News

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, ...

Wildfires Threaten Unique Brazil Ecosystem Brasilia, 10 Jun (ONA) --- Firefighters are battling wildfires in Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland. The Pantanal is home to jaguars, giant anteaters and giant river otters. Close to 32,000 hectares have already been destroyed by the fires in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, local media report. Climate experts say this year's wildfire season has started earlier and is more intense than in previous years, BBC news reported. Firefighters said their efforts to extinguish the flames were being hampered by ...

China Launches First Open Marine Big-Data Service PlatformBeijing, 9 Jun (ONA) —- China launched its first open marine big-data service platform, dubbed Ocean Cloud, a ministry official said. Ocean Cloud is a national online service platform for marine data and information products, said director of the marine early warning and monitoring department with the Ministry of Natural Resources Wang Hua, according to Xinhua. It works to pool national data from the global ocean three-dimensional observation network, facilitate marine information connectivity among ...

70 People Injured in Tram Collision in RussiaMoscow, 6 Jun (ONA) —- About 70 people were injured, 40 of whom were taken to hospital, as a result of a collision between two trams in the Russian city of Kemerovo. Local authorities reported that a malfunction occurred in the brakes of one of the two trams, causing it to increase in speed and collide with the tram in front of it. Forty people were taken to the hospital, three of whom were in serious condition. A criminal case was thereby opened under the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements. ...

Indonesia's Mt. Ibu Volcano Erupts Twice, Spewing LavaJakarta, 6 Jun (ONA) —- Indonesia's Mount Ibu volcano erupted twice today, firing red bright lava and rocks, the country's volcanology agency PVMBG said.The volcano situated on the eastern island of Halmahera erupted twice today. The first eruption was at dawn, spewing incandescent lava and rocks as lightning flashes lit up its crater. The second eruption was in the morning, shooting volcanic ash as high as 1,200m."The alert status of the volcano is still level four or the highest," the agency said, banning any activities within 7 km of ...

12 Killed Due to Floods in South AfricaPretoria, 4 Jun (ONA) --- At least 12 people were killed as a result of the floods cause by heavy rains on the eastern coast of South Africa. Local authorities reported that nine people died in the Eastern Cape province, while more than two thousand people were evacuated from Nelson Mandela Bay. Near the coastal city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province, local government reported that five people died in the Metro town, which was the most affected, while dozens are receiving treatment for their injuries in health care ...

2 Pilots Killed in Training Plane Crash in Central TurkiyeAnkara, 4 Jun (ONA) --- The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced today that two pilots were killed after a training aircraft crashed in Kayseri province in central Turkiye. The ministry said in a statement that the two pilots were on a training flight, before their SF-260D plane which took off from an air base in Kayseri crashed. The causes of the plane crash are unknown yet. --- ...

Death Toll Rises to Five in Southern Germany FloodsBerlin, 4 Jun (ONA) --- The number of known fatalities as a result of the flooding in Germany's south has risen to five, according to local police. A woman died after her car slipped off a road today amid flooding in the small Bavarian town of Markt Rettenbach, police said. The 57-year-old's body was later recovered from the scene. According to initial investigations, she was on a flooded road near Markt Rettenbach after driving past a warning barrier. In the closed-off section, the car slid sideways off the road into ...

Heat Kills More Than 50 People in India in Three Days Delhi, 3 Jun (ONA) --- More than 50 people have died in India over the past three days as a brutal heat spell continues to grip parts of the country. Around 33 people died in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend due to the heat. These included people involved in the general election, including polling officials, security guards and sanitation staff – last Saturday was the last phase of voting. In Odisha (Orissa) state, about 20 people died due to heat stroke, officials said. Every five years, ...

Ten Died, 6 Missing Due to Floods in Sri LankaColombo, 3 Jun (ONA) --- At least 10 people were dead and six others were missing due to heavy rains that caused floods and mudslides in many parts of Sri Lanka, authorities said. An official from Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center said that heavy rains caused devastation in many parts of the country, submerging homes, fields and roads, which forced local authorities to cut off electricity as a precaution. At least six people died after being swept away and drowned in the capital, Colombo, and the remote Ratnapura ...

