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Monday, February 2, 2026
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Strong Earthquake Hits Northern Chile

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A powerful earthquake with an epicenter off the northern coast of Chile was registered with a magnitude of 8.2, which lead to six deaths. The quake prompted officials from Chile to evacuate the northern coast of the country due to fears of a tsunami.

The warning of a tsunami was issued for all of the South America coastline on the Pacific Coast though it was later lowered to a threat of a tsunami and eventually lifted entirely.

Rodrigo Penailillo the interior minister said six people were killed attributing the deaths to people being crushed and suffering heart attacks.

President Michelle Bachelet said early Wednesday that she had declared a state of catastrophe in the nation’s northern section in the regions of Tarapaca, Parinacota and Arica.

The military was traveling to those areas in order to avoid looting.

A wave of approximately six feet came ashore in Iquique a port city according to a deputy interior minister. The city was located 59 miles from the epicenter of the quake.

Chile sent armed forces to the city as well after more than 300 prison inmates were able to flee a prison for women during the chaos that followed the quake.

In the small town of Huara, located between Arica and Iquique, Mayor Carlos Silva said people in that area were prepared for an earthquake since there had been many small shakes. He said they had utilized a very efficient plan for evacuation.

Images on Chilean television were of people walking quickly to evacuate Antofagasta a coastal city. Viewers were advised by newscasters to buy candles and use social media in a responsible way as well as not to use any elevators when evacuating.

Officials were also evacuating people living on Easter Island off the coast, said the National Police of Chile.

Callers into a program on the radio said the earthquake had lasted a long time and had been very strong, causing great chaos in city streets with large sections losing electricity. Some roads in the area had been damaged, said the radio station.

The mayor of Arica in the north said he did not have reports of damage, although he was aware of some homes damaged by the shaking.

This quake followed hundreds of smaller temblors that hit the same area the past couple of weeks, which increased the fears a larger one would hit.

Study: Statins Help Erectile Dysfunction

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Statins, the cholesterol lowering medications that are hugely popular might help males who suffer from erectile dysfunction. At the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers, scientists led a first ever meta-analysis of studies done previously over the link between statins and erectile dysfunction.

The team, with Dr. John Kostis in the lead, analyzed 11 previous trials in order to find an effect that was significant of statins on ED in males who had both erectile dysfunction and high cholesterol. The results, said researchers showed the scores for erectile dysfunction increased.

It already is known that statins might work in a similar what to Viagra by helping the blood vessels to dilate properly which improves vascular blood flow into the penis, which in males with ED is restricted.

Dr. Kostis said that increase in the scores for ED with statins was about a third to, as much as one-half of what was reported with Viagra, Levitra and Cialis.

The doctor added that the effect of the statins was greater than that of lifestyle medication or testosterone.

Doctors and researchers said that statins were not a recommended primary treatment for males with erectile dysfunction in males that have healthy levels of cholesterol.

ED affects between 18 million and 30 million males across the globe. It occurs more frequently in males age 40 and above. Common causes of ED included high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, depression, stress and tobacco use.

A study on ED carried out by the University of Adelaide shows that effects of ED could be reversed through changes in lifestyle.

Lowering alcohol consumption, increasing daily physical activity, sleeping for longer periods and eating healthier were factors that helped erectile function in the study that included 810 men.

The led author of that study, Professor Gary Wittert said the biggest risk factors for ED typically were for physical conditions rather than ones that were psychological.

The results from the study showed that a large proportion of males were overcoming issues of erectile dysfunction naturally, with a remission level of as high as 29%, showing many of the things that cause ED are modifiable.

Tequila Sweetener Could Help With Diabetes

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A natural sweetener that is derived from agave plants, which are used in making Tequila, could protect against diabetes and obesity, according to new research.

A study was presented by a research group to the ACS – American Chemical Society, which found that agavins the natural sweetener could trigger the production of insulin and lower the level of blood sugar when it was administered to mice in laboratory testing.

Researchers in the study fed groups of different mice a daily standard diet and added the agavins to their drinking water. The majority of mice who drank the agavins were discovered to have eaten less, lost weight and have levels of blood glucose lower when compared to other types of sweeteners like fructose, glucose, agave syrup, aspartame and sucrose.

