World News at a Glance

Mattis, Meeting His Chinese Counterpart, Tries to Ease Tensions

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tried to lower the temperature on the array of hostilities between Washington and Beijing on Thursday, saying it is up to the militaries of the two competing global superpowers to act as a stabilizing force amid rising political tensions. During a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Mattis sanded down some of the sharp edges from Vice President Mike Pence’s pointed critique of China this month. Mattis even repeated an invitation for Wei Fenghe, China’s defense minister, to visit the United States, according to a senior Defense Department official. But the cordial tone belied deep tensions that showed no signs of abating.

Taliban Assassinate Afghan Police Chief Ahead of Elections

One of the most devastating Taliban assassination strikes of the long Afghan war killed a regional police chief with a larger-than-life reputation as one of the last stalwarts against the militants. The assassination, just two days before national elections already undermined by violence, took place inside the provincial governor’s compound in Kandahar city. At least one gunman killed the police chief, as well as the provincial intelligence chief. The governor of Kandahar and another senior police commander were also targeted; reports about their fate were conflicting. The police chief, Gen. Abdul Raziq, was widely considered an indispensable U.S. ally.

Mnuchin Withdraws From Saudi Investment Conference Amid Khashoggi Inquiry

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has withdrawn from the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia next week after facing bipartisan backlash over his plans to attend despite the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi journalist. Mnuchin was planning to speak at the conference. Several prominent chief executives canceled plans to attend the conference, along with ministers from Britain, France and the Netherlands. The decision came after Mnuchin met with President Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, Thursday morning, according to a Treasury spokesman. The three men collectively decided that withdrawing was the appropriate move.

A New Culprit Is Identified in China’s Choking Smog

Scientists have found a new culprit contributing to China’s notorious wintertime smog, and controlling it could help sustain the significant improvements in air quality that Beijing and other northeastern cities experienced last winter, according to research published Thursday. Scientists from Harvard and two Chinese universities reported that emissions of formaldehyde — principally from vehicles and chemical and oil refineries — played a larger role than previously understood in producing the thick, toxic pollution that chokes much of the country each winter.

Saudi Arabia Weighs Blaming Intelligence Official for Khashoggi Killing

The rulers of Saudi Arabia are considering blaming a top intelligence official close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, three people with knowledge of the Saudi plans said Thursday. The plan to assign blame to Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, a high-ranking adviser to the crown prince, would be an extraordinary recognition of the magnitude of international backlash to hit the kingdom since the death of Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post. Blaming Assiri could also help deflect blame from the crown prince, who U.S. intelligence agencies are increasingly convinced was behind Khashoggi’s disappearance.

Vatican Mum on North Korea’s Invitation to Pope Francis

Pope Francis received an invitation Thursday to visit North Korea, a message relayed to him in a private audience at the Vatican with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. Moon, who is Roman Catholic, passed along the verbal invitation from North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. South Korean officials said the pope had suggested that he would consider a visit if he received an official invitation. The Vatican did not comment on Francis’ reaction to the offer. The pope has repeatedly expressed a wish for dialogue and reconciliation between the governments of North and South Korea.

Israel Can’t Deport U.S. Student Over Past Support for Boycott

Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the government on Thursday to admitan American woman on her student visa, overruling the Interior Ministry, which pushed to deport her over a stint as an advocate for Palestinian rights while she was an undergraduate at the University of Florida. Lara Alqasem, 22, had been held in a cell at Ben Gurion Airport for more than two weeks while she fought deportation. She will now be allowed to follow through on her plans to enroll at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where she hopes to study for a master’s degree in human rights law.