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At least 54 people were killed after a bus plummeted off a bridge in Guatemala yesterday, falling over 115 feet into a deep ravine. The bus began its journey in Progreso, an area northeast of Guatemala City, in the town of San Agustin Acasaguastlan, where dozens of passengers boarded the bus. Then, after an hour drive down from Progreso, it was driving over the Puente Belice (Belize Bridge) in Zone 6 of the capital city when it plunged off the bridge during the early hours of Monday morning. Authorities stated that a multi-vehicle crash had occurred on the bridge, knocking the bus over the edge. The bus was found upside down in a stream thick with garbage after falling 115 feet, and it was covered in water and trash. However, after police began to investigate the situation, they quickly realized that survivors were inside the bus, and a rescue operation began. Dozens of bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, but several survivors are still trapped inside the bus. In addition, the final death toll has not been confirmed yet, as more bodies could still be inside the bus. Members from the Guatemalan army have been sent to the area to help with the crash, and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has declared three days of national mourning for the public. An investigation into the crash has also begun, as several videos of the roadway show the bus speeding and running red lights before smashing into multiple vehicles and then tumbling off the bridge. Authorities have attributed it to a possible mechanical failure, causing the driver to lose control of the bus, but they will not know the true cause until the investigation is complete. It is unknown whether the railings on the bridge should have been stronger or exactly whose fault the crash was, but the local police are currently focusing most of their energy on rescuing any survivors from inside the bus, which is still half-covered in filthy water and upside down at the bottom of the ravine. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The strings on string instruments were originally made from the guts of animals like sheep or cows. While those strings have been replaced with metal wiring in today's instruments, some more expensive, higher-end string instruments still use the traditional animal guts. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path. (Buddha) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ruminate (verb, ROO-muh-nayt) - To ruminate is to think carefully and deeply about something. In a Sentence: We ruminated over the implications of our decision.

Hamas has delayed the latest hostage release after claiming that Israel had violated the terms of their ceasefire agreement, sparking outrage across Israel and the United States. The current ceasefire deal was negotiated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in the Qatari capital of Doha, and it took effect on January 19. The deal secured the release of 33 Israeli hostages from Hamas and over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israel, as well as establishing that Israel would need to remove all of their forces from the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire is supposed to last for 42 days, and yesterday was the halfway point in those six weeks of peace. Now, Hamas maintains possession of around 76 hostages who are still in captivity, and Israel will need to work on extending the ceasefire to get these hostages back from Gaza. However, Hamas has delayed the latest round of hostage releases after claiming that Israel violated the agreement. Hamas claims that Israel has been continuing airstrikes and targeting Palestinian citizens with gunfire, as well as falling short on their promises to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel responded that they have done no such thing, and they have instructed their military to be on the highest alert in case of attacks. They have confirmed, though, that they will hold up their end of the agreement. Nevertheless, that all changed when the United States intervened. President Trump quickly entered negotiations and ordered Hamas to send back not just the three hostages they planned to return but all of the remaining hostages by Saturday at noon. The decision was met with mixed reactions from people, with some calling it the right move and others describing it as an "ultimatum." While Israel agreed with his statement, numerous other countries have strongly disagreed with Trump's intervention, saying that the agreement has been carefully planned out and is extremely fragile. They have maintained that threatening others does not get everyone what they want, and the current ceasefire deal has been working well. So far, 18 hostages have been returned to Israel and they have sent back 730 Palestinian prisoners in exchange-- and negotiations over the next phase of the agreement were slated to begin sometime later this week. However, Hamas' postponement and Trump's introduction of his own deadline have made it tough to predict what will happen next. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): There are around 2 billion species on Earth, with 6.8 million of those likely to be species of insects. And up to 10 types of bacteria lives inside of each of these insects! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm. (S.A. Jefferson-Wright) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Vestige (noun, VESS-tij) - A vestige is a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something lost or vanished. In a Sentence: The ruins here are the last vestiges of the Roman occupation in this part of Britain.

