Manila [Philippines]: A 7-magnitude earthquake that rattled the main Luzon island in the Philippines on Wednesday morning killed at least four people and injured some 60 others, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said.In a report to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Abalos said that two of the deaths were from Benguet, one from Abra and one from the Mountain Province. He added that many of the injured were from Abra province.Abalos said the earthquake triggered nearly 60 landslides and made highways and roads impossible in the northern Philippine region. At least three bridges in Abra province, the quake's epicentre, were damaged.He added the quake-affected three northern Philippine regions, including 15 provinces, 15 cities, 218 municipalities, and 6,756 villages."There are road closures in some parts of Abra, power interruptions in Abra and Benguet, intermittent communication lines in Region 1, landslides in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and minor damages in other regions," Abalos said.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed the death of one person in Benguet province in the northern Philippines. Governor of Abra provinceJocelyn Bernos said a 25-year-old male was also killed after he was pinned by a concrete slab in Bangued town.The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said a 7-magnitude earthquake rattled Abra province in the northern Philippines at 8:43 a.m. local time (0043 GMT). The institute said the epicentre is located at Tayum town, with a depth of 17 km.The tremor was felt in many areas on the main Luzon Island, including Metro Manila, where high-rise buildings swayed and train transport suspended operation. It was also felt in many provinces, including Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite.—ANI

A 7-magnitude earthquake that rattled the main Luzon island in the Philippines on Wednesday morning killed at least four people and injured some 60 others, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said.

4 killed, 60 injured in 7-magnitude earthquake in northern Philippines

Srinagar (The Hawk): Today, Major General Mohit Seth assumed command of the Counter Insurgency Force Kilo as its new General Officer Commanding (GOC). After giving up command, Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria relocates to the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur. During the leadership of Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria, the Kilo Force made notable advancements toward peace and stability in North Kashmir.
In December 1991, the General Officer received his appointment into the 3 MADRAS Regiment. The General Officer, a graduate of the National Defense Academy, attended the esteemed NDC in New Delhi.
The General Officer has held numerous high-profile staff and command positions over his illustrious military career, which has spanned more than three decades, in J&amp;K, the North East, and Army Headquarters. He has also held the position of Indian Army Liaison Officer at the British High Commission for India.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Today, Major General Mohit Seth assumed command of the Counter Insurgency Force Kilo as its new General Officer Commanding (GOC). After giving up command, Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria relocates to the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur. 

GoC Kilo Force is taken command by Major General Mohit Seth

New Delhi: Although there has been a slight increase in the number of Chinese troops in their areas across the eastern sector, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said on Thursday that the situation along the border with China is "stable but unpredictable" and that Indian troops are adequately deployed to deal with any contingencies.
At a news conference held in advance of Army Day on January 15, he said that Indian forces stationed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have managed to keep up a "strong posture" and are prepared to "firmly and resolutely" defeat any nefarious plan of the adversary.
The Indian Army, according to the Chief of Army Staff, maintains a "very high" level of preparedness along the LAC and has sufficient forces in all operational sectors.—Inputs from Agencies

Although there has been a slight increase in the number of Chinese troops in their areas across the eastern sector, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said on Thursday that the situation along the border with China is "stable but unpredictable" and that Indian troops are adequately deployed to deal with any contingencies

The northern border situation is steady yet unpredictable: Army Chief Gen Pande

New Delhi: Chilly winds swept the plains of north and northwest India on Sunday, sending low points down to the 3–5 degrees Celsius range. It is going to get even colder until western disturbances start to bring some relief on Thursday.
The lowest temperature over the plains of northwest India was reported in Fatehpur, which is located in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. It was 4.7 degrees below zero. Faridkot, Punjab, shivered at  chilly minus one degrees Celsius.
The Met Office said that parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and west Madhya Pradesh have been experiencing cold wave to severe cold wave conditions on Sunday.—Inputs from Agencies

Chilly winds swept the plains of north and northwest India on Sunday, sending low points down to the 3–5 degrees Celsius range. It is going to get even colder until western disturbances start to bring some relief on Thursday

Northern plains experience icy winds; cold wave intensifies.

