News Headlines - 21 February 2019

▽5.5-magnitude quake strikes Japan's Hokkaido, no tsunami warning - The Straits Times

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday (Feb 21) but no tsunami warning was issued, US and Japanese authorities said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake, which occurred at 9.22 pm (8.22pm Singapore time) at a depth of 41km, according to the US Geological Survey.
The epicentre of the quake was around 55 km southeast of the city of Sapporo, the USGS added. The Japanese meteorological agency said there was no tsunami risk following the jolt.

▽200 U.S. Troops to Stay in Syria, White House Says - The New York Times

The White House said on Thursday that it planned to leave about 200 American troops in Syria, signaling a partial retreat from President Trump’s announcement in December that he would withdraw all 2,000 forces after what he described as a victory over the Islamic State.
The move was a concession to allies and Pentagon officials who have argued that a complete American withdrawal risks returning key areas in Syria to the Islamic State. It came Thursday after a phone call between Mr. Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, during which the two leaders agreed to continue working together to try to create a “safe zone,” the White House said.

▽AT&T Joins Latest Brand Pullback From YouTube Over ‘Unsafe’ Content - WSJ

AT&T Inc. is the latest to join a growing group of marketers halting their advertising on YouTube after it was found that the site served ads near inappropriate content again, putting pressure on the video platform to contain any new brand revolt... AT&T’s retreat is notable because it was one of the last major marketers to resume advertising on YouTube, part of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, after a number of them pulled out in 2017 over revelations that their ads there were running near offensive videos. AT&T said in January that it had taken time to be confident that similar problems wouldn’t recur.

▽'Trump' and 'Kim' Go Head-to-Head at Hanoi Hair Salon

As Vietnam's capital city prepares to host the second summit between North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President Donald Trump, salon owner Tuan Duong is offering free haircuts to customers eager to sport the distinctive hairstyle of either leader.

▽Germany seizes world Smurf record from Welsh students - The Local

Fans of the blue elf-like creatures created in a Belgian comic strip in 1950s, managed to gather 2,762 people dressed and painted blue in the regulation smurf attire -- curly hats and all.
The gathering took place at the town of Lauchringen, near the German border with Switzerland, the organisers reported on Facebook.
Their record came three years after their first attempt failed to beat the record held by Welsh students who managed to unite 2,510 regulation smurfs in Swansea back in 2009.