Monday, March 10

Over 200 people have been killed in a clash between Syria's new government and supporters of Assad, the dictator who ruled the country for the last 25 years whose government was recently overthrown.

In 2000, Bashar al-Assad took power from his father, but a civil war began in 2011 after years of uprisings. During the 13-year war, different factions took power over different parts of the country, with Assad maintaining control over the main part of Syria that included the major cities of Aleppo and the capital, Damascus.

However, in December, a group known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham stormed Aleppo before taking over Damascus, kicking out Assad and his government. The group then took control of the country, replacing Assad's dictatorship and beginning their attempt to rebuild the country's democracy. This new government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, has confirmed that they are hoping to unite the country, which has been divided for 14 years.

Earlier this week, officials from the new Syrian government were in the small town of Jableh, located on the country's small Mediterranean coast, when they were attacked by supporters of Assad. While Assad has already fled the country for Russia, he still maintains a significant following of supporters within Syria. Many of these supporters are located on the coast, leading the new government to pay more attention to the area.

Due to this, forces stormed into several coastal towns over the past few days, killing hundreds of men. One man reported that they had killed every man they saw, but no women were killed in the attacks. However, the government has stated that these forces do not belong to them-- instead, they are independent individuals who have taken action out of support for the new government.

Ahmed al-Sharaa has instructed supporters of Assad to hand over all of their weapons, but he has also urged his own armed supporters to avoid clashing with others. He has stated that they must not stoop down to the level of Assad's supporters, but instead stay nonviolent and ignore their provocations, which will just make the situation worse. Other officials have backed this, as they believe that more violence could escalate into another civil war, which would go against their collective goal of uniting the country.

Upcoming Events:

• International Day of Women Judges (Monday, March 10)

• Holi (Friday, March 14)

• International Day to Combat Islamophobia (Saturday, March 15)

• Special Olympics World Winter Games End (Sunday, March 16)

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Have you ever wondered why you feel sedated after a large meal? Well, most foods have carbohydrates, and carbs contain an amino acid called tryptophan that can cause sleepiness.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Read not only between the lines, but also what is not written.

(Vijay Kedia)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Imperturbable (noun, im-per-TUR-buh-bul) - Imperturbable describes someone or something marked by extreme calm; such a person or thing is very hard to disturb or upset.

In a Sentence: The imperturbable captain did not panic when the boat sailed into the path of a violent storm.