The leader of the study said researchers believe the agavins have a big potential as sweeteners since in reality they are sugar, highly soluble, there glycemic index is low and their taste is neutral. However, most important is they are not metabolized by humans.

This in turn, said scientists, puts the agavins in a very good position for consumption by diabetic and obese people.

The recent study’s lead researchers Mercedes Lopez is from the Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados located in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Lopez said that the researchers found that since the agavins are able to reduce levels of glucose they also increase the quantity of insulin.

Agavins, said Lopez, are not very expensive and there are no side effects that are known when they are consumed.

Type 2 diabetes effects an estimated population in the U.S. of 26 million.

One potentially challenging part of working with agavins is they are not available to many. In addition, while the agavins have 50% of the calories of regular sugars, they are less sweet said Lopez. The latter is able to be solved partially be the use of hydrolysis, said Lopez.

Somehow, people must understand it is hard to have the best of both worlds, in terms of locating an alternative sweetener that is very sweet.

Study: Erectile Dysfunction Reversible

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Erectile dysfunction can strike even men who are still young. In the U.S., the 45th top selling prescription is Viagra. Men who have ED should be told that if they require a prescription due to not obtaining or maintaining an erection there might be other problems with their health that should be addressed.

The results from a new study have shown the ED could be reversed without the use of a pill. The study shows that lifestyle changes can be made so there is an improvement in sexual function to reverse ED.

ED is not something men should just ignore, as sexual dysfunction can be caused by any number of different health ailments, that could possibly be debilitating and in certain instances even fatal.

Health problems leading to erection problems can include sleep apnea, obesity, overweight and poor sleep. In addition, high intake of alcohol could interfere with a man having the ability of obtaining an erection. Aging has also been associated with ED.

A male can address certain things to improve his sexual function without the use of medications. Those issues included but are not limited to improving sleep, exercising more, reducing alcohol consumption, healthy diet, weight loss if needed, lowering cholesterol, controlling diabetes and lowering the blood pressure.

In simple terms, researchers said that having a healthy lifestyle could reverse ED in some men.

Medications are another reason men can suffer from ED. Smoking is a risk factor due to constricting the blood vessels reducing the overall flow of blood.

In the study, researchers studied men from Australia that had ED problems between the ages of 35 and 80.

The study found that 29% of men were able to reverse their problems due to ED by changes in lifestyle, which is a significant number and shows options exist other than just taking prescription medications for ED.

In the investigation, many of the men developed ED that researchers said was a concern.

Citigroup Fails Stress Test, Falls 5%

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Citigroup saw its shares fall by nearly 5% on Thursday, after plans by the bank and another four banks to increase payments in dividends and stock buybacks, were rejected by the Federal Reserve.

The Fed announced that the management practices or the cushion in capital were not sufficiently robust to withstand an economic downturn that was severe.

The Fed announced that 25 other banks, which had also taken part in the annual “stress test” of the Fed, received green lights for their share repurchases and dividend payouts.

Goldman Sachs and Bank of America initially were short of the requirements for minimum capital but then met the standards following a reduction of their planned payments for dividends and share buybacks this past week.

Capital plans for HSBC North America holdings, Citigroup, RBS Citizens and Santander Holdings were all rebuffed due to flaws in the oversight practices in their banks or what was called by the Feds qualitative concerns.

Zions Bancorporation’s bank plan had been turned down due to it falling short of the capital required in the event of a recession.

The bank now has 90 days for addressing what the Fed identified as weakness and can resubmit their dividend and plans for their buyback of shares.

Shares of Citigroup dropped 4.7% in trading on Thursday morning. The decision by the Fed was part of its yearly checkup that it requires banks that have over $50 million in assets to go through ensuring they could endure the shocks similar to those that upended the banking system, which led to huge bailouts by the government in the financial crisis of 2008.

Citigroup received the largest bailout by the federal government during the financial crisis with $45 billion of cash infusions and many other billions in guarantees.

The Federal Reserve said rejecting Citigroup’s plans reflected the significantly heightened expectations for the most complex and largest holding companies of banks.

The Central Bank said that Citigroup had made significant progress improving risk management and its control practices over the last few years, but its plan for capital contained deficiencies.

