International
Cuba records just under 13,000 earthquakes in 2024, a record year of earthquakes
The National Center for Seismological Research (Cenais) of Cuba reported on Monday that 2024 was the year with the highest number of earthquakes recorded -12,806- which are attributed to the occurrence of the three strong tremors that shook the east of the island.
Cenais documented – until the end of 2024 – 8,873 aftershocks of the two earthquakes of magnitude 6 and 6.7 degrees on the Richter scale recorded on November 10 40 kilometers southeast of the town of Pilón, in the province of Granma.
These two movements left 10 people injured and more than 8,600 homes damaged, of which 156 with total collapses and almost 6,000 with minor effects, according to a preliminary report by the Cuban Executive.
Another earthquake, of magnitude 6.1 degrees, shook the municipality of Guamá, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, on December 23. This added 446 aftershocks and its effects left damage to more than 90 homes and four state buildings.
The head of the Cenais Seismological Service, Enrique Arango Arias, explained in an annual summary, that these three earthquakes have occurred in a sector of the Oriente fault, characterized by a predominant sliding movement in the left lateral course.
According to the expert, in the previous year 20 perceptible earthquakes were officially reported, 10 of them in the Santiago-Baconao area, five in the eastern towns of Moa and Baracoa, Sibanicú (center-east) and Varadero (west).
Another five earthquakes were perceived in the Pilón-Chivirico area (southwest), where the three strong earthquakes mentioned are included.
The Caribbean island recorded a total of 7,475 earthquakes in 2023, of which 14 were perceptible and the magnitudes ranged from less than 3 to 5.9.
About 70% of earthquakes are reported in this East fault, located along the southeast coast of the island.
Cuba is located in a region – which extends from the Dominican Republic to Mexico – in which different systems of tectonic faults converge with important seismic activity.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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