A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific on Thursday, generating a tsunami that threatened island nations in the region. The quake struck at just after midnight on Thursday local time (1320 GMT Wednesday) about 415 kilometers east of Vao in New Caledonia at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.
A magnitude 5.2 aftershock struck Haiti on Sunday, even as survivors of the previous day’s temblor were sifting through the rubble of their cinder block homes. The death toll stood at 12, with fears it could rise. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the aftershock was located 15.8 kilometers north-northwest of Port-de-Paix, the city hard hit by Saturday night’s 5.9 magnitude earthquake. Sunday’s aftershock had a depth of 10 kilometers.
The US government has announced new curbs on oil and gas exploration in Arctic waters off Alaska's northern coast. It comes after oil giant Royal Dutch Shell last month stopped its Arctic activity citing “disappointing” tests.
A fresh 6.5 magnitude aftershock struck central Chile on Monday, rattling buildings in Chile's capital city Santiago, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. An 8.3 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami hit Chile's port city of Coquimbo last Wednesday, killing 13 people.
Some 130 billion dollars will be invested in Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt between 2013 and 2019 to boost national production from 3 million barrels per day to 6 million bpd, President Hugo Chavez announced on Tuesday evening.