NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 _ Ceasefire frays: More reports of shelling on Monday challenged a new ceasefire in the separatist territory of NagornoKarabakh, where heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces has raged for three weeks. The new truce, announced Saturday, was a second attempt to end the fighting that killed hundreds since Sept. 27, when clashes resumed in a conflict that has simmered for decades. The Armenian Defense Ministry reported “heavy fighting” in the southern region of the conflict zone. Azerbaijan, in turn, accused Armenian forces of shelling several of its territories. NagornoKarabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994.
2 _ Terror listing: President Trump on Monday said Sudan will be removed from the U. S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that would open the door for the country to get the international loans and aid that are essential for reviving its battered economy. The decision was contingent on Sudan following through on its agreement to pay $ 335 million to U. S. terror victims and families. The announcement came after Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin was in Bahrain to cement the Gulf state’s recognition of Israel. Delisting Sudan from the state sponsors blacklist is a key incentive for the Sudanese government to normalize relations with Israel.
3 _ Mayor resigns: Copenhagen’s lord mayor is stepping down after 11 years in the job and and as deputy leader of Denmark’s governing Social Democratic Party following admissions that he sexually harassed women during social gatherings. Frank Jensen has publicly apologized for his behavior, which is reported to have occurred over the past 30 years. He said alcohol was often involved. Jensen told a news conference on Monday that the decision to step down was his own and he was not pressured to resign. Jensen has been lord mayor of Copenhagen since 2009. The position has been held by his party since 1938. The lord mayor is the political head of an administrative system presided over by six other mayors.
4 Afghanistan talks: The U. S. special envoy to Afghanistan warned Monday that “distressingly high” levels of violence threaten to derail ongoing peace talks between the government and the Taliban. Zalmay Khalilzad’s comments come as renewed fighting for days has plagued Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, a longtime Taliban stronghold. A suicide car bombing Sunday in western Ghor province killed at least 13 people. “The belief that says violence must escalate to win concessions at the negotiating table is very risky. Such an approach can undermine the peace process and repeats past miscalculations by Afghan leaders,” Khalilzad wrote on Twitter. The peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators began in September, but after a ceremonious start they became bogged down.
5 _ Border wall: Greece’s government said Monday that it has finalized plans to extend a wall along its northeastern border with Turkey, over concerns that migrants may try to stage mass crossings into the European Union country. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said 16 miles of wall would be added to an existing 6mile section. A standoff occurred at the border earlier this year after Turkey said it would no longer prevent migrants trying to reach the EU, and tens of thousands tried to cross into Greece. The two countries are also at odds over energy rights in the Mediterranean in a dispute that has triggered a dangerous military buildup in the region and fears of conflict. The number of migrants and refugees traveling from Turkey to Greece fell sharply this year during the pandemic.