The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX last night, defeating the latter team 40-22 in a dominant win. Super Bowl LIX, or Super Bowl 59, was held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana last night, with 65,719 people attending the event-- including several famous celebrities. Among the affluent individuals there were President Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, Paul Rudd, and Bradley Cooper. The game began with two drives that resulted in punts, keeping the score at 0-0 until the middle of the first quarter, when an Eagles drive brought them down to the one-yard line. They were able to successfully execute the "Brotherly Shove" (or as others call it, the "Tush Push") to move quarterback Jalen Hurts over the line and into the end zone. However, the Chiefs continued to struggle on the next drive, with another punt after just 7 yards of offense, but a crucial interception off Hurts by Chiefs safety Bryan Cook brought the Chiefs offense back onto the field. However, they were yet again unable to move down more than 7 yards. An Eagles drive that resulted in a field goal brought the Chiefs back onto the field once again, but the Eagles defense continued their routing of the former's offense. First, defensive end Josh Sweat sprinted up for a sack on Mahomes, and linebacker Jalyx Hunt worked with Sweat to split another sack on the very next play. This put Mahomes at third and 16, down 10-0 in the middle of the second quarter, so he began to look downfield on the next play. Mahomes threw a quick pass on the run, targeting wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, only to be intercepted by rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean. The Super Bowl turned out to be a dream day for DeJean-- he made his first career interception, ran down the sideline, and moved into the end zone for a pick-six, all on his 22nd birthday. Two more punts occurred after the following two drives, putting the Chiefs offense onto the field once again as the second quarter began to wind down. On the first play of the drive, though, Mahomes, under pressure, released the ball into the middle of the field, where Eagles defender Zack Baun was waiting for him. Baun dove across the field, making a diving interception at the Chiefs' 14-yard line to set the Eagles up for a touchdown. Just after, Hurts came onto the field and lofted a pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown in the back for a touchdown, setting the score at 24-0 by halftime. The halftime show headliner for 2025 was rapper Kendrick Lamar, with a brief performance by singer SZA. The former performed popular songs like "Not Like Us," a major hit among the public. Tennis star Serena Williams also made a quick cameo in the performance, which was widely loved by the fans. After yet another Chiefs punt, the Eagles came back onto the field and continued their domination, with Jalen Hurts making two crucial 16 and 14-yard runs to save the drive. After the subsequent field goal, the Chiefs were able to make 17 yards of offense before losing the ball to the Eagles on downs. Hurts followed this up with a long pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who caught the 46-yard dime in the end zone for a touchdown. Then, the Chiefs were finally able to set up a successful drive, moving down the field before Mahomes sent a pass to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who brought it into the end zone and scoring their first points-- the score was now 34-6 (the Chiefs had missed their two-point attempt) by the end of the third quarter. The Eagles went on to score another field goal, and a strip sack by Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams forced the Chiefs' third turnover of the game. The following drive resulted in another field goal, making the score 40-6. By then, the Eagles began to send out their second and third-string players, with celebrations beginning on the sidelines. The Chiefs were successfully able to convert two more drives into touchdowns, with Mahomes sending a 7 yard pass to Hopkins in the end zone and another touchdown on a lofty, 50-yard touchdown to Worthy in the end zone. The Chiefs also scored both two-point attempts, but it was not enough to make up for their mistakes earlier in the game-- the final score was 40-22, with the Eagles taking home a dominant win. Upcoming Events: World Pulses Day (Monday, February 10) International Day of the Arabian Leopard (Monday, February 10) International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Tuesday, February 11) International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism (Wednesday, February 12) World Radio Day (Thursday, February 13) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Though Hawaii consumes the most Spam in the United States, the Pacific island of Guam eats the most per capita in the world. Today, people in Guam eat more than 16 cans of Spam per person, per year-- more than anywhere else in the world. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Be gentle with people today. You don’t know someone’s inside struggles. Instead of being the last straw, you can be their first sign, hope . (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ecstatic (adj, ek-STAT-ik) - Someone described as ecstatic is very happy or excited; the person feels or shows ecstasy—that is, rapturous delight. In a Sentence: Greta and Sam were ecstatic when their daughter called to tell them that they were soon going to be grandparents.

