World News at a Glance

Ex-Nazi Guard in U.S., Now 95, Is Deported to Germany

The Nazi guard lived a quiet life in New York City for decades, having lied on his U.S. immigration papers in 1949 about the type of work he did during World War II. But on Tuesday, he was deported to Germany, ending a 14-year battle to remove him from U.S. soil. The expulsion of Jakiw Palij, 95, rid the United States of the last known Nazi war crimes suspect in the country. It also handed President Donald Trump a powerful talking point against critics of his immigration policies by shifting the focus from thousands of immigrants in the country illegally whose stories are far more sympathetic.

Venezuela’s New Currency Sows Confusion and Shutters Stores

The day after President Nicolas Maduro introduced measures to invigorate Venezuela’s economy found the country in turmoil and its population afraid his “program for recovery, growth and economic prosperity” would lead it deeper into depression. The measures included slashing five zeros from the devalued currency, which was renamed the sovereign bolívar. On Monday, the day the new economic plan was rolled out, streets were quiet and most shops were closed, as Maduro had decreed a national holiday. But most remained closed Tuesday as shopkeepers tried to understand how to reset prices in the new currency and buyers struggled to make the conversion.

Pope to Meet Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse While in Ireland

Pope Francis will spend part of his weekend trip to Ireland meeting victims of sexual abuse committed by the clergy there, the Vatican said Tuesday, addressing an issue that has enraged Irish Catholics and damaged the church’s standing in that country. The announcement by the Vatican spokesman, Greg Burke, came as church sexual abuse scandals have threatened to reshape Francis’ legacy and have confronted the Roman Catholic Church with one of its worst crises. The pope has been accused of reacting slowly to well-known sexual abuses by priests.

El Salvador Recognizes China in Blow to Taiwan

El Salvador severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan on Tuesday and established ties with China, leaving only 17 nations that officially recognize the Taiwanese government. Latin America and the Caribbean have been an important bastion of support for Taiwan. Nine of the countries that maintain diplomatic ties are in the region. That has been eroding, however. Panama broke ties with Taiwan’s government in 2017, and the Dominican Republic did the same in May 2018. China’s communist government seeks to absorb self-governed and democratic Taiwan and is campaigning to erase any acknowledgment of Taiwanese sovereignty by countries or corporations.

Asia Argento Scandal Makes for Open Season on #MeToo in Italy

Even as she emerged as one of the leading figures in the #MeToo movement, Italian actress Asia Argento was never a media favorite in Italy’s unbendingly patriarchal society. She was for the most part portrayed as a disingenuous climber well-versed in her country’s often transactional relationship between sex, power and the pursuit of ambition. Now, with accusations that Argento quietly arranged to pay $380,000 to an actor who said she had sexually assaulted him when he was 17, she has gone from being the imperfect spokeswoman of a movement already having difficulty gaining traction in Italy to one who may have damaged the cause irreparably, at least in her own country.

U.S. Man Gets 17 Years in Prison for Traveling to Dominican Republic to Prey on Girls

A U.S. man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to traveling to the Dominican Republic to prey on underage girls. Theodore Symonds, 51, had traveled to Puerto Plata to engage in sexual conduct with two girls in March 2017, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of Florida said Friday, a day after the sentencing. At the time, one girl was 13 and the other was 15. The case highlighted the little-reported subjects of underage sex trafficking and sex tourism in the Dominican Republic. Prostitution is legal there, but the country prohibits brothels and soliciting for sex. The age of consent is 18.

Paris Jackson Apologizes for Harper’s Bazaar Cover in Singapore, Where Gay Rights Lag

Paris Jackson, the 20-year-old actress and model who recently told fans she is bisexual, apologized this week for appearing on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in Singapore, a country where sex between men is punishable by up to two years in prison. But it was an apology that many of her followers on social media said was unnecessary, with some praising Jackson, Michael Jackson’s daughter, for offering visibility to members of a group that rarely gets positive representation in the Singaporean media. Jamie Tabberer, an editor at Gay Star News, started the debate when he criticized the cover, saying it was incompatible with Jackson’s pledge to support gay rights.