September 10, 2025

THE CLIFF NEWS

National Daily Bilingual Newspaper

Category: Travel

Himachal Pradesh Devastated by Monsoon Fury: 63 Dead, 34 Missing, Crores in Damages

Himachal Pradesh, reeling under the impact of relentless monsoon rains, is facing one of its worst natural disasters in recent years. As of July 4, at least 63 people have been confirmed dead and over 30 are still missing amid a series of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides that have swept across the hill state. Authorities have issued a red alert for heavy rain in all districts till Monday, July 7, as the weather continues to hinder relief and rescue efforts. Rs 400 Crore in Recorded Damages – Real Losses Likely Higher According to D.C. Rana, Special Secretary of the State Disaster Management Authority, the state has suffered property damages worth over ₹400 crore, though he warned the actual figure is likely far higher. “Our focus now is on search, rescue, and restoration. A detailed damage assessment will take time,” he told reporters. Mandi: Epicenter of the Disaster Mandi district has emerged as the worst-hit, with 17 deaths and at least 40 people missing, particularly in the Thunag and Bagsayed areas. Both fall under the Assembly constituency of former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur. Other badly affected areas include Karsog and Dharampur. District-Wise Death Toll: Across the state, over 100 people have been injured, and more than 500 roads are blocked due to landslides and debris. Infrastructure in Ruins The resulting shortages of water, electricity, and food have triggered concerns of a looming humanitarian crisis. Terrifying Visuals Surface Chilling videos from the state have gone viral online, showing raging rivers, mudslides, and entire homes being swept away. One video from Shimla’s Dhalli suburb captured a massive landslide crashing into a hillside settlement. In Sirmaur, a landslide in Shillai along NH-707 showed boulders and mud tearing across a road, as people screamed and scrambled to safety. 🟡 Watch Dhalli landslide clip on DD News Himachal🔴 Watch Shillai landslide video on X Relief Efforts Underway Multiple search and rescue operations are ongoing with NDRF, SDRF, and local police deployed in affected regions. However, access remains a major challenge in cut-off areas due to road blockages and communication breakdowns. As monsoon rains continue, the state government has urged extreme caution, especially for tourists and pilgrims, advising against travel to the hills. The coming days are expected to be critical, as weather conditions, rescue progress, and infrastructure restoration will determine how soon the battered hill state can begin its recovery.

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Ferry Tragedy En Route to Bali: 4 Dead, 38 Missing as Rescue Efforts Continue Amid Rough Seas

At least four people have died and 38 remain missing after a ferry carrying 65 passengers and crew sank late Wednesday night while en route from East Java to the resort island of Bali, Indonesian authorities confirmed on Thursday. So far, 23 survivors have been rescued from the sea. The ferry, identified as KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, sank roughly 25 minutes after departing from Ketapang port in Banyuwangi, East Java. The vessel was bound for Gilimanuk port in Bali, a short but busy one-hour crossing that spans approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles). Bad Weather Blamed for Sinking According to police chief Rama Samtama Putra, initial investigations suggest severe weather conditions caused the vessel to go down. The Indonesian government has confirmed waves of up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) and strong winds and currents were hampering early rescue efforts. President Prabowo Subianto, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, has ordered an immediate emergency response, according to a statement by cabinet secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. Rescue Operation Underway More than 54 rescue personnel, including members of the navy, police, and local SAR agencies, are participating in the search-and-rescue mission. They were initially deployed using inflatable boats, and larger support vessels have since been dispatched from Surabaya to assist. Of the known survivors, four reportedly escaped using the ferry’s lifeboat, and were found adrift early Thursday morning. The ferry was also carrying 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks. It remains unclear if foreign nationals were among the passengers. Authorities are still verifying whether the actual number of people on board exceeded the official manifest, which listed 53 passengers and 12 crew. In Indonesia, undercounting on manifests is a known issue, especially on inter-island ferries. Marine Accidents a Common Concern Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, frequently witnesses maritime accidents, often due to a combination of poor enforcement of safety regulations, overcrowding, and bad weather. As the search continues in the choppy waters off Bali, authorities remain hopeful that more survivors may be located. However, with dozens still unaccounted for and rough seas hampering operations, the incident marks another sobering reminder of the challenges facing Indonesia’s maritime infrastructure.

