World News at a Glance

Facing Defeat, Theresa May Seeks Delay on Brexit Vote in Parliament

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday postponed a parliamentary vote on her proposal for Britain’s departure from the European Union, a retreat that left the country’s economic and political future uncertain, and revealed her tenuous hold on power. British lawmakers had been scheduled to vote Tuesday on the agreement May had reached with the bloc. No plan and political paralysis means Britain could be staring at a hard break March 29. With the news of the postponed vote, the British pound lost about 1 percent of its value against the euro and the U.S. dollar, falling to its lowest level in more than a year and a half.

Contrite Macron, Confronting Protests, Promises Relief to France

Faced with violent protests and calls for his resignation, President Emmanuel Macron of France said Monday that he had heard the anger of the many whose economic suffering has burst into the open in recent weeks and that he would take immediate steps to relieve their hardship. Macron’s mea culpa on national television signaled a step back from his ambitions to reshape France’s economy. He announced tax cuts and income increases for the struggling middle class and working poor. The speech followed a month of turmoil in which a movement known as the Yellow Vests rampaged through Paris and other French cities.

U.S. Dismisses Concerns at U.N. Climate Talks

Trump administration officials at climate talks in Poland offered a defense of fossil fuels Monday, arguing a retreat from coal, oil and gas was unrealistic. While that stance brought scorn from environmentalists and countries that favor stronger action to fight global warming, there are signs the administration is finding a receptive audience among other major fossil-fuel producers. President Donald Trump’s international energy and climate adviser hosted a panel discussion on fossil fuels at the U.N. conference, arguing the developing world would be reliant on coal, oil and gas for some time and it was in the world’s interest to find more efficient ways of developing and burning those fuels.

Chinese Police Detain Prominent Pastor and More Than 100 Protestants

Chinese police have detained one of the country’s most prominent Protestant pastors along with more than 100 members of his independent congregation, the latest sign of a growing crackdown against what the government perceives as illegal or foreign-influenced religious activity. Wang Yi, who heads the Early Rain Covenant Church in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, was detained Sunday evening as congregants gathered for services, members of the church said. By Monday afternoon, some of the members had been released, although some were placed under house arrest. According to Chinese law, only churches, mosques and temples registered with the government and under government control are considered legal.

Baghdad’s Barricaded Green Zone Opens After 15 Years

Fifteen years after it was sealed off, the heavily fortified neighborhood known as the Green Zone in the heart of Baghdad was opened to the public Monday. The neighborhood had been cordoned off by the U.S. military in 2003 to protect it from bombings during the war. The reopening came on the anniversary of Iraq’s recapture of Mosul, from the Islamic State, and officials said it would be a trial opening over the coming two weeks. Traffic was allowed on main thoroughfares, but many side roads remained closed, and government buildings like the Parliament and Saddam Hussein’s old Republican Palace remained under heavy guard.

U.N. Approves Sweeping Deal on Migration, but Without U.S. Support

More than 160 countries adopted an accord on migration Monday, after the U.N. secretary-general defended against the “myths” that critics had directed at the deal. Addressing a two-day conference in Morocco, António Guterres noted disinformation had inflamed debate on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and had encouraged a rash of rejections. The text of the accord was approved in July by every member of the United Nations except the United States. But it has since gotten caught up in a nationalist movement in Europe that has prompted around a dozen countries to reject the compact or to pull back from endorsing it in Morocco.

Maria Butina, Russian Accused of Trying to Influence Conservatives, Will Plead Guilty

Maria Butina, the Russian woman accused of running a secret campaign to influence U.S. conservatives, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent. But in court papers laying out the plea deal, the portrayal of Butina is far tamer than the narrative the government put forward after her arrest in July. In the latest filings, she comes across as the tool of men who helped her to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and the Republican Party. The deal stipulates Butina must cooperate with authorities in exchange for what could be a short prison term, or possibly a release after having spent months in jail.