Runway closed at Tokyo's Haneda airport after 2 jets accidentally contact each other

 

Two passenger planes accidentally touched each other on a runway at a major Tokyo airport Saturday, although no injuries were reported.

A Thai Airways International jet headed to Bangkok made contact with an Eva Airways plane headed to Taipei at Haneda airport, and the runway was subsequently closed, Japanese media reports said.

TBS TV News showed footage of two commercial jets stopped on the same runway.

The airlines, the airport and Japan's Transport Ministry were not immediately available for comment and did not answer repeated calls.

The cause of the accident was not clear.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/runway-closed-at-tokyo-s-haneda-airport-after-2-jets-accidentally-contact-each-other.html

Cyclone Biparjoy rapidly intensifies into severe cyclonic storm

 

Cyclone 'Biparjoy' has rapidly intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, with meteorologists predicting a "mild" monsoon onset over Kerala and "weak" progress beyond southern peninsula under its influence.

Cyclone 'Biparjoy' is the first storm brewing in the Arabian Sea this year.

In an update, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, "Cyclonic storm Biparjoy over east-central and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of 2 kmph during the last six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centred over the same region at 0530 hours, about 890 km west-southwest of Goa, 1,000 km southwest of Mumbai, 1,070 km south-southwest of Porbandar and 1,370 km south of Karachi".

The Met office said it is likely to move nearly northwards and intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm. It would then move north-northwestwards during the subsequent three days.

However, the IMD has not yet predicted any major impact on countries adjoining the Arabian Sea, including India, Oman, Iran and Pakistan.

Meteorologists say the tentative track of the system will be in the northward direction but storms at times defy the predicted track and intensity. Forecasting agencies said the storm has been undergoing "rapid intensification".

Cyclone Biparjoy intensified by 40 knots (74 kmph) since Tuesday morning, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), the US Department of Defense's agency responsible for issuing tropical cyclone warnings for the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Scientists say cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea have been intensifying rapidly and retaining their intensity for a longer duration due to climate change.

According to a study 'Changing status of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean', the Arabian Sea saw a significant increasing trend in the intensity, frequency, and duration of cyclonic storms and very severe cyclonic storms during the 1982-2019 period.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/cyclone-biparjoy-rapidly-intensifies-into-severe-cyclonic-storm.html

Actor Gufi Paintal of 'Mahabharat' fame dies at 79

 

Actor Gufi Paintal, best known for playing 'Shakuni mama' in the epic TV serial "Mahabharat", died on Monday at a hospital here due to age-related issues, his nephew Hiten Paintal said.

He was 79.

The veteran actor was admitted at a hospital in suburban Andheri.

"Unfortunately, he is no more. He passed away at the hospital at around 9 am. His heart gave up. He passed away peacefully in his sleep," Hiten told PTI.

Hiten had earlier told PTI that his uncle was not keeping well due to age-related health issues.

"He had blood pressure and heart issues. He was keeping unwell and all this was going on for a while. Things got severe now so we got him to the hospital for observation. He has been in the hospital for seven to eight days. He was critical initially, but right now he is stable," Hiten had told PTI.

Paintal's acting credits also include 1980s Hindi films such as “Suhaag”, “Dillagi”, as well as television shows “CID” and “Hello Inspector”, but his manipulative uncle act as Shakuni mama from BR Chopra's "Mahabharat" made him a household name.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/actor-gufi-paintal-of--mahabharat--fame-dies-at-79.html

Indian-American eighth-grader Dev Shah crowned 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion

 

Dev Shah, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Florida, who correctly spelled the word "psammophile" has won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee, a prestigious contest where children of Indian origin have ruled the roost.

Shah correctly spelled the word to win the 95th national bee and the USD 50,000 prize on Thursday.

"It's surreal," Shah said onstage after the confetti fell on his head and he lifted the trophy high above.

