News

Two Died in Heavy Rains in South KoreaSeoul, 10 Jul (ONA) --- Torrential rainfall battered South Korea's southern regions today, leaving two people dead, local authorities said. "It was a level of severity seen once in about 200 years," (Yonhap) News Agency quoted a weather agency official as saying. Torrential rains also led to the cancellation of 21 flights at Gimhae International Airport in the southeastern port city of Busan and delays for 16 others. All train services on the Janghang Line in South Chungcheong Province and the Gyeongbuk Line in ...

18 Died in Traffic Collision in IndiaNew Delhi, 10 Jul (ONA) --- At least 18 people were killed and 19 others were injured after the bus they were traveling in collided with a tanker in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India today. The accident occurred on the AgraLucknow Expressway near Gadha village in Unnao district, about 68 km west of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. According to local police sources, the double-decker bus that was on its way from Sitamarhi in Bihar to Delhi collided with a tanker from behind. The police registered the case ...

Chemical Explosion Ignites Massive Blaze in Melbourne Factory, AustraliaCanberra, 10 Jul (ONA) --- A massive fire broke out in a factory in the Australian city of Melbourne today, as a result of a chemical explosion. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the fire in the suburb of Derrimut in Melbourne to combat the rising flames, as thick black smoke covered the sky of the area. Local media reported that more than 30 fire trucks were present at the scene of the accident, including air units. According to local police sources, there were several 44-gallon ...

Storm Beryl Kills Eight, Cuts Power for Millions Texas, 9 Jul (ONA) --- At least eight people have died after Hurricane Beryl slammed into south-east Texas and Louisiana, knocking out power for nearly three million people. Beryl hit the southern United States on Monday morning as a category one hurricane, but it has since been downgraded to a tropical depression. Local officials warned of destructive winds, up to 15in (38cm) of rains and "life-threatening" storm surges. More than 1,100 flights were cancelled at Houston's main airport on Monday. Some 2.3 ...

Turkiye's First Satellite (Turksat A6) Launched into SpaceAnkara, 9 Jul (ONA) --- Turkiye's first homegrown communications satellite, Turksat 6A, was successfully launched from the US state of Florida by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The launching was realized from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The 4.25-ton satellite will operate at the 42 degrees East orbital position and its service life will be 15 years in orbit. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that with Turksat 6A, Turkiye reached a new phase in the production of satellites. ...

Massive Floods Affect Millions across South Asia New Delhi, 8 Jul (ONA) --- Massive floods have swept through swathes of India, Nepal and Bangladesh in recent days, killing scores of people and affecting millions of others. Large-scale rescue operations are under way, with authorities directing thousands to shelters while sending food and supplies to those who are stranded. Major rivers including the Brahmaputra and the Koshi, which flow through several countries, have overflowed their banks due to heavy rains, BBC news reported. Floods and landslides are not uncommon ...

Gold Mine Landslide in Indonesia Kills 12, Leaves 18 MissingJakarta, 8 Jul (ONA) --- Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure announced today that at least 12 people died, and 18 others are missing, as a result of a landslide in a gold mine in the province of South Sulawesi in the center of the country. An official at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said that the landslide, which occurred in the Suwawa area of Gorontalo province, led to the death of the mine workers and some residents living near it. Five survivors were evacuated, while ...

Ten Die during Fire in Nursing Home in UruguayMontevideo, 8 Jul (ONA) --- Ten people died in a fire in a nursing home in Treinta y Tres, eastern Uruguay. Eight women and two men died from the blaze at the six-roomed facility in Treinta y Tres' city center, according to an official statement. Uruguay's authorities concerned opened an investigation into the causes and circumstances of this incident. --- ...

6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan's Ogasawara Islands Tokyo, 8 Jul (ONA) --- An earthquake measuring 6.3 magnitude on the Richter scale struck off the western coast of the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean, south of the Japanese capital, Tokyo today. Japan Meteorological Agency said that the epicenter of the quake was at a depth of 530 km, measuring 3 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Ogasawara Village. With no tsunami threat from the earthquake, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Japan is located at the meeting point of ...

9 Killed Due to Hurricane Beryl in JamaicaKingston, 4 Jul (ONA) --- Hurricane Beryl swept through Jamaica, uprooting trees and roofs and destroying farms after it passed through the Caribbean islands. The number of deaths as a result of the powerful Category 4 hurricane rose to at least nine people, but it is expected to increase with the return of telecommunications across the sunken islands that were damaged by torrents and stormy winds. Airports in the capital, Kingston, and the popular tourist resort of Montego Bay were closed. Deaths and damage ...

