While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 26 edition
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People inspect damage caused on highway 5 south on Chiloe Island off the Pacific coast of southern Chile, by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Dec 25, 2016.
PHOTO: AFP
Major quake jolts Chile resort region; 21,000 homes lose power
A major 7.6 magnitude earthquake jolted southern Chile on Sunday (Dec 25), prompting thousands to evacuate coastal areas, but no fatalities or major damage were reported in the tourism and salmon farming region.
Chile's National Emergency Office (Oenmi) lifted both the evacuation order and a tsunami watch three hours after the Christmas Day quake struck, telling nearly 5,000 people who had evacuated they could return to their homes.
Onemi said one bridge in the area was impassable as crews worked to restore electricity to 21,000 homes without power. Officials had issued a tsunami warning earlier for areas within 1,000 km of the epicenter, just 39 km southwest of Puerto Quellon, off the coast.
But the warning was downgraded to a tsunami watch. Eight mostly small ports in the area were closed, Chile's Navy said. The quake was felt on the other side of the Andes mountains in Argentina, in the southwestern city of Bariloche, but structural damage in areas close to the epicenter was limited, witnesses said.
Obamas play Christmas Eve escape game; Trumps attend late night mass
President Barack Obama and his daughters spent part of the Christmas weekend playing an "escape room" game, while White House successor Donald Trump ushered in the holiday overnight with a visit to church.
According to pool reports, Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia and some friends spent part of Saturday evening playing "Breakout Waikiki" - a live-action game where players are locked in a room with one hour to figure out a series of clues and riddles to escape.
The Obamas are spending the holidays in Hawaii.
Israel's Netanyahu calls in US envoy in fallout over UN vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned US Ambassador Daniel Shapiro Sunday (Dec 25) two days after Washington abstained in a vote on a UN resolution against Israeli settlements.
Their meeting came after Israel earlier Sunday called in 10 representatives of 14 other states that voted for the resolution. An official Israeli source confirmed only that Netanyahu and Shapiro had met, without elaborating on the content or outcome of their discussions.
The UN Security Council passed the measure Friday (Dec 23) after the United States abstained, enabling the adoption of the first resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.
Fearful Christmas in Baghdad after attacks on Christians
Christians in Baghdad celebrated Christmas on Sunday (Dec 25) in a heightened state of fear after deadly attacks on Christian-owned shops that sell alcohol.
Two shops next door to each other were riddled with bullet holes and spattered with blood after gunmen opened fire late on Friday (Dec 23) in Baghdad's Ghadeer neighbourhood. Police and medical sources said three people were killed and four wounded.
Local activists gave a higher death toll. Rayan al-Kildani, commander of Babiliyon Brigades, a group of Christian volunteers formed to fight Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, said eight Christians and one member of the Yazidi sect had been killed in the attack.
Carrie Fisher 'stable' after cardiac incident, mother says
Hollywood actress Carrie Fisher was in stable condition, her mother Debbie Reynolds said on Sunday (Dec 25), after the Star Wars star suffered a cardiac episode two days earlier on a flight from London to Los Angeles.
"Carrie is in stable condition. If there is a change, we will share it. For all her fans and friends, I thank you for your prayers and good wishes," Reynolds said on Twitter.
Fans of the actress who famously portrayed Princess Leia in Star Wars said they were saddened by the 60-year-old's illness and hospitalisation.
