News

Russia Studies Climate Change in Arctic Regions Moscow, 28 Jul (ONA) - The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences announced that Russian experts will conduct studies on climate change in the Arctic regions.In a statement, the Institute indicated that the famous Russian research vessel Mstislav Keldysh set off from Murmansk on an expedition to the Barents and Kara Seas to study greenhouse gas emissions, as part of the National Climate Monitoring Program.The scientists will conduct research on numerous fields which will be implemented under a most important ...

Nineteen People Reported Missing After Boat Capsizes in Northern Ethiopia Addis Ababa, 28 Jul (ONA) --- As many as 19 people were reported missing following a boat capsized in northern Ethiopia according to local media. The boat, which was carrying 26 people, sank in the Tekeze River in the northern Amhara region. Seven people, including a child, were rescued from the river. The child suffered serious injuries and is currently receiving medical care at a nearby health facility. Two dead bodies were recovered while search operations continue, the Xinhua news agency ...

Six Persons Died Due to Landslide in Central China Beijing, 28 Jul (ONA) --- At least six people were found dead and six others injured after a devastating rain-triggered landslide struck Yuelin Village in the city of Hengyang, central China's Hunan Province, local authorities said.The landslide occurred today morning and washed away part of a residential house, causing 18 people to be buried, local authorities said. Rescue efforts are still underway. --- ...

Firefighters Put Out Fire at Oil Refinery in KoreaSeoul, 28 Jul (ONA) --- South Korean firefighters put out a fire today at a factory of S-Oil, a major oil refining company, about three hours after it broke out.According to local firefighters, no causalities were reported as the fire erupted at early hours of the morning, with photos showing dense flames rising from the plant.Ulsan fire chief said that firefighters were burning off remaining hazardous materials in a pipe after the production line valve was closed.The S-Oil plant is located in Ulsan, some 300 kilometers southeast of ...

Electric Cars Worldwide Jumps by Half To 42m Berlin, 28 Jul (ONA) ---- The number of electric cars is continuing to rise rapidly worldwide, according to the latest research out of Germany.The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) reported today that there were around 42 million cars with electric motors at the end of 2023 - some 50% more than a year earlier.This figure includes purely electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles with a range extender.According to the ZSW, there were 23.4 million of these cars in China, more than half of the ...

Floods Hit Philippine Capital Manila, 25 Jul (ONA) --- Floods today hit the Philippine capital after deadly Typhoon Gaemi worsened torrential monsoon rains that lashed the area, trapping thousands of people in rising flood waters and causing widespread damage.Continuous heavy rains, massive flooding and landslides across the Philippines killed at least 13 people and displaced more than 600,000, and an oil tanker capsized off the country’s coast during strong winds and high waves, Philippine authorities said today.Unlike in Taiwan, the typhoon – known locally as Carina – ...

Ethiopia Landslides Death Toll Rises to 257: UNNew York, 25 Jul (ONA) --- Deaths from landslides in Ethiopia have reached 257, with the final toll expected to approach 500, according to the United Nations Office (UN) for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).The UN agency released the figures today after the landslides in the mountainous Gofa zone in southern Ethiopia, the first triggered by heavy rains on Monday, the second engulfing those who had gathered to rescue people.The revised death toll is an increase of 28 on figures provided yesterday.Hundreds of people combed ...

UN Agencies: Hunger Affects about 9 Percent of World's Population in 2023New York, 24 Jul (ONA) --- United Nations agencies has announced that conflicts, economic turmoil, and climate contributed to disrupting efforts to reduce hunger last year (2023), affecting about nine percent of the world's population. The United Nations agencies (Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated, in a joint ...

Crew Dead Following Helicopter Crash in RussiaMoscow, 25 Jul (ONA) --- The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the crash of a Mi-28 helicopter in the western Oblast of Kaluga, and the death of its crew. "An Mi-28 helicopter crashed in the Kaluga Region while performing a routine flight. The helicopter went down in a deserted area. There is no destruction on the ground. The crew was killed," the ministry said. According to the military statement, a technical malfunction was likely to blame. --- ...

China Activates Emergency Response to Floods in Beijing, HebeiBeijing, 25 Jul (ONA) --- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Beijing and Hebei Province. Heavy to torrential rains are forecast in Beijing and neighboring Hebei Province, with heavy downpours and short-term intense rainfall in some regions, until tomorrow (Friday). The headquarters warned that the continuous rainfall has a high risk of causing disasters. China's National Meteorological Center advised local governments to ...