Hurricane Beryl Roars toward Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica, 3 Jul (ONA) --- Hurricane Beryl was roaring toward Jamaica, with islanders scrambling to make preparations after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least six people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean. In Kingston, people boarded up windows, fishermen pulled their boats out of the water before sitting around a table to play dominoes beside a bay, and workers dismantled roadside advertising boards to protect them from the expected lashing winds to come. A hurricane warning was ...

Oman Stresses Need to Find Practical, Innovative Solutions to Address Negative Impacts of Climate ChangeGeneva, 2 Jul (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman today called for finding practical, innovative solutions to tackle the negative impacts of climate change. Oman proposed the compilation of a database about areas that are most vulnerable to related damage in the near, medium and long future.Oman made the plea in a speech during an annual conference about the negative effects of climate change, held as part of events of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council. The speech was ...

5-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Maluku Province in IndonesiaJakarta, 2 Jul (ONA) - An earthquake measuring 5 magnitude on the Richter scale struck today Maluku Province in Indonesia.Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said that the epicenter of the earthquake was 226 km from the Tanimbar Islands, at a depth of 163 km.There have been no reports of material damage or human losses due to the earthquake so far. --- ...

Five Died in Small Plane Crash in New YorkWashington, 2 Jul (ONA) --- Five members of one family died when their small plane crashed in a wooded area in upstate New York in the United States of America.The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the single-engine Piper BA-46 plane crashed after taking off from Alfred Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta.New York State Police explained that the victims were from Georgia, and the wreckage of the plane was found in the town of Masonville, 200 km northwest of New York.The Federal Aviation Administration and the National ...

Earthquake of 4.8 Magnitude Strikes Kermadec Islands Off New Zealand CoastWellington, 2 Jul (ONA) - An earthquake measuring 4.8 magnitude on the Richter scale struck today the Kermadec Islands off the coast of New Zealand.The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km.There have been no reports of human losses or material damage as a result of the earthquake so far.The Kermadec Islands are located about 1,000 km northeast of the North Island of New Zealand and are frequently subjected to strong earthquakes. --- ...

7 Injured in Shooting in US State of NebraskaWashington, 1 Jul (ONA) --- At least seven people, including four children, were injured in a shooting incident that took place in the city of Crete, in the US state of Nebraska.Local police said that a 74-year-old man opened fire on his neighbors from inside his house, wounding seven people, including four children, before committing suicide.The injured adults were between 22 and 43 years old, while the children were between 3 and 10 years old, police clarified.The police said that investigations are underway to determine the motives and ...

5-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Coast of Northern Mariana Islands Saipan, 1 Jul (ONA) --- An earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale struck today the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean.The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake occurred 149 km from Saipan, at a depth of 10 km.There have been no reports of casualties or material losses due to the earthquake so far.In November 2022, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Pagan region in the Mariana Islands, at a depth of 40 km. --- Ends/AH ...

Heavy Rains Cause Flooding in Eastern Czech Republic Prague, 1 Jul (ONA) ---- Heavy rains have caused flooding in the east of the Czech Republic, the emergency services reported today.There were more than 300 callouts in Zlín, an industrial city some 250 kilometres south-east of Prague near the border with Slovakia, with pumps being used to drain cellars and ground floors and fallen trees cleared from roads, they said.In the village of Sazovice to the west of Zlín, the water rose to up to 1 metre on the streets. A dozen people had to be taken to safety from their homes.In Racková, ...

Eleven Dead in New Delhi Due to Heavy RainNew Delhi, 30 Jun (ONA) --- The death toll from the abrupt heavy rains in the New Delhi, India, has now reached 11, with hundreds more affected by the downpour.New Delhi experienced record-breaking rainfall last week, with precipitation levels in a single day surpassing the city’s entire month’s average.The Indian capital recorded over 228mm of rainfall on Friday, the highest for a single day in June since 1936.The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert in the capital, with heavy rains predicted for today and ...

Earthquake of 4.8 Magnitude Hits Papua New GuineaPort Moresby, 30 Jun (ONA) ---- An earthquake measuring 4.8 magnitude on the Richter scale hit Papua New Guinea today.The epicenter of the quake occurred 128 km from the city of Madang, at a depth of 207.4 km, US Geological Survey reported.There have been no reports of casualties or material damage as a result of the quake.Papa New Guinea is located in the so-called Ring of Fire, a region that extends along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, which is characterized by high seismic and volcanic activity. This region includes 90 percent of ...