New Delhi (The Hawk): Regions surrounding northern Bay of Bengal (BoB) received higher precipitation than the other parts of India for the last 10200 years, says a new study that traced the dynamics of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) over the 10000 years – a period which witnessed the development and fall of numerous ancient civilizations around the world, many of which were associated with climate instability. The study can help understand long-term trends of climate change impacts on the ecosystems and may help mitigate future climate extremities.
Agriculture in India is heavily dependent on the Indian Summer Monsoon rains (ISMR). The Bengal Basin or the ‘Bengal region’ being located at the trajectory of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) branch of the ISM is very sensitive to changes in the ISM strength. Even a minor change in ISM strength may have adverse effects on the agrarian-based socioeconomic conditions of the region. However, no systematic long-term record (beyond the range of instrumental period) for the past ISM variability in the region was available.
BSIP, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology (DST), for the first time, reconstructed the history of the ISM variability from this region by using both biotic and abiotic proxies that predates instrumental records (records taken before 19th Century). In the hydro-climatic history of the last 10.2 ka (10,200 years) of the Bengal region published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, a team of scientists show that a heavy ISMR was witnessed during 10.2 – 5.6 ka by this region and the ISMR decreased since 4.3 ka. The ISM again got strengthened between 3.7 and 2.1 ka following which it switched to a drier mode for some time. The ISM regained its strength during 0.2–0.1 ka. Of the weakened phases, weakening around 4.3 ka was the most severe one, and had adverse impact of the ecosystem.
The scientists collected sediment samples from the bed of a dried lake from the northern part of the Bengal Basin and standard techniques were followed for building the age-depth model of sedimentary sequence and measuring different palaeo- climatological parameters. They also compared the proxy-based results with a few palaeo-model outputs from the Palaeo Modelling experiments for different time spans to validate the results of this study. The numerical models provided insights into the spatio- temporal dimensions of climate change and helped analyse the dynamic relations between different climatic components under specific boundary conditions. Combining these datasets, they investigated the timing, regional coherence and causes of Holocene ISM variability in the Bengal region.
They explored the drivers influencing the variability of the monsoon in the Indian part of the Bengal Basin and found that while the millennial-scale variations in the ISM rainfall may largely be attributed to changes in solar insolation and dynamics of Inter tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ-- area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge), the centennial scale variations may be collectively triggered by phenomena like North Atlantic Oscillation, El Nino Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole.
Focusing on monsoonal variability in the Indian part of the Bengal Basin, the scientists combined both biotic (phytoliths, NPPs and stable carbon isotopes) and abiotic (environmental magnetic parameters, and grain size data) proxy data to understand the ecosystem response to past hydroclimatic changes. They inferred that changes in Lake Ecosystem were strongly influenced by the ISM rainfall.

Regions surrounding northern Bay of Bengal (BoB) received higher precipitation than the other parts of India for the last 10200 years, says a new study that traced the dynamics of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) over the 10000 years – a period which witnessed the development and fall of numerous ancient civilizations around the world, many of which were associated with climate instability. The study can help understand long-term trends of climate change impacts on the ecosystems and may help mitigate future climate extremities.

High Rainfall In Northern Bay Of Bengal Than The Other Parts Of India For The Last 10000 Years: Study 

New Delhi: Amid the flood situation in Delhi after river Yamuna shattering a 45-year-old record, the Northern Railways has suspended several trains on several routes.
According to fresh data given by railways, around 260 passenger services were cancelled between July 7-13.
Talking to IANS, Northern Railway CPRO Deepak Kumar said: "On an average, 30 to 32 train have cancelled on daily basis since we started cancelling trains from July 7 and 8."
He said that the Railway cancelled about 260 trains between July 7 to 13.
Meanwhile, railway officials said that several trains between Delhi-Chandigarh and several other routes have been short terminated and diverted due to water on railway tracks and flood-like situation.
On Thursday, even the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Delhi's Kashmiri Gate was completely submerged, severely impacting passengers and inter-state travel.
Yamuna shattered the 45 year old record and was flowing at 208.6 metres on Thursday. On September 6, 1978, Yamuna had touched a water level of 207.49 metres. Following the flood in several low-lying areas of the national capital, thousands of people have been evacuated while several roads in Delhi have been closed for traffic as the water flooded the streets.
At least 12 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in Delhi for rescue and evacuation operations. Meanwhile, the water level of Yamuna started receding on Thursday at 9 p.m.
— IANS

