Category Archive

U.S. stocks plunged today in their worst day of Christmas Eve trading ever, as the S&P 500 entered a bear market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 653 points Monday in volatile trading, falling below 22,000 as the markets responded to turmoil in Washington. Last Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for a fourth time this year and … Read More

The death toll following the tsunami caused by the Anak Krakatau volcano has risen to at least 373, Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency says. Giant waves crash into coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java. It is thought that volcanic activity set off undersea landslides which in turn generated the killer waves. “1,459 people are injured, while 128 remain … Read More

At least 43 people have been killed and 584 injured after a tsunami hit the coast around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait with hundreds of buildings also damaged, government officials say. The Sunda Strait is between the islands of Java and Sumatra connecting the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. They say the possible cause of the tsunami were undersea landslides after … Read More

News that the White House had ordered the Pentagon to withdraw half of US troops in Afghanistan provoked widespread concern that the move would kneecap efforts to broker a peace deal to end America’s longest war, but one group was celebrating the reports — the Taliban. One senior Taliban commander from Afghanistan’s Helmand province said “The 17-year-long struggle and sacrifices of thousands … Read More

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights observed that thousands of people in Syria have been seen participating in sit-ins and protests in towns east of the Euphrates River, protesting against the decision of the USA to withdraw from Syria. They also are protesting against the military operation Turkey intends to carry out against the Kurds and the  Syria Democratic Forces, … Read More

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the surprise announcement that the U.S. will quickly withdraw all its troops from Syria is the stuff of nightmares for many of the Kurds that have been living under the protection of U.S forces and the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). One SDF member said “Everyone is upset, sad and afraid,” and went … Read More

A huge 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit off Russia’s east coast triggering a tsunami warning in the region. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake hit about five miles deep and struck about 50 miles west of Nikol’skoye. Following the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a tsunami warning for the Komandorskiye Ostrova region in Russia. After the initial … Read More

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said this week that Islamic State militants in Syria have executed nearly 700 prisoners in the past two month in eastern Syria. The UK-based war monitoring group said the prisoners were among 1,350 civilians and fighters that Islamic State had been holding in territory along Syria’s Euphrates River. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led … Read More

U.S. President Trump has suddenly called for all U.S. troops to exit Syria while also declaring victory over ISIS there. However, U.S. military news outlets as the Army Times and others are expressing surprise and amazement over his statements. Trump’s reported call for a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria comes in stark contrast to statements by his own national security … Read More

For the first time ever, in 2018 Alaska recorded 50,000 earthquakes in a calendar year. As of last check on the Alaska Earthquake Center website, the number of earthquakes reported in Alaska so far this year was 50,499. They also reported that 18 days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook Southcentral Alaska, nearly 5,000 aftershocks have been registered by seismic sensors, … Read More