THOUSANDS of people were leaving the Greek island of Santorini by sea and air for a third day on Tuesday, as an unprecedented series of earthquakes shook the top travel destination.
Some 6,000 people have already left the island, known for its spectacular cliffside views and a dormant volcano, which has been hit by hundreds of tremors since last week, officials said.
A quake with a magnitude of 4.9 hit early on Tuesday morning amid other smaller tremors. No injuries or damage were reported on Santorini and the neighbouring islands of Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, which have also been affected by the seismic activity.
Experts say the region has not experienced seismic activity on this scale in recent history and do not know how long it will last.
“This is the first time this is happening, we have not seen it before,” Athanassios Ganas, research director at the national observatory’s institute of geodynamics, told state TV ERT.
He noted that the area had been hit with over 40 earthquakes with a magnitude of over 4.0 in the past 72 hours. Santorini lies atop a volcano which last erupted in 1950 — but an experts’ committee on Monday said the current phenomenon was “not linked to volcanic activity”.
According to the Greek coastguard, over 4,600 people have left the island by ferry since Sunday alone. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

CHINA’S manned deep-sea submersible Jiaolong and research vessel Dayang Yihao (Ocean No 1) are set to complete major upgrades in preparation for deep-sea exploration missions this year, according to the country’s oceanic affairs administration.
Jiaolong, named after a mythical sea dragon, is capable of diving to depths exceeding 7,000 metres. The China-made underwater ship has explored waters in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.
Its upgrades are currently in progress, and technicians have already completed major enhancements to its critical components, including the lithium battery system.
The sea dragon-inspired submersible is scheduled to undergo tank tests in February and sea trials in the South China Sea in March. Major upgrades on Ocean No 1 include the installation of remotely-operated underwater vehicles, which will enhance its capabilities and provide reliable support for future deep-sea resources survey and development, said the administration.
Ocean No 1 is China’s first modern comprehensive ocean-going scientific research vessel. With over four decades of service, it has conducted 27 oceanographic scientific expeditions. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Gaza   January 30
The landscape of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip lies in ruins, a stark reminder of the violence that has engulfed the region. For displaced Palestinians recently allowed to return, the remnants of their homes have shattered fragile hopes for a life reclaimed.
After years spent in southern Gaza, where they endured relentless Israeli bombardments even in areas designated as "safe," these returnees now sought solace in the familiar. Instead, they encountered a harsh reality that rendered their home unrecognizable.
"Even all the words in the Arabic dictionary cannot describe the horror of what we see," Mariam Abu Shahla, a resident of Tal al-Hawa in Gaza City, told Xinhua.
Upon returning, she found her neighborhood, once alive with memories after 25 years, reduced to rubble. "The rubble swallowed everything. The homes once filled with memories are now piles of stones and silence as if the earth itself had consumed them," she said, her voice cracking with grief.
Uncertain of where to find shelter, Abu Shahla described her return as "hell." The smell of gunpowder still hung in the air, a testament to the violence that had ravaged the area. Returnees walked through the debris, their faces etched with disbelief and pain, each step heavy with the weight of grief. The silence was punctuated only by crumbling concrete, echoing the stillness of a place that had once thrived. Xinhua

Source: Yadanarbon Newspaper

BIRD feathers and bloodstains were found in both engines of the Jeju Air plane that crashed in December, according to a preliminary investigation released Monday.
The Boeing 737-800 was flying from Thailand to Muan in South Korea on 29 December when it crash landed and exploded into a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier. It was the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil, killing 179 of the 181 passengers and crew.
South Korean and American investigators are still probing the cause of the disaster, with a bird strike, faulty landing gear and the runway barrier among the possible issues. Both engines recovered from the crash site were inspected, and bird bloodstains and feathers were “found on each”, the report said.
“The pilots identified a group of birds while approaching runway 01, and a security camera filmed HL8088 coming close to a group of birds during a go-around,” the report added, referring to the Jeju jet’s registration number.
It did not specify whether the engines had stopped working in the moments leading up to the crash.
DNA analysis identified the feathers and blood as coming from Baikal teals, migratory ducks which fly to Korea in winter from their breeding grounds in Siberia.
After the air traffic control tower cleared the jet to land, it advised the pilots to exercise caution against potential bird strikes at 8:58 am, the report said.
Just a minute later, both the voice and data recording systems stopped functioning. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

