Major Israeli Raid on Palestinian City Kills Nine Amid Growing Violence

By Sufian Taha & Victoria Bisset | The Washington Post (free)

Israeli forces conducted a massive raid on the Palestinian city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing at least nine people in a lengthy shootout that left extensive destruction.

Ukraine Under New Missile Barrage as Russia Warns West About Tank Pledges

By Matthew Luxmoore & Georgi Kantchev | The Wall Street Journal

Explosions rocked Ukraine’s capital Thursday after Russia launched a fresh barrage of missiles at targets across the country, as officials in Moscow warned of consequences for Western pledges to send dozens of battle tanks to Ukraine.

More from WPR: The War in Ukraine Will End With a Deal, Not a White Flag

Biden Vowed to Punish Saudis Over Oil Cut. That’s No Longer the Plan

By Missy Ryan | The Washington Post

Months after the White House vowed to punish Saudi Arabia for cutting oil output in defiance of American wishes, the Biden administration has ended its talk of retaliation against the Persian Gulf kingdom, emphasizing the two countries’ long-standing security ties and Riyadh’s steps to back Washington’s priorities in Yemen and Ukraine.

More from WPR: The U.S.-Saudi Spat Is Over More Than Just Oil Prices

U.S. Leans on Turkey to End Russian Flights With American-Made Planes

By Jared Malsin | The Wall Street Journal

U.S. officials are pressuring Turkey to stop Russian airlines from flying American-made airplanes to and from the country, said officials familiar with the talks, signaling a new push in Washington to persuade countries to enforce sanctions imposed on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine last year.

Former Colombian Drug-Trafficking Magnate Pleads Guilty in U.S.

Al Jazeera (free)

A former Colombian drug trafficker has admitted to overseeing a vast network of criminal operations and cocaine smuggling, including a violent paramilitary group known as the Clan del Golfo or the Gulf Clan cartel.

More from WPR: A Colombian Drug Lord’s Victims Protest His Extradition to the U.S.