Pilot Died, Another Injured as Two Planes Collide at Portugal Air ShowLisbon, 3 Jun (ONA) --- A pilot was killed and another was injured, after two small planes collided during an air show in southern Portugal. The accident occurred over an air base in Beja district, located 180 km south of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, while six aircraft were performing air shows. Portuguese Air Force said that one plane collided with another and then caught fire, killing its Spanish pilot, while the second pilot was able to land on the airport runway. There were no ...

Sri Lanka Issues Major Flood Alert as Rains Continue Colombo, 2 Jun (ONA) --- Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center (DMC) issued a major flood alert in the outskirts of capital Colombo and several other areas of the island as heavy rains lashed across the country today. The Irrigation Department said that due to heavy rains since the early hours today, water levels in the main Kelani River on the outskirts of Colombo and the Gin River in the south of Sri Lanka had reached spill levels. The DMC said it had advised families living in low-lying areas to evacuate to ...

Indonesia’s Mount Ibu Erupts Again, Spewing Thick, Gray Ash High into the Air Jakarta, 2 Jun (ONA) --- Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupted again today and spewed thick, gray ash 7,000 meters (16,000 feet) into the air, local officials said. The volcano, which is located on an island in the eastern North Maluku province, erupted for more than six minutes, according to Indonesia’s Geology Agency. A column of ash could be seen rising high into the sky. It spewed out material including volcanic ash and sand. At the time of the eruption, the wind was blowing to the ...

Over 600 People Evacuated Due to Floods in GermanyBerlin, 2 Jun (ONA) --- Heavy rains have caused flooding in southern Germany, prompting the evacuation of over 600 people from their homes. Local media said that continuous rainfall led to high water levels in many rivers in Germany, besides widespread floods in coastal cities and towns, which prompted German Weather Service to issue the highest level of weather warnings for several regions in southern Germany. German Interior Minister Nancy Weiser said that 520 volunteers working for the Federal Agency for ...

Temperatures Cross 50C in Northern India Delhi, 29 May (ONA) --- Temperatures have crossed 50C (120F) in parts of northern and central India as the country grapples with extreme heatwave conditions. This week, more than 37 cities in the country recorded temperatures over 45C (113F). Today, temperature in the capital Delhi hit a record-breaking 52.3C (126.1F). India's weather office has issued a severe heatwave alert for parts of the city. Churu in the western state of Rajasthan and Sirsa in the northern Haryana state were among the hottest places in the country, with ...

Thousands of Americans without Power due to Severe Weather Washington, 28 (ONA) --- Nearly 200,000 people across several American states remain without power after an onslaught of deadly tornadoes and thunderstorms. The severe weather killed at least 23 people over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, injuring hundreds of others and leaving a path of destruction across a swathe of the US, BBC news reported. Forecasters are continuing to warn of strong thunderstorms and flash flooding across northern and central parts of Texas. Meanwhile, southern areas of the state are ...

Papua New Guinea Disaster Agency Fears 2,000 Dead after LandslidePort Moresby, 27 May (ONA) —- Papua New Guinea's disaster agency has said more than 2,000 people could be buried under the rubble after a landslide last Friday. "The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction to buildings," an official from the country's National Disaster Centre said in a letter to the United Nations. Several villages in the province of Enga were hit when part of a mountain collapsed in the early hours of Friday in the remote central highlands of Papua ...

Tornadoes Leave over 15 People Dead across Central USWashington, 27 May (ONA) —- At least 15 people have been killed in tornadoes that ravaged the states of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas in the central United States overnight, destroying homes and plunging thousands into darkness amid rising temperatures. The death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue operations were underway for some people who remained missing, according to news reports. Officials said multiple people were transported to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter in Denton County in ...

Bangladesh Evacuates Thousands as Severe Cyclone Approaches from Bay of Bengal Dhaka, 26 May (ONA) --- Bangladesh evacuated nearly 800,000 people from vulnerable areas today as the country and neighboring India awaited the arrival of a severe cyclone that has formed over the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is expected to cross Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal coasts around midnight. The India Meteorological Department said it is expected to reach maximum wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph), with gusts up to 135 kph (85 mph) hitting West Bengal’s Sagar ...

