How different things work
The April 11 earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, 8.6 on the
Richter scale, sparked fears of a tsunami across the Indian Ocean.
Fortunately, the fears proved groundless.
Tsunami that wasn't
The April 11 earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, 8.6 on the Richter scale, sparked fears of a tsunami across the Indian Ocean. Fortunately, the fears proved groundless. More on the tsunami:
What It Is: A tsunami is the phenomenon of gigantic, tidal waves arising due to the displacement of a large volume of water. It is usually caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or any other kind of massive disturbance occurring under the sea.
Recent instances: On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the same region as the latest one triggered a series of tsunamis which hit the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, killing more than 230,000 people and displacing over 1.7 million. In India, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and Tamil Nadu were the worst affected, with over 18,000 people killed and 650,000 displaced.
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0, hitting the east coast of Japan off Tohoku, set off a tsunami which killed over 20,000. It also led to meltdowns at three nuclear reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
What happened this time: The quake occurred, not at the boundary of two tectonic plates on the earth's surface, but in the middle of one particular plate. As a result, the fault moved horizontally, instead of vertically, thus failing to trigger killer waves.
High Flier
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia will soon own the most expensive private jet ever made. The A380 aircraft, built by Airbus, and costing over $500 million, includes two garages for the prince's Rolls-Royces, a stable for his horses and camels, a pen for his hawks, and a rotating prayer room where those offering prayers will always face Mecca.
Gas for a Snip
To improve its birth control record, Pali district administration made a unique offer: those who got themselves sterilised in the last three days of 2011/12 would get a free LPG connection. Sterilisation benefits in the district already include Rs 1,100 for both sexes, a mobile phone for men, a sari and a blanket for women. Still, the LPG connection was a big draw: 1,500 people signed up to get sterilised.
Losing Shine
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is no longer the magnet it once was. Provisional figures released show that the number of households seeking jobs under the scheme fell by over 20 per cent in 2011/12 compared to 2010/11.
The April 11 earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, 8.6 on the Richter scale, sparked fears of a tsunami across the Indian Ocean. Fortunately, the fears proved groundless. More on the tsunami:
What It Is: A tsunami is the phenomenon of gigantic, tidal waves arising due to the displacement of a large volume of water. It is usually caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or any other kind of massive disturbance occurring under the sea.
Recent instances: On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the same region as the latest one triggered a series of tsunamis which hit the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, killing more than 230,000 people and displacing over 1.7 million. In India, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and Tamil Nadu were the worst affected, with over 18,000 people killed and 650,000 displaced.
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0, hitting the east coast of Japan off Tohoku, set off a tsunami which killed over 20,000. It also led to meltdowns at three nuclear reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
What happened this time: The quake occurred, not at the boundary of two tectonic plates on the earth's surface, but in the middle of one particular plate. As a result, the fault moved horizontally, instead of vertically, thus failing to trigger killer waves.
High Flier
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia will soon own the most expensive private jet ever made. The A380 aircraft, built by Airbus, and costing over $500 million, includes two garages for the prince's Rolls-Royces, a stable for his horses and camels, a pen for his hawks, and a rotating prayer room where those offering prayers will always face Mecca.
Gas for a Snip
To improve its birth control record, Pali district administration made a unique offer: those who got themselves sterilised in the last three days of 2011/12 would get a free LPG connection. Sterilisation benefits in the district already include Rs 1,100 for both sexes, a mobile phone for men, a sari and a blanket for women. Still, the LPG connection was a big draw: 1,500 people signed up to get sterilised.
Losing Shine
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is no longer the magnet it once was. Provisional figures released show that the number of households seeking jobs under the scheme fell by over 20 per cent in 2011/12 compared to 2010/11.
