Spain: Chemical Plant Explosion Kills 1, Injures at Least 9

Regional authorities in northeastern Spain say a massive explosion at a petrochemical plant has killed one person and injured at least nine others.

Jan. 14, 2020, at 5:21 p.m.

MADRID (AP) — A massive explosion at a petrochemical plant in northeastern Spain on Tuesday killed one person and injured at least nine others, three seriously, regional authorities said.

A press spokesman for the port city of Tarragona, where the plant is located, said a preliminary investigation indicated the force of the blast killed an individual in a nearby neighborhood.

The spokesman said he had no further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with City Hall regulations.

The regional fire service tweeted that the man had died in a building affected by the blast. They said one other person was injured in the building.

The interior minister of Spain's Catalonia region said eight workers at the factory were injured, three seriously, and one person remained missing.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-01-14/explosion-in-northeastern-spain-triggers-chemical-emergency

Nations of Iran crash victims seek compensation for families

The governments of five countries that lost citizens when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner demanded Thursday that Tehran accept “full responsibility” and pay compensation to the victims’ families — though they had little to offer besides moral pressure to get Iran to comply.

After a meeting in London, foreign ministers from Canada, the U.K., Afghanistan, Sweden and Ukraine urged Iran to allow a “thorough, independent and transparent international investigation," as well as a criminal probe and "impartial" judicial proceedings against those found responsible for downing the plane.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article239346593.html

Videos: US Flight Makes ‘Terrifying’ Emergency Landing After Flames Engulf Plane Engine

A United Airlines flight bound to Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday was forced to make an emergency landing due to a mechanical issue with the engine.

The flight ended up landing at the airport it originally departed from: Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.

— Gabby (@gabby_guzy) January 16, 2020

​Videos posted by passengers online show what appear to be flames shooting from one of the plane’s engines.

https://sputniknews.com/viral/202001161078054718-videos-us-flight-makes-terrifying-emergency-landing-after-flames-engulf-plane-engine/

US Stocks Rise on China Deal With S&P500 Crossing 3,300 for First Time

NEW YORK (Sputnik) - Stocks on Wall Street hit record highs again on 16 January with the top S&P500 index crossing the key 3,300 level for the first time ever.

The S&P500, the leading barometer on the New York Stock Exchange, was up 0.5 percent at 3,306 at 10:50 AM ET (15:50 GMT), after striking an all-time high at 3,308.

The index, along with Wall Street’s two other major stock gauges, the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average, have rallied since Wednesday’s signing of the so-called Phase One deal between President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu. Aside from the purchase of US goods, China also committed under the agreement to grant greater protection to US intellectual property and not devalue the yuan for its advantage.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq closed was up 0.7 percent at 9,238 after an all-time high of 9,339 earlier.

https://sputniknews.com/business/202001161078054317-us-stocks-rise-on-china-deal-with-sp500-crossing-3300-for-first-time/

Muslim Refugee Journalist Challenges Ilhan Omar’s Congressional Seat: ‘She Does Not Speak For Me’

A Muslim refugee and journalist is challenging Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar as a Republican, saying the Minnesota representative causes division in the United States.

Dalia al-Aqidi promises unity rather than division as she announced her campaign Thursday. The journalist, who has formerly been shadow-banned from Twitter after criticizing Omar, fled with her mother from Iraq as a child, just as Omar came to America as a refugee from Somalia. Al-Aquidi, however, says that Omar uses both her background as a weapon in identity politics and that the two women “couldn’t be further apart.”

https://dailycaller.com/2020/01/16/muslim-refugee-journalist-challenges-ilhan-omar/