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Evacuation orders and tsunami warnings have been rescinded after a strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the tip of South America yesterday. The earthquake struck just before 10 in the morning around 135 miles away from Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city, on the tip of Argentina. It measured at a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale, and the epicenter was located in the Drake Passage at a shallow depth of just 6 miles. The Drake Passage is an extremely dangerous area of ocean between the tip of South America, named Cape Horn, and the Antarctic Peninsula known for its massive waves and strong ocean currents. The earthquake sparked tsunami warnings across the region, forcing thousands of people across southern Patagonia to flee to higher ground. Thankfully, most of the area is uninhabited, meaning that only a few thousand people felt the quake. Dozens of aftershocks were also reported, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with several reaching over 5.0 and one even measuring at 6.4. The Drake Passage is a common area for earthquakes to occur, as three tectonic plates converge in the area. The Antarctic Plate stretches along the bottom of the passage and comes up west of Chile to meet the Nazca Plate at a higher latitude. Meanwhile, the Scotia Plate, a growing result of a divergent plate boundary, is sandwiched between the South American and Antarctic Plates, creating the several faults-- one of which sparked yesterday's earthquake. Fact of the Day (BBC): Giraffes are 30 times more likely to get hit by lightning than people. While there are only five well-documented fatal lightning strikes on giraffes between 1996 and 2010, due to the population of the species being just 140,000 during this time, it makes for about 0.003 lightning deaths per thousand giraffes each year. This happens to be 30 times the equivalent fatality rate for humans. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories . Some take us forward, they’re called dreams . (H. G. Wells) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ziggurat (noun, ZIG-uh-rat) - A ziggurat is an ancient Mesopotamian temple consisting of a pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top. The word ziggurat is also sometimes used for a similarly shaped structure. In a Sentence: Ancient ziggurats were always built with a core of mud brick and an exterior covered with baked brick. They had no internal chambers and were usually square or rectangular.

This is our 900th blog post! Hundreds of people were arrested in Turkey's largest city yesterday after massive protests took place, with labor unions and other workers fighting against larger corporations on May Day. May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, falls on May 1st every year, and in many countries, it is the day where labor unions and their workers protest for better working conditions, higher pay, or other additional benefits. Istanbul, Turkey's largest city of over 16 million people, saw major protests yesterday, as usual, but the government has recently cracked down on demonstrations. In Taksim Square, one of the focal points of Istanbul, protests have been banned since 2013, but many people still storm the square to fight for their cause every year. This year, Turkey took a more hardline approach to the demonstrations-- over 50,000 police officers were deployed to Istanbul to ensure that they were kept to a minimum. Taksim Square was completely shut down several days before May Day, with blockades erected on all sides of the area. A few of the labor unions were allowed to briefly walk across the square carrying flags and banners, but it was nothing compared to the protests of previous years. Some groups attempted to force their way into Taksim Square, sparking tension between police and protestors at the barricades. However, videos showed the police easily overpowering several people before the citizens were dragged away into buses. Many of the protestors complained about their lack of freedom during the May Day celebrations, and Turkish authorities did not hesitate to take action against citizens. Water cannons were in place across busy areas, and over 100 people were arrested for planning a protest before May Day even begun. Later on, over 380 additional people were arrested for participating in demonstrations that were not approved by the government. This comes just after major protests following the detainment of opposition party leader Ekrem Imamoglu , who was imprisoned recently by Turkey's courts. People believed that the leader was jailed due to the threat he posed to current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has held office since 2014. Fact of the Day (Today): Cats are actually unable to taste sweetness, due to the fact that they lack one of the two proteins that create the sweetness taste receptor. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Never dull your shine for somebody else. (Tyra Banks) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Convoluted (adj, KAHN-vuh-loo-tud) - Something described as convoluted is very complicated and difficult to understand, or has many curves and turns. In a Sentence: The speaker’s argument was so convoluted that most of the audience had trouble determining whether they were for or against the new policy.

