Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world:

Colombia’s President Feared a U.S. Attack. Then Trump Called.

A conversation between President Trump and President Gustavo Petro of Colombia appeared to defuse a crisis that erupted after Trump said military action against Colombia “sounds good.” President Petro spoke to The New York Times just before the call.

Russian Strikes Knock Out Power and Heat to Hundreds of Thousands of Ukrainians

About half a million households were still without heat and power in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine on Thursday evening, as the authorities raced in the winter cold to restore services knocked out by Russian strikes the previous night.

Venezuela Leaders to Free Political Prisoners in a Sign of Possible Change

Venezuela’s government announced the release of what it described as “an important number” of political prisoners, the first ostensible gesture of change by the new administration since the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro.

@nytimes