5 things you need to know this morning: Jan. 19, 2021

| January 19, 2021 in 5 Things

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Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Trapped Chinese miners ask for sausages as rescue efforts continue

Miners trapped underground after an explosion in China have asked for some sausages while they await rescue. The 12 workers were trapped at the Hushan gold mine, in the east of the country, on Jan. 10. Another 10 miners remain unaccounted for. 

 

2. President Trump expected to issue pardons, with Lil Wayne potentially among the recipients

It's President Trump's last full day in office – and commentators are expecting him to issue up to 100 pardons. The rapper Lil Wayne – who has pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal loaded weapon – could be one of the recipients, along with Sholam Weiss, a businessman who was given 845 years in prison back in 2000. 

3. Chaos on Japanese highway after snowstorm

A major snowstorm has hit northern Japan, causing a 130-vehicle logjam on a highway. One person died and 10 were injured in the chaos along the Tohoku Expressway in Miyagi. It's the latest chapter in a snowy winter for Japan, with some regions seeing double the average snowfall levels. 

 

4. Woman jailed for over 43 years after criticizing Thailand's monarchy

A woman in Thailand has been jailed for 43 and a half years for insulting the country's monarchy. It is thought to be the most severe sentence ever handed down under the kingdom's lese-majesty law, which criminalizes attacks on the royal family. The woman was said to have posted YouTube and Facebook audio clips criticizing the monarchy. 

 

5. Israeli company develops battery that can be fully charged in 5 minutes

Batteries that can be fully charged in just five minutes have been produced in a factory for the first time. It marks a significant step towards electric vehicles becoming as easy to fill up as their gas and diesel rivals. The lithium-ion batteries were created by Israeli firm StoreDot and manufactured in China. 

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