The New York Times

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria After Trump Warned of Attacks on Christians The United States launched a number of strikes against the Islamic State in northwestern Nigeria, President Trump announced on Thursday, the latest American military campaign against a nonstate adversary. 8 Killed in Syria Mosque Blast, Government Says At least eight people were killed and about 20 others injured in an explosion during Friday Prayer at a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs, a spokesman for the country’s Interior Ministry said. New Jail Term and Enormous Fine for Ex-Malaysian Leader in Graft Scandal A Malaysian court sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison and ordered him to pay a hefty fine in a case related to the looting of the multibillion-dollar government fund 1MDB, a scandal that has already brought prison time for the disgraced leader. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: No Power, No Heat, No Water: Odesa’s Days of Hell Under Russian Fire The toll on older people and those with disabilities is especially severe as Moscow’s forces repeatedly attack the port city’s infrastructure. ​North Korea Unveils the Completed Hull of What It Calls a Nuclear Submarine The arms race between North and South Korea has expanded underwater as the North condemned the South’s plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine as a security threat and unveiled​ the completed hull of its ​own nuclear sub, which is under construction. With Airspace Closed, a Lonely Christmas for Many Venezuelans Many thousands of Venezuelans have found themselves stranded abroad or alone at home this holiday, prevented from gathering with relatives after President Trump declared the airspace around Venezuela closed more than three weeks ago. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Zelensky Opens Way to Demilitarized Zone in Eastern Ukraine to Reach Peace President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday that he was ready to pull his troops back from areas of the eastern Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control and turn those areas into a demilitarized zone as part of a possible peace deal with Moscow. The Truce Is 2 Months Old. So Why Have Hundreds of Gazans Been Killed? Since the cease-fire took effect, Israel says it has targeted only militants. But the killing of Palestinians has not yet stopped for more than a day or two at a time. China Is Shifting Its Nuclear Forces to Swifter Footing, Pentagon Says China has been growing its stockpile of nuclear warheads by about 100 a year as its top leader, Xi Jinping, pushes to expand his nuclear options. But its production of warheads slowed last year, the Pentagon said, without specifying a cause. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Ukraine Withdraws From Eastern Town, Complicating Negotiating Stance Ukraine said on Tuesday that its forces had withdrawn from the eastern town of Siversk, in a move that could complicate Kyiv’s stance in ongoing peace talks with Russia, which have largely stumbled over territorial settlements. Yemen’s Warring Sides Agree to Largest Prisoner Swap in a Decade of Fighting Yemen’s warring factions agreed to release thousands of prisoners in what would be the largest swap since civil war erupted in the country more than a decade ago. Thunberg Arrested at U.K. Protest Supporting Palestine Action Prisoners The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was arrested under terrorism laws in Britain for holding a placard that the police said showed support for the banned group Palestine Action, her lawyer and organizers of the protest said. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Assad’s Enforcers Brutalized Syria. Now They’re Living Large, Lying Low and Evading Justice. A Times investigation into the whereabouts of top Syrian officials who fled after the regime’s fall shows many remain free — shielded by wealth and accommodating host nations. What We Know About U.S. Interceptions of Oil Tankers in Venezuela A Venezuela-bound vessel fled after rebuffing an attempt by the Coast Guard to seize it, the latest twist in the escalating U.S. pressure campaign against the Maduro government. More Abducted Nigerian Children Are Released, Government Says The scores of schoolchildren who remained in captivity after being kidnapped at gunpoint last month from their dormitories in the middle of the night have been released, the Nigerian government said. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Putin Offers to Suspend Deep Strikes During Potential Ukraine Vote President Vladimir Putin on Friday offered to suspend long-range strikes deep inside Ukraine during any potential presidential election held by Kyiv, as the Russian leader reiterated his call for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to face a wartime vote. Gaza City Famine Averted, Global Experts Say, but Palestinians Face Major Difficulties Accessing Food A panel of global experts found that famine conditions previously reported in Gaza City had been alleviated since October’s cease-fire but that hundreds of thousands of people across the territory still faced major difficulties accessing food. Can This Man Finally Defeat Mexico’s Cartels? Mexico's top security official, Omar García Harfuch, is overseeing one of the most aggressive offensives in years against Mexico’s powerful criminal groups. Many before him have failed. