No Joke: Ukraine TV Comedian Wins Election’s First Round

By IULIIA MENDEL and NEIL MacFARQUHAR from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HYZTSS
via IFTTT Voters crowded into polling stations in a presidential race in which a leading candidate was a 41-year-old who plays a president on television.

The ‘Blue Prince of Montmartre,’ at 87, Still Rules Parisian Demimonde

By LIZ ALDERMAN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2uCKz6w
via IFTTT Dressed habitually in blue, the silver-haired French icon Michou, the owner of Paris’s best-known cross-dressing cabaret, is a showman from a bygone era who still attracts adoring crowds.

Countries Want to Ban ‘Weaponized’ Social Media. What Would That Look Like?

By DAMIEN CAVE from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FCADiv
via IFTTT No established democracies have ever come as close to applying such sweeping restrictions as Australia and New Zealand are considering in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

Political Handlers With Trump Ties Take Their Election Playbooks to Africa

By DIONNE SEARCEY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2U4WysV
via IFTTT American campaign consultants, including one mentored by Paul Manafort, are increasingly being hired by African candidates to help them win at the polls in still fragile democracies.

Erdogan Appears to Suffer Major Defeats in Turkey’s Two Biggest Cities

By CARLOTTA GALL from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FOEPxe
via IFTTT Amid a deepening economic crisis, the Turkish president’s party seemed poised to lose the capital, Ankara, and his home city, Istanbul, in mayoral elections.

Russia’s Military Mission Creep Advances to a New Front: Africa

By ERIC SCHMITT from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JUjaaZ
via IFTTT In an influence campaign that is worrying the Pentagon, Russia’s weapons sales, military training programs and security agreements are growing across Africa.

Russia Ordered a Killing That Made No Sense. Then the Assassin Started Talking.

By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2UkGulT
via IFTTT It turned out the killer of a Ukrainian electrician was working for Russian intelligence agents.

Zuzana Caputova Is Elected Slovakia’s First Female President

By MARC SANTORA and MIROSLAVA GERMANOVA from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JSbIwU
via IFTTT Riding a wave of popular discontent over widespread corruption, she vowed to return a sense of decency to the country’s often toxic political climate.

What’s the Secret to Reaching 111? ‘Avoid Dying,’ but ‘Porridge Is Helpful’

By PALKO KARASZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2Www6Fd
via IFTTT Alfred Smith and Bob Weighton were both born on March 29, 1908. But Britain’s oldest men say they’re as puzzled as anyone about the secret to longevity.

‘In Afghanistan, We Laugh Differently’

By DANNA HARMAN and ANDREA DICENZO from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HZ2wnP
via IFTTT For a handful of teenage girls, robotics offered a reprieve from their violent, patriarchal country. Now they are back home, with the Taliban poised to gain power.

Trump Turns U.S. Policy in Central America on Its Head

By ELISABETH MALKIN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2ODc8px
via IFTTT His plan to cut aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador is “shooting yourself in the foot,” said one human rights worker. Mexico has urged more funding for development.

As Venezuelan Economy Unravels, Maduro Opponents Hope Downturn Will Topple Him

By ANATOLY KURMANAEV and MARIA RAMÍREZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2uBntNV
via IFTTT The prolonged national blackout this month pushed the country closer to the brink of economic collapse. Inflation is expected reach 51 million percent this year.

Brexit Mess Reflects Democracy’s New Era of Tear-It-All-Down

By MAX FISHER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2CKnsf3
via IFTTT Britain’s breakdown represents a much wider phenomenon. Across Western democracies, politics are increasingly defined by opposition — to everything.

Italy’s Deal With China Signals a Shift as U.S. Influence Recedes

By JASON HOROWITZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JSSBTi
via IFTTT Far from being isolated in Europe, the Italians say they are leading the expansion of new relations with China, and fully expect others to follow.

He Helped Create A.I. Now, He Worries About ‘Killer Robots.’

By DAN BILEFSKY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FvE7Dm
via IFTTT Still, Yoshua Bengio, an artificial intelligence pioneer and co-winner of this year’s prestigious A.M. Turing prize, says A.I. will prove to be a boon, if regulated.

‘We’re in the Last Hour’: Democracy Itself Is on Trial in Brexit, Britons Say

By ELLEN BARRY and BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FFSoNQ
via IFTTT Britons on both sides of the issue are angry and embarrassed at the spectacle in Parliament, and they are losing faith in their political system.

Canada’s Former Justice Minister Warned About Political Fallout for Trudeau

By IAN AUSTEN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JPozzM
via IFTTT Jody Wilson-Raybould warned the country’s top public servant about potential political fallout in the SNC-Lavalin case, according to a recording.

