Dozens killed in a stampede in Iran

A deadly stampede in Iran [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( A stampede in the hometown of slain Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani has killed dozens of people. His burial has now been postponed. And, a powerful earthquake struck Puerto Rico this morning. Also, Japan has issued an arrest warrant for former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn's wife. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today A deadly stampede in Iran [Iranian people attend a funeral procession and burial for Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran, Jan. 7, 2020.]( Credit: Mehdi Bolourian/Fars News Agency/WANA via Reuters A stampede [has killed more than 40 people]( and injured as many as 200 as mourners packed the streets for the funeral of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Officials postponed the burial in his hometown of Kerman following the incident. Huge crowds gathered to mourn Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike last week in Baghdad. Timeline: [Escalating conflict with Iran: What's happening?]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a smart speaker? Listen to The World's new show called [The Number in the News](! We produce The Number in the News daily from our studio in Boston. Host Bianca Hillier will tell you one number you won’t forget and why it’s the news today. Add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google news briefing. Iraqi MP calls for peace 'without using Iraq against Iran' Political chaos has engulfed Iraq in the aftermath of the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani last Friday. Sarkawt Shams, an Iraqi member of parliament who boycotted the vote calling for the removal of US troops, [told The World he is worried about the country breaking down]( further into Shia, Sunni and Kurdish enclaves. “This is the fear that we are trying to avoid,” Shams said. “And this is the consequence of forceful expulsion of the US forces. If it is peaceful and it's based on that mutual understanding … But the way that it's been handled, and it looks like the militias that continue to threaten the US Embassy and other embassies [in] the Green Zone … this is going to really make Iraq a war zone — another Syria — and will really give rise to radical groups to exploit the situation.” And: [Gen. Petraeus on Qasem Soleimani’s killing — 'It's impossible to overstate the significance']( Also: [Pentagon rules out striking Iranian cultural sites, contradicting Trump]( Earthquake hits Puerto Rico A [magnitude 6.4 earthquake and powerful aftershocks struck Puerto Rico]( early this morning, killing at least one person, knocking out power and causing significant damage. Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced activated security measures on the island in response. A 77-year-old man was killed in the southern city Ponce and at least eight others were injured. Fearing detention, undocumented immigrants seek ways to appoint guardians for their children [Jennifer Wood, of the Center for Justice in Providence, Rhode Island, speaks at a legal rights session on Nov. 21, 2019, at The Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls, Rhode Island.]( Credit: Rupa Shenoy/The World Many undocumented immigrants in the US have been living with the threat of deportation for years and the additional fear of what might happen to their children if they are detained. [Personal connections allowed activists in Rhode Island]( to come up with a legal way for immigrants to appoint guardians for their children in case they’re detained. Attorney Jennifer Wood of the Center for Justice in Providence got together with other lawyers to create a six-page packet of legal documents that parents can fill out and give to the person they’ve appointed guardian so they can claim the child. “We knew basically what the scenario was, and we knew we had to invent it because it didn't easily fit within any of the existing guardianship structures in Rhode Island law,” she said. “We're a very small state, so we have those relationships. So, I just picked up the phone. That's a beautiful thing. And that's not always able to occur elsewhere in larger states or even large metro areas.” And: [US immigration system is full of hurdles for pregnant women and new mothers]( Prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn’s wife Tokyo prosecutors [issued an arrest warrant today]( for former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn's wife Carole for allegedly lying in testimony. The perjury arrest warrant accuses Carole Ghosn of falsely claiming not to know, or to have met, people connected to a company that received payments from Nissan Motor, part of which it subsequently transferred to a firm owned by Ghosn. Tokyo officials are seeking ways to bring Carlos Ghosn back to Japan after he fled the country for Lebanon to face financial misconduct charges. --------------------------------------------------------------- Global satire Cartoon by [Joep Bertrams](, The Netherlands. [An illustration of President Donald Trump with cigarettes in his mouth.] Reuters contributed to this newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Undisclosed settlement for lyrical rip-off]( - [Venezuela faces new crisis]( - [Appointing guardians in case of detention]( - [Iranians questioned at US airport]( - [Kenya attack kills three Americans]( - [Threat of destruction of cultural sites in Iran]( - [Australia fires affecting one billion animals]( - [International flair at the Golden Globes]( - ['This is going to make Iraq another Syria’]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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