Top News Stories for Today – Jan 21, 2019
Top News Stories for Today – Jan 21, 2019
6.7-magnitude quake hits Chile
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake that hit north-central Chile late Saturday has killed at least two people and left thousands temporarily without power. Chile’s national emergency service said the two casualties, an elderly man and an elderly woman from Coquimbo, suffered heart attacks due to the quake.
Local media reported that residents in Coquimbo and neighboring Serena, a coastal region about 500 kilometers from Santiago, were ordered to evacuate to high ground even though authorities quickly ruled out a tsunami. A magnitude-8.3 quake hit the Coquimbo region in 2015, causing a tsunami and killing more than a dozen people. VOA
Democrats reject Trump’s pitch to end shutdown
President Trump gave a brief live address Saturday proposing a package of immigration policies in a deal to end the partial government shutdown. In a statement released right before Trump’s remarks began, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) panned his plan as “a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives.”
Trump’s plan includes, among other points, $5.7 billion for border wall construction and three years of protection for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and temporary protected status (TPS). The White House via The Week
Israel confirms striking Iranian targets in Syria
In a rare public admission, Israel confirmed early Monday that it carried out airstrikes on Iranian military targets inside Syria. It gave no further details. But Israel launched the airstrikes after it intercepted a missile over the Golan Heights, hours after what Syria says were missiles fired near the Damascus airport.
Israel rarely makes any comments on military action in Syria. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to Chad, “We have a defined policy — to harm Iranian entrenchment in Syria and to harm anyone who tries to harm us.” VOA
China condemns gene editing scientist
China says the scientist who claims to have created the world’s first genetically edited babies last year acted illegally and in pursuit of fame and fortune, state media report. He Jiankui’s claim to have altered twin girls’ genes so they could not get HIV was met with skepticism and outrage. Investigators say the researcher faces serious punishment after acting on his own and forging ethical review papers.
Professor He, who is reportedly under house arrest, has defended his work. In November, he told a genome summit in Hong Kong he was “proud” of his gene-editing work, a practice which is banned in most countries, including China. BBC
Turkey to take over Syria’s Manbij
Turkey is ready to take over security in the Kurdish-controlled Syrian city of Manbij, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday. Erdogan’s office says the president spoke to US President Donald Trump by telephone Sunday, days after an Islamic State attack in the city killed 19 people, including three US service members and an American military contractor. Erdogan told Trump the attack was a “provocation” aimed at affecting his decision to pull US forces out of Syria.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and its Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Unit (YPG), control Manbij. Turkey says the YPG is linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting a long separatist war for more Kurdish autonomy inside Turkey. Turkey considers both the YPG and PKK terrorist groups. The Kurdish militia fears Turkey will carry out a military assault on it as soon as the US pulls out. VOA
May seeks way to break Brexit deadlock
UK Prime Minister Theresa May is due to make a statement at 15:30 GMT on the way forward on Brexit after her planned deal was rejected by MPs last week. She hopes to win over Tory Brexiteer MPs and Northern Ireland’s DUP, by resolving their concerns over the “backstop” plan for the Irish border.
Last week, May said she would focus on cross-party talks to get a Brexit deal accepted by Parliament. Downing Street insisted that cross-party talks were continuing. BBC