NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Syrian refugees return: More than a hundred buses carrying 7,000 al Qaedalinked fighters and Syrian refugees drove down a dirt road from Lebanon into Syria on Wednesday, in what was the last phase of an exchange deal between Syria’s al Qaeda branch and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group. The departure of al Qaeda fighters from the Lebanon-Syria border comes three years to the day after its fighters stormed the Lebanese border town of Arsal and captured two dozen soldiers, killing some in captivity and releasing others. The group’s presence in Lebanon has left scores of people dead.
2 Defying logging ban: The European Union warned Poland not to continue logging in Europe’s last pristine woodland after Warsaw vowed to defy a ruling by the EU’s top court to stop cutting down trees in the Bialowieza Forest. European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Wednesday that “complying with decisions of Court of Justice of the EU is indeed an integral part of European law upon which our very union is founded.” The Polish Environment Ministry said it would keep logging despite the ban. The Bialowieza Forest, one of Europe’s last primeval woodlands and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the subject of a heated political dispute over large-scale logging ordered by Poland’s conservative government.
3 Missing hiker: Police in southwestern Switzerland say they have found in an Alpine glacier the remains of a German hiker who went missing almost exactly three decades ago. The regional Valais police department said Wednesday the remains of the unidentified man were found after two hikers last week happened upon a hand and a pair of shoes sticking out of the Hohlaub glacier. Lab tests identified the deceased man, who was about 44 when he went missing on Aug. 11, 1987. Swiss authorities are intermittently finding the bodies of adventurers who have gone missing in Alpine ice and snow. Authorities believe global warming has increasingly caused glaciers to retreat, raising the likelihood of finding more such human remains.
4 Auschwitz guard: A 96-year-old former Auschwitz death camp guard who was convicted as an accessory to murder is fit to go to prison, German prosecutors said Wednesday. His lawyer said he will contest their decision. Oskar Groening was convicted in 2015 of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews and sentenced to four years in prison. In November, a federal court rejected his appeal. Groening has remained free pending the appeal and a decision on his fitness for prison. On Wednesday, Kathrin Soefker, a spokeswoman for prosecutors in Hanover, said they have rejected a defense application for a reprieve on serving the sentence.
5 Final solo appearance: Prince Philip, who has for decades been an unwavering presence alongside Queen Elizabeth II, made his 22,219th — and final — solo public engagement. He met Royal Marines who completed a 1,664-mile trek to raise money for charity. The Duke of Edinburgh will still appear at Queen Elizabeth II’s side — from time to time — as the 91-year-old monarch soldiers on. In the meantime, the man known for his quips and gaffes has already been joking about his big retirement day. “I’m discovering what it’s like to be on your last legs,” the 96-year-old Philip told celebrity chef Prue Leith at a recent palace event. Philip has given 5,496 speeches, written 14 books and gone on 637 solo visits overseas.