QUICK HITS

1 Water release: A Japanese government panel on Friday tentatively accepted a draft proposal for releasing into the sea massive amounts of radioactive water now being stored at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant. The economy and industry ministry’s draft proposal said releasing the water gradually into the sea was the safer, more feasible method, though evaporation was also a proven method used after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident.

2 Afghanistan attacks: Enemy2 initiated attacks in Afghanistan reached their highest fourthquarter number since a Pentagon watchdog began collecting data a decade ago on what has become America’s longest war and one of its costliest. There were 8,204 attacks in the final three months of 2019, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or Sigar, said in a report published late Thursday.

3 Ford recall: Ford is recalling its popular F-150 pickup truck in Canada to fix a problem with electric tailgate latches, but identical trucks aren’t being recalled in the U.S. Ford’s F-Series pickups are the top-selling vehicles in the U.S. An auto safety advocate says the company is avoiding a U.S. recall to save money.

4 Weinstein trial: A key accuser in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial testified Friday that he made a series of unwelcome advances, once trying to kiss her as she tried to fight him off, then telling her she couldn’t leave “until I do something for you.” That “something” turned out to be performing oral sex on her, she told jurors, her voice breaking.

5 Fire emergency: The Australian capital region declared a state of emergency on Friday because of an out-of-control forest fire burning erratically to its south.