Need to know: Tainted by a flawed election and allegations of high-level corruption in his regime, President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated Thursday for a second term, saying the Afghan Army should assume full control of the country’s security within five years.

A suicide bomber killed 19 people Thursday outside a courthouse in northwestern Pakistan, part of an onslaught by Islamist militants against an army offensive in the nearby Afghan border region. The bombing was the seventh attack in less than two weeks in and around Peshawar, which collectively have killed more than 80 people.

Want to know: President Obama wrapped up an eight-day tour of Asia on Thursday, holding talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and speaking to American troops at Osan Air Base. Obama is due back in the U.S. on Thursday, after a refueling stop in Alaska.

If you don't see it here, you'll see it elsewhere — a sickening (some might say mouthwatering) video that's gone viral... China, chefs have figured out a way to keep a fish alive as it gets deep fried and then waits to be eaten. WARNING: could offend viewers.

Dull but important: Six world powers will meet in Brussels on Friday to discuss what measures could be applied against Tehran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program.

Just because: The French won, the Irish lost — but few seem to be in doubt about which team deserves to play in next year's World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa. An admission by French striker Thierry Henry that he handled the ball in the build up to the winning goal  in the Cup qualifier did little to console a devastated Irish team as the controversy rumbled into Thursday. And according to USA Today, questions remain whether the French have what it takes there after being outplayed by Ireland in Wednesday's 1-1 draw.

Wacky: An 81-year-old Australian man became lost on an early morning drive to the store and ended up almost 600 kilometers (370 miles) away from his starting point. Steward left Yass, a country town in New South Wales state, to buy a newspaper, and more than eight hours later — after taking a wrong turn on the highway — found himself asking Victoria state police for help. "I didn't know where I was going but I knew it was somewhere, and with a bit of luck I would eventually find my wife again," said Stewart, adding that he "liked to drive."