"I don't know if it's settled in. My legs are still shaking," he said at the competition in National Harbor, Maryland.

“I made a lot of sacrifices these last three months and I'm glad I made them," Shah said. "I'm glad to now get back what I sacrificed.”

After much anticipation about a possible spell-off, a smiling Shah won by correctly spelling “psammophile,” a plant or animal that thrives in sandy areas, the Washington Post newspaper reported.

“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”

Shah instantly identified the roots of his word, but asked for all the information just to be safe, while smiling slightly in a way that suggested he was pretty sure he had it, the New York Times newspaper reported.

Shah cut back on his extracurricular activities to dedicate more time to the dictionary. Some days he would not even go to school, since exams were over. He'd be better off studying, Shah figured. That end-of-year field trip his classmates at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School went on? No thanks.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/indian-american-eighth-grader-dev-shah-crowned-2023-scripps-national-spelling-bee-champion.html

Perfect mix of looks, safety & nature care

 

KIA EV6 encompasses solid safety, a sleek design and care for the environment. Its unique design, based on ‘Opposite United’ philosophy, and an ARAI-certified jaw-dropping 708 km/charge range is bolstered by ultra-fast charging capability and a host of advanced safety features

Advait couldn't have been more off the mark. At this Saturday's brunch, he was boasting to his Paso Doble class buddies they would miserably fail to find themselves an exquisite India-made car that was consummate, leave alone in convincing him that the virtues of solid safety, sleek design and care for the environment could be married together into one four-wheeler.

Soon after, the friends moodily took off and started checking various car showrooms. They didn't have to roam around much before a radiant KIA EV6 entranced Advait and his gang. The good thing was that the premium sporty electric vehicle handily met his pretty rigorous and specific demands, too: An avid trekker on most weekends and during his biannual vacations, the top honcho liked to zoom off along with his partner to faraway sylvan surroundings. He was quite zealous about his individualism as well as possessions making a style statement without disturbing nature.

The EV6 was unlike any other electric vehicle Advait had seen before. It had a unique design (for example, viewing it from the front and back projected it as a different entity) with a sporty stance. But of course, based on KIA's new design philosophy, 'Opposite United', the EV6 left a distinct impression on every onlooker's mind.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/perfect-mix-of-looks--safety---nature-care.html

PM Modi flags off Guwahati-NJP Vande Bharat Express

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off North East's first Vande Bharat Express from Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Monday.

The prime minister symbolically waved a green flag on screen, to launch the train from Guwahati station where Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present.

The Vande Bharat Express will boost tourism, education, trade and employment opportunities in the North East, the prime minister said on the occasion.

The semi-high-speed train between Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri will further strengthen connectivity between Assam and West Bengal.

During the last nine years, the North East has witnessed infrastructure development with all states connected with the railway network, Modi said.

"Infrastructure is for all without any discrimination, reflecting true social justice and secularism", the prime minister said.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/pm-modi-flags-off-guwahati-njp-vande-bharat-express.html

Newcastle qualifies for Champions League for first time in 20 years

 

Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after drawing with Leicester 0-0 in the English Premier League, a milestone moment for a Saudi-controlled club with the resources and ambition to become a major force in European soccer.

The point ensured Newcastle cannot be denied a top-four finish heading into its final game of the season, at Chelsea on Sunday.

Leicester's campaign-closing game has far more riding on it, with the team still in the relegation zone and needing a win at home to West Ham to avoid falling into the second-tier Championship — seven years after winning the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in a sporting fairytale.

Newcastle swarmed all over Leicester at St. James' Park, hitting the post on three occasions — through Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes — and forcing a series of saves from goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.

Still, it was job done for Newcastle, which was last in Europe's top club competition in 2003 when it reached the second group stage before finishing below Barcelona and Inter Milan. These are the types of European heavyweights Newcastle's players will be mixing with next season.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/newcastle-qualifies-for-champions-league-for-first-time-in-20-years.html