World News at a Glance

Abuse Scandal Forces Cardinal to Give Up Post

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, from the College of Cardinals, ordering him to a “life of prayer and penance” after allegations that the cardinal sexually abused minors and adult seminarians over the course of decades, the Vatican announced Saturday. Acting swiftly to contain a sex abuse scandal, the pope officially suspended the cardinal from the exercise of any public ministry after receiving his resignation letter Friday evening. Francis also demanded in a statement that the prelate remain in seclusion “until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial.”

Attack on Afghan Midwives School Kills 2

A nearly seven-hour assault by extremists on a school for midwives in eastern Afghanistan killed two people and wounded 11 others, but authorities managed to avert a greater tragedy. Most of the 67 young female students were evacuated quickly or fled to a fortified safe room on the grounds of the school in Jalalabad. Three of them were wounded, according to a police official. In addition, 12 young children in a day care center for the school’s staff escaped harm, authorities said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group.

U.S. Envoys Said to Hold Direct Talks With Taliban

In a reversal of a long-standing policy, U.S. diplomats held face-to-face talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar a week ago without Afghan officials present, two senior Taliban officials said Saturday. A State Department spokeswoman did not respond to questions about whether the talks took place. But the department did not deny that its diplomats had taken part in such talks — a significant shift in U.S. strategy toward the Taliban in Afghanistan. “Any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government,” the spokeswoman said. The Afghan president’s office said Saturday that it welcomed any support for peace efforts.

Newest U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan Mirrors Past Plans for Retreat

The Trump administration is urging U.S.-backed Afghan troops to retreat from sparsely populated areas, officials said, all but ensuring the Taliban will remain in control of vast stretches of the country. It is meant to protect military forces from attacks at isolated outposts, and focuses on protecting cities such as Kabul, the capital, and other population centers. The withdrawal resembles strategies embraced by both the Bush and Obama administrations that have started and stuttered over the nearly 17-year war. The retreat is a searing acknowledgment that the U.S.-installed government in Afghanistan remains unable to protect the country’s sprawling rural population.

British Lawmakers Accuse Facebook of Failing to Aid Inquiry Into ‘Fake News’

A British parliamentary committee examining Russia’s exploitation of social media to try to influence elections has called for sweeping new regulations on tech companies, and it has accused Facebook of providing “disingenuous answers” to some questions while avoiding others “to the point of obstruction.” A report from the House of Commons panel, which is investigating “fake news” on the internet, cited Facebook’s resistance to disclosing information as evidence of the need for more stringent rules to hold social media giants accountable for content. “Facebook should not be in a position of marking its own homework,” the committee said, in a report scheduled for release on Sunday.

After Pakistan’s Heated Election, Key Parties Lend Support to Imran Khan

Several key parties on Saturday began to coalesce around Imran Khan, the former cricket star whose political party won Pakistan’s elections, paving the way for him to form a majority in the National Assembly and ascend to the premiership. Many leading rival parties are furious about the election results, but several smaller ones are falling to the side of Khan. The National Assembly, Pakistan’s parliament, has 272 contested seats and Khan’s party won 115 seats. that is still short of a majority. Khan has been holding meetings and his party leaders have been making phone calls to charm another 20 or so politicians to join their side.