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Europe’s Fight Over Russian Assets Is Testing Its Ability to Support Ukraine European Union leaders convened on Thursday for a meeting that will show whether they can face head-on many of the largest challenges confronting them: an aggressive Russia, an increasingly unfriendly United States and a costly land war in Ukraine. Over 1,000 Were Killed in Attack on Famine-Stricken Camp in Sudan, U.N. Says Paramilitaries in Sudan killed over 1,000 people, one-third of them in summary executions, in an attack in April against a famine-stricken camp for displaced people, the United Nations human rights body said. Who Can Solve Iran’s Many Problems? Not I, Says the President. Amid sky-high inflation, water and energy cuts and prospects for a deal with the U. S. dimming, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran has apparently thrown up his hands. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Trump Revised Chevron’s Venezuela Deal. Maduro’s Oil Trader Profited. A firm controlled by a businessman tied to a seized tanker carrying Venezuelan oil has sold millions of barrels from a Chevron-operated oil field. A Roar of Motorcycles and the Terrifying Night of a Mass Kidnapping Survivors of the St. Mary’s Catholic School abduction in Nigeria recall their harrowing ordeal and release. South Africa Arrests Workers Processing U.S. Refugee Applications The authorities in South Africa said on Wednesday that they had arrested and would deport seven Kenyan nationals who were working illegally at a center processing refugee applications for the United States. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: In a Remote Jungle, the Gruesome Poaching of Rare Elephants More than a dozen Bornean elephants have been killed — including five beheaded — in Malaysia in the past 18 months, the authorities say. As U.S. Threatens Maduro, a Caribbean Nation Is Drawn Into the Conflict The effort to bring a military tool to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, just days after a visit by the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has become a flashpoint in a heated debate over Trinidad’s involvement in the Trump administration’s escalating conflict with nearby Venezuela. After an Antisemitic Atrocity, Australia Looks for a Path Forward News Analysis: Jews are fearful of more violence and Muslims are wary of a backlash after the mass shooting at Bondi Beach killed 15. Can Australia steer its way toward stability? @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: The Panicked Moments When a Beach Celebration Became a ‘War Zone’ At least 15 people were killed and several dozen were injured when two men opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday at Bondi Beach in Sydney, the core of the Australian city’s Jewish community. Hong Kong Media Tycoon’s Conviction Was Years in the Making Judges in Hong Kong delivered guilty verdicts in the landmark national security trial of the media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai on Monday, following a five-year-old case that has come to symbolize the sweeping political changes in the city. Conservative Wins Resoundingly in Chile’s Presidential Election José Antonio Kast, a conservative candidate, was elected Chile’s president on Sunday, a sharp rightward swing for a country where voters have grown deeply concerned about security and illegal immigration. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Focused More on Power Outages, Ukrainians See U.S. Peace Push as Noise Many in Ukraine understand the dance their leaders must perform to appease President Trump. But that doesn’t make them any less weary of the rounds and rounds of talks. Trump Says Thailand and Cambodia Have Agreed to a New Cease-Fire President Trump said on Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a cease-fire, as he sought to restore his image as a peacemaker after a deal he had brokered to end a border conflict between the two Southeast Asian countries unraveled this week. Dozens Killed as a Hospital Is Bombed in Brutal Civil War Myanmar’s military on Wednesday night dropped two bombs on the Mrauk-U Hospital, which was a lifeline for many civilians in a rebel stronghold in the country's western Rakhine State. The attack killed 34 people and injured at least 80 others, according to aid workers and rebel forces. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: U.S. Steps Up Campaign Against Maduro in Seizing Tanker Off Venezuela The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, a dramatic escalation in President Trump’s pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela. Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Resigns in the Face of Mass Protests Bulgaria’s prime minister resigned on Thursday after less than a year in office, acknowledging “the voice of the people” after mass protests against government corruption in recent weeks. Pakistan’s Ex-Spy Chief Sentenced to Prison After Court-Martial A Pakistani military court announced that it had sentenced Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, the former head of the country’s intelligence agency, to 14 years in prison after convicting him on charges of corruption, political meddling and misuse of authority. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Venezuela’s Nobel Winner Ups the Ante in Standoff With Maduro News Analysis: The decision by María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, to leave her homeland after more than a year in hiding has drastically raised the stakes in the unfolding standoff over Venezuela’s future. Islamic State Camps Pose a Dangerous Problem for Syria’s Leaders The Syrian government faces a dilemma over what to do with civil-war-era prisons and detention camps that hold thousands of ISIS fighters and tens of thousands of their family members. Louvre Heist Was Caught on Film, Officials Say, Rebutting Director’s Account After robbers broke into the Louvre in October, the museum’s director said they had entered undetected. Now, investigators from the French culture ministry have found that that the thieves’ entrance was recorded but the security guards had taken too long to switch to the live feed. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: When Diamonds Are Not Forever After decades of growth driven by diamond mining, Canada’s Northwest Territories are facing the closure of three major mines and wondering: What’s next? Lithuania Declares National Emergency Over Suspicious Balloons From Belarus Lithuania’s government declared a nationwide emergency on Tuesday to bolster security after months of fending off suspicious balloons that have floated into the country’s airspace from neighboring Belarus, disrupting flights and stirring chaos. Australia’s Social Media Ban for People Under 16 Takes Effect A new law in Australia that bars anyone younger than 16 from having social media accounts went into effect on Wednesday, in the start of a sweeping governmental effort to shelter children from the harms associated with such platforms. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: The U.S. Gave Mexico a List of Russian Spies. Mexico Let Them Stay. Moscow has ramped up covert operations in Mexico, with spies meeting handlers in its bustling capital and seaside resorts, U.S. officials say. With Fireworks and Parades, Syrians Celebrate Anniversary of al-Assad’s Fall Syria commemorated a year since the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad with fireworks and parades, but the festivities come as violence and economic woes hinder true recovery. Thai Jets Bomb Cambodia as at Least 5 Die in New Wave of Fighting Thai F-16 fighter jets bombed Cambodian targets on Monday, as a decades-old border dispute that President Trump claimed to have ended erupted in a new salvo of fighting that killed at least five people and displaced hundreds of thousands. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: How the Fire in Hong Kong Became So Deadly Hazardous construction materials, the buildings’ design and a series of safety failures likely enabled Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades to spread with devastating speed. Zelensky’s Government Sabotaged Oversight, Allowing Corruption to Fester Ukrainian leaders blame independent advisers for failing to prevent corruption. A New York Times investigation found President Volodymyr Zelensky’s own administration systematically sabotaged that oversight, allowing graft to flourish. The ‘Cocaine Superhighway’ Fueled by the U.S. Focus on Fentanyl As Washington made combating fentanyl a priority, cocaine trafficking has surged. Nowhere have the ripples been felt like in Ecuador, where criminal groups have run rampant. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: The Diplomat Who Was Accused of Sexual Abuse but Kept His Job Kenya’s government received complaints that a diplomat was sexually abusing women, according to a U.N. official and a labor leader. But officials allowed the diplomat to continue working with migrant women. Putin ‘Must Have’ Authorized Poisoning, U.K. Inquiry Finds President Vladimir Putin of Russia “must have” authorized the nerve agent poisoning attack that accidentally killed a British woman in 2018, and he bears “moral responsibility” for her death, the chair of a British inquiry said on Thursday. How Israel’s Settlement Surge in the West Bank Is Displacing Palestinians The Israeli government authorized 22 settlements in May, the largest expansion in decades, and Palestinian families are now being forced from their homes. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Europe Wants to Get the Word Out: Russia Is to Blame for Sabotage European officials are accusing Russia of smaller-scale assaults. President Vladimir Putin sought to turn the tables, saying that if Europe were to start a war, Russia is ready. Israel Says a Gaza Border Will Reopen, but Only for Palestinians to Leave Israel said on Wednesday that it would begin allowing some Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt “in the coming days” through the Rafah border crossing. Egypt denied that the border would reopen soon. A Devastating Fire Has Fueled a National Security Crackdown in Hong Kong Authorities in Hong Kong quickly arrested critics demanding accountability, signaling an expansive use of the security law to silence dissent over nonpolitical tragedies. @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: From Snarling Zombies to Frolicking Dogs: Recruiting Ads Trace a War’s Evolution Early Ukrainian military recruitment ads were a call to arms in an existential fight. Now, they frame joining as cool, a good career move or a point of pride. Former President of Honduras Is Freed From Prison After Trump Pardon President Trump on Monday formally pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras, an ex-president who was at the center of what the authorities had called “one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world.” India Orders a Tracking App to Be Installed in All Smartphones India’s government sent a notice to private companies last week giving them 90 days to ensure that a government app was “preinstalled on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India.” @nytimes

Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world: Floods Have Killed at Least 1,200 in Southern Asia. Here’s What to Know. At least 1,200 people have been killed in floods that have ravaged southern Asia over the past few weeks. Hundreds more are still missing and millions are displaced across the rain-soaked region, with Sri Lanka and Indonesia hit particularly hard. Netanyahu Asks Israel’s President to Pardon Him in Corruption Cases Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel asked its president on Sunday to pardon him in his long-running corruption trial, a request that the president called “extraordinary” and that critics said would run counter to the rule of law. Outdoor Concerts? Uncovered Hair? Shimmying in Public? Is This Iran? Young people across Iran have been leading a dramatic shift in social mores in recent months as the government, already dealing with crisis upon crisis, seems unwilling or unable to confront the tide of change. @nytimes