Turkey has detained over 1,100 protestors and several journalists after the mayor of Istanbul, a major opposition leader to incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested and put into jail recently. On Sunday, Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was arrested and sent to jail after being suspected of running a criminal gang. Allegedly, the prosecution also claims that he was involved in several corruption scandals, including accepting bribes and extortion. However, the decision has been widely seen as a move by Erdogan to wipe out his opposition, sparking outrage across the country. Despite calls from the opposition party to go through with nonviolent protests, people have resorted to violence on the streets as well. In some places, people threw rocks and other items, and some even launched fireworks at police. In response, officers were forced to use tear gas, water cannons, and pepper spray to defend themselves in major cities, and over 120 officers have been injured. The Turkish police have arrested over 1,100 protestors, some of which were carrying dangerous items like knives and acid. That is just a small percentage of the actual number of protestors, though-- hundreds of thousands of people across the country have come out to protest against Erdogan. Many protestors believe that Imamoglu's arrest is a move against the country's democracy and the freedoms of Turkish people, and others have stated that they are there for the good of the country, not just to support a certain leader. Turkey has also detained several news reporters and photographers, though they have not confirmed the exact reason for their arrests. The government seems to be trying to suppress the protests by stopping the news from getting to other Turkish citizens, as they have also sent requests to social media platform X to block over 700 accounts. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Contrary to the common saying, "blind as a bat," bats are not blind. They can see perfectly fine, and they also use echolocation for hunting and getting around when it is too dark to see. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I don’t know if I’m the best of the best. But I did know that if I quit, I wouldn’t be. (Chris Kyle) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Garble (verb, GAR-bul) - To garble something, such as a word, name, message, etc., is to cause it to be unclear or distorted. This type of garbling can be the result of an accident, ignorance, or a transmission error. Garble can also mean "to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning." In a Sentence: I was so nervous I garbled their names.

The 2025 Global Happiness Report is out, with Finland taking the top spot once again while the United States dropped to an all-time low for the second year in a row. The Global Happiness Report uses results from a massive survey conducted in most countries around the world, and it is released every year on March 20 in honor of the United Nations' International Day of Happiness. The survey asks citizens to rate their country on a scale of 0-10 regarding the happiness of the population, labeling that score the country's "life evaluation." This life evaluation is determined using a combination of six factors: social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Overall, Europe was the happiest continent, with 7 of the top 10 countries located in Europe and the same five Scandinavian countries making the top 10 as last year. Meanwhile, Africa was the unhappiest continent, with 7 of the bottom 10 countries. The bottom 10 were Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Comoros, and Lesotho. The top 10 in 2025 were Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg, and Mexico. Here are this year's results by continent: North America: Costa Rica was North America's happiest country (7.3), making the top 10 for the first time, while the Dominican Republic was the least happy (5.8. After dropping out of the top 20 for the first time last year, the United States (6.7) fell further to 24th, while Canada maintained their spot in the top 20 with a score of 6.8. Mexico (7.0) improved dramatically from last year, jumping from 25th to 10th this year to also make the top 10 for the first time. South America: Uruguay was South America's happiest country (6.6) for the sixth year in a row, while Venezuela was its least happy country (5.7). Overall, Uruguay was the sixth-happiest country in the Americas, after Costa Rica, Mexico, the US, Canada, and Belize. Europe: The happiest country in Europe was Finland (7.7), while Albania was the least happy (5.4). Northern Europe dominated the rankings as usual, with 7 out of the top 10 and all of the top 5 countries on the index. Across the entire world, Finland placed first (7.7), Denmark second (7.5), Iceland third (7.5), Sweden fourth (7.3), Netherlands fifth (7.3), Norway seventh (7.3), and Luxembourg ninth (7.1). Switzerland (6.9) fell to 13th after placing ninth last year, while the United Kingdom (6.7) placed 23rd, a further drop from 20th last year. Africa: Africa ranked as the world's least happy continent, and its happiest country was Mauritius (5.8) while its least happy country was Lesotho (3.7). While Libya took the top spot in Africa last year, a slight drop ceded the position to Mauritius. 7 of the 10 least happy countries in the world were located in Africa, with the exceptions of Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Yemen. The Middle East and Central Asia: The Middle East had Israel as its happiest country (7.2), placing in the top 10, while its least happy was Afghanistan, which was the world's saddest country with a rating of 1.4. Western and Central Asia had countries across the scale, ranging from the upper end with Israel (7.3), UAE (6.8), and Kuwait (6.6), to the lower end with Afghanistan (1.7), Lebanon (3.2), and Yemen (3.6), with everything in between. South and East Asia: South and East Asia's most happy was Taiwan (6.7) and its least happy was Bangladesh (3.9). East Asia's scores hovered around 5-6, in addition to Taiwan with 6.7, Singapore with 6.5, Vietnam with 6.4, and Thailand with 6.2, and South Asia had the lowest scores with Bangladesh (3.9), Sri Lanka (3.9), and India (4.4). Oceania: Lastly, not much data was collected from Oceania, but Australia and New Zealand came in with solid scores of 7.0 each, placing 11th and 12th overall. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Flushed toilets do not rotate in the opposite direction in the other hemisphere. The Coriolis effect does not apply to small items like toilets. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I'm a firm believer that in the theory that people only do their best at things they truly enjoy. It is difficult to excel at something you don’t enjoy. (Jack Nicklaus) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Juggernaut (noun, JUG-er-nawt) - A juggernaut is something (such as a force, campaign, or movement) that is extremely large and powerful and cannot be stopped. In a Sentence: The team is a juggernaut this year, winning more games than any team before it has.

United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked over a long call yesterday to negotiate a potential Ukraine ceasefire deal, with the two making some progress towards an agreement. Putin quickly rejected the United States' idea of a 30-day ceasefire to make way for negotiations, which had been accepted by Ukraine last week. After the US and Ukraine met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, they confirmed the idea of a 30-day temporary ceasefire , allowing negotiations for a longer, permanent ceasefire to take place. Russia had not given their opinion on the deal until now, but Putin made it clear yesterday that he does not agree with the plan. However, after a long discussion with Trump, Putin agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on energy and infrastructure, which is a significant win for Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, Russia has targeted the Ukrainian electrical grid and major energy generation sites, including nuclear reactors. In February, a Russian drone struck the outer shell of the Chernobyl reactor damaged in 1986, creating a gaping hole in the protective shell and starting a fire. Thankfully, crews raced to the scene to avoid any leakage of radiation, and radiation levels in the area remained stable. Nevertheless, the incident raised concerns over possible problems with nuclear reactors in the future if Russia continued to target them. In total, the two presidents spoke for at least an hour and a half, addressing the energy issue and several other topics. Russia confirmed that a prisoner exchange has been scheduled for today, with both Ukraine and Russia releasing 175 troops from the other side. Russia will also be sending back another 23 Ukrainian soldiers who have been severely injured. Now, the three countries will move back to working on a permanent ceasefire, with negotiations moving back to the Middle East. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Elephants spend around 80% of their day eating, meaning that they also happen to produce a massive amount of waste-- they poop 12 to 15 times per day! This results in the excretion of over 220 pounds of poop each day, which adds up to around 40 tons of dung per year! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quote s) : Logic is the foundation of the certainty of all the knowledge we acquire. (Leonard Euler) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Admonish (verb, ad-MAH-nish) - To admonish someone is to express warning or disapproval towards them, or to urge them to do something. In a Sentence: We were admonished for arriving late to the meeting.

Israel is currently suffering from devastating wildfires, and they are beginning to burn dangerously close to the important city of Jerusalem, which is considered holy for several religions. Weather in Israel has been extremely dry lately, meaning that the smallest of sparks can cause a massive blaze. Hundreds of fires are raging in Jerusalem Hills, a mountainous, forested region west of Jerusalem, destroying everything in their path. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as the fire spreads east towards the city. The fires have been confirmed as some of the worst in Israel's history, and they are quickly spreading. Many Israelis feel that despite the dry, hot weather, they were unprepared to handle large fires, leading to the disaster. Now, the blazes are being pushed towards Jerusalem by strong winds, destroying more buildings and scorching more trees. Unfortunately, it has become tough to fight the fires as well, as thick, black smoke has settled over the entire area. Visibility is extremely low and breathing outdoors is nearly impossible, making firefighters' jobs much more difficult. Additionally, 23 people have been treated by emergency services after being evacuated, primarily for smoke inhalation and burns. Police have also been sent to the region to handle traffic, as they have shut down the major highway that travels between Jerusalem and Israel's second-largest city of Tel-Aviv. Jerusalem is Israel's capital and most populous city, and it is considered a holy city for Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Meanwhile, Tel-Aviv is the country's hub for technology and innovation. Israel has called for help from other countries, and they are sending as many forces as they can to combat the fires before they reach Jerusalem. Firefighters are attempting everything they can, including making blockades and dropping water and flame retardant. Others are working to evacuate additional homes as the fires spread. However, the blazes remain, and if they are not stopped soon, the fires will soon reach the edge of the city of Jerusalem. Fact of the Day (Today): Ants do not have lungs. Instead, they breathe through a network of tubes called tracheae, which open to the outside world through tiny holes called spiracles. These spiracles are located on the sides of the ant's body, and suck in oxygen for the ant to breathe. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): What people in the world think of you is really none of your business. (Martha Graham) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Insouciance (adj, in-SOO-see-unss) - Insouciance is a formal word that refers to a feeling of carefree unconcern. It can also be understood as a word for the relaxed and calm state of a person who is not worried about anything. In a Sentence: The young actor charmed interviewers with his easy smile and devil-may-care insouciance .

