Chile: Attempted $32 million airport heist leaves two dead
An airport shootout in Chile's capital killed a security officer and an alleged robber Wednesday in what authorities said was an attempted heist of more than $32 million in cash aboard a plane from Miami. Around 10 heavily armed robbers were able to skirt security measures to reach the runway at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, where a Latam airlines aircraft had $32.5 million in cash that was being transferred to an armored truck, Interior Subsecretary Manuel Monsalve said.
news.yahoo.comChilean circus has fought LGBTQ discrimination for 54 years
The transformation begins as night falls on this semi-desert esplanade on the outskirts of Chile’s capital, with Arturo, Alejandro and René applying makeup and donning wigs, feathers and sequins to become “Verónica Power,” Älexandra” and “The Crazy Purse Woman.”
washingtonpost.comChilean circus has fought LGBTQ discrimination for 54 years
The transformation begins as night falls on this semi-desert esplanade on the outskirts of Chile’s capital, with Arturo, Alejandro and René applying makeup and donning wigs, feathers and sequins to become “Verónica Power,” Älexandra” and “The Crazy Purse Woman.”.
FIFA charges Ecuador over fan chants at World Cup opener
Discriminatory chants allegedly by Ecuador fans at the World Cup opening game led FIFA to open the first disciplinary case of the tournament on Tuesday. FIFA said the charge was brought “due to chants” at the game against Qatar on Sunday and cited the section of its disciplinary code dealing with discrimination. The chants were reportedly directed at Chile, which brought a legal case ahead of the World Cup to try to take Ecuador’s place.
news.yahoo.comRest in peace: Naval Academy midshipman recovered in Chilean lagoon after an apparent hiking accident, officials say
The body of a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman was recovered Sunday morning in Chile after he appeared to have lost his footing during a hike and then fell over a waterfall, according to the United States Naval Academy.
How a Battery Metals Squeeze Puts EV Future at Risk
The world’s epic shift into electric vehicles needs to overcome a major obstacle: how to meet rocketing demand for batteries, the vital component, while cutting the cost to help the cars go mainstream. Factory lines churning out power packs to fuel a clean energy future are being built faster than strained supply chains can keep up. A global rush to lock in stocks of lithium, nickel, cobalt and other key ingredients from a handful of nations has sent prices hurtling higher. There are major conce
washingtonpost.comHow a Battery Metals Squeeze Puts EV Future at Risk
The world’s epic shift into electric vehicles needs to overcome a major obstacle: how to meet rocketing demand for batteries, the vital component, while cutting the cost to help the cars go mainstream. Factory lines churning out power packs to fuel a clean energy future are being built faster than strained supply chains can keep up. A global rush to lock in stocks of lithium, nickel, cobalt and other key ingredients from a handful of nations has sent prices hurtling higher. There are major conce
washingtonpost.comHow a Battery Metals Squeeze Puts EV Future at Risk: QuickTake
The world’s epic shift into electric vehicles needs to overcome a major obstacle: how to meet rocketing demand for batteries, the vital component, while cutting the cost to help the cars go mainstream. Factory lines churning out power packs to fuel a clean energy future are being built faster than strained supply chains can keep up. A global rush to lock in stocks of lithium, nickel, cobalt and other key ingredients from a handful of nations has sent prices hurtling higher. There are major conce
washingtonpost.comMelting glacier allows researchers to make ‘exceptional' prehistoric discovery
The "exceptional" 130-million-year-old fossilized remains of a pregnant ichthyosaur with several fully intact embryos have been unearthed in Chile, a first-of-its-kind prehistoric discovery on the planet. A melting glacier in Torres del Paine National Park in the Patagonia region slowly revealed the treasure: A 13-foot-long fossilized marine creature, nicknamed Fiona by scientists. The fossil dates to the Early Cretaceous Period, between 129 million and 139 million years ago, when the mighty bra
news.yahoo.com‘We suffered a lot to get here’: A Haitian migrant’s harrowing journey to the Texas-Mexico border
After witnessing fellow migrants swept away in a Central American river and a sexual assault by armed men, one man wants to put the traumatic journey in the past and find stability for his family in Ohio.
Haitian deportees start over in country they don’t recognize
Hundreds of Haitians are scrambling to find jobs, food and housing after being deported from the U.S. to a country that they left almost a decade ago and is now largely unfamiliar: The president has been assassinated, an earthquake has destroyed their relatives’ homes, and gang violence has displaced thousands who now sleep on the floor in temporary shelters.
