News

New Zealand's North Island Hit By Flash Floods, LandslidesWellington, 29 Jan (ONA) --- Heavy rainfall hit New Zealand's north island again today, causing landslides, flash floods and knocking out roads, with the number of deaths rising to four.Battered by rain since Friday, Auckland, New Zealand's largest city of 1.6 million people, remained under a state of emergency.The nation's weather forecaster, MetService, warned of more severe weather on Sunday and Monday for the north island. Intense rainfall could also cause surface and flash flooding, it ...

Heavy Snow Hits Seoul, Surrounding Areas Seoul, 26 Jan (ONA) --- A snowstorm swept through the South Korean capital of Seoul and nearby regions today, as many areas were blanketed in white. There were no immediate reports of major disruptions or damage caused by the snow, ice and subzero temperatures. Traffic on the country’s major roads was normal, although 110 hiking trails across three national parks remained closed. In Japan, heavy snow continued on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, where hundreds of trains were suspended and a number of flights got grounded ...

Storm Hits California as Thousands Advised to Quit Their Homes California, 15 Jan (ONA) --- Around 25 million people in the US’s State of California are under a flood watch due to the current storm, the latest in a parade of storms. Several waterways have flooded, at least 19 people have died and thousands have been told to evacuate their homes. ...

Death Toll in Philippine Storms Rises To 27Manila, 15 Jan (ONA) --- At least 27 people have died in storms across the Philippines this month, authorities said, as forecasters warned of continued heavy rains.Since the start of the year, at least three storms have killed 27 people across the Philippines, the civil defence office said in a report issued today.Eleven people were reported injured and three are missing.More than 83,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres, according to the civil defence office, and over 1,200 houses have been damaged by floodwaters and heavy ...

Plane Crash Near Pokhara Airport in Nepal Leaves Dozens KilledKathmandu, 15 Jan (ONA) --- Dozens of people died after a plane with 72 people on board crashed near an airport in central Nepal.The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed on landing before catching fire.At least 64 people are confirmed to have died, police said. Several critically injured survivors were taken to hospital, unconfirmed reports said.The flight set out with 68 passengers on board, including at least 15 foreign nationals, and four crew ...

Cold Wave, Fog Prevail over Northern India Delhi, 9 Jan (ONA) --- Parts of northern India are experiencing a severe, prolonged cold wave that has thrown normal life out of gear. Dense fog has delayed more than a hundred flights and dozens of trains, causing chaos at airports and railway stations, BBC news reported. Authorities in the capital Delhihave asked schools to extend winter holidays and cancelled classes. The minimum temperature in parts of the city dropped to 1.9C on Sunday. Other northern states have also been grappling with an acute cold wave, with ...

Winter Heat Records Smash all over Europe Madrid, 4 Jan (ONA) --- Temperatures for January have reached an all-time high in a number of nations across Europe. National records have fallen in eight countries - and regional records in another three. Warsaw, Poland, saw 18.9C (66F) on Sunday while Bilbao, Spain, was 25.1C - more than 10C above average. The mild European weather comes as North America faces more severe storms, days after a deadly winter cold snap left more than 60 dead. Heavy snow and freezing rain have been forecast for parts of the northern Midwest ...

Rain, Floods in the Philippines Leave 32 DeadManila, 29 Dec (ONA) —- Heavy rains and floods that devastated parts of the Philippines over the weekend have left at least 32 dead and 24 missings, the national disaster response agency said today.More than 56,000 people were still in emergency shelters after bad weather in the eastern, central and southern Philippines.Most of the deaths were from drowning while among the missing were fishermen whose boats capsized, the agency said.Over 4,000 houses were damaged by the floods along with roads and bridges, and some areas were without power or ...

War in Ukraine Has Killed, Injured Nearly 18,000 Civilians: UN New York, 28 Dec (ONA) ---- The number of confirmed civilian casualties in Ukraine is drawing toward 18,000, according to figures released by the United Nations, as the 10-month war grinds on.The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stressed that the actual toll on Ukrainians was "considerably higher" but that obtaining reliable data from front line areas was difficult.Since the beginning of the war on 24 February, till 26 December, there were 17,831 civilian casualties recorded in the country: 6,884 ...

US Winter Storm Death Toll Rises to 56 New York, 27 Dec (ONA) --- At least 28 people have died in western New York state, most in Buffalo, and 56 in total as a massive winter storm continues to batter North America. A state official said some people had been trapped in cars for more than two days during what was "probably" the worst storm of their lifetime. Up to nine more inches (23cm) of snow are expected in parts of the state today, meteorologists warned. The storm has stretched from Canada to Mexico. The "bomb cyclone" winter storm, which occurs when atmospheric ...

