Weather officials warn that a winter-like atmospheric pressure pattern may bring blizzards to Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido through Saturday, and that transportation could be disrupted.
Israeli warplanes resumed airstrikes early Friday on facilities that belong to the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in response to new rockets fired into Israel.
The US Geological Survey says a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off Sulawesi Island in Indonesia early Friday. A tsunami alert was issued but later lifted.
South Korea hushed Thursday as hundreds of thousands of students sat the high-stakes national university entrance exam that could define their future in the ultra-competitive country.
