World News at a Glance

Interpol Rejects Russian as President, Electing South Korean Instead

Interpol elected a South Korean police veteran as its next president Wednesday, in the face of pressure from Western diplomats who said choosing a Russian candidate who had been considered the front-runner could jeopardize the independence of the world’s largest international policing organization. Kim Jong-yang was elected by secret ballot at Interpol’s annual conference in Dubai. American and European officials lobbied behind the scenes early this week to prevent a senior Russian security official from winning the organization’s presidency. The Russian government has tried for years to use Interpol and its international warrants to track down and arrest political enemies and dissidents living abroad.

85,000 Children in Yemen May Have Died of Starvation

The United States announced Wednesday that peace talks to end the war in Yemen would begin next month in Sweden. The announcement came amid growing global pressure to stop the bombing campaigns by a Saudi-led coalition that have unleashed conditions amounting to possible war crimes, according to a United Nations report. The announcement at the Pentagon came after a statement by aid agency Save the Children: An estimated 85,000 children might have died of hunger since the bombings began in 2015. Experts say Yemen has become the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and 14 million people could soon be on the brink of starvation, according to the UN.

Isolated Tribe Kills American With Bow and Arrow on Remote Indian Island

On Wednesday, Indian authorities said John Allen Chau, an American thought to be in his 20s, had been fatally shot with arrows by tribesmen when he stepped on the shore of a remote island in the Andaman Sea. The island, called North Sentinel, is one of the most sealed-off parts of India. Fishermen warned him not to go, and Indian government regulations prohibit any interaction with people on the island. The police chief in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands said Chau, believed to be from Washington state, may have been trying to convert the islanders to Christianity.

Reformed Gang Leader in Denmark Is Shot Dead Leaving Book Party

In the eyes of his former associates, Nedim Yasar, once the leader of a notorious Danish gang, did something much worse than just leave the criminal life: He talked about it, becoming a nationally recognized expert on gang violence. Yasar was fatally shot Monday night after leaving a party in Copenhagen celebrating the release of a book about him. The police in Copenhagen said they did not have any suspects and appealed for witnesses. Yasar had founded a gang that became involved in drug trafficking, and he spent time in jail. Five years ago, he entered a state-run exit program for gang members, then became a radio host.

1,000 Pieces of Plastic Found Inside Dead Whale in Indonesia

More than 1,000 assorted pieces of plastic, including 115 cups, 25 bags, four bottles and two flip-flops, have been found inside a dead sperm whale in Indonesia, according to local officials. The whale, found washed ashore Monday in Wakatobi National Park, was already decomposing when rescuers arrived, so investigators were unable to determine if the plastic caused its death, said Lukas Adhyakso, conservation director of the World Wildlife Fund in Indonesia. Ingesting plastic can give whales a false sense of satiation, leading them to eat less food that provides the nutrients they need, said Nicholas Mallos, director of the Trash Free Seas program at Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit.

British Academic Is Jailed for Life on Spying Charges in UAE

A court in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday sentenced a British academic to life in prison on spying charges, prompting a pledge from Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain that the issue would be raised “at the highest level” with Emirati authorities. The academic, Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old postgraduate student at Durham University in northeastern England, was arrested in Dubai on May 5 as he was planning to fly out. Colleagues said he had been pursuing research for a doctorate on the effects of the Arab Spring of 2011 on Emirati diplomacy.