NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 _ Syria clashes: Clashes between Kurdish fighters and Turkeybacked opposition gunmen in northern Syria left at least 11 fighters dead in some of the most intense fighting in weeks between the two sides, an opposition war monitor and a Kurdish spokesman said Tuesday. Exchange of fire and shelling between the Kurdishled Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkeybacked opposition gunmen who identify as the Syrian National Army have not been uncommon since Turkish troops invaded northern Syria last year. Turkey says Kurdish fighters are linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party that has led a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast region and is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U. S. and the European Union. The U. S. backed SDF played a major role in defeating the Islamic State in Syria last year.
2 _ Afghan bombings: Roadside bombs exploded in central Afghanistan on Tuesday killing at least 13 civilians and a traffic policeman, officials said, even as government negotiators and the Taliban meet to try to end decades of war. The Interior Ministry said 45 people were also wounded in a blast in Bamiyan province. No one claimed responsibility for the attack and the Taliban said they were not involved. An Islamic State affiliate has declared war on the country’s minority Shiite Muslims — and Bamiyan is a mostly Shiite province.
3 _ Funding scandal: ExJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged Tuesday his office is being investigated for questionable expenses linked to a dinner party his office hosted for his supporters. Abe, who was in power for nearly eight years as Japan’s longestserving leader, stepped down in September, citing ill health, but some critics have said the scandal might have been a reason. The scandal involves a 2018 annual dinner party for which Abe’s guests paid a $ 48 fee. Opposition lawmakers have said that the fee was too low for a party at an upscale Tokyo hotel, and that Abe’s office allegedly covered the difference without reporting it properly.
4 _ Photo backlash: An Egyptian celebrity has sparked an uproar after a photo of him with an Israeli pop star was posted online, prompting angry rants from newscasters and the actorsinger’s suspension from a stage and film professionals’ union. The outcry over Mohamed Ramadan’s photograph with Israeli crooner Omer Adam highlights antiIsrael sentiment among most Egyptians, who view any direct interaction with Israelis as taboo. Ramadan insisted that he did not know that Adam was Israeli. Under the suspension, Ramadan is banned from acting and singing until the probe is complete. Egypt became the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979, and the two governments work closely together on security issues. But many Egyptians are still deeply opposed to what they call “popular normalization” with Israel.
5 _ Darwin notebooks: Cambridge University launched an appeal Tuesday to find two valuable notebooks written by Charles Darwin after they were reported as stolen from the university’s library. The notebooks, estimated to be worth millions of pounds, include the 19thcentury scientist’s famous “Tree of Life” sketch. They haven’t been seen since 2000, and for years staff at the library believed that the manuscripts had probably been misplaced in the vast archives. But after doing a thorough search, library staff now conclude it’s likely that the notebooks were stolen. Police are now investigating and Interpol has also been notified. Cambridge University Library has more than 130 miles of shelving and has around 10 million books, maps, manuscripts and other objects.