Where Do the Families of ISIS Fighters Go Now?

By BEN HUBBARD from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HPCVOW
via IFTTT “I just want to go back to a normal life”: The Times visited a camp in Syria where women and children who fled ISIS territory are stuck in limbo.

In Ukraine, Russia Tests a New Facebook Tactic in Election Tampering

By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ and SHEERA FRENKEL from NYT World https://ift.tt/2V4vE0y
via IFTTT With Facebook focused on weeding out fake pages, Russian agents are spreading propaganda on the pages of real people willing to sell or rent them out.

Brexit Goes Back to Square One as Parliament Rejects May’s Plan a Third Time

By STEPHEN CASTLE and BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2K3WJ3d
via IFTTT The now routine defeat for the prime minister’s exit plan also underscores that Parliament itself has no idea what to do.

Child Abduction Rumors Lead to Violence Against Roma in France

By AURELIEN BREEDEN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JP2YHZ
via IFTTT The outburst of attacks was the latest result of social media being used to fan prejudice, with dangerous, or even deadly, consequences.

Who Could Replace Theresa May as Britain’s Prime Minister?

By MEGAN SPECIA from NYT World https://ift.tt/2CFnrZO
via IFTTT Her offer to step down if her Brexit deal were accepted has opened the door to roster of contenders. Here are a few.

Huge Crowds of Algerians Protest Army’s Latest Compromise Offer

By ADAM NOSSITER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2uz12sz
via IFTTT Crowds, seeking far more than the ouster of the ailing president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, want the wholesale removal of “the System.” all those tied to his 20-year reign.

Red Cross Granted Access to Deliver Aid in Venezuela

By ANATOLY KURMANAEV and ISAYEN HERRERA from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FBlo9H
via IFTTT President Maduro’s permission is his first acknowledgment that the country is facing a deep humanitarian crisis. Much of its people lack enough food and medication.

Pope Issues Law, With Penalties, for Vatican City to Address Sexual Abuse

By JASON HOROWITZ and ELISABETTA POVOLEDO from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TNv7yU
via IFTTT The highly anticipated law is intended to be a model for the Roman Catholic Church worldwide and requires for the first time that accusations be immediately reported to Vatican prosecutors.

Theresa May’s Brexit Deal Is Rejected by U.K. Parliament

By THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT World https://ift.tt/2OxSIT7
via IFTTT Lawmakers refused, for a third time, to back the prime minister’s deal to withdraw Britain from the European Union.

Why Do Garfield Phones Keep Washing Up on This Beach?

By PALKO KARASZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2U2J3Ka
via IFTTT Bright orange plastic novelty phones, shaped like Garfield, the grumpy cartoon cat, have littered French shores for decades. Nobody knew why, until a group of volunteers followed a tip.

French Raise a Glass to a Health Warning About Too Much Wine

By ADAM NOSSITER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2YxpWGH
via IFTTT “For your health, it’s maximum two glasses a day, and not every day,” the health agency said. France’s response? Deafening silence.

The Man Trying to Make Sense of Brexit Is Tired and Would Like to Stop Now

By ALLISON McCANN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TE5sZn
via IFTTT Brexit has become a tangled web of decisions and potential outcomes that change almost daily. It is way of diagraming what happens next, and also a Sisyphean task. Jon Worth is taking it on.

As U.S. Tightens Iran Sanctions, Militant Groups and Political Allies Feel the Pain

By BEN HUBBARD from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TEXKy1
via IFTTT Analysts question how much the funding cuts will change behavior and Hezbollah’s leader called them “a form of war.”

Brexit Process Remains Deadlocked, but Theresa May Plans a Last-Ditch Vote on Friday

By BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2uyYF8Z
via IFTTT Some Conservative lawmakers struggled to keep the prime minister’s deal alive as others said that her offer to resign was not enough to win approval.

Imran Khan Calls for Vast Anti-Poverty Plan, but Money Is Tight

By SALMAN MASOOD from NYT World https://ift.tt/2Ov5GAW
via IFTTT The Pakistani leader envisions the foundation of a welfare state. But he has not yet come close to turning the country’s debt crisis around to pay for it.

Ahead of Israel’s Election, Gantz’s Meme-Inspiring Missteps Embolden Netanyahu

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2UjniVC
via IFTTT Nothing played out as expected this past week, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vulnerability seemed to recede a bit as his challenger faltered.

Quebec Proposes Bill Banning Public Employees From Wearing Head Scarves at Work

By DAN BILEFSKY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HUnlka
via IFTTT The bill would also ban the wearing of religious symbols like Catholic crosses, Jewish skull caps and Sikh turbans while public employees are at work.