The Fed for example questioned the ability of Citigroup to project revenues and losses for the material parts of the company’s global operations.

easyJet Lifts Forecast for First Half

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easyJet the budget airline based in Britain upgraded its forecast for the first half by 25% Tuesday, which sent its shares near an all-time high. This followed tight cost cutting measures and huge popularity of is seating program.

easyJet said it was expecting a loss pretax of between $91 million and $107 million, which was an improvement of a previous forecast of a loss of between $115 million and $147 million.

The airline, which, as its rivals does, traditionally has losses during the winter as fewer people fly. The airline reported a $100 million loss in 2012-13 for the same period.

The upgrade to the forecast was helped due to benign weather that meant there were fewer disruptions that were weather related, said the airline.

easyJet has in the past 12 months taken more share from rival Ryanair through the introduction of measures like allocated seating as well as allowing passengers the chance to change flights to better appeal to the business traveler.

Shares of easyJet have increased by over 60% during the past 12 months. In early premarket trading, the shares were up 4.4% putting them close to their all-time high that was reached in early March of this year.

Airline analysts said although the airline did not comment on its fiscal second half, an upgrade was likely to be the consensus for their forecasts.

Carolyn McCall the CEO at easyJet said the airline’s upgrade show the company’s structural advantage it held not just against other low cost airlines like Ryanair, but the other legacy carriers.

The former entities that were state-owned like Lufthansa in Germany are fighting against the carriers that are low-cost to keep market share across Europe in the sector of short-haul

Revenue per each seat during the six-month frame should rise by 1.5% said easyJet, which was higher than a January forecast thanks to a boost received from the allocated seating program and other airline initiatives.

The improvement forecast by easyJet for the first half comes even though it was hit by additional fuel costs compared to the same time during 2012-13.

Train in California Hits Teen Couple

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A couple who were walking along a set of railroad tracks on their way to a dance were hit by a train in California. Mateus Moore died saving Mickayla Friend his girlfriend said authorities. Pedestrians being hit by trains have been on the rise across the U.S.

Moore and Friend were walking to the Sadie Hawkins Dance on Friday in Marysville, California.

Reports have suggested the two were walking in the direction that the train was traveling and did not notice it had been approaching them until the last second.

At that time, Mateus was able to push his girlfriend from the tracks, which saved her life, according to people who witnessed the tragedy while watching a Little League game close by.

Mickayla was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries but was expected to survive. Mateus however was killed at the scene.

Accidents with trains involving pedestrians have dramatically increased over the past year. The fatality rate has also been the highest in over the past 10 years.

A local newspaper has reported that accidents involving pedestrians and trains are a problem that does not have a solution that is easy.

Railroad tracks are listed as private property, which means the victims of the accidents are trespassing and at their own risk. However, operators of trains take little if any measures attempting to mitigate the many risks. Fences are not built to block access by trespassers in some areas that are high traffic, said the report.

A new phenomenon has taken hold as well known as distracted walking. Many pedestrians now lose track of the surroundings they are in as they are busy chatting or texting on their mobile devices.

Reports of distracted walkers being treated for injuries at emergency rooms of hospitals had quadrupled over the last seven years.

An investigation into the accident on Friday is being conducted by the Union Pacific, who is the owners of the tracks where the accident occurred. Thus far, there is no evidence the couple was wearing headphones or was intoxicated.

The railway company said there had been plenty of time for the two to escape unharmed after the train’s horn had blown, but they do not know why they did not.

Motel Fire in New Jersey Claims Three Lives

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Three people were pronounced dead by authorities following an early morning fire on Friday that destroyed a motel that was two-story tall, said police.

Officials are continuing to search room by room at the Mariner’s Cove Motor Inn. Sources said it was too hard to tell if the amount of fatalities from the fire would increase.

A number of other people suffered injuries due to the blaze, as many had to leap from the motel’s second floor, said police. Other suffered smoke inhalation and burns.

An officer from the Sheriff’s office in Ocean County was injured, but police do not know how severe his injuries are.

Firefighters from three towns – South Wall, Point Pleasant Beach and Point Pleasant – were called in to battle the fire that had been first reported between 4:30 a.m. and 4:45 a.m.

As late as 8:00 a.m. Friday morning there were still more than 50 firefighters on the scene.

The motel did not have concrete walls said one resident of Point Pleasant and therefore it became engulfed very quickly.

