Saudis Executed Maid From Philippines Despite Protests, Officials Say

By JASON GUTIERREZ from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2MHMmj7
via IFTTT The Philippine government said the woman had been convicted of murder, but details of her case were not made public.

New Zealand Vowed 100,000 New Homes to Ease Crunch. So Far It Has Built 47.

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2ToOqPw
via IFTTT Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government said it would scrap its initial target of 1,000 homes by July, while a study showed that housing had grown more unaffordable.

Afghan Government Control Over Country Falters, U.S. Report Says

By ROD NORDLAND from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2SiNnDp
via IFTTT The Afghan government’s control of its country declined last year, in terms of both territory and population, according to a United States government report.

There’s a Deeper Conflict Behind Venezuela’s ‘Legitimacy’ Dispute

By MAX FISHER and AMANDA TAUB from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DLLiIa
via IFTTT The legitimacy of Venezuela’s leadership is at the heart of a domestic crisis and a raging international debate. But how the crisis is resolved may hinge on other factors.

Investors in Former Trump-Branded Hotel in Brazil Charged With Corruption

By SHASTA DARLINGTON from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2WFVB86
via IFTTT Prosecutors have charged Brazilian investors who backed what was once known as the Trump Hotel Rio de Janeiro with corruption and money laundering. The Trump Organization quit the project in 2016.

6 Men Convicted in 1982 Murder of Chilean Leader

By PASCALE BONNEFOY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DL7WjO
via IFTTT A judge found that a former security agent, four doctors and an aide conspired to poison Eduardo Frei, the leader of the moderate opposition against the dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Ahead of Election, Indian Leaders Are Accused of Suppressing 45-Year Unemployment High

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN and HARI KUMAR from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2SeYFsu
via IFTTT The leaked unemployment report undercut a tenet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s job-creation vows, and came out just months before the next election.

3 European Nations Create Firm to Trade With Iran, but Will Anyone Use It?

By STEVEN ERLANGER from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2UvDgbQ
via IFTTT Britain, France and Germany have set up a financial mechanism to bolster the 2015 nuclear deal after the renewal of U.S. sanctions. Now comes the hard part.

Maduro Turns to Special Police Force to Crush Dissent

By ANA VANESSA HERRERO and NICHOLAS CASEY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Uujuxo
via IFTTT Facing the biggest challenge yet to his rule, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela has called on a special police force to serve as enforcers where he once relied on the military.

To Slow U.S. Exit, Afghan Leader Offers Trump a Cost Reduction

By MUJIB MASHAL from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2UuckJv
via IFTTT A letter from President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan to President Trump is among the strongest signs yet that Mr. Ghani is worried about an American withdrawal.

Parliament Becomes Britain’s New Brexit Casualty

By STEPHEN CASTLE from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2GgIRPc
via IFTTT Votes in Parliament have put Britain on a collision course with the European Union over Brexit. Critics say lawmakers failed to take control.

96 Days Later, Nonstop Church Service to Protect Refugees Finally Ends

By PATRICK KINGSLEY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2WqeI5X
via IFTTT The vigil, which involved nearly 1,000 ministers, came to an end after politicians pledged that a family inside the church no longer faced immediate deportation.

The Messier Brexit Gets, the Better Europe Looks

By STEVEN ERLANGER from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2S2nU1F
via IFTTT The British meltdown has muted talk in other countries about quitting the E.U. But that does not mean the populist threat to Europe’s cohesion is gone.

As Entrepreneurs, Indigenous Australians Find a Growing Empowerment

By ISABELLA KWAI from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Us2asK
via IFTTT Indigenous entrepreneurs say that the field is an alluring, empowering avenue to take their destiny in into their own hands.

How Bitcoin Could Help Iran Undermine U.S. Sanctions

By THOMAS ERDBRINK from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2G8sdkX
via IFTTT The cryptocurrency could allow Iranians to make international payments without using the U.S. banking system, an important lever of American power.

‘Along the Main Road You See the Graves’: U.N. Says Hundreds Killed in Congo

By RICK GLADSTONE from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Rq1Ys0
via IFTTT United Nations officials attributed three days of horrific violence last month in a northwestern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo to strife between ethnic groups.

For the Kremlin, Venezuela Is Not the Next Syria

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2CSNyvl
via IFTTT It is too far away and intervention would be too costly. Moscow will probably content itself with hurling insults at the U.S. from the sidelines.

What Is the Irish Backstop, and Why Is It Holding Up Brexit?

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2FX0lAV
via IFTTT The measure aims to guarantee that no physical barrier will spring up between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It sounds simple, but it’s not.

Bangkok Is Choking on Air Pollution. The Response? Water Cannons.

By HANNAH BEECH from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2WtEIxm
via IFTTT More than 400 schools across the Thai capital will be closed on Thursday and Friday because of the smog. Bangkok is now on the list of the world’s top most polluted cities.

Across Australia, Yet Another Scorching Summer

By JAMIE TARABAY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2UhXgyE
via IFTTT Australia’s heat waves, now an annual ordeal, have been expanding into new territory — like Tasmania, where more than 50 wildfires were burning as of Friday.

Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela Says He’s Open to Talks With Opposition

By AUSTIN RAMZY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DIqjWI
via IFTTT The embattled president rejected a call for new elections but said he was ready for talks with the opposition, which Washington has recognized as Venezuela’s rightful government.

Germany Lays Out a Path to Quit Coal by 2038

By MELISSA EDDY from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2CJfO3z
via IFTTT A committee of disparate interests envisages sending billions of euros and thousands of government jobs to coal country as mines and power plants shut down.

Opposition Leader, and Oil, Become Focus of Venezuela-U.S. Struggle

By ANA VANESSA HERRERO and CLIFFORD KRAUSS from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Up0Mal
via IFTTT After Washington handed control of Venezuela’s assets in the United States to the opposition leader, the government of Nicolás Maduro struck back fiercely.

In Critical Brexit Vote, Theresa May Survives

By STEPHEN CASTLE from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DI5pH4
via IFTTT Lawmakers narrowly rejected an amendment that would have put Parliament in charge of the withdrawal from the E.U., overturning constitutional protocol.

Landscaper Pleads Guilty in Murders That Shook Toronto’s Gay Community

By IAN AUSTEN from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DEGLHe
via IFTTT In a case that opened a rift between Toronto’s gay community and its police, a landscaper has pleaded guilty to eight murders in the city’s gay district.

Pakistani Woman Accused of Blasphemy Will Remain Free, Supreme Court Rules

By SALMAN MASOOD from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2HG3d70
via IFTTT A three-member panel dismissed a challenge to the top court’s October decision to free Asia Bibi, a Christian farmworker who had spent eight years on death row.

‘World’s Loneliest Duck’ Dies on Tiny Pacific Island That Loved Him

By DANIEL VICTOR from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2WzLTnI
via IFTTT His nickname was a little off, since Trevor, the only duck on the island of Niue, was beloved by its 1,600 residents. They mourned after he was killed by a stray dog.

Our Dreams of Peace: Envisioning an End to War in Afghanistan

By FAHIM ABED and FATIMA FAIZI from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DHQj4B
via IFTTT Two New York Times reporters from Afghanistan find themselves suddenly dreaming of what they will do if peace comes — as are their friends, and even some Taliban.

5 Arrested After Brazil Dam Collapse That Killed Dozens

By MANUELA ANDREONI and SHASTA DARLINGTON from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Gal1Vh
via IFTTT Those arrested were directly involved in and responsible for the mining enterprise and its licensing, as well as in recent testing that found the dam to be stable.

Cooper-Boles Amendment Challenges Theresa May’s Brexit Strategy

By ELLEN BARRY and STEPHEN CASTLE from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2MF0mKn
via IFTTT The Cooper-Boles amendment, on which lawmakers may vote on Tuesday, could delay Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Singapore Says Records for 14,200 H.I.V. Patients, Held by an American, Were Leaked

By MIKE IVES from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2S7hn5f
via IFTTT The medical records were illegally disclosed online, the Ministry of Health said, in the second major breach of Singapore’s health records since July.

The U.A.E. Handed Out Gender Balance Awards: All Went to Men

By ILIANA MAGRA from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2UlIQgP
via IFTTT The awards honored Emirati efforts to promote gender equality, but the visual impression created by the announcement prompted a wave of ridicule online.

Abortion, Newly Legal in Ireland, Faces Old Roadblocks

By CEYLAN YEGINSU from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Ulrcd1
via IFTTT Women say the entire process is still hush-hush, given an emboldened anti-abortion movement and a continuing stigma that has left doctors slow to sign up for the service.

Use of Force in France’s ‘Yellow Vest’ Protests Fuels Anger

By ELIAN PELTIER from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2CNVeiH
via IFTTT Thousands have been injured, including dozens seriously hurt by rubber projectiles. Critics call the police reaction excessive, but officials say officers have performed well.