 Amid the flood situation in Delhi after river Yamuna shattering a 45-year-old record,

Several Trains Cancelled In North India In Wake Of Floods

Lucknow: A 24X7 dine-in rail coach restaurant has now opened at Charbagh railway station in Lucknow.  Spread over nearly 16,00 square feet, the restaurant has been placed right between the Charbagh metro and railway stations, so that people can just walk in, place order, have their food there or eat on the go later.  The eatery has a washroom and arrangements to eat out (open dining) with family and friends as well.
Refurbished with modern interior design, air-conditioning, picture frames that narrates brief history of Awadh and its culture, the restaurant attempts to provide a peaceful ambience like the Maharaja Express or Palace On wheels dining coaches.  “Be it 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., you will be served mouth-watering delicacies. Our cuisine enlists food from every corner of the country -- be it from Punjab, Kashmir, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. We have also included Chinese food, due to its nature of being served quickly,” said Santosh Kumar Dhanuk, the restaurant owner, who has spent over two decades in catering services for the Railways.  As part of non-fare revenue opportunity, Northern Railway, Lucknow Division, gave its scrapped train coaches on a lease for five years, where the contractor has liberty to refurbish that coach into an exotic-looking restaurant.  Currently in Uttar Pradesh, Indian Railways has opened rail coach restaurants in Varanasi, Agra and Izzatnagar (Bareilly).  They have also installed scrapped coaches at Gomti Nagar, Gorakhpur and Sidhauli to convert them into restaurants.
—IANS

A 24X7 dine-in rail coach restaurant has now opened at Charbagh railway station in Lucknow. Spread over nearly 16,00 square feet, the restaurant has been placed right between the Charbagh metro and railway stations, so that people can just walk in, place order, have their food there or eat on the go later.

Rail coach restaurant opens in Lucknow

New Delhi: As the national capital gears up for the G20 Summit, Northern Railways has decided to cancel and divert over 200 passenger train services temporarily from September 8 to 11 here, a notification stated on Saturday.   According to the schedule, over 90 train services have been cancelled on September 9. More than 100 passenger train services will be cancelled on September 10 as well. Most of these trains run from Delhi to South Haryana's Sonipat-Panipat, Rohtak, Rewari, and Palwal routes.
Apart from that, the Delhi-Rewari Express Special and Rewari-Delhi Express Special trains will be cancelled on September 11.   Moreover, several trains prescribed to originate or terminate at the New Delhi railway station during that period will now terminate or originate from Ghaziabad or Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations.   India will host the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10 in the national capital.  The New Delhi G20 summit will see the "biggest participation" in the history of the grouping with arrangements in place for the mega event including that for the stay of leaders of member countries and the invited guest countries.  The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, US, UK and the European Union.  India has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE as guest countries for the mega event.
—ANI

As the national capital gears up for the G20 Summit, Northern Railways has decided to cancel and divert over 200 passenger train services temporarily from September 8 to 11 here, a notification stated on Saturday. 