Dozens Dead as Big Freeze Grips North AmericaNew York, 26 Dec (ONA) —- At least 38 deaths have now been linked to a severe Arctic freeze that continues to pummel the United States (US) and Canada.Local officials said 34 people died across the US, with the worst-hit area being the city of Buffalo, in New York state.Four fatalities occurred in Canada when a bus rolled over on an icy road near the town of Merritt, in the western province of British Columbia.The scope of the winter storm has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as the Rio Grande.Forecasters said the storm ...

North America Faces Mass Outages Due to Winter Storm Washington, 25 Dec (ONA) --- More than one million Americans and Canadians are facing severe cold weather without power as a massive winter storm continues to pummel North America. A bomb cyclone, when atmospheric pressure plummets, has brought snow, strong winds and freezing temperatures. Nearly 250 million are affected, and at least 19 deaths have been linked to the storm that extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Quebec to Texas, BBC news reported. Thousands of flights have been cancelled during ...

UK Old Trees Critical to Climate Change Fight London, 21 Dec (ONA) --- The study using lasers and 3D scanning showed that old trees in particular were critical to fighting climate change in the United Kingdom (UK). The research mapped almost 1,000 trees in Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire. "We've found significantly more carbon stored here," said Dr. Kim Calders, from Ghent University. An accurate calculation of the amount of carbon trapped in UK woodland could help inform decisions about how to manage it, in addition to highlighting the cost to the environment of losing that ...

Thai Navy Search for 31 Missing Sailors after Ship Sank Bangkok, 19 Dec (ONA) --- Thai navy ships and helicopters today searched for more than 30 sailors still missing more than 17 hours after their warship sank in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand. As of this afternoon, 75 sailors had been rescued and 31 were still missing, the navy said. The high waves that caused the accident had lessened since last night’s sinking, but were still high enough to endanger small boats, the navy said. --- Ends/Khalid ...

Winter Solstice in Oman on 22 DecemberMuscat, 18 Dec (ONA) —- The Sultanate of Oman will experience winter solstice from Thursday, 22 December 2022, astronomically considered the first day of winter season in the northern hemisphere. The phenomenon begins at 1:48 pm, Oman time, and it is thus the longest night and the shortest day of the year.Speaking about the phenomenon, Rayan Said Al Ruwaishdi, a member of Oman Astronomical Society, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that Thursday, the 22nd of December, being the shortest day of the year, and the night is the longest night in the calendar. ...

China Launches New Remote Sensing Satellite Xichang, China, 15 Dec (ONA) --- Today China launched a new remote sensing satellite into space from the Xichange Satellite Launch Centre in the province of Sichuan. The satellite, codenamed Yaogan-36, was launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered its planned orbit successfully. The launch was the 455th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. --- Ends/AG ...

Floods Leave Over a Hundred Casulties in Congo Kinshasa, 14 Dec (ONA) --- More than 120 people have been killed following the worst floods in years in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, authorities say.Major roads in the city centre were submerged as heavy rains continued for hours and several homes collapsed.Many of those who died were in hillside areas which suffered landslides.The death toll, which was first estimated to be at least 55, jumped to more than 120. ---Ends/Thuraiya/AG ...

Oman Sky Set to Receive Geminid Meteor Showers This WeekMuscat, 11 Dec (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman’s sky will experience the downpour of Geminids meteor showers, in twin radiant streaks from Gemini constellation. The display will peak on Tuesday night and the dawn of Wednesday this week. ---Ends/Bishara/Anas ...

Train Collision Outside Barcelona Injures ScoresMadrid, 7 Dec (ONA) --- At least 155 people have been injured after two trains collided on the outskirts of Barcelona in Spain, emergency services have said.The crash, which occurred took place at a station in Spain's north-eastern Catalonia region.Local media reported that the trains had been travelling in the same direction and collided while one was parked at the station.Catalan police are investigating how the incident occurred.Emergency services told reporters at the scene that 155 people had been injured in the collision, with 14 ...

Magnitude-5.2 Offshore Earthquake Occurs in the PhilippinesManila, 7 Dec (ONA) --- A magnitude-5.2 offshore earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea north of the Bicol Region today. The epicenter was about 38 km (24 miles) north-northeast of Sabang Indan.There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are possible over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories. --- ...

Earthquake Rocks Java and Bali Islands in IndonesiaBali, 6 Dec (ONA) --- A 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia's Java and Bali islands today, but there were no reports of casualties.The quake was felt strongly in the eastern Java town of Jember and the Kuta area on the resort island of Bali, according to the government's Earthquake and Tsunami Center.There was no threat of a tsunami, the center added.The temblor struck at 1.07 pm (0607 GMT), with the epicentre 223 kilometres south of Jember.A 5.6-magnitude quake last month left at least 321 people dead and 62,000 homes damaged in the ...

