Dec 20, 2015

Earthquake of 3.1 magnitude reportedly hit New Port Beach

Quake with a magnitude of 3.1 has reportedly hit the New Port Beach area Sunday afternoon. It was followed by an aftershock of a lesser intensity of 2.2 in Richter scale.

Hundreds of people felt about the quake and exchanged Twitter messages online about it.

USGS Website for Earthquake Monitoring the Status for New Port Beach Earthquake 

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Dec 16, 2015

China is buying fresh bottled air, where fresh air has become luxury

A Canadian man who jokingly thought of selling bottled air for Chinese residents battling pollution, fog and smog has turned his idea into a successful business venture.

Vitality air co-founder Moses Lam first thought it was simply a joke and then he tried to sell some bottles on e-bay, and there it is.

The first bottle went under $1 and then next sold for $160 he says. He soon realised there was market for fresh air and soon began hand bottling fresh air in Canada's rocky mountains. Bottles are left for 10 hours in pristine environment and demand was so high that he couldn't keep up.

There are customers to be found all across the globe, but China is the best selling market. Other place that have market for bottled air is India, Middle East, and other countries.

Recently Beijing's pollution levels rose alarmingly making the country's authorities to sound an alarm of the highest level. Making it mandatory for many of the factories to shut down, schools closed, invoking other widespread measures.

Along with China, India too home to top 15 polluted cities in the world. That reason made a court in India to note that, it is like living in a gas chamber.

Since then the Government is on the move and formulating a series of measures to curb pollution in the national capital of Delhi and other cities as well.

As recently as yesterday the Supreme Court of India banned the registrations of high end SUVs of 2000 cc volume engine capacity till March 31 of next year, also the court has doubled green cess and barred the entry of  Trucks which are not destined for Delhi and just use it as a Transit hub.

Canadian company selling clean air to China, says sales are booming -CNN 

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Dec 15, 2015

SC introduces series of measures to curb pollution in Delhi

Supreme Court of India has banned registration of  diesel vehicles over 2000 CC till March 31 2016. The ban applies to NCR regions which include Noida, Gurgaon, Fareedabad, Ghaziabad.

All the trucks whose destination is not Delhi cannot enter the city precincts.  SC has directed Euro 4 Norms must be implemented in the national capital region.

Green taxes are expected to be doubled. 

All the taxis to be run on CNG and should convert to CNG by 31st of March.

SC asks both Centre and State governments to work together to curb pollution and related matters.

Tax increased from 700 to 1400, has put restrictions on burning of garbage openly.

Decision of Supreme Court of India was in response to a petition filed in the Court on the plying of diesel vehicles in the capital city of India.

This judgement could give directions to other cities who are also affected by pollution.

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Sabhi ki nigahen Uchhtam nyaaya aalaya par kaar baan ko lekar

Sabhi ki nigahen Ucchhtam nyayaalaya par hain, ki kya ucchtam nyaayaalaya SUVs aur anya diesel waahano par ban laga dega. 

Yeh faisla isliye aur bhi zaroori ho jaayega ki is faislay ka asay bhaarat kay anya shahron par bhi padh sakta hai jo ki pradooshan se joojh rahay hain.


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Pune and Rajkot look hot overnight after successful IPL 2016 bidding

Pune and Rajkot have gone hot overnight after successful bidding for top players in the IPL auction for 2016. 

Both the teams have reported spend 39 crores and 27 crores are remaining. 

All the players who were available after relegation of Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings are high performers. Any side having them will be a big big bonus. 

Other teams in the fray will be keeping a close watch on the developments, because they know the quality of the players in the new sides that they have to face now.

 
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Dec 14, 2015

Delhi Secretariat under investigation by CBI

CBI raids Delhi secretariat,  according to media reports, CBI has booked a case against the principal secretary Rajinder Kumar, an IAS officer, who works with the office of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 

Aam Admi Party chief and Delhi CM has minced no words to criticize the move by the premier investigating agency and feels the move to raid is due to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instructions, though CBI denies as such.

Arvind Kejriwal's office raided by CBI; Office sealed, says Delhi government - ABP News 

Several of Ministers of the Aam Aadmi party which swept to power in Delhi elections in 2015 with a landslide margin are criticising the CBI's move to raid the CM's office.