UN Fears About 670 People Buried Under Landslide in Papua New Guinea Enga, 26 May (ONA) --- About 670 people are estimated to be buried under a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea, a UN official said. The head of the International Organization for Migration in Papua New Guinea, Serhan Aktoprak, said the impact of Friday's landslide in the country's isolated Enga province was greater than initially thought. "There are an estimated 150-plus houses now buried," Aktoprak said. The affected areas are in the highlands of Enga, in the north of the island nation in the ...

Rare Blue-eyed Cicada Insect Sighted in Chicago, USAIllinois, 26 May (ONA) --- A rare blue-eyed Cicada insect was sighted in the Morton Arboretum’s Children’s Garden in Illinois, the United States of America.Few saw the cicada at the arboretum before its release back into suburban Chicago to join its red-eyed relatives.The common look of cicadas is having red eyes, which makes the insect observed in the arboretum a rare sighting.Periodical cicadas emerge every 13 or 17 years. Only the 17-year brood is beginning to show so far in spots as far north in Illinois as Lisle, where three ...

Tornado Overturns Trucks, Damages Homes in Texas, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, 26 May (ONA) --- A tornado touched down and crossed an interstate in Texas, causing damage and possible injuries as scattered severe storms moved through Texas and Oklahoma, the United States of America. Forecasters issued tornado and severe thunder storm warnings for parts of both states, as some heat records were broken during the day in South Texas and residents received triple-digit temperature warnings, the Associated Press reported. A tornado crossed into northern Denton County in Texas late ...

Climate Change Linked to Historic Antarctic Sea Ice Loss, Study Finds London, 20 May (ONA) --- A new study by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has linked record-low levels of Antarctic sea ice in 2023 to climate change. Researchers found that such an extreme event would be expected once in 2,000 years without climate change, but its likelihood increases fourfold due to climate effects. By analyzing 18 climate models, the BAS team determined that the significant ice loss witnessed in 2023 was a "very rare event." They concluded that without climate change, ...

Heavy Rains Set off Flash Floods in Northern Afghanistan, Killing at Least 47 People Kabul, 19 May (ONA) --- More heavy rains in Afghanistan have triggered flash floods, raising the death toll to 47 in the country’s north following weeks of devastating torrents that had already left hundreds dead and missing. The new round of heavy rains and floods hit three districts in Faryab province last night, destroying houses and farmlands. Earlier reports from Faryab put the death toll at 18 but officials said those were still preliminary figures. Afghanistan has ...

Eruption of Indonesia's Mt. Ibu Forces Villages to Evacuate inMaluku Island Jakarta, 19 May (ONA) --- Mount Ibu volcano has spectacularly erupted, spewing a grey ash cloud into the sky, and people from seven nearby villages have been evacuated, Indonesian authorities said today. A four-kilometer-high volcanic ash cloud formed by the eruption of Mount Ibu last night triggered flashes of lightning that illuminated the volcano's peak, said Indonesian news agency Antara. "The sound of rumbling and roaring was heard up to the Mount Ibu observation post with lightning seen in the ...

Meta Faces EU Investigation Over Child Safety Risks Brussels, 16 May (ONA)---European Union (EU) regulators have initiated a formal investigation into Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over potential breaches of online content rules concerning child safety. The European Commission expressed concerns about algorithmic systems on these platforms that could exploit children's vulnerabilities and stimulate addictive behavior. Investigators will scrutinize whether these systems contribute to a "rabbit hole" effect, leading users to increasingly ...

Scientists Solve Mystery of Ancient 'Tree of Life' London, 16 May (ONA)--- Scientists have unlocked the ancient mystery surrounding the origins of baobab trees, the iconic giants native to Madagascar. The migration of these trees from Madagascar to mainland Africa and Australia has long puzzled scientists. Through DNA studies, researchers have traced the baobab lineage back to Madagascar around 21 million years ago. Known for their distinctive swollen trunks and ability to thrive in arid climates, baobabs have played crucial roles in their ecosystems for ...