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Editor04 mins

Asteroid 2025 MM to Make Close Approach to Earth, Confirms NASA — No Threat Expected

NASA has confirmed that asteroid 2025 MM, a space rock roughly 120 feet wide (about the size of a small airplane), is headed toward Earth — but experts assure there’s no reason to worry. 🌍 Close, But Not Dangerous The asteroid is set to make its closest approach to Earth on July 1, passing by at a distance of 1.29 million kilometers (approximately 800,000 miles). Traveling at a high velocity of 23,874 miles per hour (about 38,400 km/h), the asteroid will be clearly tracked by astronomers but poses no threat to life or infrastructure. 🪐 What is Asteroid 2025 MM? 🔭 Why the Interest? Despite the lack of risk, skywatchers and astronomers are intrigued, as such close passes provide valuable opportunities for: NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) routinely monitors such near-Earth objects (NEOs) to ensure early warnings and analysis. 📡 In Summary: So, while it may sound dramatic, this is simply a cosmic flyby — not a catastrophe.

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Kazakhstan Bans Face-Covering Clothing in Public, Citing Facial Recognition and Cultural Identity

Kazakhstan has joined several Central Asian nations in restricting face-covering attire in public spaces. On Monday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law that bans individuals from wearing clothing that “interferes with facial recognition” in public areas. What the Law States While the legislation does not directly mention religion or Islamic dress, it effectively bans face coverings with some exceptions—including for medical reasons, severe weather, and during sporting or cultural events. The move is part of a broader set of amendments signed into law, and aligns with similar restrictions already in place in countries like Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Cultural Framing of the Ban Though the country is majority-Muslim, President Tokayev has framed the law as a celebration of national identity rather than a religious restriction. In earlier remarks, he was quoted as saying: “Rather than wearing face-concealing black robes, it’s much better to wear clothes in the national style… Our national clothes vividly emphasise our ethnic identity, so we need to popularise them comprehensively.” Regional Context Kazakhstan’s decision reflects a growing trend among former Soviet republics in Central Asia to curb Islamic symbols in public life, often under the pretext of security or national unity: Implications Critics argue that such laws can marginalise conservative Muslim communities, while proponents view them as necessary to preserve cultural traditions and ensure public safety. With this new legislation, Kazakhstan walks a delicate line between modernisation, national identity, and religious freedom.

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Editor03 mins

Delhi Bans Fuel for Overaged Vehicles: New Rule Begins Today, 62 Lakh Vehicles Affected

Starting today, Delhi fuel stations may display notices reading “Fuel will not be dispensed to ‘end of life’ vehicles”—a part of the Delhi government’s new initiative to tackle the capital’s severe air pollution problem. Under this new rule, petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years will no longer be allowed to refuel at any petrol pump in the city. Why This Ban? According to a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report from November 2024, vehicles are the top contributors to Delhi’s air pollution, accounting for 51% of emissions. In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued Statutory Direction No. 89, targeting all types of overaged vehicles — including goods carriers, commercial fleets, vintage cars, and two-wheelers. This policy impacts over 62 lakh vehicles in Delhi alone, with surrounding states also seeing significant numbers: How Will It Work? To enforce the ban, the Delhi Transport Department has implemented a deployment plan involving: Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at 498 fuel stations will scan vehicle number plates and match them with the VAHAN database to detect end-of-life vehicles. If a match is found, the system will alert the station operator, and the information will be shared with enforcement teams for further action, including vehicle impounding and scrapping. Concerns on the Ground The move has triggered mixed reactions. Petrol pump dealer Nischal Singhania suggested that the rule is too abrupt: “A trial run of 15 to 30 days should have happened. We fear missing vehicles and getting penalised. How long will the enforcement teams stay? What after that?” Commuter Mohit echoed similar concerns, pointing out that many people remain unaware of the ban. “There’s been no awareness campaign. People transiting through Delhi will be caught off guard.” At Green Park, NDTV reporters found that staff were untrained and confused about enforcement. “There are old but well-maintained vehicles that might not pollute as much. What about them? Also, everyone should have a valid PUCC,” said one two-wheeler rider. What’s Next? While the government believes this move is essential for long-term air quality improvement, practical hurdles remain—particularly around public awareness, training of fuel station staff, and fair treatment of vehicle owners with well-maintained older vehicles. Authorities are yet to announce whether the scheme will expand uniformly across NCR or adapt based on feedback.

