The UN predicts that over five million Venezuelans, over 15% of the nation's population, will have left the country by the end of 2019 since the start of the crisis in Venezuela—the total at the end of 2018 was 3.3 million. One million have left the country since November, with a daily average of 5,000 departures. Additionally, over 20% of all worldwide UN asylum requests are from Venezuelans; 350,000 applied in 2018 alone. (Financial Times)
Health and environment
Millions of people in southeast India face water shortages due to drought and depleted groundwater. (CBC)
The Japanese coast guard says its patrol boats have been pushing back hundreds of North Korean boats trying to poach in fishing grounds rich with squid off Japan's northern coast. (Japan Today)
Four people, three Russians and a Ukrainian, will be charged with murder for the crash that killed 298 people on July 17, 2014. The trial is to be held on March 9, 2020 and take place in Badhoevedorp, Netherlands. (CNN)
NXIVM leader Keith Raniere is found guilty of seven charges, including human trafficking, sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor conspiracy, and racketeering. (NPR)
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir says that the UN's report on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is unfounded, saying it has "clear contradictions and baseless allegations." (Gulf News)