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Monthly Archives: January 2022
Tonga hit by tsunami after undersea volcano eruption
The Tonga Meteorological Services said a tsunami warning was in effect for all of Tonga, and data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center showed waves of 2.6 feet had been detected.
(Image credit: AP)
Town goes dark amid massive bug infestation (VIDEOS)
Unusual rains and heat saw beetles reproducing in larger numbers and invading a small town in Argentina
The Argentinean town of Santa Isabel has been forced to shut off its lights for several days in an effort to persuade the millions of bugs that have invaded its streets to leave and look for another place to stay.
The town of some 2,500 in Argentina’s central province of La Pampa has been plagued by swarms of beetles for over a week. “They’re everywhere – in the houses, in the shops,” Deputy Mayor Cristian Echegaray complained to the media.
Local law enforcement agents have blamed the beetles for damaging the police station, residential buildings, and vehicles, as well as plugging the drains at a gas station, among other inconveniences.
Residents have documented the infestation in videos uploaded to social media, showing thousands of bugs in the roofs of their houses and huddling in dark holes.
#ARGENTINA 🇦🇷
Impresionante invasión de escarabajos (cascarudos) afectó la localidad de Santa Isabel, en La Pampa. 📹 @chematierrahttps://t.co/j1nuqCzO2Z pic.twitter.com/08vUASa8ai— C e n t i n e l a 3 5 (@QuakeChaser35) January 10, 2022
Some have been filling huge boxes with the insects, driving them out of town in their cars, and dumping them, so as to be able to go on with their daily routine without the insects’ hindrance.
Los cascarudos invadieron Santa Isabel y planean avanzar sobre la capital pampeana. Ampliaremos. pic.twitter.com/k1Co2V1LuL
— Muni Moreno (@munimoreno) January 10, 2022
The authorities attribute the infestation both to unusually heavy rains for the time of the year and the heatwave that recently hit Argentina, which saw temperatures rise to almost 40C (104F).
READ MORE: Call the ‘Men in Black’! Huge cockroaches invade Russian resort of Sochi
Those conditions were perfect for the reproduction of the bugs, the larvae of which develop below ground.
Millions of adult beetles then flocked to Santa Isabel, attracted by its streetlights. The insects don’t bite or sting, but they’re protected by a sturdy shell and have a tendency to hit things as they fly, so locals were recommended to cover their faces while outside to avoid injury.
Santa Isabel eventually decided to turn off its streetlights and the lights in public building to make the bugs “go away and find another town,” Echegaray told the AP news agency on Saturday.
The town has been dark for the past three days, with the move proving effective. The number of beetles has decreased dramatically during the blackout, he said.
UN in Geneva celebrates 6 decades supporting impartial TV news
The UN Office in Geneva is celebrating a 60-year collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union of public-service broadcasters, which has helped transparent, fair and impartial television news to be seen around the world.
Nairobi, Kenya, Jan
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With western port backups, ships are getting cargo to the U.S. via the Great Lakes
The shortest route to get a ship from Asia to the U.S. is through America’s West Coast ports. But given the pileup there, some ships are going the long way through eastern Canada into the Great Lakes.