World News at a Glance

Putin Says New ‘Invincible’ Missile Can Pierce U.S. and European Defenses

President Vladimir Putin of Russia threatened the West with a new generation of nuclear weapons Thursday, including what he described as an “invincible” intercontinental cruise missile and a nuclear torpedo that could outsmart all American defenses. The presentation by Putin sharply escalated the military invective in the tense relationship between the United States and Russia. Putin’s announcement, in his annual state of the nation address, seemed intended chiefly to stir the patriotic passions of Russians at a moment when he is heading into a re-election campaign, even though his victory is assured.

Heaviest Snow in Decades Batters U.K., Ireland and the Continent

Mediterranean beaches blanketed in white. Blizzards and “life threatening” conditions in normally snowless areas of Britain. Motorists stranded overnight on a highway in Scotland. Since last Friday, Europe has been locked in a Siberian weather pattern that has pummeled the Continent with snow, freezing rain and brutal wind chills, paralyzing cities and killing dozens of people, mainly the older and homeless. The system that is being called the “Beast from the East” has hit Britain especially hard, with some areas buried in up to 3 feet of snow and pushing temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 10 Celsius).

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico to Quit Amid Tense Relations Under Trump

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico plans to resign from her post in May, according to a memo circulated Thursday to embassy staff, the latest in a string of senior diplomatic departures from the region — and more broadly from the State Department. The ambassador, Roberta S. Jacobson, 57, served just under two years in the post, after her arrival was delayed by a prolonged confirmation process. Analysts say her departure will be deeply felt by both U.S. and Mexican officials — she was one of the most experienced Latin America experts in the State Department.

Venezuela Delays Presidential Vote, but Opposition Still Plans a Boycott

Venezuela’s government said Thursday that it was postponing the presidential election until May 20, allowing an extra month before the country’s snap vote but doing little to quell critics calling for a boycott. In addition, the government said that it would allow international observers to participate and that members of regional councils would be chosen by Venezuelans going to the polls in May as well. President Nicolás Maduro is running for another six-year term after more than a year of crackdowns against opponents that have included jailing popular political rivals and using force to put down street protests.

Argentina’s Top Spy Accused in Brazil Corruption Case

Law enforcement officials in Brazil on Thursday accused the director of Argentina’s intelligence agency of receiving $850,000 as part of a money-laundering scheme that involved front companies in several Brazilian cities. The accusation against the Argentine intelligence chief, Gustavo Arribas, who owns several real estate properties in Brazil, is the first time a senior Argentine official in President Mauricio Macri’s administration has been accused in Brazil’s wide-ranging corruption investigation. The allegations against Arribas come as Macri is vowing to make sweeping changes to Argentina’s judicial and regulatory agencies to root out an entrenched culture of corruption.

China Detains Relatives of at Least 4 Reporters

Chinese officials have detained relatives of at least four reporters who covered an extensive crackdown in the Xinjiang region for Radio Free Asia, the U.S.-based broadcaster has said, raising questions about an intimidation and retaliation campaign. The four journalists all work for the broadcaster’s Uighur service, which has been aggressively covering the situation in the nominally autonomous region of Xinjiang, Radio Free Asia said Thursday. Since 2017, the Chinese government has carried out a broad campaign against what it calls separatism and religious extremism, detaining thousands of Uighurs and members of other minority groups in re-education camps.

U.S. Closes Door on Christians Who Fled Iran

They sold their homes and possessions, quit their jobs and left their country — they thought for good. But more than a year later, about 100 Iranians, mainly members of their nation’s Christian minorities, remain stranded in Vienna, their lives in limbo and the promise of America dead after the U.S. denied their applications for refugee status in recent weeks. The Iranians applied to resettle in the United States under a 1989 law known as the Lautenberg Amendment, which offers haven to persecuted religious minorities. The denials have drawn rebukes from religious leaders, human rights groups and lawmakers.

Carles Puigdemont, Catalan Leader, Steps Aside

For months the bête noir of the Spanish government, the ousted and self-exiled separatist leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, announced Thursday that he was giving up his campaign to be reappointed as the region’s president. By turns frustrating, enigmatic, unpredictable and combative, Puigdemont had become the embodiment of Catalonia’s aspirations for independence after leading a thwarted effort to secede from Spain. Puigdemont’s decision to step aside — announced “with the greatest sadness” in a video posted on YouTube — ended one monthslong standoff, but heralded the start of another. The Spanish government did not react immediately to Puigdemont’s decision.