An Earthquake Rocks Chile
The powerful quake causes power outages and a small tsunami, but not much damage
HECTOR MERIDA—REUTERS
Fishermen inspect boats that washed onto a dock after a tsunami hit the northern port city of Iquique, Chile.
A massive earthquake occurred off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday night, setting off a small tsunami. The wave of sea water forced evacuations along the country’s entire Pacific coast. The quake was one of several to hit the region over the past two weeks.
ALDO SOLIMANO—AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Residents of Iquique, Chile, take refuge at the city stadium following a tsunami alert triggered by an 8.5 magnitude earthquake on April 1.
Tuesday’s magnitude 8.2 quake struck 61 miles northwest of Iquique, Chile, a northern coastal city with a population of 200,000 people. Tremors were felt 290 miles away in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. The shaking in La Paz was the equivalent of a 4.5 magnitude tremor, authorities there said. The earthquake also set off tsunami warnings in Hawaii, thousands of miles away.
Earthquake Effects
The quake began at 8:46 p.m. local time and set off landslides that blocked roads, knocked out power for thousands of people, damaged an airport, and started fires that destroyed several businesses. Authorities reported a total of six deaths. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared a state of emergency and was reviewing damage in Iquique.
The country appeared to get through the incident mostly unharmed. Thousands of people moved inland as waves measuring more than six feet struck coastal cities. The mandatory evacuation order lasted nearly 10 hours. While the tsunami lifted some fishing boats onto city streets and sunk others, it otherwise caused no major damage.
ALEX VALDES—EPA
A house in Iquique is left in ruins following the powerful quake.
Most of the mining industry in Chile—the world’s leading copper producer—is located in the northern regions. So far, none of the top mining companies in the area appears to have been affected.
In Iquique, about 300 inmates escaped from a women’s prison. Security officials were sent to the city to protect it from looting and several dozen prisoners were quickly captured. Hundreds of soldiers were also sent to the quake zone. “We have taken action to ensure public order in the case of Iquique,” Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said, “so that the armed forces and police can coordinate and provide tranquility and security to the residents.”
“The country has done a good job of confronting the emergency,” Bachelet said in a message posted on Twitter. “I call on everyone to stay calm and follow the authorities’ instructions.”
The powerful quake causes power outages and a small tsunami, but not much damage
HECTOR MERIDA—REUTERS
Fishermen inspect boats that washed onto a dock after a tsunami hit the northern port city of Iquique, Chile.
A massive earthquake occurred off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday night, setting off a small tsunami. The wave of sea water forced evacuations along the country’s entire Pacific coast. The quake was one of several to hit the region over the past two weeks.
ALDO SOLIMANO—AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Residents of Iquique, Chile, take refuge at the city stadium following a tsunami alert triggered by an 8.5 magnitude earthquake on April 1.
Tuesday’s magnitude 8.2 quake struck 61 miles northwest of Iquique, Chile, a northern coastal city with a population of 200,000 people. Tremors were felt 290 miles away in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. The shaking in La Paz was the equivalent of a 4.5 magnitude tremor, authorities there said. The earthquake also set off tsunami warnings in Hawaii, thousands of miles away.
Earthquake Effects
The quake began at 8:46 p.m. local time and set off landslides that blocked roads, knocked out power for thousands of people, damaged an airport, and started fires that destroyed several businesses. Authorities reported a total of six deaths. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared a state of emergency and was reviewing damage in Iquique.
The country appeared to get through the incident mostly unharmed. Thousands of people moved inland as waves measuring more than six feet struck coastal cities. The mandatory evacuation order lasted nearly 10 hours. While the tsunami lifted some fishing boats onto city streets and sunk others, it otherwise caused no major damage.
ALEX VALDES—EPA
A house in Iquique is left in ruins following the powerful quake.
Most of the mining industry in Chile—the world’s leading copper producer—is located in the northern regions. So far, none of the top mining companies in the area appears to have been affected.
In Iquique, about 300 inmates escaped from a women’s prison. Security officials were sent to the city to protect it from looting and several dozen prisoners were quickly captured. Hundreds of soldiers were also sent to the quake zone. “We have taken action to ensure public order in the case of Iquique,” Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said, “so that the armed forces and police can coordinate and provide tranquility and security to the residents.”
“The country has done a good job of confronting the emergency,” Bachelet said in a message posted on Twitter. “I call on everyone to stay calm and follow the authorities’ instructions.”
So Long, Sochi
The 2014 Olympic Winter Games come to a close
JOHN BERRY—GETTY IMAGES
A giant rabbit, polar bear, and leopard bid goodbye after the Olympic flame is extinguished at the Closing Ceremony in Sochi.
