SYRIA

Fighting intensifies as withdrawal deal falters

Military tensions between Syria's interim authorities and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces escalated sharply on Saturday across northern Syria, with clashes erupting despite a withdrawal deal announced a day earlier. Fighting resumed in eastern Aleppo's countryside after Kurdish forces accused the Syrian army of entering Deir Hafer and Maskanah before a 48-hour withdrawal period had expired. The army said it was deploying forces to secure the area in response to what it called Kurdish violations of the agreement, including attacks that killed two of its soldiers. Syrian forces reported advances beyond eastern Aleppo toward Raqqa Province and declared all territory west of the Euphrates a closed military zone.

AUSTRIA

Avalanche kills 3, bringing toll to 8

An avalanche killed three Czech skiers in central Austria, police said, bringing the total to eight killed in the country's Alps on Saturday. Avalanches across the Alps have claimed victims since two weeks ago following heavy snowfall. An avalanche swept away three of a group of seven Czech ski tourers in the Murtal district in Styria Province, burying them completely, police said. "Emergency responders were able to locate and partially dig out the buried victims," they said. "Despite immediate rescue efforts, the three individuals were found dead." Earlier on Saturday, in the Pongau area near Salzburg, an avalanche hit another group of seven off-piste skiers, killing four, media reported, citing rescuers. That same day, another avalanche swept away an off-piste skier in the same area.

UNITED STATES

NASA moves moon rocket to launch pad

NASA on Saturday rolled out its SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as it began preparations for its first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years. The maneuver, which takes up to 12 hours, will allow the US space agency to begin a string of tests for the Artemis II mission, which could blast off as early as Feb 6. The immense Space Launch System rocket and the Orion vessel were slowly wheeled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and moved 6.5 kilometers to Launch Pad 39B. If the tests are all satisfactory, three US astronauts with one Canadian astronaut will orbit around the moon sometime between Feb 6 and the end of April.