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Ladakh UT Notifies ALC Areas and Amends Reservation Rules to Align with Central Laws

The administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh has officially notified specific villages as “Areas Adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC)” under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, as amended by the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025. This declaration, published in the Official Gazette of Ladakh, will enable residents of these designated areas to avail reservation benefits as per the revised Ladakh Reservation Rules. According to the notification, 18 revenue villages in Leh district located along the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC), and 34 revenue villages in Kargil district situated along the LoC, have been notified as ALC areas. Officials stated that this long-awaited move addresses a key concern for many border residents, who have been seeking official recognition and support through reservation benefits. The decision follows a detailed process initiated by the Ladakh Administration, which appointed a One-Member Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (Retired) Bansi Lal Bhat, former Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Commission was tasked with identifying villages and hamlets situated along the ALC for the purpose of inclusion under the reservation policy. After submitting its final report in December 2024, an Internal Committee reviewed the findings and recommended the list of areas, which has now been officially accepted by the UT administration. A day prior to this notification, the Ladakh administration also introduced a fresh recruitment and reservation policy through the issuance of the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Rules, 2025. These amendments restructure the reservation quotas and recruitment procedures to align with central legislations, particularly the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal highlighted that the revised rules aim to update outdated legal terminology, streamline the recruitment process, and ensure that reservation quotas reflect contemporary socio-economic realities. Under the amended rules for direct recruitment, the reservation quotas include one percent for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 80 percent for Scheduled Tribes (STs), four percent for residents of ALC areas, and 10 percent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Horizontal reservations have also been restructured to provide six percent reservation for ex-servicemen and four percent for persons with benchmark disabilities, subdivided in accordance with definitions under the Disabilities Act. Michael D’Souza, Secretary of the General Administration Department, announced further procedural reforms. The preparation of select lists will now follow a structured three-list approach to ensure transparency, incorporating unreserved and reserved categories, horizontal reservations, and merit-based seniority. Additionally, unfilled EWS vacancies will be converted into unreserved slots, and backlogs in reserved categories will be maintained and monitored. The amended rules also revise the roster management system, introducing a 100-point running roster for every service, cadre, and grade. For promotions, amended Rule 9 now provides one percent reservation for SCs and 84 percent for STs. These measures, the administration claims, mark a significant milestone in redressing long-pending demands of Ladakh’s youth and ensuring that recruitment and reservation policies are equitable and legally robust.

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NASA’s Curiosity Rover Unveils Mysterious Martian Ridges That Hint at Hidden Water Activity

