Eight backcountry skiers have been confirmed dead, and one remains missing after a massive avalanche struck a guided ski group in the Castle Peak area near Lake Tahoe, California on Tuesday, officials said. The incident: one of the deadliest avalanches in the U.S. history occurred amid a powerful winter storm that pushed heavy snow and high winds across the Sierra Nevada.

The group of 15 skiers; including four guides and 11 clients, was returning from a three-day backcountry trek when the avalanche, described as spanning the length of a football field, struck around 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time.

Rescuers were notified when six survivors, including one guide and five clients aged between 30 and 55, activated their emergency beacons and used SOS alerts and text messages to reach out for help. All six were eventually reached and evacuated; two were hospitalized, one of whom has since been released, while the other remains under treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

Officials said search and rescue efforts have transitioned to recovery, as conditions remain hazardous due to continued snowfall, strong winds, and ongoing avalanche risk. The bodies of the eight deceased skiers have been located but could not yet be recovered because of unsafe conditions.

In a particularly emotional aspect of the tragedy, one of the people who died was the spouse of a local search and rescue team member, underscoring the emotional toll on the community and volunteers involved in the operation.

Emergency workers, many of whom are volunteers, have been praised for their efforts in confronting blizzard-like conditions to reach the survivors and those buried by the snow. Officials have also noted that despite avalanche warnings issued by the Sierra Avalanche Centre before the storm, the group proceeded with the expedition, a decision now under scrutiny.

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Centre, the U.S. typically records an average of 27 avalanche deaths each winter, with six fatalities recorded so far this season before Tuesday’s disaster.

Europe has taken a significant step toward financial independence by accelerating plans to establish its own digital payment infrastructure, reducing reliance on American companies such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and China’s Alipay.

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, recently warned that nearly all European card and mobile payment transactions currently pass through non-European infrastructure. Speaking to Irish radio, she stressed the urgent need for a sovereign European alternative, citing concerns over data control, strategic autonomy, and economic security.

In a major development, the European Payments Initiative (EPI) and the EuroPA Alliance signed an agreement on February 2 to build an interoperable, pan-European payment network. The collaboration aims to connect approximately 130 million users across 13 countries.

At the heart of the initiative is Wero, a digital wallet designed to enable cross-border payments and money transfers entirely within European infrastructure without routing transactions through American-controlled networks.

If successful, the move could reshape the global payments landscape, challenge the dominance of the U.S. financial technology firms, and redefine digital financial sovereignty within Europe.

Analysts say the initiative could potentially impact transaction flows estimated at $24 trillion annually, marking one of the most ambitious financial independence projects in the continent’s modern history.

The Kenya government has announced plans to begin nationwide distribution of a new HIV-prevention drug, lenacapavir, starting in March, targeting 15 priority regions in the first phase.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the rollout on Wednesday, describing the injectable treatment as a major step forward in HIV prevention.

Lenacapavir is administered twice a year and clinical trials indicate it can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent.

Unlike vaccines, however, it is a long-acting antiretroviral drug and does not stimulate the immune system.

Kenya is among nine African countries selected in 2025 to introduce the medication. Distribution has already begun in South Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia.

According to data from UNAIDS, eastern and southern Africa account for roughly 52 percent of the world’s 40.8 million people living with HIV.

The first shipment of 21,000 doses arrived Tuesday through a partnership involving manufacturer Gilead Sciences and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Officials expect an additional 12,000 continuation doses by April, while the United States has pledged a further 25,000 doses.

Kenya’s HIV prevalence currently stands at about 3.7 percent.

The rollout comes as several African countries face reduced foreign health assistance following policy shifts by the administration of Donald Trump, including the dismantling of USAID and scaling back of NGO-led programs.

Despite this, Kenya signed a $2.5 billion bilateral health agreement with Washington in December  the first of its kind since those changes under which the US will provide $1.6 billion over five years for health initiatives such as HIV/AIDS treatment, malaria control, and polio prevention.

Nairobi is expected to contribute $850 million and gradually assume greater funding responsibility.

The agreement is currently facing a legal challenge from a Kenyan senator who argues that elements of the deal may violate constitutional provisions.