A major 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean yesterday, shaking the entire region and sparking tsunami warnings for several islands. The quake struck just before 6:30 pm local time and had an epicenter around 130 miles south-southwest of the city of George Town, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake was located along a fault line between the Caribbean and North American plates, which is known as the Cayman Trough. The namesake Cayman Islands are located near the fault line, with the archipelago's capital at George Town. Due to the earthquake's position in the middle of the ocean, a tsunami warning was issued for the region, including warnings from the US for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. People were urged to move to higher ground as governments predicted up to a meter of sea level rise, but the warnings were later rescinded after it became apparent that a major tsunami was not on the way. However, any rise in sea levels after an earthquake is considered a tsunami, meaning that the 1.2 inches of sea level rise that some parts of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula received are considered to be a tsunami. No damage was reported, though, and no one was injured in the shaking. At least 30 people are missing after a devastating landslide hit a rural town in China, and rescue operations are now underway. The landslide took place in the southwestern portion of the country's rural Sichuan province, burying at least 10 houses. Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate, and the local government was quick to react. Firefighters and rescuers raced to the scene and begun rescue operations-- two people were rescued from the rubble, but dozens of others are still missing. Locals have confirmed that the mountain that suffered the landslide had displayed signs of instability over the last few months, with rocks occasionally rolling down the hill. Geological investigations have also been launched into the surrounding areas to prevent similar events from happening in the future, with investigators scanning nearby mountains for unstable rock formations. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): You need to burn around 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. That's the given. How you respond to those losses, what you make of what's left, that's the part you have to make up as you go. (Katharine Weber) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Finesse (verb, fuh-NESS) - To finesse something is to bring it about, direct it, or manage it by skillful maneuvering. In a Sentence: We managed to finesse a favorable deal on some Beatles LPs at the flea market through subtle bargaining.

A small Alaska passenger plane that recently disappeared with 10 people onboard was found yesterday on the sea ice, and the crash had no survivors. The aircraft was a regional flight operated by Bering Air traveling from the town of Unalakleet to Nome, two ports along Alaska's western coast, and 9 passengers and a pilot were onboard the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan during the crash. The flight disappeared on Thursday afternoon, and search parties began fanning out across the mountainous, icy area to try and find it. After searching through mountains, valleys, forests, and the miles of sea ice on the ocean, the plane was found around 12 miles off the coast and 34 miles away from its destination of Nome. Local authorities were able to determine that the plane had experienced some sort of issue that had caused a deadly plunge into the sea ice, but they are still working on what caused that rapid descent. Police have also confirmed that the plane did not transmit an emergency signal through its ELT. ELTs, or emergency locator transmitters, are on every single plane, and they are meant to send a signal to a satellite to communicate with local police if the transmitter touches seawater. For an unknown reason, the ELT on the Bering Air flight did not send a signal, bringing about the need for a search operation. Authorities are currently working to determine the cause of the crash. They believe that it may have been due to the bad weather in the area -- there were snowy conditions, strong winds, and some freezing rain at the time -- but they are still working to find out the cause as they uncover the wreckage of the plane. Unfortunately, recovering all of the wreckage and the bodies may take some time, as the plane's precarious position on broken sea ice means that some pieces or bodies may have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Though people have been bathing for centuries, the modern bathtub actually started off as an animal trough. In 1883, John Michael Kohler took a cast-iron water trough, added four feet and covered it in enamel, creating the type of bathtub people are used to seeing in homes. According to Kohler company lore, the first bathtub was sold to a local farmer for one cow and 14 chickens. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The purpose of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding. (Miyamoto Musashi) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Malapropism (noun, MAL-uh-prah-piz-um) - A malapropism is an amusing error that occurs when a person mistakenly uses a word that sounds like another word but that has a very different meaning. In a Sentence: "It's lovely to see all of you on this suspicious occasion," our host said. A flurry of snickers were heard in reply; the malapropism (she had of course meant to call it an "auspicious" occasion) was characteristic.

The Greek tourist hotspot of Santorini continues to be slammed by earthquakes and tremors, and fears of a major earthquake in the coming days are still growing. Santorini began feeling minor earthquakes around a week ago, with tremors increasing in frequency and magnitude over the course of last weekend. By Monday, over 200 small quakes had hit the island, with several reaching magnitude 4 and dozens of others exceeding magnitude 3. In case you missed it, read more into the initial shaking here . Santorini lies on a fault line between the Aegean Microplate and the African Plate, which is what created the supervolcano in the center of the small ring of islands that includes Santorini. Read more into the volcano's history here . While fault lines regularly unleash bouts of shaking, the latest seismic activity has lasted an unusually long time and is fueling growing fears that a major earthquake could be on the way-- though scientists have confirmed that the earthquakes are not volcano-related. As the week progressed, the earthquakes continued to get stronger, with the strongest quake reaching a magnitude of 5.2 as it struck on Wednesday night. Schools were closed, construction was stopped, pools were drained to prevent structural damage, and the streets were soon emptied of tourists-- Santorini, which sees 3.4 million tourists per year, has a mere 20,000 residents, and over 11,000 people have been evacuated to the mainland in just a few days. Seismologists have also maintained that there is a considerable risk of landslides due to Santorini's steep cliffs, serving as the basis for advising people to stay inside. A state of emergency has also been declared until March 3, allowing Greek authorities to further take control of the situation and prevent damage from happening. So far, no major damage has been reported and no deaths or severe injuries have occurred, but the government is preparing for some type of stronger earthquake that could be on the way-- and the tsunami that could possibly come with it. However, the seismic activity is showing no signs of slowing down, and experts say that it could likely last for several days, if not weeks, more. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Despite the common myth that a human's hair and fingernails continue to grow after death, this is untrue. While it’s understandable why people think this-- the hair and fingernails of corpses do appear longer after a person has been dead for a while-- they’re actually not growing. Instead, the skin around the scalp and fingers begins to recede due to factors like dehydration and rotting, giving the illusion of growth. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Work will take everything you give it. It’s up to you to work out what you want to give it. (Amy Pascal) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ad-lib (verb, AD-LIB) - To ad-lib something, such as a performance or part of a performance, is to improvise it—that is, to make up words or music instead of saying, singing, or playing something that has been planned. In a Sentence: The actor forgot his lines, so he ad-libbed .

United States President Donald Trump has proposed another major change as he begins an attempt to take over Gaza, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed his new plans. Trump originally came out with a plan describing exactly how he would take over Gaza on Tuesday, but that proposal came as a major surprise to the US government. Trump had not discussed the idea with anybody but himself, and he had simply created a proposal on his own that would allow the country to take control of Gaza and remove all Palestinians from the Strip. Then, during a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he pulled out the proposal and began reading, to the surprise of his administration. He suggested that all Palestinians should permanently leave Gaza and suggested that the US would take it over, "level it out," and rebuild it into a tourist haven-- he labeled the Gaza in his vision as the "Riviera of the Middle East." Numerous questions about the logistics of the plan blew up across news sources and social media websites, with people wondering how the plan would actually work. The United States would need massive amounts of funding and thousands of troops to just clear Gaza of all of the debris littering the Strip, and that still leaves how they would get all of the Palestinians to leave. Arab nations near Gaza, such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia, pushed back harshly to Trump's proposal, confirming that they would not agree to take in such large numbers of Palestinians. As these questions were asked to members of the Trump administration on Wednesday, the plan was slightly dumbed down, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt adjusting some of Trump's statements. She stated that they simply wanted Arab nations to temporarily take in Palestinians, as they could return later, and confirmed that the US would not be investing a large amount of money into Gaza-- opposite to what Trump had claimed a day earlier. It still seemed that their team lacked the logistics of the plan, most likely because Trump had failed to discuss it with his administration, and they had been working on the spot to attempt to materialize the plan. However, many people have praised Trump for his out-of-the-box thinking, as different one-state and two-state solutions to the Israel-Palestine conflict have been attempted countless times over the past 77 years. This includes Netanyahu-- while he initially seemed confused when Trump first read the surprise proposal during the press conference, he backed the adjusted idea stated by Leavitt, labeling it as "the first good idea that I've heard." Israel heavily favors a solution where an ally of theirs takes over Gaza, as that would prevent any future attacks on their soil. On the other hand, Arab nations surrounding Israel and Palestine favor a two-state solution, as has been previously proposed, which sees Palestine become a country alongside Israel. However, Israel has consistently rejected any sort of proposal involving a Palestinian state, preventing that solution from materializing. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Hula-Hoops were first marketed in 1957 by Arthur “Spud” Melin, the co-founder of a company called Wham-O, and were an instant success. In fact, 25 million Hula-Hoops were sold during their first four months of production. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Everything comes in time to those who can wait. (François Rabelais) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Canard (noun, kuh-NARD) - C anard refers to a false report or story, or to a belief or rumor that isn't true. It can also refer to a kind of airplane as well as to a kind of small airfoil . In a Sentence: The book unfortunately repeats some of history's oldest canards .