The Olympic torch’s flame has gone out. Sunday night marked the conclusion of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The host country came out on top, with 13 gold medals and 33 medals overall. The United States took home nine gold medals, and a total of 28 medals overall.
AL BELLO—GETTY IMAGES
Fireworks explode over Olympic Park during the Closing Ceremony on February 23.
A Colorful Closing
The 17-day competition ended with a festive closing ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium. The performances celebrated the talent and dedication of the hundreds of athletes from around the world who took part, as well as Russia’s rich history of music, art and literature. Faces of famous Russian authors were projected onto large screens. Performers wearing puffy white wigs pushed 62 pianos in a dance around the stadium floor. Dancers moved across the stage in a traditional Russian ballet. And a giant mechanical bear, one of Sochi’s mascots for the past two weeks, lumbered onto the stage to put out the torch’s flame. It even shed a tear as it bid Sochi goodbye.
Medal Count
While 2014 was not a spectacular year for American athletes, Team USA had good reason to celebrate. The U.S. placed fourth in gold medals, and second place in overall medals. Though that was fewer than the U.S. took home at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, there were plenty of performances that made this year’s Olympics memorable for Americans.
Mikaela Shiffrin was responsible for one of those memorable moments. On February 21, the 18-year-old became the youngest athlete to ever win an Olympic slalom gold medal. “Today was one of the most special days of my life,” she said following her win.
Partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White became the first Americans to win gold in the ice dancing event, after skating together for 17 years. And snowboarders Sage Kostenburg and Jamie Anderson each won gold in the Olympic debuts of, respectively, men’s and women’s slopestyle.
Though the 2014 Winter Olympics are over, Sochi is preparing to welcome a whole new wave of athletes. The Paralympic Winter Games will run from March 7 to 16, giving athletes with disabilities a chance to compete.
The 2014 Olympic Winter Games come to a close
JOHN BERRY—GETTY IMAGES
A giant rabbit, polar bear, and leopard bid goodbye after the Olympic flame is extinguished at the Closing Ceremony in Sochi.
The Olympic torch’s flame has gone out. Sunday night marked the conclusion of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The host country came out on top, with 13 gold medals and 33 medals overall. The United States took home nine gold medals, and a total of 28 medals overall.
AL BELLO—GETTY IMAGES
Fireworks explode over Olympic Park during the Closing Ceremony on February 23.
A Colorful Closing
The 17-day competition ended with a festive closing ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium. The performances celebrated the talent and dedication of the hundreds of athletes from around the world who took part, as well as Russia’s rich history of music, art and literature. Faces of famous Russian authors were projected onto large screens. Performers wearing puffy white wigs pushed 62 pianos in a dance around the stadium floor. Dancers moved across the stage in a traditional Russian ballet. And a giant mechanical bear, one of Sochi’s mascots for the past two weeks, lumbered onto the stage to put out the torch’s flame. It even shed a tear as it bid Sochi goodbye.
Medal Count
While 2014 was not a spectacular year for American athletes, Team USA had good reason to celebrate. The U.S. placed fourth in gold medals, and second place in overall medals. Though that was fewer than the U.S. took home at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, there were plenty of performances that made this year’s Olympics memorable for Americans.
Mikaela Shiffrin was responsible for one of those memorable moments. On February 21, the 18-year-old became the youngest athlete to ever win an Olympic slalom gold medal. “Today was one of the most special days of my life,” she said following her win.
Partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White became the first Americans to win gold in the ice dancing event, after skating together for 17 years. And snowboarders Sage Kostenburg and Jamie Anderson each won gold in the Olympic debuts of, respectively, men’s and women’s slopestyle.
Though the 2014 Winter Olympics are over, Sochi is preparing to welcome a whole new wave of athletes. The Paralympic Winter Games will run from March 7 to 16, giving athletes with disabilities a chance to compete.
Let the Games Begin
New events dominate the first
weekend of the Sochi Winter Olympics
New events dominate the first
weekend of the Sochi Winter Olympics
American Nordic-combined skiier Todd Lodwick, 37, carries the flag and leads fellow Team U.S.A. athletes onto the floor of Fisht Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, on February 7, 2014, in Sochi, Russia.
It was a weekend of fresh faces and events at the Sochi Winter Olympics, which officially kicked off Friday evening. The opening ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium, in Sochi, Russia, featured the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, along with enormous set pieces, fireworks, dances, music, and more. The performances took audiences through parts of Russia’s history and culture.
The ceremony also included the parade of nations, in which athletes from each country enter the stadium with their flag. In keeping with tradition, athletes from Greece—which hosted the first-ever Olympics—entered first and the host country, Russia, entered last. “I declare the 22nd Winter Olympic Games open,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of the ceremony.
An estimated 31.7 million Americans watched the opening ceremony on Friday, according to the television ratings company Nielsen. Millions more in the U.S. and around the world are expected to tune in over the next two weeks of the global sporting competition, which features several brand-new events this year.
