International
Chile’s glaciers to lose half their water supply capacity by 2100, study warns
Glaciers — Chile’s last line of defense against recurring droughts — will provide only half as much water by the year 2100, causing them to lose their ability to mitigate the impact of another megadrought like the one the country has endured for the past 15 years, according to a study published on Tuesday.
“The increase in temperatures projected for this century will cause glaciers to lose more mass than they gain. In other words, throughout the century they will steadily continue to retreat,” Álvaro Ayala of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) told EFE.
The WSL, the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), and Chile’s Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones concluded that if a drought similar to the current one hits the country in 2100, the major glaciers in the southern Andes, central Chile, and Argentina will be able to contribute only half the water they supply today, having lost between 50% and 80% of their current volume. The situation of smaller glaciers — not included in this analysis — is expected to be even more critical, with many likely to disappear completely.
Even without considering future water consumption trends, the halving of glacier water contribution will pose a significant additional challenge, Ayala warns.
The Chilean civil engineer explained that the study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, sought to answer what would happen if a megadrought like the current one were to strike the same region at the end of the century, when glaciers will be considerably smaller.
International
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,490, according to the latest official figures released by the government on social media.
Authorities reported that 16,740 people have been injured, while more than 19,500 residents remain in temporary shelters after the twin earthquakes devastated Caracas and the neighboring state of La Guaira.
Rescue teams from Venezuela and several foreign countries continue searching through collapsed buildings in an effort to recover victims who remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Government officials said the earthquakes damaged more than 850 buildings, with 190 structures completely collapsing.
Thousands of families who lost their homes are currently staying with relatives or friends, while more than 19,500 displaced people are living in overcrowded emergency camps set up in parks, stadiums, and public squares across La Guaira and Caracas.
International
Tensions Escalate in Middle East as U.S. Bombs Iran After Maritime Attacks
The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington would “hit hard” against the Islamic Republic. While Trump ordered the retaliation after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, he also said he hoped the latest wave of bombings would end soon and left the door open for renewed negotiations.
U.S. forces “have begun carrying out additional strikes against Iran to further reduce its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the United States Central Command said in a post on X.
Washington blamed Iran for what it described as “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping.”
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar.
“This is in retaliation for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will be much worse,” Trump wrote on social media alongside an image showing what appeared to be a bombing at an Iranian location.
Before ordering the strikes, the U.S. president said that the ceasefire with Iran had ended. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar called for de-escalation, while the United Nations also urged both sides to reduce tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, which began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran-linked attacks on at least three vessels in recent days triggered a U.S. offensive against Iranian targets on Tuesday. Tehran responded by launching attacks against Gulf countries that are allies of Washington.
International
Deadly Drug Trade Rivalry Suspected After Eight Bodies Discovered in Southern Mexico
Eight bodies were found Wednesday along a highway in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, in an incident authorities believe may be linked to a dispute over local drug sales.
The victims — six men and two women — were found abandoned on a road in a mountainous area of the municipality of El Bosque, according to the state prosecutor’s office in a statement published on Facebook.
Initial investigations indicate that the killings may be connected to “a dispute over retail drug sales between local criminal groups operating in the region,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Local media reports that several criminal incidents have increased in the area since the beginning of the year.
The road where the bodies were discovered is located in a mountainous region largely inhabited by Indigenous communities. Authorities have not released further details about the victims or possible suspects as the investigation continues.
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
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Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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