Defense Secretary Austin has been hospitalized since Jan. 1, but the Pentagon kept the news quiet (apnews.com)
India orders new drug-making standards after overseas deaths (www.reuters.com)
As losses mount, Ukrainians fiercely debate future of draft (www.nbcrightnow.com)
Suspected Insurgents Kill 14 in Northeast Nigeria, Residents Say (www.usnews.com)
Death toll reaches 100 as survivors are found in homes smashed by western Japan earthquakes (apnews.com)
The death toll from a major earthquake in western Japan reached 100 Saturday, as rescue workers fought aftershocks to carefully pull people from the rubble....
Russia is using North Korean missiles in Ukraine, US says. That’s bad news for Asia (www.cnn.com)
Russia has fired North Korean-supplied short-range ballistic missiles into Ukraine twice in the past week, an “escalation” of Pyongyang’s support for Moscow that has serious implications for both the war in Europe and security on the Korean Peninsula, the White House said Thursday....
Army or prison: Forced recruitment in Myanmar’s towns and cities (www.frontiermyanmar.net)
Nepal bans citizens from working in Russia or Ukraine after deaths in military (www.theguardian.com)
More than 200 Nepali soldiers are believed to have enlisted in the Russian army since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nepal’s foreign ministry had said, and more than 100 of them have gone missing. A smaller number are believed to be fighting in the Ukrainian army....
Former Scottish police chief returns MBE over UK's stance on Gaza (www.thenational.scot)
Tesla recalls more than 1.6 million cars in China over steering software issues (www.bbc.com)
Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles in China over issues with steering software and door-locking systems, the country’s regulator says....
Iraq Takes Step to Close Down US-Led Coalition's Mission (www.voanews.com)
FTSE 100 chiefs paid more in three days than average UK yearly wage, study says (www.theguardian.com)
South Korea’s military says North Korea fired artillery into maritime buffer zone in ‘provocative act’ (www.cnn.com)
South Korea’s military condemned its northern neighbor on Friday after Pyongyang fired artillery rounds that fell within a maritime buffer zone that has long been a flashpoint between the two....
The ‘A-team’ lawyers representing South Africa at the world court against Israel (www.timeslive.co.za)
Russia ‘attacked Ukraine with North Korea-supplied ballistic missiles’ (www.theguardian.com)
Israeli defence minister outlines new phase in Gaza war (www.aljazeera.com)
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has outlined Israel’s plans for the next phase of its assault on the besieged Gaza Strip and future scenarios for the day after the war ends....
EU and UK slam Israeli ministers’ call for ‘voluntary emigration’ from Gaza Strip (www.politico.eu)
‘A threshold crossed’: French conservatives adopt the language of the far-right (www.mediapart.fr)
Excerpts from this interview :...
Islamic State claims responsibility for attacks that killed nearly 100 people in Iran - group on telegram (www.reuters.com)
Turkish inflation climbs to nearly 65%, with more rises expected (www.cnbc.com)
Outrage after Australian airline crew wear Palestinian badges during flight (www.timesofisrael.com)
Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war in biggest release so far (apnews.com)
Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022....
Johnson condemns Met Police investigation into Israel ‘war crimes’ (www.telegraph.co.uk)
Gaza's child amputees face further risks without expert care (www.reuters.com)
The simmering migrant crisis at the French-Italian border (www.euronews.com)