One woman at the scene, who did not want to leave her name, told reporters she was hoping to hear news about a friend who lived at the motel.

The manager’s office had been destroyed in the fire and no records have been obtained about residents in the motel.

Dogs able to detect accelerants and cadavers were being brought to the motel early Friday morning. Victims were taken to a squad building for first aid, and the American Red Cross was called to assist.

Authorities said they would hold a news conference before noon. The fire will be investigated jointly by the sheriff’s offices and the county prosecutor. In addition, the Point Pleasant police and the fire marshal from the country will also take part.

Properties that were adjacent to the motel received damage. The motel is open all year. It has been opened since 1985.

The motel, which is L-shaped, is just blocks for the beach, boardwalk and Manasquan Inlet.

Parliament in Crimea Formally Applies to Be Part of Russia

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Parliament in Crimea has declared its independence formally from Ukraine and has asked to become a part of the Russian Federation.

This follows the controversial referendum from Sunday in which officials said overwhelmingly backed the succession from Ukraine.

The central government in Kiev said it would not recognize Sunday’s results. The EU and U.S. said the vote was not legal and vowed to impose numerous sanctions on Moscow.

The Crimean peninsula since the latter part of February has been under control of forces that are pro-Russia.

The EU will, going forward, have a review of whether it is dependent too much on energy from Russia.

This week the EU challenge is to show unity and resolve. Any obvious divisions would be exploited by Russia. The EU resolve would be delivering on the sanctions that have been warned about.

This crisis has come on the heels of the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych who was pro-Moscow.

His decision rejecting the trade deal that had been long-awaited with the EU in favor of better and closer relations with Moscow, sparked street protests for months, which culminated in clashes that were deadly.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk the interim Prime Minister of Ukraine called the vote on Sunday a circus performance supported by Russian troops that reached 21,000, who with guns are attempting to prove the referendum’s legality.

The vote had been boycotted by many amongst the minority in Crimea, the Tatars and Ukrainians who are only about one third of the peninsula’s population.

At the same time, the government in Kiev formally approved the mobilization of 40,000 reservists.

The National Security and Defense Council Secretary Andriy Parubiy said that the incidents in Crimea were blatant aggression and that mobilization would prevent action of a similar kind in the southeastern part of Ukraine, which has had rallies that were pro-Moscow lately.

On Monday, according to the Crimea parliament vote, the laws of Ukraine no longer are applicable in the region and that all state property of Ukraine is now part of the independent Crimea.

U.S. Government Loosens Grip on Internet

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After first incubating it and then overseeing it for a number of decades, the government of the U.S. announced on Friday to would release the final elements of control it had on the Internet.

The U.S. Commerce Department originally handled the core parts of Internet, but has gradually pulled back from those important duties, through a contract that is in place with a nonprofit organization named Internet Corporation for Assigned Numbers and Names or ICANN.

On Friday, in a prepared statement, the Commerce Department requested ICANN to convene the parties involved to formalize an approach that is multistakeholder for governance of the Internet.

The basics of that work is involved in running the DNS or Domain Name System of the Internet, which translates Internet Protocol numeric addresses into the more human readable convenient domain names such as xyz.com. In addition, manage the root servers holding those records of DNS for use by other machines. As well as, to oversee the ongoing explosive growth of the new top-level domain names like .cleaning, .social and .berlin.

This has been a wait of a long time, as the process of privatization started in 1997 under then-President Bill Clinton. In an interview two months ago, Fadi Chehade, the CEO of ICANN said the oversight by the U.S. is no longer sustainable.

ICANN has grown and matured, the Department of Commerce committed to handing over the responsibility at a certain point and the recent revelations over the government’s surveillance from the Edward Snowden leaks increased the necessity to hand over control now, said Chehade.

Chehade added that the revelations by Snowden hastened the dialog for a hand over. Many companies that do business internationally were worried due to a lack of a trust factor over the Internet.

Working closer to the hand over, ICANN already set up a meeting on the governance of the Internet for April 23-24 in Brazil. The DOC generally is together with ICANN on using the term multistakeholder.

The stakeholders included the Internet Architecture Board, the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Regional Internet Registries and the Internet Society.

The Registries oversees the IP address distribution to those that register new domain names.

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