There has been lot of tension between the Central Government and the Delhi State Goverment offices over the extent of rule the Centre has on the national capital of Delhi.

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Melor makes landfall off Philippines coast with 95 mph speeds, thousands evacuated

Typhoom Melor locally known as Nona has struck Philippines today bringing with it heavy rain and winds reaching speeds upto 95 mph.

Hundreds and thousands of people are reported to be evacuated from the low lying areas and moved to safer places. It is approximated about 20 Typhoons pass through Philipines each year.

In 2013 too several people lost their lives due to Typhoon Haiyan which struck on Nov 2 2013 and it's effects continued till November 11 of the same month. Typhoon Melor is reported to have slammed the coastal areas and will make several landfalls across the archipelago. 

Authorities are taking all precautions putting in more relief and rescue operations and other necessities.

Typhoon threatens central Philipines, 750000 evacuated - India Today

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Dec 13, 2015

Delhi pollution and Russian-Turkish latest : News Overview

A Russian warship reportedly has fired warning shots towards a Turkish fishing boat according to news reports. 

In the latest incident a Turkish fishing boat reportedly ventured very close to the Russian military vessel Smetlivy after which the warning shots were fired by the Russian vessel towards the Turkish fishing boat which were non-lethal in nature. 

This incident is preceded by several other incidents which are fresh in public memory, such as the downing of the SU-24 attack aircraft by Turkish F-16. Where Russia lost a Pilot while parachuting and another marine in rescue operation to retrieve the ejected pilots.

Since then the relations between both the nations have gone bad, Russia later enforcing series of measures towards Turkey including banning free-visa travel to Turkish citizens and other economic sanctions.

On the other hand Turkish authorities are responding patiently to the developments noting that the the patience cannot be 'unlimited'.

Russian warship fires warning shots towards the Turkish fishing boat - BBC 

10 lakh (1 million)  vehicles to be off the roads of Delhi after the Odd-Even policy being introduced by the Government from starting of the New Year to curb pollution in the city. 

The city's pollution level rose alarmingly this winter prompting a Delhi court to note the severity of the situation. Hence forth it ordered the government to review the steps taken to curb the pollution in the city and report back to it.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which took over in the last elections has since taken up the Odd-even policy on Delhi's roads starting Jan 1.

Odd-even 10 lakh vehicles off raid daily - Times of India 

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Dec 12, 2015

Historc Paris Climate Accord reached

In Paris delegates from hundreds of nations have approved landmark Climate accord. 

It is for the first time that such an agreement has been reached between participating members, earlier summit in Copenhagen collapsed owing to the mutual differences between two of the world's biggest Carbon Emission countries US and China. 

It is too early to say what the future holds for this accord, but the leaders have pledged to agree to follow the pact in letter and spirit.

As for now there are now no legal bindings on the member countries to present before any public authority any data related to emissions. 

But come 2020 the nations are legally bound to present the data to public authorities, thus creating a "name and shame" kind of policy to indicate the violators of pollution norms established by the just reached Paris Accord.

In the United States there is stiff opposition to the Climate politics where every Republican candidate have questioned the science of Climate Change and voiced opposition to the Climate Change policies of the Obama administration.

The Accord means a major shift from the existing business policies moving away from investments in Oil and Gas, Coal and other Fossil fuel based energies to clean energies like Solar, Wind and Nuclear Energy with zero carbon emission.
 
Nations approve landmark Climate accord in Paris - NYtimes 
  
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India, Japan sign bilateral treaties

India and Japan sign bilateral treaties after the meeting between both the nations in the national capital.

Japanese President who is here on a three day visit will also visit Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of PM Modi.

Bullet train treaty which Japan had promised to implement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan has been signed today in New Delhi. And Nuclear deal has also been envisaged.

The project costing about 98,000 KM to connect Mumbai to Ahmedabad in 3 hours.

Visa on arrival for Japanese citizens from March 1 2016 

PM Modi, Shinzo Abe put bullet train and Civi Nuclear Agreement on track

National Herald Case Development

Shanti Bhushan claims to have some shares in AJL and reportedly has said will question the transfer of shares to YIL. But Kapil Sibal refuted those allegations.

