Hostilities spread: Fears that the countries' nuclear arsenals might come into play spiked when the Pakistan military said a top military and civil body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet, but the defense minister later said no such meeting was scheduled. Fighting on Saturday prompted calls for the countries to begin talks and defuse their escalating conflict, the most intense since 1999. Residents in both countries rushed to stockpile food and supplies.
An interested third party: China stands to reap a rich harvest of intelligence in its own rivalry with India as it gleans data from its fighter jets and other weapons that Pakistan is using.
Silence or sanctions: The U.S. and European allies plan to present a 30-day ceasefire proposal and are prepared to impose sanctions on Russia if it refuses, a diplomatic source said. Ukraine said it's ready to accept. Ukraine's parliament ratified the U.S. minerals deal that Kyiv hopes will secure future military help. Twenty European countries voiced their support for a tribunal to prosecute Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Multiple issues: The western African nation earlier this week banned all political activity to stamp out public dissent. The country also owes more than $94 million to the entity that manages a dam that is critical to providing power. And Barrick Gold's CEO said he doesn't know where the government is keeping 3 metric tonnes of its gold, worth more than $300 million. Mali is also holding four of Barrick's executives in jail.
The upside of Down Under: Foreign investors are turning to Australia's domestically-focused stocks, choosing the often-overlooked market as a place to stash their money instead of U.S. equities. Can you hear them now? Sonova, the world's largest hearing-aid maker, forecast double-digit earnings growth for the year and said most of its products should be exempt from U.S. tariffs. Walmart and Costco are looking to India to sidestep tariffs that their usual clothing makers in Bangladesh and China are facing. Trouble is, larger manufacturers can't retain their workers.
See you in Switzerland: The U.S. and China meet in Geneva this weekend for talks that could contain their trade war. Trump said an 80% tariff on Chinese goods might work instead of the current 145%, though it remains an extraordinarily high rate.
Before I forget…
A U.S. judge ordered the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, the Turkish student at Tufts University who is at the center of one of the highest-profile cases in Trump's campaign to deport pro-Palestinian activists on American campuses.
Southwest Airlines lawyers don't need "religious liberty training," a U.S. appeals court ruled, overturning a lower judge's decision after a flight attendant won a religious-discrimination lawsuit.
An American mountaineer died on Mount Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain, in eastern Nepal while on a climb to raise funds for a children's cancer program.
The European Union's drugs regulator said its safety panel confirmed suicidal thoughts as a side effect of taking the anti-hair-loss drug finasteride, which many of you might know better as Propecia.
Sweden's national-security adviserresigned a day after his appointment after the prime minister criticized him for failing to disclose information regarding images he published years ago on Grindr.
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