China gives approval for broader use of Sinovac vaccine
Regulators gave conditional approval for Sinovac Biotech Ltds shot, CoronaVac, on Friday, Feb. 5, clearing the way for general use, The National Medical Products Administration announced in a statement Saturday, Feb. 6. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File)TAIPEI – China has given broader approval for the domestic-made Sinovac coronavirus vaccine, expanding those who can receive it beyond the high-risk and priority groups already allowed under an emergency clearance. In China, the shot was given emergency approval last July, allowing people such as medical workers and employees of state-owned firms to receive it. The conditional approval means the vaccine can now be given to the general public, though research is still ongoing. AdIt is the second locally made vaccine to be given conditional approval.
Red Cross to help poor countries with vaccines
He says, “The trend is favorable, but the situation is still very, very bad.”Spain has administered 1.67 million vaccine doses, with more than 586,000 people getting both doses. — Nebraska will receive 21% more doses of coronavirus vaccines this week as the state continues to work to speed up distribution of the shots. ___GENEVA — A top international Red Cross organization has announced a 100-million Swiss franc ($110 million) plan to help support the immunization of 500 million people worldwide against COVID-19 amid concerns about vast inequalities in the rollout of coronavirus vaccines between rich and poor countries. AdThe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, an umbrella organization of national groups, says the world’s 50 poorest countries have received only 0.1% of the total vaccine doses that have been administered worldwide so far — with 70% administered in the 50 richest countries. The initiative is to begin with 66 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and others are in talks with their respective governments.
Niemann finishes with eagle and shares the lead at Sony Open
(AP Photo/Jamm Aquino)HONOLULU – Joaquin Niemann had no regrets about the 18th hole at the Sony Open. “Spent a few days thinking about that last hole, but taking all the positives from the week and pull it out for this week.”They weren't easy days for Niemann. The 22-year-old from Chile is still too young to have experienced the inevitable losses that pile up in this sport. Niemann's only bogey was when he fell asleep on a 25-foot birdie putt above the hole at No. We talked for an hour about the whole tournament, not for that 18th hole.
Mexico starts giving first shots of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine
The country's 1.4 million health workers will be the first to get the shots, followed by the elderly, those with underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the disease, and teachers. Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico was the first country in Latin America to get the vaccine, though others were close behind. In Costa Rica, which is the third country in the region to begin using the Pfizer vaccine, the first shot was given Thursday to Elizabeth Castillo, 91. Argentina, which has run into problems obtaining the Pfizer vaccine, received a flight carrying 300,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Argentina plans to become the first country in Latin America to administer the Russian vaccine starting next week.
The Latest: Washington state sees record hospitalizations
(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)SEATTLE — Health officials in Washington state said the number of people who were hospitalized to receive treatment for the coronavirus has reached a record high. The director of the state health department urged residents to cancel indoor Thanksgiving plans and those that involve large groups of family and friends. Authorities are strictly enforcing a lockdown and nightly curfew after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Health authorities announced 1,498 new coronavirus cases Sunday, along with 103 deaths, five less than the daily record set Saturday. Italy added 28,337 confirmed cases, raising to 1,408,868, the country’s total in the pandemic.
2/3rds of Chilean voters back rewriting their constitution
The special convention would begin drafting a new constitution that would be submitted to voters in mid-2022. “What happened in the social outburst is now reflected in the outcome of the plebiscite," said one celebrant, Paulina León. “The people have demonstrated saying they want better pensions, better health, better education. Officials trying to ensure voters felt safe barred infected persons or those close to them from the polls, and long lines formed at voting places. Voters had to wear masks — dipping them only briefly for identification purposes — and brought their own pencils.
The Latest: Federer congratulates Nadal on 20th Slam title
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___7 p.m.Roger Federer has congratulated rival Rafael Nadal on pulling even at 20 Grand Slam titles. ___ 6 p.m.Rafael Nadal has matched Roger Federer with his 20th Grand Slam singles title. ___5:52 p.m.Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win a record-extending 13th French Open and match Roger Federer with his 20th Grand Slam title. Nadal is seeking a record-extending 13th trophy at Roland Garros and can match Roger Federer with his 20th Grand Slam title. “To be a Grand Slam is to be a pillar of the game,” he said.
Police officer in Chile accused of throwing teen from bridge
Paramedics and demostrators attend a youth who fell into the Mapocho river from a bridge during a police charge on protesters in Santiago, Chile, Friday Sept.2, 2020. (AP Photo/Aliosha Marquez Alvear)SANTIAGO – Authorities in Chile have arrested a police officer who allegedly threw a teen-ager from a bridge into a river bed during a protest. Some 31 people have died in the unrest and numerous allegations of human rights violations were filed against police. The North Central Prosecutor’s Office of Santiago accused the police officer of “causing” the youth to fall and said attempted murder charges would be filed on Sunday. The government said in a statement that it condemns any violation of human rights.