President Donald Trump has agreed to strike a deal with El Salvador that would see millions of undocumented immigrants and American convicts sent to the Central American country's new mega-prison for a relatively small fee for the United States. Trump is continuing his implementation of drastic changes throughout the United States with another major development involving illegal immigrants after he struck up a deal with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the one to announce the deal to the public, describing it as "unprecedented" and "extraordinary." The new plan sees El Salvador accept any deported immigrant from any nationality, including Salvadorans, who have committed crimes or taken part in major gangs. The deported criminals will be sent to El Salvador's recently built mega-prison, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). In return, the United States will pay El Salvador a fee, which Bukele labeled as low for the US but significant for their country. Bukele has been praised by many Salvadorans for dramatically reducing gang violence across the country since he came to power in 2022, and his recently-built mega-prison works to achieve that job. CECOT, a maximum security prison, opened in 2023 and can hold over 40,000 criminals, making it the largest prison in the world. However, the jail has been called out by human rights groups for failing to provide adequate supplies to incarcerated prisoners. Also, prisoners have no access to the legal system or due process, and they not allowed any visits from family and friends. Bukele also proposed the idea that the United States could send criminals of their own to El Salvador for another fee, but that has faced major backlash. The US is not allowed -- by law -- to deport criminals who are legal citizens of the country, but the Trump administration could take up efforts to execute such a plan if a loophole is found. Now, the US will begin deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes to a different country than they came from, which was previously unheard of. However, this attempt may face legal challenges in the future, as many human rights groups and other organizations are extremely frustrated with the new deal. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Barns are red because of dying stars. That’s because red paint is cheap, but there’s a reason for that. Red paint is actually so inexpensive because the color used to make it is red ochre (also known as iron oxide or by its chemical formula, Fe2O3), which is a byproduct of nuclear fusion in dying stars, making it extremely abundant on Earth. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): To punish failure is yet another way to encourage mediocrity. (Michael Eisner) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Zaftig (adj, ZAHF-tig) - Someone described as zaftig has a full, rounded figure, or in other words is pleasingly plump. In a Sentence: Portraits of zaftig models are exhibited in the artist's collection.

United States President Donald Trump has halted his incoming tariffs on Canada and Mexico after both countries announced the implementation of new border security plans, but he has maintained his stance on tariffs on Chinese goods. Earlier this weekend, Trump signed several executive orders that would impose clear tariffs on almost all imports from Canada, Mexico, and China beginning this morning once the clock passed midnight. Canada and Mexico were set to receive 25% tariffs, while China would receive a 10% tariff on all goods-- with the exception of Canadian energy, which would face a lower 10% tariff. In addition, several clauses within the executive orders permitted Trump to raise those tariffs by a certain amount if retaliation tariffs were implemented by the three countries. Trump believed the tariffs were the only way to force Canada, Mexico, and China to strengthen their control on what they send into the United States-- the US is currently struggling with the smuggling of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs at the border. While Canada and Mexico were set to introduce tariffs of their own in retaliation, those plans changed on Monday. Early in the day, Trump also conversed with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who agreed to send over 10,000 Mexican troops to the border to deal with illegal trade of people and drugs. In return, Trump confirmed that the United States would delay the tariffs for 30 days and would also control the flow of guns into Mexico in return. Just hours later, after a call between Trump and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump stated that the tariffs on Canadian goods would be delayed for 30 days due to the sufficient action that Trudeau was taking to stop the border crisis on his side. Trudeau confirmed afterwards that Canada was planning to begin implementing a $1.3 billion border plan and appoint an advisor to control the shipping of fentanyl, a dangerous drug, into the United States. He also added that over 10,000 people are currently and will be working on border security, and they will use new technology and new vehicles to achieve their goal of halting illegal actions at the US-Canada border. While this may have stopped a potential trade war brewing within North America, it does not stop the incoming conflict with China over tariffs. The tariffs on China were not delayed, and a 10% tariff on all Chinese goods is now in place. In retaliation, China has announced that they will implement tariffs on many American goods starting February 10, including a 10% tariff on crude oil, pickup trucks, and agricultural products and a 15% tariff on coal and liquified natural gas (LNG). Unfortunately, neither the US nor China seem to be ready to back down in this new trade war, and it could have serious impacts on the economies of both sides. Trump stated that he will have a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping today, and has threatened to raise tariffs if a deal to stop the border crisis is not made. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): It’s no secret that animals communicate with each other all the time. But when scientists recorded and translated the communication between Egyptian fruit bats, it turns out that they weren’t just having a conversation: they were full-on arguing with each other. Sometimes the bats argued about food, while other times their disagreements centered on sleeping arrangements. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched... but are felt in the heart. (Helen Keller) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sarcophagus (noun, sahr-KAH-fuh-gus) - Sarcophagus refers to a coffin, and specifically a stone coffin. In a Sentence: The crypt under the abbey church contains the sarcophagus of the monastery's founding abbot.

