
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledges 'eyes in the sky' after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Flores island.
The European Commission offers Copernicus satellite mapping support for search and rescue operations in Indonesia following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Flores island that killed at least 38 people.
AI-generated summary
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Flores in Indonesia.
The European Commission is ready to offer “eyes in the sky” via the Copernicus program to support Indonesian search and rescue operations after the country was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday.
“Indonesia, we stand with you,” von der Leyen said in a post on X.
Copernicus is an observation system that can provide mapping services useful for search operations and damage assessments.
At least 38 people have died since the powerful quake struck the island of Flores, the BBC reported citing a press conference by Indonesia’s disaster response agency. Rescue operations are ongoing .
The foreign ministries of Italy, Greece and Estonia and officials have posted messages of support on X today.
Earlier this week, the Commission provided €2.1 million for assistance in Colombia as well as use of the Copernicus system after it was hit by a 7.4 magnitude quake.

Nearly two years after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, millions of Syrians who returned home face severe economic challenges, including high costs of living, destroyed infrastructure, and bureaucratic obstacles, leading some to regret their return.

The Muslim World League launched an initiative in Abuja, Nigeria, uniting Muslim and Christian leaders to counter extremist discourse in West Africa through interfaith cooperation agreements and the Abuja Declaration.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an end to the ongoing war with the United States, asserting that Tehran is currently in a position of strength and dignity.

The Mexican Navy rescued two fishermen who drifted in the Pacific Ocean on a cooler box for five days after losing contact while fishing off the coast of Chiapas.

Mauritanian coastguards rescued 315 migrants, including 40 children, from an overloaded, drifting wooden boat off the coast of Nouadhibou. The passengers were primarily from Senegal and The Gambia, attempting the Atlantic route toward the Canary Islands.

Twenty migrants deported from the United States arrived in Liberia on Thursday. The country has agreed to accept up to 1,200 foreign nationals from the US over the next year under a new humanitarian partnership.