In Chile, life goes on for loved ones after COVID-19
Jose Collantes helps his daughter Kehity do her homework where they live with Jose's sister in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, two months after his wife, her mother, died of COVID-19. Daddy, daddy, why did mommy die? asks his 5-year-old daughter Kehity, whose mother, Silvia Cano Campos, died in mid-June. Collantes is one of thousands of people who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 in Chile, one of the countries in Latin America hardest hit by the virus. Collantes says he is haunted by questions about why Cano died and not him when they both caught the virus. The coronavirus does nothing, he said he told Cano, 37, who is also a Peruvian.
Stalled by pandemic, migrants press in quest for better life
Women and children sit idle at a migrant camp amid the new coronavirus pandemic in Lajas Blancas, Darien province, Panama, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. In Lajas Blancas, the migrants did not wear masks or practice social distancing, but Panama's Public Security Minister Juan Pino said there have not been more than 10 infections among the migrants. Many of the migrants left their native countries years ago and cannot imagine returning worse off than they were before. In Lajas Blancas, the migrants live in a grassy field under tarps on wooden platforms packed tight between a dirt road and the brown waters of a river. In Lajas Blancas, the migrants did not wear masks or practice social distancing, but Pino said there have been no more than 10 infections among them.
EU unveils plan to secure raw materials, cut dependency
Its demand for rare earth materials in permanent magnets used in several technologies could increase 10-fold over the same period. We have to drastically change our approach, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said. The strategy aims to set up a European Raw Materials Alliance with industry, investors, the European Investment Bank, EU member countries and others to help secure raw mineral supply chains. The EU also wants to study ways to reuse, repair and recycle products that use rare earth minerals. The goal is to map the possible supply of critical raw materials in EU stocks and waste, as well as to identify projects to help recover them, by 2022.
English pubs reopen but little normal elsewhere in the world
(AP Photo/Esteban Felix)JOHANNESBURG Pubs across England were reopening Saturday in an effort at normal life, while South Africa signaled anything but reporting another record daily high in confirmed coronavirus cases as the health system showed strain. Confirmed cases are climbing in 40 states, and the U.S. set another record Friday with 52,300 newly reported infections, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed cases across the 54-nation continent are now above 433,000. Merkel paid tribute to the elderly, who like elsewhere in the world, have been particularly hard hit. The most painful thing was surely not to be able to see children and grandchildren for many weeks, she said.
China virus cases stabilize as Italy sees drop in deaths
In the U.S., Vice President Mike Pence called off off a planned campaign bus tour in Florida following a surge in confirmed cases there. No positive cases were found in Beijings beauty and barber shops in a further sign that the citys recent outbreak has been largely brought under control. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 40 of the newly reported cases were domestically infected, while 22 others came from overseas. The virus is blamed for more than 125,000 deaths and over 2.5 million confirmed infections nationwide in the U.S., by Johns Hopkins count. Worldwide, the virus has claimed close to a half-million lives with nearly 10 million cases.
The Latest: Pakistan reports 153 deaths, highest daily toll
(AP Photo/Fareed Khan)ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has reported 153 COVID-19 fatalities, a new daily record, as infections continue to spiral, pushing the overall number of confirmed cases to 171,665. Hospitals are filling up and in many cities across the country, COVID-19 patients are being turned away. The 67 cases is the largest daily increase since South Korea reported 79 cases on May 28. ___BEIJING Chinas capital has recorded a further drop in new confirmed coronavirus cases as tightened measures to contain the spread remain in place. ___SAO PAULO Brazils government says the country has surpassed more than 1 million cases confirmed coronavirus cases.
10 Things to Know for Today
Platinum-selling reggaeton act Gente de Zona were barred from a New Years Eve concert in a Miami park on Dec. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. TRUMP TO FACE ACCUSERS The impeached president will deliver his State of the Union speech on the eve of what's anticipated to be his Senate acquittal. FORMER KENYAN PRESIDENT DIES Daniel arap Moi, who presided over years of repression and economic turmoil fueled by runaway corruption, was 95. MIAMI SEES A RETURN TO CULTURAL HARD LINE ON CUBA Performers from the island who support its communist government or don’t speak out against it are facing backlash from some members of the United States’ largest Cuban-American community.