Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

At least 102 people were killed and dozen others reported missing after landslides swept through communities in southern Ethiopia’s Gamo Zone following days of heavy rainfall, triggering a large-scale search and rescue effort, officials said Thursday. The disaster struck several districts in the Gamo Zone, including Gacho Baba, Kamba, and Bonke, after a week of persistent rain destabilized hillsides and caused large volumes of earth to collapse onto nearby villages. Emergency crews and local residents have been digging through thick mud and debris in search of survivors. Authorities confirmed that one person was rescued alive from the mud, but many…

Drivers traveling near Talkeetna, Alaska, will see a lower speed limit on part of the Parks Highway this summer as state officials test whether reducing speeds can improve safety near businesses and a local school. The temporary speed zone will lower the limit from 55 mph to 45 mph along a stretch of the Parks Highway near Talkeetna Spur Road, according to state transportation officials. The area includes several business driveways and the entrance to Su-Valley Jr./Sr. High School, where traffic activity has increased. The trial speed limit is scheduled to run from May 15 through Sept. 15, covering Alaska’s…

A small magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded Thursday morning about 52 miles northwest of Burwash Landing, near the Alaska–Canada border, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. No damage or injuries were immediately reported. The earthquake occurred at 8:12 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time on March 12, at a depth of about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) beneath the surface, based on preliminary seismic data from the Alaska Earthquake Center. The epicenter was located in a remote area roughly 305 miles east of Anchorage and about 310 miles northwest of Juneau, far from major population centers. The event was classified as a minor…

The ongoing U.S.–Israel war with Iran entered a new phase this week as President Donald Trump said the conflict could end “very soon,” even as military strikes and retaliatory attacks continued across the Middle East. The war began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iranian military, nuclear, and government sites across several cities. The initial strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Iran across the region. Iran has targeted U.S. bases and allied countries in the Gulf while Israel and…

A bright fireball streaked across the night sky over Fairbanks, Alaska, late Monday, briefly lighting up the horizon before bursting into a flash. The rare celestial event was caught on camera and quickly drew attention from residents across Interior Alaska. The event occurred on March 10, when a glowing object raced across the sky and appeared to explode in a bright flash. Video shared online shows the fireball moving rapidly before fading moments later. Fireballs are extremely bright meteors created when pieces of space debris enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up due to intense friction. Most disintegrate…

Ten conservation groups have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a Trump administration decision that removed long-standing protections from about 2.1 million acres of federal land in Alaska, a move that could allow new mining, energy and infrastructure projects. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Anchorage and targets a decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior to revoke public land orders that had protected portions of land along the corridor surrounding the Trans-Alaska Pipeline since the 1970s. Those protections covered an area stretching along the pipeline route and parts of the Dalton Highway. The administration’s decision…

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded south of Sand Point on Alaska’s Alaska Peninsula late Tuesday night, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The earthquake occurred at 11:06 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on March 10, 2026, about 60 miles south of Sand Point, according to data from the Alaska Earthquake Center. The quake had a depth of about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) and was classified as a small earthquake. Initial information published by the monitoring center indicated that a seismologist had not yet reviewed the event. No reports of damage or injuries were immediately associated with the earthquake. Earthquakes are…

U.S. President Donald Trump is “not happy” with Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, warning that the leadership change could further complicate relations between Washington and Tehran. Trump made the comments during an interview with Fox News, responding to the announcement that Mojtaba Khamenei had been chosen to lead Iran following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. When asked about the new leader, Trump said he does not believe Mojtaba Khamenei “can live in peace,” signaling skepticism about the future direction of Iran’s leadership. Despite the criticism, Trump also indicated that diplomatic discussions…

The race for two seats on the Anchorage School Board is drawing attention as candidates present sharply different levels of experience and competing visions for the future of the Anchorage School District ahead of the April municipal election. The election will decide two of the seven seats on the Anchorage School Board, which oversees Alaska’s largest school district serving more than 43,000 students. Ballots for Anchorage’s citywide election are due April 7, 2026. Candidates running for the seats include a mix of incumbents and challengers with backgrounds ranging from education leadership and community advocacy to limited direct experience with district…

A small earthquake measuring magnitude 1.6 was recorded early Tuesday near Tatitlek in Southcentral Alaska, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The quake occurred shortly after midnight and was not expected to cause damage. The earthquake struck at 12:22 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time on March 10, about 29 miles northwest of Tatitlek. It occurred at a depth of approximately 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) below the surface. Seismic data shows the tremor was located in the Prince William Sound region, roughly 33 miles west of Valdez and about 86 miles east of Anchorage. The Alaska Earthquake Center reported the event as…

A Wasilla man previously convicted of killing his mother and younger brother in 2016 pleaded not guilty Monday to new murder charges related to the death of an Anchorage teenager, according to Alaska court records. Ian Millard entered the plea in Palmer Superior Court in connection with the death of 18-year-old Ataja Banks, who was reported missing in November 2023. Prosecutors have charged Millard with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and tampering with physical evidence. Investigators say Banks was killed on or around Sept. 25, 2023, according to charging documents. Human remains discovered in September 2025 near Moose Meadows Road in Wasilla…

Iran’s powerful clerical body selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader on March 8, replacing his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after his death during a period of escalating regional conflict. Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the 88-member body responsible for appointing the nation’s supreme leader, confirmed Mojtaba Khamenei as the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic. The decision came days after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989. Mojtaba Khamenei, a Shiite cleric born in Mashhad in 1969, had long been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s political and religious establishment. Although…