February 15, Wednesday, 2023 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1. Providing aid to survivors has been especially hard in Northwest Syria as the civil war in the country continues. But officials are hoping to speed up deliveries with newly opened routes. 2. The government of Turkey and Syria, as well as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, say the combined death toll from the recent devastating earthquakes that hit southern Turkey has exceeded 40,000.
3. Former Japanese Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori raised concern that objects believed to be Chinese spy balloons could suggest possible vulnerabilities in the nation’s defenses. The ministry on Tuesday said balloon-like objects were spotted over Japanese territory at least three times between 2019 and 2021.