Kanlaon volcano erupts in Philippines; chaos in Mexico and Austria

• On Tuesday morning, the Kanlaon volcano in the Philippines made its presence known once again. A cloud of ash erupted from its crater, rising to a height of about 13,000 feet – reported the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The report noted that the Level 3 alert remains in effect, which was introduced after an eruption in December last year. Kanlaon is an active volcano located on Negros Island in the Philippines. It is the highest peak in the area, standing at 8,088 feet. It is part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and has a long history of eruptions.

• At least nine people were killed and five injured on Monday in an attack by a group of armed assailants on a drug rehabilitation center in the violence-plagued state of Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico – local authorities reported. The governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, stated at a press conference that the attackers entered the clinic and inquired about members of a specific criminal group before opening fire.

• In 2024, there were 1,518 executions worldwide, the most since 2015 – reported Amnesty International (AI) in its annual report on the use of the death penalty globally. The increase is due to Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, where 1,380 sentences were carried out in total.

• A 20-year-old skier from the Netherlands was killed on Monday in Tyrol, Austria, on the Sölden glacier. According to a woman who witnessed the accident from a ski lift gondola and alerted rescue services, during a descent from an extremely steep slope, the skier lost control, went off the trail, and collided with a snow cannon 23 feet away. Despite the machine being equipped with special safety cushions, he died instantly. Police reported that the accident occurred on a downhill course where World Cup alpine skiing competitions are held annually.

Source: PAP, reuters.com, cnn.com