Delhi Pollution

Government schools to be shutdown from 1 Jan till 15 Jan in the national capital according to the latest media reports.

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Dec 11, 2015

Yuvraj Singh, the flamboyant India Cricket star celebrate's his 34th Birthday

Yuvraj Singh who turns 34 today, has already accomplished the laurels one can achieve in a glittering cricketing career where the star batsman has led the nation to many victories in many encounters.

He is a treat to watch in the middle order building on the Indian innings, and giving it all every time he came to the crease. He is a batsmen of huge calibre. Especially the visiting teams used to be scary about him, and always used special fielding arrangements to contain the star. It was very hard to containg Yuvraj especially on the Square leg boundary, the ball simply dissappeared once he sights the ball in the slaught. It was amazing to see the natural free flow of his bat.

Yuvraj Singh won the Man of the Series tournament at the World Cup 2011 edition which India won, it was his allround performance which gave India the strategic depth to take strong teams like South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. 

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Dec 7, 2015

7.2 magnitude Earthquake hits Tajikistan's Karakul area

7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Tajikistan according to USGS , the resultant tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and Delhi, in India. There's been reports of tremors shaking the Kashmir valley, but no information regarding any damage has been reported yet

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Dec 5, 2015

Delhi needs underground metro, trams and more buses. Cycling should be encouraged for short distances.

Delhi pollution levels rose to astonishing levels this year and the city is engulfed with thick smog, bringing down the visibility too. Delhi's pollution comes from excessive use of private transport, no cycling and pedestrian pathways not enough lung spaces for the vibrant but choking city. PM2.5 at the time of writing this post was 699 at Anand Vihar which is hazardous to health. With PM2.5 in California, LA being about 173 at the same time. Mumbai at 153 and Hyderabad at 136 are the two other major pollution borne cities in the country.

http://aqicn.org/city/delhi/anand-vihar/
 
 Delhi court noted the city's pollution saying ' it looks like a gas chamber' and asked the Government to implement a new strategy by Dec 21. The ruling Aam Aadmi party in Delhi hence introduced the Odd-Even formula, successfully implemented in several other world's big time polluting cities such as China and Bogota etc.,

Delhi's metro system is already crowded and there aren't enough buses on the road for people to consider it as a viable commute to work. There are no trams even in developed areas of the city.

Delhi's main polluters include industrial air pollution, thermal power plants and trucks which ply commuting essential commodities to the city and are the life line. Delhi's compounding problems are the satellite towns and cities like, Faridabad and Rohtak in Haryana, Gurgaon and Noida in U.P., and many other suburbs from where people commute daily for work.

In order for Government to succeed it should take pedestrianization and cycling and usage of Trams and other electric mode of transport for short distances in a big manner. Also the city may not be able cope with the present metro rail. I think the city should go for an elaborate well-planned, feasible underground metro system to plan ahead in to the future, keeping in mind the growth trajectory of the city. Administration should initiate tree plantation also in a big manner and sensitize the citizenry of benefits of using public transport.

Government's woes not only comes from the polluting factors but also from lack of understanding between the state and centre who do not see eye to eye on many public issues and may prove difficult to implement it's strategies.

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Dec 2, 2015

Active shooter situation in San Bernardino, 14 people killed and a suspect killed

At least 14 are dead in San Bernandino, California in active shooter situation, Latest reports indicate the shooter has been hit. Another 17 people are reportedly injured in the shooting. 

It reportedly looked like a planned mission to assault, the attack took place at a center for developmental disabilities, at the Inland Regional Center according to Police authorities.

Suspects initially attacked and made an escape after which they were waylaid at some distance from the original attack were to assailants look to be subdued by the Police, while the third is on the run.

A police officer is also reportedly injured but the injury is not life threatening.  

San Bernardino is a city 60 Kms east of California. And is the 17th largest city.

For more on this story:

Shooting in San Bernardino, California, at least 14 people reportedly killed - ABC news 

San Bernardino shooting: At least 14 people killed and one suspect killed - CNN 



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