China's Shenzhou-19 mission has finally returned to Earth, carrying three astronauts who had gone for a visit to the Tiangong Space Station. Shenzhou-19 was launched on October 29 and carried three astronauts, making it a manned, six-month mission. The spacecraft traveled to China's Tiangong Space Station, which is China's first long-term space station. Completed in late 2022, the station has a maximum capacity of 6 and is around one-third the size of the International Space Station. Shenzhou-19 was carrying three astronauts: Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze. The three of them spent over six months in space together, conducting all sorts of experiments and spacewalks. In December, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong broke the world record for the longest extravehicular activity after completing a nine hour and six minute spacewalk. During that trip, he also used the station's robotic equipment to install space debris protection devices, which are a major component on any space station. In total, the astronauts conducted 86 experiments while onboard, including several tests with lunar soil that could provide valuable information when building a moon base in the future. Due to the magnitude of that type of project, it is likely that China's space agency would work with other countries to complete a moon base, meaning that any information gained by anyone is extremely important. Before leaving, they welcomed the crew of Shenzhou-20 to the space station, who arrived on Monday. Then, the astronauts finally departed from the space station yesterday before traveling back down to Earth on a nine-hour journey. They touched down at the Dongfeng landing area in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, concluding their mission. Now, the astronauts aboard Shenzhou-20 will stay onboard Tiangong Space Station for the next six months before another mission heads up. Fact of the Day (Today): When it was first built in 1923, the Hollywood sign used to say Hollywoodland. However, after Hollywood entered the spotlight, the "land" was removed in 1949, creating the Hollywood sign known today. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Trust is like a vase… once it’s broken, though you can fix it, the vase will never be same again. (Walter Inglis Anderson) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Furtive (adj, FER-tiv) - Furtive describes something that is done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed. It can also mean "expressive of stealth" or " sly " (as in "a furtive look"), or "obtained underhandedly" (as in "furtive gains"). In a Sentence: We exchanged furtive smiles across the table, carefully not to attract the teacher's attention.

Power has returned after a massive blackout hit the entire Iberian Peninsula yesterday, knocking out electricity across Portugal and Spain. At 12:33 pm local time, Spain's electrical grid experienced a massive failure, losing 15 gigawatts of energy-- equivalent to over 60% of the nation's demand. The outage affected the entire country, bringing everything to a halt. Portugal reported that the outage was due to an external problem, but did not give much information. Airports had to shut down due to a lack of power, stranding air travelers. Trains stopped in the middle of the tracks, leaving passengers stuck in the middle of nowhere, and subway systems also came to a halt. Spanish officials said that over 35,000 people had to be evacuated from over 100 trains across Spain, and people were left inside for hours as they waited for emergency services to arrive. Traffic was equally bad after every signal in every city became temporarily dysfunctional-- in some places, civilians stopped their cars and directed traffic, but roads were still a mess across major cities like Madrid and Barcelona. Communication services were also brought down by the outage, preventing stranded travelers from contacting their friends or family. While some homes and important services like hospitals had generators, the outage lasted for a large portion of the day. Thankfully, the outage did not last for too long. Spain was able to restore power to most of the country before the end of the day, pulling extra energy from surrounding countries and ramping up energy production at renewable energy plants to make up for the power loss. As for the cause of the massive blackout, authorities have been left puzzled. After investigating for over 12 hours, officials could still not determine a cause-- Russian sabotage was originally thought to be the most likely cause, but any sort of cyberattack or sabotage has been ruled out. Canada elected Mark Carney as their next Prime Minister during elections yesterday, bringing his Liberal Party into control of the country. Canada's Liberal Party took home the win in the Canadian elections yesterday, beating the opposing Conservative Party. The Liberal Party's leader, Mark Carney, will now become Prime Minister of Canada after Justin Trudeau resigned earlier this year, beating the Conservatives' Pierre Poilievre. In fact, Poilievre even lost his Parliamentary seat, which he has held for over 20 years. The election's primary focus was the United States and Donald Trump, who has imposed major tariffs upon Canada. Due to this, the Liberals, who hold more of an anti-Trump stance, completely flipped the election. The Conservatives were initially thought to be more likely to win the elections, but Trump's repeated threats and the imposition of tariffs quickly erased their lead. The Liberals emphasized this, connecting Trump and the Conservative Party as being on the same side and bringing them ahead. Carney will now work to carry Canada through these tough times, which includes problems like high cost of living along with the threats of Trump. However, Canadians clearly think that he is worthy of the challenge-- he attended both Harvard and Oxford University for economics, served as the governor of the Bank of Canada for five years (including during the 2008 financial crisis), served as the governor for the Bank of England for seven years (including the time after Brexit), and served as the chair of the Financial Stability Board for seven years. However, it is currently unclear whether the Liberals will have a majority in Parliament, as the Canadian government has not completed collecting all of the votes yet. This will be crucial, as a majority will enable the Liberals to make laws on their own, while a minority government would require the help of other parties as well. Fact of the Day (Today): Almonds are seeds of the fruit of the almond tree, meaning that almonds are actually closely related with other fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Even a small amount of power can have a great effect when concentrated on a certain area. (Satoru Iwata) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Alacrity (noun, uh-LAK-ruh-tee) - Alacrity refers to a quick and cheerful readiness to do something. In a Sentence: She accepted the invitation to go on the trip with an alacrity that surprised her parents, who had assumed she wouldn’t be interested.

