<p>Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item titled "Are missing palm trees causing more lighting deaths in Bihar appearing in ‘The Times of India’ dated 29.05.2025".
As the world grapples with fears of a major food crisis, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator has decided to reserve $100 million from the world body's emergency fund to address immediate issues arising from it. John Holmes, who also serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that these funds will be used for life-saving activities in the hardest-hit sectors, including food, agriculture, health, nutrition and logistics.
Minor tremor measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale was recorded in the Surat city on Tuesday, an official said. However, no damage of properties were reported from any part of the city, district officals added. "The tremor was of 3.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale with epicentre located north-east of Surat city," said B K Rastogi, Director of Institute of Sesmological Research, Gandhinagar. According to sources, the tremor was felt in the Chowk Bazar, Katargam, Wade Road, Rander and other areas of Surat at 1427 hours where people were seen rushing out of the buildings.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon will travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to try to persuade the leaders of military regime to allow large-scale foreign aid and humanitarian workers to provide assistance to millions of victims of Cyclone Nargis, which has killed over 100,000. Ban's three-day visit comes as the world body estimated that hundred of thousands of victims are at the high risk of starvation and disease with the government refusing to allow large-scale foreign aid and rescue workers in the country.
Asia's worst natural disasters since 2004 tsunami Hundreds of aftershocks have rattled China's Sichuan province following last Monday's devastating quake which killed nearly 32,500, state news agency Xinhua said. Early on Sunday, another 6.1 magnitude tremor caused thousands to flee as buildings swayed in the provincial capital, Chengdu. Here are some of the region's worst natural disasters since the Asian tsunami of 2004.
When the earthquake came to Pingtong it destroyed all but four buildings in this town, once home to 9,700 people. A week later the survivors are refugees in the ruins, situated in a gorge directly above the fault-line that delivered a 7.9 magnitude blow to Sichuan province on May 12. The town lost 111 middle-school school students and 47 grammar school students. Every adult can give the exact count of the children lost and saved, although they are vague on the total number of deaths, estimated at about 500.
Tens of thousands of panicked residents rushed into the streets of Chengdu in southwest China early on Tuesday, alarmed by a television report that predicted another powerful earthquake would hit the region. The pandemonium triggered by the TV report, as China observed three days of mourning for the nearly 34,000 killed in the May 12 earthquake, showed how people's nerves have been stretched to breaking point by the disaster, and aftershocks.
China today appreciated India's support and assistance for relief efforts in its earthquake devastated areas as New Delhi sent another batch of supplies as part of its first ever major humanitarian help to its giant neighbour. Beijing's words of appreciation were conveyed to India's Ambassador Nirupama Rao by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during her visit to the Foreign Office to write in the condolence book opened for foreign diplomats today as the country began a three-day national mourning in memory of the earthquake victims.
Tibetan refugees gathered in large numbers at the main Buddhist temple here on Monday to offer their deep sympathy and prayers to thousands killed in China's earthquake a week ago. In an address, Karma Chophel, speaker of the Tibetan-parliament-in-exile, said, "The Tibetan government along with other Tibetans convey their heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake and stand in solidarity with the Chinese people in this hour of grief and sadness."
Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawady delta region of Myanmar and the disastrous earthquake in the Sichuan province in China have each taken a toll of more than 50,000 lives. In each case, the victims were the ordinary people of the two regions in two distinct countries. Those worst hit, in both cases, are the poorest of the poor. Nature can take away more human lives than the worst terrorist in the world.
The people of Burma take omens seriously. For centuries, the paths of planets and vagaries of weather have been scrutinized by astrologers, who divine a relationship between celestial irregularities and earthly mayhem.
