A Draft for Russia’s Army? Putin Opts for Domestic Stability Instead.

By Anton Troianovski from NYT World https://ift.tt/yQwxL8M
via IFTTT Western officials are puzzled by the Russian leader’s decision to avoid mass conscription. But analysts say he is intent on maintaining a sense of normalcy to prevent any public backlash.

Mikhail S. Gorbachev, Reformist Soviet Leader, Is Dead at 91

By Marilyn Berger from NYT World https://ift.tt/3U6buNR
via IFTTT Adopting principles of glasnost and perestroika, he weighed the legacy of seven decades of Communist rule and set a new course, presiding over the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the U.S.S.R.

One Man Dies, and an Entire Uncontacted Tribe Vanishes in Brazil

By Flávia Milhorance and André Spigariol from NYT World https://ift.tt/qsRQmNa
via IFTTT Known as the “Man of the Hole,” the last member of an Indigenous group was found dead this month, marking the first recorded disappearance of an isolated tribe in the country.

U.S. Warships Sail Taiwan Strait, Defying Chinese Pressure

By Austin Ramzy from NYT World https://ift.tt/NTwmC67
via IFTTT Two guided-missile cruisers were the first to visit since China began extensive military drills after Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

In Finland, a Partying Prime Minister Draws Tuts, and Cheers

By Katrin Bennhold from NYT World https://ift.tt/eWhboJO
via IFTTT Leaked videos featuring Sanna Marin dancing have raised the question of whether she is held to a different standard than older, male leaders are.

Brazen Attack Near Moscow Rattles Russians

By Anton Troianovski from NYT World https://ift.tt/8jowRuB
via IFTTT The daughter of a prominent ultranationalist, herself a hawkish commentator, was killed by a car bomb deep in Russian territory.

Ethiopian Airlines Pilots Miss Landing After Reportedly Falling Asleep

By Abdi Latif Dahir from NYT World https://ift.tt/4oRZsvp
via IFTTT The pilots reportedly could not be reached by air traffic control and were woken by an onboard alarm. The airline said they have been suspended pending an investigation.

As Attacks Mount in Crimea, Kremlin Faces Rising Domestic Pressures

By Anton Troianovski, Marc Santora and Dan Bilefsky from NYT World https://ift.tt/4A3vgcK
via IFTTT With the drumbeat of Ukrainian strikes inside Russian-held territory, the visceral reality of war is becoming increasingly apparent to Russians.

Mexico Arrests Top Prosecutor in Case of Missing Students and Issues 80 Warrants

By Oscar Lopez from NYT World https://ift.tt/rh7Xg3D
via IFTTT The country’s former attorney general, accused of covering up the probable massacre of 43 students, was charged with forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice.

A Famous Walrus Is Killed, and Norwegians Are Divided

By Jason Horowitz from NYT World https://ift.tt/WrYqcjF
via IFTTT The killing of Freya has polarized Oslo and threatens to blight the image of a country more commonly associated with diplomatic good deeds than mob-like hits.

How a Kenyan Power Broker Lost His Stronghold, Then the Presidency

By Abdi Latif Dahir from NYT World https://ift.tt/1l84dmE
via IFTTT In his fifth, and possibly last, bid for president, Raila Odinga failed to enthuse a crucial bloc of voters in his own backyard that would have catapulted him to the top job.

Ukraine Strikes Again in Crimea, Posing a New Challenge for Putin

By Michael Schwirtz and Anton Troianovski from NYT World https://ift.tt/K7ZDViM
via IFTTT President Vladimir V. Putin has made Russia’s seizure of the peninsula a centerpiece of his 22-year rule, but a series of clandestine attacks by Ukrainian forces recently have tested security there.

With New Weaponry, Ukraine Is Subtly Shifting Its War Strategy

By Marc Santora, Michael Schwirtz and Jack Nicas from NYT World https://ift.tt/KZO1ot2
via IFTTT Striking deep behind enemy lines, the Ukrainians are depleting Russia’s combat potential, slowing its advance in the east and creating new vulnerabilities in the south.

Norway Kills Freya, a 1,300-Pound Walrus Who Delighted Onlookers

By Claire Moses from NYT World https://ift.tt/EhqxG7m
via IFTTT Officials said the walrus had become a threat to human safety because people ignored warnings and did not keep their distance from her in the water.

After China’s Military Spectacle, Options Narrow for Winning Over Taiwan

By Chris Buckley, Amy Chang Chien and John Liu from NYT World https://ift.tt/LQ1SXoy
via IFTTT The exercises were designed to deter Taiwan from moving further away from Beijing, but they also indicated how few policy carrots China has.

Archie Battersbee, Gravely Ill 12-Year-Old, Dies After Removal of Life Support

By Emma Bubola from NYT World https://ift.tt/lvWVLEZ
via IFTTT The boy’s family had made several legal appeals to keep him on a ventilator, but judges in Britain sided with doctors in finding that he had no hope of recovery.

China Sends Ships and Planes Toward Taiwan, Defying Rising Criticism

By Jane Perlez, Alexandra Stevenson, John Liu and Michael Crowley from NYT World https://ift.tt/FLCNgH4
via IFTTT Beijing also halted talks with the United States on the military, climate change and other issues, sending ties between the two powers into a deeper chill.

A Large Object Landed on His Sheep Farm. It Came From Space.

By Mike Ives and Jenny Gross from NYT World https://ift.tt/WiFXg8J
via IFTTT “It’s not something you see every day on a sheep farm,” a farmer said of the pieces of debris that wound up in rural Australia. They are thought to be from a SpaceX spacecraft.

Chinese Missiles Strike Seas Off Taiwan, and Some Land Near Japan

By Chris Buckley, Amy Chang Chien, Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger from NYT World https://ift.tt/OL7bu0C
via IFTTT A day after Nancy Pelosi’s trip, China has begun military drills near Taiwan. They appear to be designed as a trial run for sealing off the island. Five missiles landed in Japanese waters.