Heavy Rains in India’s Gujarat Leave 9 Dead Gujarat, India, 25 Jul (ONA) --- Nine people died, and hundreds evacuated to safety as torrential rain continued to lash various parts of Gujarat state in India.According to a statement issued by the Indian government, 74 districts of the state have received more than 500mm of rainfall. It added that 4,238 people were relocated, and 535 were rescued from seven districts.Alok Pandey, relief commissioner, said that rescue operations are ongoing in Dwarka and Surat, with efforts to assist affected residents and manage the ...

Taiwan Grounds Flights as it Braces for Typhoon Gaemi Taipei, 24 Jul (ONA) --- Taiwan is bracing for the arrival of powerful Typhoon Gaemi, which is expected to make landfall on the island's North East coast later today. The storm - the first typhoon of the season to affect the island - has led to the cancellation of parts of its largest annual military drills. Almost all domestic flights have been cancelled, along with more than 200 international flights, according to the transport ministry, BBC news reported. On its way to Taiwan, Gaemi also brought relentless rains ...

Desperate Search in Ethiopia for Landslide Survivors Addis Ababa, 24 Jul (ONA) --- The search for those engulfed by landslides in southern Ethiopia continues with people using shovels and their bare hands to dig through mud as fears grow that the number of dead could rise beyond the 229 bodies already found. Drones are being used by emergency teams to search for possible survivors in a remote mountainous area of the Gofa zone. The head of the UN’s humanitarian office in Ethiopia (Ocha) said that heavy rains caused a landslide on Sunday evening. A second one occurred on ...

Nine Dead after Spanish Fishing Boat Sinks off Falklands Madrid, 24 Jul (ONA) --- Nine people have died and four more are missing after a Spanish fishing boat sank in the South Atlantic Ocean, a Spanish government official has said. The 27-member crew abandoned the Argos Georgia and took to life rafts when it started taking on water last Monday, about 200 nautical miles off the coast of the Falkland Islands, BBC news reported. Pedro Blanco, the Spanish government's representative in the north-western region of Galicia, said that 14 of those on board had ...

Plane Crash in Nepal Kills 18 PersonsKathmandu, 24 Jul (ONA) --- At least 18 people were killed in a civilian plane crash while trying to take off from Tribhuvan International Airport in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu today. Nepalese media reported that the Suriya Airlines plane crashed this morning, noting that firefighters and police were participating in rescue efforts. The flight was on its way to Pokhara, which is an important tourist destination in the Himalayan country. The air crew was among the 19 individuals who were on board the plane, and the pilot of ...

Over 4500 Relocated as Downpours Lash Northwest ChinaBeijing, 24 Jul (ONA) --- Over 4,500 people had been evacuated after torrential rains lashed Longnan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, Chinese authorities said today. Heavy rains hit Longnan from Monday to Tuesday, with a maximum precipitation of 188 mm, according to Longnan meteorological observatory. Mountain torrents, landslides, mudslides, and other disasters triggered by heavy rains shut down 14 highways and caused damages to residential houses and farmlands. Four out of 14 interrupted ...

Philippines Suspends Work, Schools in Manila Due to Typhoon GaemiManila, 24 July (ONA) --- The Philippine authorities today issued an order to suspend work , schools, as well currency and stock trading, after the country experienced heavy rainfall due to Typhoon Gaemi and monsoon winds. The presidential office has suspended classes at all academic levels and work in most government offices in the capital area, which is home to at least 13 million people. The Philippine weather agency reported that Typhoon Gaemi (with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h) is ...

Colombia to Ban Bullfighting Bogota, 23 Jul (ONA) ---- President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has signed a law banning bullfighting in the country."We cannot tell the world that killing living and sentient beings for entertainment is culture," Petro said yesterday at a ceremony attended by hundreds of animal rights activists in a Bogotá bullfighting arena.The bullfighting arena will become a stage for "culture, sport, life and not death," the president said. The country now has three years to convert bullfighting arenas into culture and art centres.The workers who earned ...

Over 26,000 Tourists Evacuated from Chinese Tourist Island as Typhoon Prapiroon ApproachesBeijing, 22 Jul (ONA) --- Local authorities on a tourist island in the Guangxi region in southern China evacuated more than 26,000 tourists as the fourth typhoon of the year approaches. The Maritime Safety Administration of Beihai City, which manages the island, said that the last group of tourists boarded a ferry to leave Weizhou Island yesterday, Sunday. The ferry service linking the city to the island is halted today and tomorrow (Tuesday), Chinese Xinhua news agency ...

Rain-triggered Floods Kill at Least Eight in ChinaBeijing, 21 Jul (ONA) —- At least eight people have died after heavy rainfall caused flooding in south-western China, the Xinhua news agency reported today. More than 30 people are still missing after flash floods hit south-west China's Sichuan province, Xinhua said. Rescue work was continuing with more than 400 emergency personnel at the scene. China regularly experiences torrential rainfall, especially during the summer months.—- ...