The famous Greek island of Santorini has been put on high alert after a series of moderate earthquakes hit the area, sparking fears that a larger earthquake could be on the way. The earthquakes hit across the weekend, with over 200 small quakes shaking the island since Friday. Several were over a magnitude of 4, and dozens of others have reached a strength of magnitude 3-- the strongest quake hit on Sunday afternoon with a magnitude of around 4.6. Santorini is one of the largest cogs in Greece's tourism industry, attracting over 3 million visitors per year. The island is part of a massive supervolcano lying beneath the water, which once produced one of the largest eruptions ever recorded. In 1600 BC, the islands that currently form a disjointed ring around the caldera of the volcano were connected, making a circle around the caldera with only one point of entry into the center. Santorini was a thriving Minoan hub, with the major port city of Akrotiri on the south side of the island. However, around that time, the volcano exploded in a massive eruption, wiping out all signs of Minoan civilization on the island. The eruption threw around 6.7-9.8 cubic miles of dense-rock equivalent (DRE) into the atmosphere, giving it a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 7-- the second-strongest level on the scale. The resulting underwater pyroclastic flows caused the caldera of the volcano to collapse in on itself, devastating the islands around it. The explosion caused most of the inward-facing slopes on the surrounding islands to collapse as well, leaving the sheer cliffs that Santorini has today. Ash blanketed the entire region, preserving the city of Akrotiri similar to how Pompeii was preserved by Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 AD. The eruption also sparked large tsunamis of around 29 feet in the surrounding area, meaning that it devastated not just Santorini, but most of the Greek islands, including Crete. Now, as seismic activity increased, fears of another explosion began rising, but scientists have cooled those fears with evidence that the earthquakes were not caused by the volcano. Santorini lies on a fault line between the Aegean Microplate and the African plate, which is what created the volcano in the first place. Despite that, they are urging residents of Santorini to take extreme caution over the next few days, as a larger earthquake could be on the way. Due to the precarious position of many of Santorini's settlements, as they are perched on steep cliffs, an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 or more would devastate the island. Schools have been closed across Santorini, as well as the nearby islands of Amorgos, Anafi, and Ios, and authorities have instructed hotels and homeowners to drain their pools-- the weight of a large volume of water could weaken the foundation of the building in the event of a large quake. Residents are also being advised to take caution in outdoor areas, as rockslides could occur on some of the steeper cliffs. Upcoming Events: International Day of Human Fraternity (Tuesday, February 4) Alpine World Skiing Championships Begin (Tuesday, February 4) Invictus Games Begin (Saturday, February 8) Super Bowl (Sunday, February 9) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The title of the smallest egg in the world fluctuates between two different types of hummingbirds: the bee hummingbird and the Vervain hummingbird. The smallest egg on record, though, was 0.39 inches long (10 mm), weighed only 0.01 ounces (0.365 grams), and came from a Vervain hummingbird. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Staying in a hopeless and miserable situation doesn’t make you loyal, it just makes you miserable. (The Weeknd) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Presage (verb, PRESS-ij) - To presage so mething is to give or be a sign that it will happen in the future. Presage is a formal synonym of foreshadow , foretell , and predict . In a Sentence: The sudden gloom and ominous dark clouds clearly presaged a nasty storm.