ISIS ADVANCES INTO KOBANI
ISIS fighters advanced into the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani overnight after a three-week siege and amid intense street fighting with the Kurds, and are now occupying southwestern neighborhoods, Reuters reports. Karwan Zebari, a representative of the Kurdish regional government, told the BBC that the town could fall into ISIS hands unless military aid comes, and he urged Turkey to step up and fight the jihadist group, even as Turkish tanks posted on the border have watched without intervening. In an interview aired yesterday on CNN, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he wanted a Syrian no-fly zone, a move that would require the U.S.-led coalition to attack the Syrian government forces’ air defenses before intervening.

SPANISH NURSE CONTRACTS EBOLA
A nurse in Spain has tested positive for Ebola after treating two missionaries who later died of the disease at a Madrid hospital. She is the first person to have contracted Ebola outside of Africa. According to Spanish newspaper La Razón, her condition is stable, and her life is not in danger. It is unclear how she contracted the disease, as she is said to have worn protective clothing when she was in contact with the missionaries, but daily El País reports that the clothing was not adapted to this purpose, as it wasn’t fully impermeable and didn’t have its own breathing apparatus.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced yesterday that the government would increase passenger screenings in the United States and Africa, though he repeated his opposition to a travel ban. This came amid more bad news from Uganda, where the government said it was monitoring a group of eight people believed to have contracted Marburg, a virus similar to Ebola, after the death of a patient.

$1.95 BILLION
The Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan is set to be sold to a Chinese insurance firm for $1.95 billion, one of the highest prices ever paid for a hotel. Hilton Worldwide Holdings, the seller, will continue to manage the famous Art Deco landmark for another 100 years.

EU TO LAUNCH AMAZON TAX PROBE
After targeting Apple and Starbucks, the European Commission is set to confront Amazon over its sweetheart tax deal in Luxembourg that allowed the retailer to pay taxes of less than 1% on its European income, the Financial Times reports. The case is “particularly sensitive” for Brussels, as the 2003 deal was reached under the leadership of former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, president-elect of the European Commission.

MICHAEL PHELPS SUSPENDED
Swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, has been suspended by USA Swimming for the next six months. The American swimming body said Phelps violated its code of conduct when he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding last week.

NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics to three Japanese scientists — Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura — for inventing the blue LED, “a new energy-efficient and environment friendly light source.” Here’s a list of potential laureates for the Chemistry Prize, set to be announced tomorrow.

DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS
An Argentinian tenor thought he could get away with not knowing the lyrics to the Australian anthem, as the two country’s rugby teams prepared to face each other. But as impressive as his vocal performance was, his take on the anthem left the Australian players laughing.