Netanyahu disbanded his war cabinet
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, dissolved his war cabinet. The move was widely expected after two key members resigned.
An Israeli official suggested that Netanyahu’s decision to disband the five-member body was largely symbolic. Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot quit last week over disagreements about the direction of the war in Gaza. Israeli news media reported yesterday that Netanyahu shut down the council after the far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, the country’s minister of national security, demanded a seat.
For now, major decisions about the war — like a cease-fire — will be put to a separate and broader security cabinet. Netanyahu will also rely on an informal group of advisers to make important military decisions, analysts said.
A pause in fighting: The Israeli military said that it had halted operations during daylight hours in parts of southern Gaza amid hopes that it would allow more aid to reach residents. The daily pause applies only to a stretch of road in southern Gaza, and not to the central areas where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled since the Rafah invasion.
Putin will visit North Korea
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, will start a two-day visit to North Korea today in a sign of the two countries’ deepening military ties.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on, both sides are firing thousands of artillery shells, missiles and rockets every day. That means that Russia needs ammunition — and North Korea has plenty to offer.
For Kim Jong-un, the North’s leader, things had looked grim until the war in Ukraine created opportunities for him. He traveled to Russia in September, touring sensitive space and military facilities during a visit that underscored Russia’s ability to provide the sort of technology North Korea has long coveted.
Putin has indicated that Russia could help North Korea launch spy satellites, which Kim wants to use to monitor his military targets. Both Moscow and Pyongyang deny that they are engaged in arms trading, which is banned under U.N. sanctions.
Background: Putin last visited North Korea in 2000, when he became the first Russian leader to visit the nation.
A warning label for social media
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, said he would push Congress to require a warning label on social media platforms similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products. The labels would advise parents that social media could harm teenagers’ mental health. Congress has not yet announced any such legislation.
“The platforms are designed to maximize how much time we all spend on them,” Murthy wrote in Times Opinion. “It’s one thing to do that to an adult, and another thing to do it to a child.” Read his full essay here.
Tips for parents: Here are a few ways to wean your kids off social media.
MORE TOP NEWS
China’s demand for durian has razed landscapes and made fortunes in Southeast Asia. Last year, exports to China hit $6.7 billion, a twelvefold increase from $550 million in 2017.
Today, businesses are expanding rapidly — one Thai company is planning an initial public offering this year — and some durian farmers have become millionaires.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
-
Going viral: Some tweens are obsessed with a Brazilian cream designed for firming skin. See why.
-
Two beds: Couples who sleep in separate bedrooms are more common than one might think. Sex therapists and marriage counselors aren’t sure it’s a healthy choice.
-
Speak like Bad Bunny: Teachers say more students want to learn Puerto Rican Spanish, a slick, swaggering version of the language, just like their favorite musicians from the island.
SPORTS NEWS
Long-acting contraception is changing lives in Africa
Women in Africa are increasingly turning to long-acting contraception, like hormonal implants and injections. Such methods offer a fast, affordable and discreet boost of reproductive autonomy. Over the past decade, the number of women in the region using modern contraception has nearly doubled to 66 million.
“They like the implants and injections best of all,” a community health nurse in Ghana told my colleague Stephanie Nolen. “It frees them from worry, and it is private. They don’t have to even discuss it with a husband or a partner.”
A few factors are driving the change: More girls and women are learning about contraceptives, often through social media. They want careers and experiences that having children could complicate. There are also more contraceptive options, and improved roads and planning that help these options reach more remote areas.
