to the fertilization of eggs by sperm from someone other than the intended donor.

Germany Grapples With Its African Genocide

By NORIMITSU ONISHI from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ijUb1H
via IFTTT Tens of thousands of Namibians were killed in what historians call the 20th century’s first genocide, and Germany is finally close to recognizing it as such.

Bomb Blasts Hurt at Least 32 at Philippine Boxing Match

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iaxkF9
via IFTTT At least 32 people were wounded when two bombs exploded while they were watching a boxing competition in a central Philippine town as part of an annual Roman Catholic holiday festival, police and other officials said Thursday.

In John Kerry’s Mideast Speech, a Clash of Policies and Personalities

By PETER BAKER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hq5SPU
via IFTTT On one side, were Mr. Kerry and President Obama. On the other, President-elect Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and time is on their side.

Turkey, Russia Discussing Syria Cease-Fire

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hqKFFh
via IFTTT Turkey and Russia are discussing a broader Syrian cease-fire after brokering the deal that evacuated rebel-held eastern Aleppo, Syrian opposition factions said Wednesday, but a number of rebel groups say they won't agree to anything until they get more details.

Israeli PM Calls Kerry Speech a 'Deep Disappointment'

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iGNTtH
via IFTTT Israel's prime minister decried Secretary of State John Kerry's Mideast policy speech as a "deep disappointment" on Wednesday and vowed to work with the incoming Trump administration to contain the fallout from last week's U.N. resolution calling Israeli settlements illegal.

François Hollande Pardons French Woman Who Killed Abusive Husband

By BENOÎT MORENNE from NYT World http://ift.tt/2ifi4oN
via IFTTT Jacqueline Sauvage, who was sentenced to 10 years for murdering her spouse, already had her sentence partly commuted by President François Hollande.

Christmas Revelers Leave 16 Tons of Trash on Australian Beach

By BRETT COLE from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hnXSi6
via IFTTT More than 10,000 people in a Sydney suburb made a huge mess, prompting a local council to ban alcohol on the beach for the rest of the Australian summer.

As Hopes for European Unity Dim, New E.U. Headquarters Are Glowing

By JAMES KANTER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2inbeNB
via IFTTT European leaders will meet in the bloc’s new home, an illuminated orb, in March, at a time when the union’s survival is being openly discussed.

School Parade in Taiwan Featuring Swastikas and Nazis Unleashes Uproar

By CHRIS HORTON from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iAyrin
via IFTTT The principal resigned after photographs and images went viral online, and after the unofficial diplomatic missions of Israel and Germany issued letters of protest.

Israeli Mystery of Lost Babies Gets New Chapter: 200,000 Secret Records

By ISABEL KERSHNER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2i8BjlJ
via IFTTT The government released documents pertaining to the “Yemenite children” of the 1950s, whose families have long suspected their babies were abducted and given up for adoption.

The Latest: Mortar Fire on Russian Embassy in Syria

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iroPU4
via IFTTT The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

Tunisian Detained as Possible Accomplice in Berlin Attack

By ALISON SMALE from NYT World http://ift.tt/2holDqk
via IFTTT The man, whose name was not released, appears to be linked with Anis Amri, who is said to have driven a truck into a Christmas market, killing 12.

Jerusalem Postpones Vote on New Housing Ahead of Speech by John Kerry

By PETER BAKER from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iDG0VU
via IFTTT A city government committee canceled a vote on permits for homes in East Jerusalem at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Army Radio said.

H.I.V. Cases Surpass a Million in Russia, but Little Is Done

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR from NYT World http://ift.tt/2hmuklj
via IFTTT A combination of stigma and ignorance, a “family values” emphasis and government indifference have pushed H.I.V. to epidemic status.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Indicted Again on Corruption Charges

By DANIEL POLITI from NYT World http://ift.tt/2huYzeE
via IFTTT In her second indictment since she left office last year, Mrs. Kirchner, the former president of Argentina, was indicted Tuesday on charges involving huge public works projects.

In Bahrain, Arabs and Jews Gather (and Dance) at a Hanukkah Celebration

By RUSSELL GOLDMAN from NYT World http://ift.tt/2iBxHWh
via IFTTT Video of the gathering in the Muslim-majority monarchy, whose king has sanctioned celebrations of the Jewish holiday, appeared on YouTube.