Síntesis informativa - 18 de octubre 2019
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Amid Shelling in Syria, Kurds Accuse Turkey of Violating Truce
ISTANBUL — Shelling and gunfire continued in northern Syria on Friday morning, casting further doubt on the feasibility of a cease-fire announced a day before by Vice President Mike Pence between Turkish and Kurdish forces and raising questions about whether the Americans can even enforce it. The Kurdish leadership in northern Syria accused the Turkish military and its proxies of violating the terms of the truce. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied that any fighting was continuing.
But shelling raged on in the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain, and gunfire could be heard by journalists just across the border in Turkey. The continuation of the deadly conflict provided further evidence of the United States’ diminished influence, showing that the American military, having evacuated its troops from northern Syria, had no practical ability to enforce the cease-fire.
The truce deal had already amounted to a near victory for Mr. Erdogan, who appears to have outmaneuvered President Trump, since it gave the assent of the United States to a Turkish sphere of influence in northern Syria.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/world/middleeast/syria-ceasefire-kurds-turkey.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Battles Break Out in Culiacán, Mexico, as El Chapo’s Son Is Arrested and Released
MEXICO CITY — Cartel gunmen paralyzed a major Mexican city on Thursday, unleashing hails of automatic gunfire in broad daylight in a staggering show of force after soldiers arrested and then released Ovidio Guzmán López, the son of the infamous drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera.
The violence began shortly after 3:30 p.m. in the city of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa State, when a patrol of 30 soldiers came under attack by individuals in a home in the neighborhood of Tres Ríos, according to government officials.
After taking control of the home, the security forces encountered and detained four men — among them Mr. Guzmán López, a leader in the Sinaloa cartel. Cartel gunmen then surrounded the home and engaged the armed forces, the officials said. But they ultimately decided to release him.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/world/americas/culiacan-mexico-chapo.html
The Navy Wants to Push Out Problem SEALs. But Trump May Get in the Way.
Spiking drinks with cocaine, shooting Iraqi civilians, strangling a Green Beret: The Navy SEAL teams have been rocked by one high-profile scandal after another in recent months, and the leader of the elite commando force, Rear Adm. Collin P. Green, has vowed to clean house.
Admiral Green has come down hard on misconduct, fired two key leaders and made an unusually public admission that the Navy’s secretive warrior caste has an “ethics problem.” At the same time, though, he has steered wide of the SEAL at the center of one of the grimmest episodes, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with shooting civilians, murdering a captive Islamic State fighter with a knife, and threatening to kill witnesses.
The president has previously made it clear that he believes the country should tread carefully when calling American troops to account for acts of war. Only last week, he announced on Twitter that the White House was reviewing the case of Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn, a former Army Special Forces soldier charged with murder in the death of a Taliban bomb maker in Afghanistan. “We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!” Mr. Trump wrote.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/edward-gallagher-navy-seal.html
_________________________________________________________________________________________
THE GUARDIAN
UN investigates alleged use of white phosphorus in Syria
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Friday morning that “it was aware of the situation and is collecting information with regard to possible use of chemical weapons”.
The Kurdish Red Crescent said in a statement that six patients, both civilian and military, were in hospital in Hasakah with burns from “unknown weapons” and it was working to evaluate what had been used.
It said it could not confirm the use of chemical weapons and was “working together with our international partners to investigate this subject”.
‘We do not want war’: Mexico president defends release of El Chapo’s son
On Friday, López Obrador told reporters at his regular morning news conference that senior security officials had made the decision to release Guzmán’s son – and that he supported it because it saved lives.
“The capture of one criminal cannot be worth more than the lives of people,” López Obrador said, calling the response to the operation “very violent” and saying many lives were put at risk.
“This decision was made to protect citizens ... You cannot fight fire with fire,” he added. “We do not want deaths. We do not want war.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/18/el-chapo-son-ovidio-guzman-lopez-release-amlo
China's economic growth slowest in almost 30 years - as it happened
Rolling coverage of the latest business and economic news, as fresh data shows Chinese GDP grew at its weakest rate since the early 1990s
___________________________________________________________________________________________
XINHUA
U.S. engineers develop a large, high-speed 3D printer
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. engineers developed a large, high-speed 3D printer that can print an object the size of an adult human in just a couple of hours. The study published on Thursday in the journal Science online described the prototype 3D-printing technology called High-area Rapid Printing (HARP) that can safely print both hard, durable parts and elastic, bouncy objects.