Northern Railways cancel over 200 train services temporarily ahead of G20 Summit in Delhi

London: A team of planetary scientists has found that Saturn's late northern summer is experiencing a cooling trend, as huge planetary-scale flows of air have reversed direction as autumn approaches. The new observations, based on an analysis of new images taken by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), also provided a last glimpse of Saturn's north pole, with its enormous warm vortex filled with hydrocarbon gases, before the pole begins to recede into the darkness of polar winter. The findings, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets by the University of Leicester researchers, provides new insights into the changing seasons on the massive outer planet, famous for its icy rings. Like Earth, Saturn has an axial tilt and experiences seasons in the same way. However, Saturn takes 30 years to orbit the sun, so the seasons last for 7.5 Earth-years. Northern-hemisphere summer on both worlds is now coming to an end. While Earth is heading for the northern autumn equinox in September, Saturn is heading for the northern autumn equinox in 2025, which means the north poles of both planets are heading for extended periods of polar winter. "The quality of the new data from JWST is simply breath-taking -- in one short set of observations, we've been able to continue the legacy of the Cassini mission into a completely new Saturnian season, watching how the weather patterns and atmospheric circulation respond to the changing sunlight," said Professor Leigh Fletcher, from the varsity’s School of Physics and Astronomy. In the image, created by combining just a few of the wavelengths observed by MIRI on JWST, the bright thermal emission from the north pole stands out in blue. The warm 1500-km wide north polar cyclone (NPC), which was first observed by the Cassini mission, can be seen at the north pole. This is surrounded by a broader region of warm gases called the north-polar stratospheric vortex (NPSV), which formed in Saturnian spring and has persisted throughout its northern summer. These are warm vortices high in the stratosphere, heated by the sun's warmth during Saturn's long summer season. As autumn equinox approaches in 2025, the north polar stratospheric vortex will begin cooling down and will disappear as the northern hemisphere recedes into the darkness of autumn. "JWST can see in wavelengths of light that were inaccessible to any previous spacecraft, producing an exquisite dataset that whets the appetite for the years to come. This work on Saturn is just the first of a programme of observations of all four giant planets, and JWST is providing a capability beyond anything we've had in the past -- if we can get so many new findings from a single observation of a single world, imagine what discoveries await?" Fletcher said. —IANS

A team of planetary scientists has found that Saturn's late northern summer is experiencing a cooling trend

Saturn Undergoing Change Of Seasons, Sees End Of Warm Polar Vortex

Amritsar: On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced plans to install an anti-drone technology along the international boundary in an effort to bolster border security.
At the Northern Zonal Council meeting in Chandigarh, Shah urged the participating states to approach their water-sharing problems with an open mind and a willingness to compromise. The participating states are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh, and Chandigarh. The Modi administration is dedicated to improving border security. He affirmed that the installation of anti-drone systems throughout the borders of the country was imminent.
boundary patrols have had a tough time preventing the illegal importation of weapons, ammunition, and drugs into Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir from across the international boundary.—Inputs from Agencies

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced plans to install an anti-drone technology along the international boundary in an effort to bolster border security.

Anti-drone system to be deployed along international border, says HM Amit Shah

Mathura: Shakurbasti Mathura MEMU (04446) rammed into a platform at the Mathura Junction in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, railway officials said.  No person was injured since all passengers and even crew, including loco-pilots, TTEs and train guard, had deboarded at the station.  The MEMU rake belonged to the Northern Railways and reached the Mathura Junction at 10:48 p.m.
Sources from the Agra division of NCR, under which the station comes, said, “The MEMU arrived at platform 2A and after five minutes it rolled over breaking the overhead electricity (OHE) pole, disrupting OHE supply and also damaging the platform."
—IANS

Shakurbasti Mathura MEMU (04446) rammed into a platform at the Mathura Junction in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, railway officials said.

Train rams into platform in Mathura

New Delhi: After hearing reports that large cats in Namibia and South Africa had grown a winter coat to survive the Indian summer, the government is considering importing cheetahs from northern Africa, officials said on Wednesday.
Some cheetahs reportedly developed winter coats during the Indian summer and monsoon in preparation for the African winter (June–September) during the first year of handling cheetahs in India, which presented a big issue.
A senior forest official stated that even African specialists were caught off guard by this.—Inputs from Agencies

After hearing reports that large cats in Namibia and South Africa had grown a winter coat to survive the Indian summer, the government is considering importing cheetahs from northern Africa, officials said on Wednesday.