At least 11 people were killed on Saturday night in a car ramming attack in Vancouver, Canada, during a festival celebrating Filipino culture. The incident took place during a celebration of Lapu Lapu Day, a day designated to celebrate Filipino culture. The government of Canada's westernmost province, British Columbia, established the day in 2023 to honor the country's Filipino immigrant population, but Lapu Lapu Day is celebrated across the world. The name honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, the chief of the Filipino island of Mactan, who killed Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan upon his arrival in the Philippines in 1521. The day is always celebrated on April 27, as that was the day that Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan over 500 years ago-- it stands as a symbol of resistance against colonialism, and he is known a renowned hero in the Philippines. Unfortunately, what was a celebratory event in Vancouver turned into a day of mourning and sadness after yesterday's attack. Food trucks and local vendors were scattered around the streets, and officials reported that tens of thousands of people attended the festival. Then, at just past 8:00 in the evening, a car came plowing through the crowd, mowing over innocent civilians. Panic followed, and police rushed to the scene. The car came to a hard stop after smashing into two food trucks that were situated on the street, and locals quickly surrounded the culprit before he was taken into custody by police. 11 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in the attack. Sadly, several victims are still in critical condition at local medical centers, and it is possible that the death toll could rise in the coming days. The attacker has been identified as a 30-year-old named Kai-Ji Adam Lo, and he will be charged with second degree murder. Police have confirmed that they believe he was in a deteriorated mental state, establishing that terrorism was likely not the cause of the attack. Upcoming Events: World Day for Safety and Health at Work (Monday, April 28) International Jazz Day (Wednesday, April 30) World Tuna Day (Friday, May 2) Ridván Ends (Friday, May 2) World Press Freedom Day (Saturday, May 3) Kentucky Derby (Saturday, May 3) Fact of the Day (Today): Comets actually smell like rotten eggs due to the hydrogen sulfide in their coma. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): All the problems are stuck between mind and matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. (Mark Twain) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Decimate (verb, DESS-uh-mayt) - Decimate can mean both “to destroy a large number of (plants, animals, people, etc.)” or “to severely damage or destroy a large part of (something).” In a Sentence: The bay’s lobsters have been decimated by disease.

At least 14 people were killed after a massive explosion at a port in Iran, with investigations into its cause now taking place. The explosion took place at the port of Bandar Abbas, a city located in southern Iran on the Strait of Hormuz. Videos taken by locals in the area showed a sizeable blast at the Shahid Rajaee section of the port before gigantic, black clouds of smoke began erupting from the scene. The explosion seemed to have happened inside a warehouse on the port, but the effects stretched wider than expected-- various structures across the area were heavily damaged by the force of the blast, and windows were shattered on buildings as far as several miles away. The fire continued for hours, and local firefighters are still working to extinguish the last of it. Helicopters were also brought in to handle the flames, which raged out of control for quite some time. 14 people were killed, over 750 others were injured, and officials have confirmed that at least 6 people are still missing. Officials have also advised residents of Bandar Abbas, which has a population of around 660,000 people, to stay indoors, as they have recorded a significant drop in air quality since the explosion occurred. An investigation into the explosion is now taking place, with Iranian authorities working to determine the cause of the incident. Some reports have stated that the blast can be attributed to several dangerous chemicals being stored in containers at the location, and a local news source also added that the explosion occurred in the area of the port used to handle chemicals. However, officials have not confirmed an exact cause yet, establishing that they can only come up with a conclusive answer once a thorough investigation has been completed. Fact of the Day (Today): Mother platypuses sweat milk, and their babies actually lick the milk off of their skin instead of suckling like other animals. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. (Cornelius Vanderbilt) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Nonchalant (adj, nahn-shuh-LAHNT) - Someone described as nonchalant is relaxed and calm, either because they do not care about something or because they are not worried about something. Nonchalant can also be used to describe something, such as demeanor or behavior, that expresses such relaxed, calm unconcern. In a Sentence: The team showed a somewhat nonchalant attitude at the beginning of the season, but they became more serious once the championship was within reach.