Here are some of the stories we are covering from around the world:

France Creates Voluntary Military Service as Europe Faces Russian Threat

France on Thursday announced the creation of a paid, voluntary military service for young adults, becoming the latest European country to beef up its armed forces in the face of perceived threats from Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Rocket Attack on Iraqi Gas Field Cuts Power to Most of Kurdistan

An overnight rocket attack on one of the largest gas fields in Iraq caused major power outages across most of the country’s semiautonomous Kurdistan region on Thursday, local authorities said.

Hong Kong’s Worst Fire in Generations Fuels Scrutiny of Safety Lapses

In Hong Kong, a city where millions of residents sleep, eat and work high above the ground in towers pressed together like books on a shelf, there has long been the threat that a massive fire could trap people inside their high-rises.

@nytimes