As Myanmar’s civil war heads into a fifth year, anti-junta forces are opening universities and colleges as part of their pursuit of a federal democracy.

The directive came in a letter to the U.N., after the Israeli Parliament banned the relief agency that has aided Palestinian refugees for decades.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but Israel says that Hezbollah hasn’t upheld its promise and that the Lebanese Army isn’t ready to fill the void.

Under the terms of the Gaza cease-fire, Hamas was expected to share the names of four female hostages to be released Saturday, and Israel would name the more than 100 Palestinian prisoners to be freed in exchange.

Hundreds of truckloads of food, fuel and other supplies have arrived in Gaza each day since the cease-fire took effect. But the need is vast after 15 months of war.

North Korea’s leader has grown more assertive since their last efforts at diplomacy ended in failure — and now has Russia at his side.

Riad Sattouf’s saga of his parents’ failed bicultural marriage, with its harsh depiction of life in rural Syria, has become a literary sensation.

Russia says Ukraine shot down a military transport carrying 65 captured Ukrainians. Ukraine has not confirmed its role, identified the bodies it received, or said how it happened.

Russia has lost about twice as many men to death and serious injury as Ukraine. But the trends favor the Kremlin.

The contractors have been enlisted to do weapons checks on vehicles carrying displaced Palestinians back to their homes in the north under the terms of the new cease-fire.