THE electric vehicle (EV) charging volume on China’s highways is set to hit a record high during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, according to data from the State Grid Corporation of China.
Daily highway charging volumes are expected to average over 7.5 million kilowatt-hours during the eight-day holiday which starts on 28 January, marking a 52-per-cent year-on-year increase, the data showed.
The single-day peak charging volume during the holiday period is projected to exceed 9 million kilowatt-hours — expanding by 34 per cent from the same period last year.
Peak travel days ahead of the holiday, namely 26 and 27 January, will see charging demand spike between 9 am and 9 pm, as millions of travelers hit the roads, the data revealed.
To meet rising charging demand, China has accelerated the construction of charging infrastructure. By the end of 2024, 98 per cent of highway service areas had charging facilities — with 35,000 charging poles in place. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

China sent a new satellite group into space on Thursday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province.

 This group of 18 satellites, which is the sixth batch that will constitute the Spacesail Constellation, was launched at 1:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a modified Long March-6 carrier rocket and entered its preset orbit successfully. 

The launch marks the 557th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. 

Developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the rocket was fueled with liquid oxygen and kerosene propellant, which is non-toxic and pollution-free. It has a carrying capacity of 6.5 tons for 500-km sun-synchronous orbit. 

In 2025, the rocket model will have an intensive space launch schedule, with plans for over 10 missions, according to the rocket maker. 

Spacesail is a Chinese commercial low-orbit satellite megaconstellation. It began commercial network construction on August 6, 2024.

Source: Myawady Daily Newspaper 

A Turkish Airlines passenger jet carrying Syrian passengers landed at Damascus International Airport on Thursday for the first time in 13 years, state news agency SANA reported.

 In a press conference at the airport, Syrian Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Dukhan applauded the resumption of flights, thanking "the Turkish government and people for standing by the Syrian people."

Dukhan underscored the "deep roots" of the bilateral relationship, calling the return of direct flights "the beginning of renewed cooperation" and a ray of hope for Syrians abroad hoping to return to their country with dignity. 

Turkish Airlines Director General Bilal Akshi said the move would serve the interests of Syria, its people, and the region. 

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, also on board the flight, hailed the development as "a historic moment," saying the restored air link will reconnect Damascus to the rest of the world.

Source: Myawady Daily Newspaper

Photo: Daily Sabah

INTERNATIONAL tourist arrivals rose by 11 per cent in 2024, with 1.4 billion people travelling internationally, according to the World Tourism Barometer published by UN Tourism on Tuesday.
The data, which is published on the eve of the FITUR international tourism exhibition in Madrid, means that numbers have recovered to 99 per cent of levels seen in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili welcomed the results. He said: “In 2024, global tourism completed its recovery from the pandemic and, in many places, tourist arrivals and especially earnings are already higher than in 2019.” Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, he said, “driven by strong demand contributing to the socioeconomic development of both mature and emerging destinations.” — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

DONALD Trump vowed a new “golden age” as he took the oath for a historic second US presidential term Monday, painting a picture of an America in decline that only his hardline policies can restore to glory.
In an often divisive address in the US Capitol, the 47th president promised a blitz of orders including the declaration of a national emergency on the Mexican border and a policy of only recognizing two genders.
Trump also struck a nationalistic tone as he capped the most extraordinary comeback in US political history, pledging to impose trade tariffs, rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, and take “back” the Panama Canal, which has been controled by the Central American country since 1999.
“The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” Trump said in the Capitol, where the inauguration was held indoors for the first time in decades, due to freezing weather. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

US Vice-President JD Vance has said that it is an “incredible honour” to take the oath of office as the Vice-President of the US and he
looked forward to working alongside President Donald Trump to serve the American people.
In a post on X, JD Vance stated, “It’s an incredible honour to take the oath of office as the 50th Vice-President of the United States. I look forward to working alongside President Trump to serve the American people.
Let’s Make America Great Again!” JD Vance on Monday took oath as the 50th Vice-President of the United States at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh administered oath to Vance.
His wife, Usha Vance, held the Bible in one hand and their daughter Mirabel Rose in the other, as Vance placed his left hand on the religious text and raised his right hand to take oath of office. The couple’s two sons were also present on the occasion.— ANI

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar