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Extreme weather events claimed the lives of more than 1.4 lakh people in the last 50 years, with deaths due to occurrences like heat waves and lightning witnessing a rise, according to a paper by country's top meteorologists. IMAGE: According to the paper in the past 50 years, 65,130 people were killed in 3,175 incidents of floods. Photograph: PTI Photo The paper also stated that the period from 1970-2019 recorded 7,063 extreme weather events --- heat waves, cold waves, floods, lightning and tropical cyclones. It also emphasised the need to develop action plans to prioritise high population states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra, Kerala, and West Bengal that suffer from maximum mortalities by EWEs. "In the past 50 years (1970-2019) a total of 7,063 EWEs associated with at least one mortality, were found to have occurred in the country. These 7,063 events caused 141,308 deaths, with an average of 20 deaths per event," the paper said. The paper ... » Learn More about Extreme weather events killed over 1.4 lakh people in last 50 yrs

While some parts of east Africa have almost eliminated desert locusts, the situation remains serious in some countries as well as in Yemen, raising fears that a new wave could emerge and spread across the region. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, said that in Kenya, only a few immature swarms remain in the northwest part of the country, but aerial control operations are ongoing. The UN agency warned that a small third generation of breeding is likely to commence in October but it may be limited by below-normal rains that are predicted for this year. Jane Mule, from Kenya's Kitui county, hopes the third generation of locusts will be controlled in the current breeding areas to avoid a repeat of massive destruction. "I can't imagine similar swarms landing in my farm or pasture land. I don't wish to experience a similar destruction. I call upon the government to do the best it can to eliminate the insects," Mule said. In northeast Ethiopia, numerous hopper bands ... » Learn More about Desert locusts still a threat in east Africa

Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels on Sunday claimed missile and drone strikes that targeted neighbouring Saudi Arabia overnight and threatened more attacks, as fighting in the grinding civil war escalates. Huthi fighters have intensified operations against the kingdom as air strikes by the Saudi-led military coalition pound rebel positions in the north of Yemen, in a bid to stop their offensive to seize the government’s last northern stronghold of Marib. Years of war have already pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. Saudi Arabia — which has been backing the Yemeni government against the rebels since 2015 — said Saturday it thwarted a Huthi missile that targeted Riyadh. “The operation was carried out with a ballistic missile and 15 drones... targeting sensitive areas in the enemy’s capital of Riyadh,” said Huthi spokesman Yahya al-Saree, according to the rebels’ Al Masirah TV channel. “Our operations will continue and will expand as long as the aggression and siege on our ... » Learn More about Yemen rebels claim Saudi strikes, threaten new attacks

A U.N. human rights investigator said on Monday that it was “extremely dangerous” for the United States to have named Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler as having approved an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi but not to have taken action against him. Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on summary executions who led a U.N. investigation into Khashoggi’s 2018 murder, reiterated her call for sanctions targeting Mohammed bin Salman’s assets and his international engagements. He approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, according to U.S. intelligence released on Friday as the United States imposed sanctions on some of those involved but spared the crown prince himself in an effort to preserve relations with the kingdom. Callamard told a Geneva news conference that what had been declassified “appears to be very little indeed and that’s disappointing” and she would have expected more material evidence to have been released. “It is extremely problematic, in ... » Learn More about U.S. failure to sanction MbS for Khashoggi killing ‘dangerous’: U.N. expert

Female petroleum engineers ignore office jobs , choose gruelling work instead BASRA It’s nearly dawn and Zainab Amjad has been up all night working on an oil rig in southern Iraq . She lowers a sensor into the black depths of a well until sonar waves detect the presence of the crude that fuels her country’s economy. Elsewhere in the oil-rich province of Basra, Ayat Rawthan is supervising the assembly of large drill pipes. These will bore into the Earth and send crucial data on rock formations to screens sitting a few meters (feet) away that she will decipher. The women, both 24, are among just a handful who have eschewed the dreary office jobs typically handed to female petroleum engineers in Iraq . Instead, they chose to become trailblazers in the country’s oil industry , donning hard hats to take up the gruelling work at rig sites. The hours Amjad and Rawthan spend in the oil fields are long and the weather unforgiving. Often they are asked what—as ... » Learn More about Iraq women buck norm for rig site jobs