Some 3D printers on the market can rival HARP's speed, but they are limited in print-bed size and can only print small parts, often one at a time, according to the study. The printer is about four meters tall with a 0.23-square-meter print bed. It prints vertically and can print about 0.46 meters in height in an hour, meaning it can print single, large parts or many different small parts at once.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/18/c_138480395.htm
Xi highlights peace, friendship at Military World Games
WUHAN, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with defense department and military leaders of participating countries and senior officials of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) here on Friday before the 7th Military World Games is opened. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), extended a warm welcome on behalf of the Chinese government, Chinese people and the Chinese military, to the leaders, officials and athletes and joined them for a group photo.
Xi noted that soldiers and sports are connected in nature, as many sport disciplines, including shooting and marathon, originated in military practices. Military sports help build up the physique of the soldiers, boost their morale and showcase their capabilities, as well as promote exchanges between militaries. They are given high attention by countries around the globe.
Xi pointed out that Chinese military attaches great importance to military sports and has organized extensive military sports activities. China is also an active participant in international military sports competitions, especially since joining the CISM in 1978, after which China, along with other CISM member nations, has taken part in military sports competitions and hosted military sports activities, and conducted cooperations and exchanges with them, becoming an active participant, a proactive contributor and a key driver to the development of military sports.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/18/c_138483236.htm
China launches new communication technology experiment satellite
XICHANG, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- China sent a new communication technology experiment satellite into planned orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province late Thursday. The satellite, launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket at 23:21 (Beijing Time), will be mainly used for multi-band and high-speed communication technology experiments.
The satellite and the carrier rocket were respectively developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Thursday's launch was the 315th mission of the Long March rocket series.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/18/c_138480279.htm
___________________________________________________________________________________________
AL JAZEERA
Turkey's military operation in Syria: All the latest updates
Ankara agreed to suspend its offensive for five days to allow Kurdish fighters to withdraw from the Turkey-Syria border.
Mike Pence, the vice president of the United States, said Washington and Ankara have agreed to a ceasefire in northeast Syria.
Thursday's announcement came after talks between Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Puigdemont turns himself in; protests paralyse Catalonia
Puigdemont has handed himself in to Belgian justice authorities while thousands march towards Barcelona.
Fugitive former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has handed himself in to Belgian justice authorities while Spain's northeastern Catalonia region and its riot-swept regional capital, Barcelona, were paralyzed by a mix of strikes and marches.
Highways were occupied by thousands of people joining five marches from inland towns that are expected to converge in Barcelona's city centre on Friday afternoon for a mass protest with striking students and workers.
Farmers in tractors are joining some of the so-called "Freedom marches," organised by the grassroots pro-independence ANC and Omnium groups.
Gun battle thwarts Mexico attempt to arrest son of 'El Chapo'
Gunfire in western city of Culiacan left blazing vehicles strewn across streets and sent residents running for safety.
Mexican Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said late on Thursday that armed groups overpowered the security forces, prompting authorities to abandon their attempt to capture Guzman's son.
Durazo said the decision to release him was taken to protect lives.
The violence is the third serious incident in Mexico this week, after 13 police officers were ambushed and killed by drug cartel members in another western state on Monday, and a number of civilians were killed in an attack the following day.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
AL MAYADEEN
Ejército turco viola el alto al fuego y ataca a las fuerzas kurdas en el norte de Al-Hasakah
El ejército turco y sus aliados violaron el alto al fuego en el noreste de Siria, anunciado la víspera por el vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, Mike Pence.
Un portavoz de las Fuerzas Democráticas Sirias (FDS) dijo que las tropas turcas atacaron las posiciones del grupo kurdo en la ciudad fronteriza de Ras al-Ayn en la mañana del 18 de octubre.
Coalición saudita lanza ataques aéreos contra la provincia de Saada en el norte de Yemen
Los aviones de combate de la coalición saudita lanzaron nuevamente ataques aéreos en la provincia de Saada en el norte de Yemen, y efectuaron ocho redadas en el distrito fronterizo de Al-Zaher.
Según fuentes en el terreno, prosiguen en curso los enfrentamientos violentos entre las fuerzas armadas yemenitas y las de la coalición en las direcciones fronterizas de Haradh e Hiran, en la provincia de Hajjah, al noroeste de Yemen.
Electa Venezuela miembro del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU
La elección se dio tras la votación de los 193 Estados en la Asamblea General de la organización internacional, que debió decidir por los dos puestos de América Latina y el Caribe. Junto a Venezuela fue electo Brasil con 153 votos.