DAMIEN MEYER—AFP/GETTY IMAGES
American snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg competes in the men's slopestyle final at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on February 8.
Style on the Slopes
Over the weekend, snowboard slopestyle athletes made Olympic history by winning the first-ever Olympic medals in the debuting sport. In slopestyle, boarders slide down a course featuring pipes and jumps while executing complicated tricks. American athletes topped the new event, with 20-year-old Sage Kotsenberg earning the men’s gold on Saturday and Jamie Anderson, 23, taking home the women’s gold on Sunday.
Kotsenburg secured the top spot after unleashing a trick he had never tried before. Called a “Back 1620 Japan Air,” it involved performing four and a half rotations while grabbing his board and flexing it behind his back. “Never, ever tried it in my life,” he told reporters, adding that he decided to do it three minutes before the run.
Kotsenberg was joined on the medal podium by silver medalist Staale Sandbech, 20, of Norway and bronze medalist Mark McMorris, 20, of Canada.
Anderson faced the challenge of landing jumps on a tough course that caused many of her competitors to wipe out. “I was freaking out,” she said. But Anderson came through under pressure. Behind her, Enni Rukajarvi, 23, of Finland took silver, while Britain’s Jenny Jones, 33, won bronze—the country’s first medal of the Games.
Competing as a Team
On home ice at Sochi’s Iceberg Skating Palace, Russia swept a new “mixed team” event in figure skating. The event pitted 10 qualifying nations against each other, with each team consisting of a male and female solo figure skater, a pairs team, and an ice dancing team.Style on the Slopes
CAMERON SPENCER—GETTY IMAGES
Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia performs during the women's figure skating team free program at the Iceberg Skating Palace on February 9.
Representing a country where figure skating once dominated the Winter Olympics, pressure was on the Russian team to win the debut event. With the help of 15-year-old Julia Lipnitskaia, the team won Russia its first gold medal of the Games. Lipnitskaia wowed the audience—which included President Putin—with her performance. "My trainers told me people would cry," Lipnitskaia said. "They told me they would be clapping to the music. But I didn't think the spectators would be so loud. But it helped me to perform really well."
Team Canada earned silver in the event, while the American team took home bronze—boosted by a record-high score from ice dancers Charlie White and Meryl Davis on the free dance. Figure skating athletes will return later in the Games for the individual competitions.
The Games Ahead
Spoiler Alert! Sochi, Russia, is nine hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, so NBC—the official U.S. broadcaster of the Olympics—is airing many of the events on a time delay. Stop reading if you don't want to know what happened Monday, February 10, before it’s shown on TV.
Monday featured gold-medal races for the super-combined, an event that measures all-around skill in Alpine skiing. Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch, 29, won gold for the second Winter Games in a row. The silver medal went to Nicole Hosp, 30, of Austria. American skiier Julia Mancuso, 29, took bronze—her fourth career Olympic medal in Alpine skiing. No other U.S. female skier has won more than two Olympic medals.
There will be more big contests in the week ahead, including the debut women’s ski jumping event. Will Team U.S.A. continue to heat up the Winter Games? Stay tuned to find out.
Year of the Horse
More than one billion people around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year
EDGAR SU—REUTERS
Millions of people across China crowded onto trains and buses this week, hurrying home to be with their families for the country's most important holiday, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. January 31 marks the end of the Year of the Snake and the beginning of the Year of the Horse.
More than one billion people worldwide celebrate Lunar New Year. In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune.
History of the Holiday
EDGAR SU—REUTERS
The Lunar New Year, which falls on January 31 this year, marks the year of the horse.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice. The winter solstice, which falls around December 21, is one of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator. It is also the shortest day of the year.
According to an ancient legend, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Lunar New Year. Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one. The animals were the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar (or Pig).
Wealth and Good Luck
Buddha announced that people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. If you were born in 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, or 2002, you were born in the Year of the Horse.
The animals are also linked with the five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each element has a color: green for wood, red for fire, brown for earth, white for metal, and black for water. This year, 2014, is considered the year of the green horse.
People who were born in the year of the horse are believed to be brave, cheerful, and filled with luck and strength. They are said to get along best with people born under the year of the Tiger, Goat, or Dog. The year of the horse is considered a fortunate year that brings good luck and wealth. But according to Chinese philosophy, those born under the horse sign may have a difficult year in 2014. They are advised not to make important life decisions until 2015.
Festivals, Lions, and Feasts
SONNY TUMBELAKA—AFP/GETTY IMAGES
People in Bali take part in a dragon dance parade one day before the Lunar New Year.