India’s 2022 FIFA World Cup/2023 Asian Cup qualifying round matches, which were scheduled to be played next month, have been postponed to June due to coronavirus-related travel and quarantine restrictions. The second round of qualification matches have not been held since November 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic. In November last year, the AFC had said that the matches will be held in March and June this year without specifying the exact dates. The Asian Football Confederation announced on Friday that the majority of Asia’s 2022 World Cup qualifying matches in March will be postponed to May and June — with a few exceptions that include Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. “Taking into consideration the existing travel and quarantine restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent, the AFC and FIFA have jointly agreed to postpone the majority of the upcoming Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” the AFC said in a statement. “... all the Asian ... » Learn More about India’s football World Cup qualifying round matches scheduled for March postponed to June

A severe winter storm recently caused massive blackouts in the US state of Texas, leaving millions in freezing temperatures and darkness for days and claiming more than 30 lives. That led to some netizens in China wondering "If similar extreme weather hit China, would the same tragedy happen?" The answer is probably "no", as China's power supply system has several advantages. Texas has an almost completely isolated grid system – power from other states accounts for only 1.7 percent of its maximum capacity. As a whole, the United States doesn't have a national grid system and lacks coordination among states. In comparison, China has a national grid system, which is composed of six regional systems. Except the northwestern region, which has a 750-kilovolt backbone power network, the other five regions all have 500-kV networks, with networks in the North China and East China boasting 1000-kV ultra-high voltage power transmission lines. When Texas was hit by the blackout, ... » Learn More about Could China’s power grid withstand a Texas-sized disaster?

The annual convening of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), or Parliament, on March 5 will hear a proposal for the wider deployment of more advanced drones along border areas, with a legislator proposing the move in the wake of last year’s clash between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The proposal is being submitted by one of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) representatives at the NPC, which is widely regarded as a ceremonial legislature that usually approves most of the proposals it receives. The Communist Party of China exercises control over all branches of state, including the legislature. The NPC convenes every year and approves policies, including an annual government work report that sets the policy agenda, as well as the defence budget for the military. Hou Yun, commander of a border defence regiment with the PLA Tibet Military Command who is among the military’s NPC delegates, told State media he will submit a proposal ... » Learn More about After LAC clash, China Parliament to mull expanded border drone use

Video Player Close Rong Ximin wearing crampons carries daily necessities at Tuoliang National Nature Reserve, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 27, 2021. Rong Ximin, a ranger of Yunding Grassland in Tuoliang National Nature Reserve, came to work in the reserve with his wife Shi Shufang in 2009. Located at the junction of north China's Shanxi and Hebei provinces, the living and working conditions of the reserve are quite harsh. On winter days, the roads up to the mountainous area are mostly frozen. Rong has to carry daily necessities to his residence personally, which will cost about 5-6 hours to make a round trip. Normally, Rong patrols twice a day but will increase the number when encountering extreme weather that might trigger wildfires. "Tuoliang is now my home. As long as my health condition allows, my wife and I will stick to the post here." Rong said. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next ... » Learn More about Ranger sticks to post in north China’s Tuoliang National Nature Reserve

LONDON: OPEC oil output fell in February as a voluntary cut by Saudi Arabia added to agreed reductions under a pact with allies, a Reuters survey found, ending a run of seven consecutive monthly increases. The 13-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped 24.89 million barrels per day (bpd) in February, the survey found, down 870,000 bpd from January. This is the first monthly decline since June 2020. OPEC and allies, known as OPEC+, decided to keep supply mostly steady for February while Saudi Arabia made an extra cut out of concern about a slow recovery in demand. With oil rising to a 13-month high last week, OPEC+ is set to discuss pumping more at a meeting on Thursday. "So far, the members of the alliance have been cooperating and implementing the cuts in exemplary fashion," said analyst Eugen Weinberg at Commerzbank. "We believe that the high prices will prompt OPEC+ to step up its production by 500,000 barrels per day, while at the same time ... » Learn More about OPEC oil output falls in February on Saudi additional cut: Survey