ISIS Bombing of Cathedral in Philippines Shows Group’s Reach into Asia

By HANNAH BEECH and JASON GUTIERREZ from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2COixsH
via IFTTT A deadly church bombing in the Philippines suggests that the extremist group is still able to fan the flames of distant militant movements.

Tornado Strikes Havana, Killing at Least 3

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2RkTrqy
via IFTTT Photographs posted on Twitter by Cuban news outlets and residents of the capital showed cars crushed by fallen lampposts and cars trapped in floodwaters.

In Paris, ‘Red Scarves’ March to Counter Yellow Vest Protests

By REUTERS from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DDABra
via IFTTT Thousands of protesters marched in the French capital to condemn the violence of the Yellow Vest movement. Some were wearing the red scarves as a symbol.

The Brexit Amendment Process That Could Reshape Britain’s Future

By BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2SaqjGN
via IFTTT British lawmakers are to vote on Tuesday on a series of changes in the prime minister’s plans for withdrawal from the European Union. Here’s what could happen.

The Case of the Bumbling Spy: A Watchdog Group Gets Him on Camera

By RONEN BERGMAN and SCOTT SHANE from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2FUjCTx
via IFTTT Citizen Lab has reported on surveillance software used to target dissidents around the world. Now it is being targeted by mysterious, if bumbling, spies.

‘The Nation Has Stood Up’: Indigenous Clans in Canada Battle Pipeline Project

By AMBER BRACKEN from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2sOIXpr
via IFTTT On one side of a barricade in remote British Columbia, members of the Wet’suwet’en people hoped to stop a pipeline that would cross their traditional land. On the other side were heavily armed police.

U.S. and Taliban Agree in Principle to Peace Framework, Envoy Says

By MUJIB MASHAL from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2WxkYZI
via IFTTT The U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, says that finalizing a deal would hinge on a cease-fire and Taliban talks with Afghans, which they are discussing now.

A Thai Singer Wore a Swastika. Was It Prejudice or Ignorance?

By MIKE IVES from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2DDlq15
via IFTTT The episode is one of several Nazi-related controversies to crop up in Asia, where Holocaust awareness is patchy, swastikas resemble an ancient symbol, and some see Hitler as a model of strength.

Afghan Women Fear Peace With Taliban May Mean War on Them

By ROD NORDLAND, FATIMA FAIZI and FAHIM ABED from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2HBlm61
via IFTTT The idea of an American troop withdrawal fills Afghan women with dread, as they see Westerners as their only protectors not just from the Taliban, but also the “Taliban mentality” among other men.

As 2nd Brazil Dam Threatens to Collapse, Panic and Outrage Spread

By MANUELA ANDREONI and SHASTA DARLINGTON from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2B7wa6h
via IFTTT Two days after a dam break left at least 58 dead, residents of Brumadinho are forced to evacuate again, while experts warn that the regulatory system is flawed.

Prince Philip Says He’s ‘Deeply Sorry’ About Car Crash

By ILIANA MAGRA from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2MAc1dv
via IFTTT The 97-year-old Duke of Edinburgh apologized in a letter to a woman who sustained a broken wrist in the accident, British news outlets reported.

Another Side of #MeToo: Male Managers Fearful of Mentoring Women

By KATRIN BENNHOLD from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2ThrpxP
via IFTTT At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, some male leaders said they were avoiding one-on-one time with junior female colleagues, a trend that could deprive women of valuable exposure.

Too Ugly to Be Saved? Singapore Weighs Fate of Its Brutalist Buildings

By MIKE IVES from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2FOWp5r
via IFTTT A few landmarks of so-called Brutalist architecture are on the verge of being sold to private developers, prompting a last-ditch scramble by enthusiasts to have the buildings protected.

Quest to Solve Assassination Mystery Revives an AIDS Conspiracy Theory

By MATT APUZZO from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2RTHv4c
via IFTTT In a new documentary, a former South African militia member says his group used phony vaccinations to spread H.I.V. among blacks. Experts are deeply skeptical.

Karachi Seeks to Remake Itself, With Bulldozers Leading the Way

By MEHER AHMAD from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2S80oiV
via IFTTT A government campaign against unofficial construction in Pakistan’s largest city is leaving hundreds of hawkers without a livelihood, but the Empress Market walls are visible from the sidewalk.

In India, Gandhi’s Halo Glows Less Brightly for Hindu Right and Lower Castes

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2HHTg8W
via IFTTT While Gandhi’s global influence is still enormous, in contemporary India he is no longer so awe-inspiring and his legacy is subject to criticism from across the political spectrum.