Lunar New Year's Eve is celebrated with family gatherings and festivals. Cities traditionally mark the 15-day New Year season with firecrackers and fireworks. Last year, officials asked that celebrations in Beijing, China, use fewer fireworks because of a pollution problem. Officials wanted to avoid blackening the skies with more thick smoke. This year, a ban on fireworks will likely be in effect.
At the festivals, one of the most popular ways to celebrate is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions (or holding up elaborate paper lions) perform. The dancers are supposed to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. It is also tradition for households to carefully clean the house to sweep away bad fortune and make room for good luck. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are hung in parks around China.
*******
King Under the Mountain
Actor Richard Armitage discusses playing king dwarf Thorin Oakenshield in part 2 of The Hobbit trilogy
COURTESY WARNER BROS.
Actor Richard Armitage (far right) returns as king dwarf Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, part two of a trilogy in theaters December 13.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Rated PG-13, in theaters and 3-D December 13), is part 2 of a trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic Middle Earth tale. In it, hobbit Bilbo Baggins (played by Martin Freeman) and the dwarves arrive at the Lonely Mountain, where fearsome dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) has stolen the dwarves’ home and now guards their treasure. Thorin Oakenshield, played by Richard Armitage, and the other dwarves send “The Burgler” Bilbo inside the mountain to retrieve the Arkenstone, an heirloom of Thorin’s family. TFK spoke to Armitage about making the epic fantasy movies, which were filmed in New Zealand by The Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson.
COURTESY WARNER BROS.
Thorin nears the Lonely Mountain with hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman, left) and fellow dwarf Bifur (William Kircher, right).
TFK:
As someone who read The Hobbit many times as a kid, how does it feel to finally see Smaug revealed in this movie?
RICHARD ARMITAGE:
It's been one of the biggest treats of this whole process, finally seeing that dragon realized by Peter [Jackson] and the animators. I think Peter has been thinking about it for the past decade. Tolkien created it in 1937. So that dragon has been around for a long time, and it's a real treat for the audience to see Smaug finally rise out of the gold and show his full glory.
TFK:
You were in a stage version of The Hobbit when you were 13 years old. Did you imagine yourself in a future film version at that time?
ARMITAGE:
Never, not for a second. I didn't even realize I was going to be an actor at that point. I'd like to say it's a dream fulfilled, but I wasn't even dreaming at that point.
TFK:
When did you develop your interest in acting?
ARMITAGE:
It came much later, when I was in my late teens and went to see some Shakespeare at the Royal Shakespeare Company. I saw a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream,and I decided that's what I wanted to do for a living. Then I went to drama school and ended up being in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Macbeth, so that was definitely a dream fulfilled.
TFK:
In this movie, how has Thorin changed since the journey began?
ARMITAGE:
I think he's learning to trust, which is something that I never expected of him. He certainly didn't expect it of himself in those first days in Bag End when he is so mistrustful of the hobbit and of Gandalf's advice. The hobbit is really proving to be a great asset, and Thorin is changing in his opinion of him.
TFK:
One of my favorite scenes in both the book and movie is when the dwarves escape down a river in empty barrels. What was that like to film?
ARMITAGE:
It was pieced together in many different locations. We worked on the Pelorus River in [New Zealand’s] South Island, which is incredibly beautiful. Then we went into a sound stage and worked in a watercourse, which was powered by engines and could speed up and slow down. It was really like being at a fairground ride. Then we were in all different kinds of barrels in close-up shots on dry land for some of the action sequences. So it's great for me as well to see the barrel sequence cut together.
TFK:
What's been your favorite set piece or prop so far?
ARMITAGE:
My favorite prop has to be [Thorin’s sword] Orcrist. It is just the most magnificent weapon. It's a beautiful sword and really quite difficult to maneuver, so I spent a long time training to get it looking efficient. But Thorin loses Orcrist in this film to [the elf] Legolas, so Legolas gets to fight with it for a while.
COURTESY WARNER BROS.
Thorin nears the Lonely Mountain with hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman, left) and fellow dwarf Bifur (William Kircher).
TFK:
What was it like to put on the costume, prosthetics, and makeup of this character for such a long filming period?
ARMITAGE:
Sometimes, it was frustrating and hot and time consuming, but most of the time it was fine because I couldn't really play the character without all of those additions.
TFK:
If you could have put on a different costume and played another character for one day of filming, which would it be?
ARMITAGE:
I think I would quite like to have put on [human shape-shifter] Beorn’s costume because there was not a lot of it, just some trousers and a waistcoat, so that looked like fun.
TFK:
What should audiences expect from the final installment next year?
ARMITAGE:
That would be telling, but it's no surprise to know that the Battle of the Five Armies [is coming]. It’s something Tolkien writes about [in the book], and you see the first army being formed in this film –the army of orcs. So you can imagine what's going to happen at the end of the third film.
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