Theresa May Put Her Head on the Block for Her Brexit Deal. It Might Not Be Enough.

By ELLEN BARRY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HM4PeL
via IFTTT The British prime minister made one final gamble, offering to resign in exchange for the votes to get her withdrawal agreement over the line.

At Least 19 Die in Office Tower Fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh

By JULFIKAR ALI MANIK from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JVKllo
via IFTTT A fire official said that at least 70 people had been injured, and witnesses said they saw several people falling from the building in an effort to escape the flames.

After New Zealand Attacks, More People Registered to Move There

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2uyaE6J
via IFTTT Registrations of interest to live and work in New Zealand rose sharply from people in the United States and from two majority-Muslim countries, Pakistan and Malaysia.

Brunei to Punish Adultery and Gay Sex With Death by Stoning

By AUSTIN RAMZY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2U02m6M
via IFTTT Statutes allowing stoning and amputation will go into effect in the sultanate beginning on April 3. That has set off an outcry from human rights groups.

Brunei to Punish Adultery and Gay Sex With Death by Stoning

By AUSTIN RAMZY from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TEsJtV
via IFTTT Statutes allowing stoning and amputation will go into effect in the sultanate beginning on April 3. That has set off an outcry from human rights groups.

Donation From New Zealand Attack Suspect Puts Spotlight on Europe’s Far Right

By KATRIN BENNHOLD from NYT World https://ift.tt/2UdURIR
via IFTTT The donation to Martin Sellner, the Austrian head of Generation Identity, has spurred an investigation into whether the group is inspiring violence.

E.U. Votes to End Mandatory Switch to Daylight Saving Time

By ANNA SCHAVERIEN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TA34ml
via IFTTT Lawmakers approved a draft law to abolish the seasonal time change and instead let countries choose whether they would remain on summer or winter time.

Mexican Call for Conquest Apology Ruffles Feathers in Spain. And Mexico.

By RAPHAEL MINDER and ELISABETH MALKIN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2Fwfuqq
via IFTTT President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Spain and the Catholic Church should ask for forgiveness for the brutal campaign against indigenous peoples 500 years ago.

They Are Thriving After Years of Persecution but Fear a Taliban Deal

By DAVID ZUCCHINO and FATIMA FAIZI from NYT World https://ift.tt/2CDWJ3G
via IFTTT Members of the Hazara ethnic minority, whom the Taliban consider heretics, fear a return to being massacred if talks bring the insurgents back into Afghanistan’s government.

Italy’s Right Links Low Birthrate to Fight Against Abortion and Migration

By JASON HOROWITZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FADBUI
via IFTTT Interior minister Matteo Salvini and his hard-right allies are promoting an Italians First agenda, which includes an argument that abortion needs to be limited to increase the number of native Italians.

U.K. Defends Buying $16 Million New York Penthouse for Diplomat

By ILIANA MAGRA from NYT World https://ift.tt/2ux4cgt
via IFTTT The full-floor apartment near the United Nations will be the residence of Antony Phillipson, the British consul general and trade commissioner for North America.

China Expels Former Interpol Chief From Communist Party for ‘Extravagant’ Spending

By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2TBKkD4
via IFTTT The disappearance of Meng Hongwei highlighted China’s opaque legal system. His wife’s public appeals for help were a potential embarrassment to Beijing.

Theresa May Promises to Step Down if U.K. Parliament Backs Brexit Plan

By STEPHEN CASTLE and RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HXprjd
via IFTTT The British prime minister did not specify when she would step down, but the European Union has said that it would approve an extension in the Brexit process to May 22, if her plan gained approval.

India Shot Down a Satellite, Modi Says, Shifting Balance of Power in Asia

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN and HARI KUMAR from NYT World https://ift.tt/2CDzeb2
via IFTTT If confirmed, a successful test could destabilize the balance of power between India and Pakistan and escalate the rivalry with China. With elections near, Mr. Modi played the announcement for maximum effect.

‘Dog Suicide Bridge’: Why Do So Many Pets Keep Leaping Into a Scottish Gorge?

By CEYLAN YEGINSU from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HWB5LA
via IFTTT Since the 1950s, hundreds of dogs have jumped off a gothic stone bridge in northern Scotland. Many have died. Researchers say there is a rational explanation. Others are not so sure.

India Shot Down a Satellite, Modi Says, Joining a Select Group of Nations

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN and HARI KUMAR from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HIlKia
via IFTTT If confirmed, a successful test would make India the fourth country to have one, after the United States, Russia and China. With elections near, Modi played it for maximum effect.