Road Accident in Bolivia Kills 22 Persons, Injures 16 OthersLa Paz, Jul 21 (ONA) —- A traffic accident in Bolivia left 22 people dead and 16 others injured. The head-on collision between a truck and a bus took place on a highway in the Bolivian Andes, between the Bolivian town of Patacamaya and the town of Tambo Quemado in northern Chile, according to the Bolivian police. The bus had been heading toward Chile on the busy commercial and tourism route linking the two South American countries. Initial investigation showed that the truck had crossed into the opposite lane ...

Earthquake of 6.2 Magnitude Strikes Near GuatemalaGuatemala, Jul 21 (ONA) —- An earthquake measuring 6.2 magnitude on the Richter scale struck near Guatemala today. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the earthquake occurred seven kilometers southwest of the city of San Pedro Pinola, at a depth of 265.5 km. There have been no reports of casualties or material damage due to the earthquake.—- ...

Rain-triggered Landslides Halt Traffic in Northwest China ProvinceBeijing, 17 Jul (ONA) --- Heavy downpours have caused roadside landslides and mudflows, leading to traffic disruptions in Baoji, a city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Local authorities said traffic was interrupted on sections of two highways and an expressway in Baoji, but no casualties have been reported so far, Xinhua news agency reported. The province activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control, the Chinese news agency added. Baoji received an average precipitation of ...

25 Dead in Peruvian Andes after Bus Plummets off CliffLima, 17 Jul (ONA) --- At least 25 people were killed and 17 injured in Peru after a bus crashed while traveling through a mountainous area in the Andes. The bus skidded off a highway in Peru's Andean Ayacucho region, overturning and plummeting down a slope of about 200 meters, said the head of the highway protection division. The police said that early information indicated there were 42 passengers in the bus and that rescue work was ongoing. In April, 25 people died when a bus fell into a river in the ...

Sweeping Floods in the Philippines Kill FiveManila, July 16 (ONA) --- At least five people were killed by the landslides and sweeping floods that struck the city of Zamboanga, south of the Philippines. A spokesperson for the local disaster response agency said that four people died due to landslides, while another person died due to drowning. He added that the landslides and floods were caused by heavy rains, which came to affect at least 4,000 families. Zamboanga is one of five regions in Mindanao that witnessed floods and landslides over the weekend, affecting more ...

UN Report: Global Population to Peak in mid-2080sNew York, 16 Jul (ONA) --- A United Nations (UN) report revealed that the global population is expected to reach its peak earlier than previously anticipated, with the population starting to decline by the mid-2080s. The UN report on birth projections, issued biennially, stated that the global population is expected to peak at 10.3 billion by the mid-2080s, compared to the current level of 8.2 billion. However, the global population density is expected to decline to 10.2 billion by 2100, which is about 6 percent lower than ...

Earthquake of Magnitude 4.6 Strikes Fiji Islands Suva, 16 Jul (ONA) --- An earthquake measuring 4.6 magnitude on the Richter scale struck today the islands of Fiji, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The epicenter of the earthquake occurred 308.9 km east of Levuka at a depth of 589.8 km, the US Geological Survey reported. Fiji Islands are located in an area called the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean, which is exposed from time to time to many aftershocks and earthquakes that may be strong. --- Ends/AG ...

Intense Heat Buckles Railway Tracks in Greece as Athens Boils Athens, 15 Jul (ONA) --- Intense heat across Greece is having an ever greater impact on people's everyday lives and there is no end to the high temperatures in sight. "We are expecting 43 degrees and more in the next few days," said a meteorologist from the Greek television station ERT today, as temperatures reached 38 degrees Celcius by the early afternoon. The effects of the heat have been felt across the country for several days, with the tracks of the suburban railway in the western port city of Patras ...

Dozens Injured in Bull Runs at Pamplona's San Fermín FestivalPamplona, Spain, 14 Jul (ONA) --- The renowned San Fermín festival drew to a close in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona today, with seven further people receiving injuries during the traditional running of the bulls. The eight and final bull run of the festival, which begins every year on 7 July, saw seven people suffer minor injuries such as bruises and concussions, the TV station RTVE reported. In total, 36 runners were hospitalized in this year's festival. The final bull run started at 8 am with ...

Indonesia's Landslide Casualties Rise to 23Jakarta, 11 Jul (ONA) —- Authorities in Indonesia have revealed that the death toll from the rains-induced landslide in the central province of Sulawesi has risen to 23, in addition to dozens of missing people. Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported that heavy rains stopped search operations for 30 people believed to have been trapped under a landslide that engulfed an unauthorized gold mine on the southern island of Sulawesi. According to the agency, 92 people managed to escape the ...