India may import cheetahs from northern Africa, say officials

Tel Aviv [Israel]: Stressing achieving "demilitarisation" of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will never allow Palestinian authority to return to the strip, adding that there will be a 'civil government' that won't educate children about "destroying Israel," Times of Israel reported. He said that Israel won't allow 'Hamastan' to turn into 'Fatahstan' even if this is the wish of Israel's "staunchest ally," referring to the US.
Netanyahu also cited a survey that found 82 per cent of Palestinians in the West Bank justified the October 7 attacks on Israel, adding that the Palestinian authority has yet to condemn the assault. "They should control Gaza?" he asked, referring to the Palestinian Authority, and stressed that he "won't let that happen." On being asked about his vision for Gaza after the war, Netanyahu said, "I said there will be demilitarisation. I said the IDF will be responsible for security in the Gaza Strip because there is no other factor that will ensure the fight against terrorism. And I can tell you that there will be a civil government that does not educate its children to destroy Israel...I'm very clear on this." He further said that it was "only military pressure" that secured the release of hostages in last month's truce and only military pressure will secure the release of the rest of the hostages as well. "Without it, we have nothing," he added. The Israeli PM also stressed the diplomatic situation on the northern border of Israel after the IDF achieved a "crushing victory" over Hamas. "First, there needs to be 'crushing victory' over Hamas, with Hezbollah deterred in the north, he says. Once Hamas is destroyed, Israel will focus on the north, where almost 100,000 Israelis are currently displaced from their homes," Netanyahu said.  "Either there will be a diplomatic situation on the northern border, or there will be a different way to solve the situation," he added. In another major statement, Netanyahu said that he is being blamed for putting "brakes" on the Oslo Accords, but said he is "proud" of preventing the Palestinian state. "I inherited the Oslo Accords," he said. "The decision to bring the PLO from Tunis, and plant it in the heart of Judea and Samaria [West Bank], and in Gaza, was a decision made and implemented before I became prime minister. I thought it was a terrible mistake and I still do." "You and your journalist friends have been blaming me for almost 30 years for putting the brakes on the Oslo Accords and preventing the Palestinian state. That's true," Netanyahu said. He added, "I'm proud that I prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state because today everybody understands what that Palestine state could have been, now that we've seen the little Palestinian state in Gaza. Everyone understands what would have happened if we had capitulated to international pressures and enabled a state like that in Judea and Samaria, surrounding Jerusalem and on the outskirts of Tel Aviv."
—ANI

Stressing achieving "demilitarisation" of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will never allow Palestinian authority

I won't let 'Hamastan' turn into 'Fatahstan': Benjamin Netanyahu on control of Gaza after war

Seoul: North Korea fired more than 60 artillery rounds near a disputed maritime border with South Korea on Saturday, the South Korean military said.
The action follows North Korea firing more than 200 artillery rounds on Friday in the same region, as tension continues to escalate between the two Koreas.  The artillery was fired around the northwest of Yeonpyeong island around 1600-1700 KST (0700-0800 GMT), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.  The JCS "strongly urged" North Korea to stop acts that threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/japan-earthquake-death-toll-tops-100-with-hundreds-still-missing" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/japan-earthquake-death-toll-tops-100-with-hundreds-still-missing</a>&nbsp;
The artillery shells landed north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto sea boundary between the two Koreas, Yonhap news agency said, citing the JCS.  Unlike Friday, the South Korean military does not plan to fire at sea in response to North Korea's provocation, Yonhap reported.
—Reuters

North Korea fired more than 60 artillery rounds near a disputed maritime border with South Korea on Saturday, the South Korean military said.

North Korea fires more than 60 coastal artillery rounds again, says South Korea

An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck the Northern Molucca Sea off Indonesia on Tuesday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ)said.
The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) GFZ said.
—Reuters

6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea, at 10km depth, says GFZ. 

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4 killed, 60 injured in 7-magnitude earthquake in northern Philippines

Pankaj Sharma

Tag : Northern

4 killed, 60 injured in 7-magnitude earthquake in northern Philippines

Pankaj Sharma

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