CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets.

The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas spread as far as Brazil’s Amazon about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) away.

In a brief address to the nation late Wednesday, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the earthquakes caused damages in several states, but she did not give any figures of homes and buildings damaged, injures or fatalities.

The earthquakes damaged the country’s main airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport, severely enough to lead to its closure, she said, adding that classes are being canceled for several days.

“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodríguez said. “We urge unity.”

Rodríguez also asked all health care professionals in the country to report to hospitals to assist anyone who was injured.

In the state of Falcon, Gov. Victor Clark said 32 people had been hospitalized and more than four hours after the earthquake there were still 15 people trapped.

A former British Airways pilot has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after admitting to raping a 12-year-old girl he groomed on social media and drove nearly 200 miles to meet.

Kwame Yeboah, 30, from Reading, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of a child under 13. The court heard that the Ghana-born pilot initially met the victim on the online chat platform Omegle before continuing to groom her via Instagram.

Prosecutors described Yeboah as a dangerous predator who travelled in his Mercedes from Reading to the Wirral in Merseyside, covering over 200 miles, with the intention of sexually abusing the schoolgirl. He raped her twice in his car after arranging the meeting.

Yeboah was sentenced to eight years and four months in custody, with an additional year on extended licence upon release. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life, given a 15-year restraining order, and was dismissed by British Airways following his arrest.

The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about online grooming and the exploitation of children on social media platforms. Sentencing judge described the premeditated nature of the offences as particularly serious.

This conviction comes amid broader efforts by UK authorities to tackle child sexual exploitation facilitated through the internet.

The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced new sanctions targeting individuals and entities accused of facilitating financial support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its West Africa affiliate (ISIS-WA).

The designations, issued on June 22, 2026, focus on a Nigerian national and several Lagos- and Kano-based bureau de change (BDC) firms.

According to the US Treasury, these actions aim to disrupt ISIS’s decentralised financial networks that enable the group to move funds across regions, including West Africa, to support terrorist operations.

Key Designations from the US Sanctions List:

• Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad (also known as Muhammad Mukhtar Adamu or Adamu Mukhtar Muhammad): A Nigerian national born on August 2 or 3, 1990. He resides at No. 45, Abimbola Street, off Capital Road, by Morcas, Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria. Designated as an ISIS-WA financial facilitator who has conducted money transfers on behalf of the group. He holds Nigerian passports A11904741 and A07422697.

Associated Entities (Bureau de Change Firms):

• Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited: Based in Lagos, Nigeria. Established January 9, 2019. Registration Number RC 1555604. Owned, controlled, or directed by Muhammad.
• Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited: Located at No. 59 Murtala Mohammed Way, Wapa, Kano, Nigeria. Established January 26, 2021.
• Nine To Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited: Located at Block 7, FAAN Complex, Airport Road by Beesam Bus Stop, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Established August 22, 2017. Registration Number RC 1462752.

These entities are accused of acting on behalf of Muhammad to support ISIS-WA activities through money service businesses.

The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, as amended. As a result, all property and interests in property of the designated persons and entities within US jurisdiction are blocked. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, and foreign financial institutions risk secondary sanctions for significant dealings.

This latest action forms part of a broader global effort by the US to target ISIS financial facilitators operating in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Nigerian authorities have been intensifying domestic measures against terrorism financing, including their own sanctions lists on BDCs and individuals.

No immediate official reaction from the Nigerian government or the affected individuals was available as of press time. Affected parties can petition OFAC for removal from the list if they meet delisting criteria.