Storms, Heavy rains Wreak Havoc in Parts of SwitzerlandGeneva, 26 Jun (ONA) —- Thunderstorms and heavy rains have caused flooding in Switzerland near Basel, in Geneva, and in the canton of Vaud on Lake Geneva, local authorities reported. Last night, police in the canton south of Basel received several hundred reports of flooded basements, power outages and other water damage. Today, the situation calmed down. In Geneva, severe thunderstorms and heavy rains led to a two-hour suspension of flight operations. Last week, a landslide after heavy rainfall swept away ...

Earthquake of 5.6 Magnitude Strikes Japanese Hachijojima Island Tokyo, 25 Jun (ONA) --- An earthquake measuring 5.6 magnitude on the Richter scale struck Hachijojima Island, Japan.Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that the earthquake occurred in the sea adjacent to the island at a depth of 40 km, explaining that no warning had been issued about the possibility of tsunami waves.Japan often witnesses earthquakes, as it is located on the Ring of Fire in the Pacific region, in which intense seismic activity is recorded that extends across Southeast Asia to the Pacific basin. ...

20 Bodies Found at Battery Plant Fire Site in S. KoreaSeoul, 24 Jun (ONA) - About 20 bodies were found at the site of a lithium battery plant fire in Hwaseong, south of Seoul today. Local authorities announced earlier that one worker was killed and three others were injured in the blaze. According to firefighters, the bodies found at the site are believed to be among 23 people unaccounted for in the fire, amid fears the death toll could rise further. The fire reportedly occurred for unknown reasons at the three-story, reinforced concrete building with a total floor ...

Major Power Cut Disrupts Manchester Airport Flights Manchester, 23 Jun (ONA) --- Passengers have been told to stay away from Manchester Airport after a "major" power cut disrupted a significant number of flights. The warning for those travelling through Terminals 1 and 2 comes after the outage hit in the early hours, affecting baggage and security systems. Large queues have formed inside the airport, which is the UK's largest outside London, and more than 10 outbound flights have been cancelled and inbound flights diverted, with more disruption expected through the day, BBC ...

Eight Missing after Landslide in Rain-Drenched Central China CountyBeijing, 23 Jun (ONA) --- Eight people are missing after a landslide in central China's Hunan Province early today. Local authorities said that the landslide happened in Douxi Village, Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County of Huaihua City. It led to the collapse of four houses, according to China's News Agency (Xinhua). All other people at the site have been relocated to safe areas, and rescue work is underway. The county has been hit by heavy rains. Two days ago, China announced that 38 people were killed, ...

China Launches Astronomical Satellite to Capture Gamma-Ray Bursts Beijing, 23 Jun (ONA) --- The People’s Republic of China launched an astronomical satellite, a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwest Sichuan Province, the result of nearly 20 years of hard work between Chinese and French scientists, to capture gamma-ray bursts which flicker like fireworks in the farthest reaches of the universe. "We are looking forward to some important discoveries, such as the earliest gamma-ray bursts that occurred when the universe was still in its ...

Emergency State Declared in Florida Due to Heavy RainfallWashington, 13 Jun (ONA) —- Governor of the US state of Florida Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in many counties in the state, including (Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota), due to the continued heavy rains falling in parts of south Florida. The National Weather Service in Miami said parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, including Hallandale and Hollywood, were still experiencing life-threatening flooding affecting homes, companies and roads. Both Broward and Miami-Dade ...

Over 1.5 Million Foreign Hajj Pilgrims Arrive in Saudi Arabia Makkah, 12 Jun (ONA) --- More than 1.5 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage of Hajj from all over the world. In a statement carried by Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi General Directorate of Passports announced the arrival of 1,547,295 pilgrims during the current Hajj season and they came through all the Kingdom's air, land and sea ports. The overwhelming majority of foreign pilgrims came by air and their number reached 1,483,312, while the number of pilgrims, who ...

1 Killed, Dozens Injured in Arms Factory Explosion in PolandWarsaw, 11 Jun (ONA) --- One person was killed and dozens injured, as a result of an explosion that occurred in a weapons factory in the city of Skarzysko-Kamiina, in southeastern Poland. Director of the Mesko Arms Factory, Elisbieta Sreniawska, said that the explosion that occurred at the factory killed a worker and injured dozens of employees, adding that something exploded in the missile fuel center, which led to a fire breaking out after the explosion. Polish authorities indicated that the causes of ...

Russian SU-34 Warplane Crashes during Training Mission, Crew KilledMoscow, 11 Jun (QNA) --- The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a SU-34 plane crashed in the mountains of North Ossetia, and its crew was killed while carrying out a training flight due to a technical malfunction. A SU-34 aircraft belonging to the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed in the mountains of North Ossetia during a scheduled training sortie, killing its crew, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The plane crashed in a deserted area and did not cause damage on the ground, ...