Newly Identified Dinosaur Had Unusual Physical Features: StudyBerlin, 29 Nov (ONA) ---- According to a new study, Transylvanosaurus platycephalus (flatheaded reptile from Transylvania) was discovered in western Romania, and was 2 meters long, a relatively small size for a dinosaur.Its skull bones were unearthed in a riverbed of the Haţeg Basin. Dinosaurs living there were smaller than their relatives elsewhere.The dinosaur’s bones were able to survive for tens of millions of years because the sediments of an ancient riverbed protected them.“If the dinosaur had died and simply ...

Death Toll Rises on Italian Ischia Island in Wake of Weekend Storm Ischia, Italy, 28 Nov (ONA) ---- The death toll following this weekend's storm on the southern Italian island of Ischia has risen to eight, authorities said.Rescue found an eighth fatality after Saturday night's severe storm. It was a man, according to a message posted by the fire brigade on Twitter today.The search team found him in Casamicciola, one of the towns in the north of the island hit hard by heavy rain and storms. This brought the number of people still missing down to four. --- ...

Lost Pigeon Species Rediscovered in Papua New Guinea Conakry, 27 Nov (ONA) --- It has been 140 years since scientists identified the black-naped pheasant pigeon in the mountainous tropical forests of Papua New Guinea’s Fergusson Island. Since then, the chicken-sized bird has been so elusive from detection.Now, it has been finally re-sighted — and captured it on camera for the first time ever — with just hours to spare on a scientific expedition aimed at finding the long-lost bird.Researchers are hailing the sighting as a “re-discovery” of a bird that is likely ...

Deadly Landslide Tears through Italian Island of Ischia Rome, 27 Nov (ONA) --- A number of people are feared to have been killed after a mudslide triggered by heavy rains swept away homes on the island of Ischia, near Naples. The torrent of mud and debris dislodged trees, engulfed buildings and dragged cars into the sea as it reached the coast early yesterday (Saturday). The body of a woman was reported to have been found under the mud, and several other people are still missing. The ANSA news agency, citing local police, said that buildings had been engulfed, with mud and ...

Scientists Examine Old Specimens of Wheat to Find Solutions for Increasing Demand, ChallengesLondon, 27 Nov (ONA) --- Scientists are examining 12,000 specimens of wheat and its relatives held in London’s Natural History Museum’s archives. The old varieties of wheat are stored in hundreds of old cardboard files in the museum. The most promising samples are having their genomes sequenced in a bid to identify the genetic secrets of hardier wheat varieties. Climate change and pests and diseases are believed to be putting the crop under pressure.The wheat samples are labelled in a ...

Death Toll from Indonesia Quake Climbs to 268 Jakarta, 22 Nov (ONA) --- The number of victims from a 5.1-magnitude earthquake that rocked the Indonesian island of Java has climbed to 268, the country’s National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure announced today. According to local authorities, another 151 people are currently listed as missing and over 1,000 have been injured in the disaster. It is also reported that more than 7,000 people are still unable to return to their homes following the quake. The epicenter of the 5.1-magnitude earthquake was pegged at 74 km ...

Algae Covering Millions of Square KM’s Wide May be Living Beneath Antarctica Washington, 21 Nov (ONA) --- Stunned scientists have discovered there may be as something as large as five million square kilometres living under Antarctica.While the frozen continent is generally thought of as a hostile climate - with only the likes of penguins, seals and fish able to survive there - researchers have now suggested something larger may be present in the icy waters.And until recently, there was belief that the algae appeared only in the summer as the layer of thick ice would prevent any ...

At Least 46 Dead in Indonesia EarthquakeJakarta, 21 (ONA) —- An earthquake shook Indonesia’s main island of Java today, killing at least 46 people, damaging dozens of buildings and sending residents into the capital’s streets for safety.The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.6 quake was centered in the Cianjur region in West Java province at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).“There are 46 dead people at the Cianjur regional hospital and around 700 injured people. Many were hurt because they were hit by collapsed buildings,” Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency ...

Temperature Change in Subpolar Region Not Sign of Climate Change: Study Florida, 17 Nov (ONA) --- Researchers discovered that a swath of cooling water in the subpolar region is unrelated to an ocean circulation slowdown. The pattern of temperature change in the world’s oceans may not be a sign of an impending abrupt climate change event, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Miami’s (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.In order to explore a pattern of temperature change in a region of water in the subpolar North Atlantic known ...