NASA’s Curiosity rover has sent back stunning new close-up images from Mars, offering a first detailed look at a geological mystery: crisscrossing mineral ridges known as “boxwork patterns” that have never been seen elsewhere on the planet. The rover, which has been exploring the 3-mile-high Mount Sharp since 2014, encountered these unusual formations on a new layer rich in magnesium sulfates—salts that form as water evaporates. Scientists believe the boxwork formed when ancient groundwater flowed through rock cracks, depositing minerals that later hardened. Over billions of years, Mars’ harsh winds eroded the softer rock, revealing the cemented ridges. “A big mystery is why the ridges were hardened into these big patterns and why only here,” said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “As we drive on, we’ll be studying the ridges and mineral cements to make sure our idea of how they formed is on target.” The rover’s latest sample, drilled from a rock nicknamed “Altadena”, is currently under analysis in onboard instruments. It could offer insights into both the geological evolution of the region and Mars’ potential to have supported ancient microbial life. Another surprising discovery: calcium sulfate veins, previously common in lower clay-rich layers of Mount Sharp, have reappeared in this drier, sulfate-rich terrain. Their return raises questions about unexpected water activity during the planet’s drying phase. “These calcium sulfate veins used to be everywhere, but they more or less disappeared as we climbed higher up Mount Sharp,” said deputy project scientist Abigail Fraeman. “The team is excited to figure out why they’ve returned now.” To help identify locations, Curiosity assigns nicknames—this time from Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama Desert, regions on Earth studied for their Mars-like dryness. The Altadena name honored a Southern California town near JPL, badly hit by a wildfire earlier this year. As Curiosity climbs higher into Martian history, scientists continue searching for signs of ancient water, organic molecules, and preserved life-friendly environments—revealing not just Mars’ secrets, but a mirror of Earth’s own geological past.

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James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Its First New Exoplanet — A Young, Saturn-Sized Gas Giant

In a historic achievement, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered its first previously unknown exoplanet — a young gas giant roughly the size of Saturn — orbiting a small star about 110 light-years away in the constellation Antlia. This marks a major milestone in Webb’s mission, which, since its 2021 launch, has been gathering unprecedented data on both the early universe and known exoplanets. 🔭 A New Era in Exoplanet Discovery While over 5,900 exoplanets have been discovered since the 1990s, most were detected indirectly through methods like the transit technique — observing the dimming of a star’s light as a planet crosses in front of it. However, less than 2% of these planets have been directly imaged, making this discovery particularly rare and groundbreaking. JWST’s discovery was made possible thanks to its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) equipped with a French-produced coronagraph, which blocks out a star’s light to allow the faint glow of orbiting planets to be seen. 🌌 Meet the Planet: TWA 7 b The system is so young that both the star and planet are still in their formative stages. The planet sits within a disk of dust and rocky debris that has two broad rings and a narrow inner ring — where the planet resides. 🧪 What’s Next for TWA 7 b? Scientists do not yet know: Future JWST observations may help uncover these mysteries. 📈 Why It Matters This discovery sets a new benchmark in: As lead researcher Anne-Marie Lagrange of CNRS and Observatoire de Paris put it: “Webb opens a new window — in terms of mass and distance — for exoplanets that had not been accessible to observations so far.” Despite its capabilities, JWST still cannot directly image Earth-sized rocky planets, which remain the holy grail in the search for life. But Lagrange remains hopeful: “Looking forward, I do hope the projects of direct imaging of Earth-like planets and searches for possible signs of life will become a reality.” 🪐 In Summary: This young gas giant, floating 110 light-years away, is a glimpse into how planetary systems like ours begin — and a stepping stone toward discovering potentially habitable worlds.

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Editor05 mins

Apollo Leads $750 Million Funding Round for Adani’s Mumbai Airport; Largest Private Credit Deal in Aviation Sector

Mumbai. In a major private credit transaction, Apollo Global Management has led a $750-million financing round for Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), the operator of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and a key entity under the Adani Group. The US-based investment firm said the four-year senior secured notes will primarily be used to refinance MIAL’s existing debt, with an additional $250 million earmarked for capital expenditure. Apollo described the transaction as the first investment-grade private bond issuance in India’s aviation sector and one of the largest such deals in the country’s infrastructure space. “This marks Apollo’s second large financing for MIAL, having previously provided operational flexibility to deleverage and now delivering an investment-grade rated solution,” said Jamshid Ehsani, partner at Apollo. Growing Trend in Private Credit The deal is the latest in a series of large private credit transactions in India. Earlier this month, KKR provided $600 million to Manipal Group, marking its largest such deal in India. In May, Shapoorji Pallonji Group raised $3.4 billion from a group of global investors including BlackRock, Pimco, and Ares Management. MIAL is 74% owned by Adani Airports Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) holds the remaining 26%. Adani Airports is currently India’s largest private airport operator, managing eight airports across the country. Supporting Expansion and Sustainability In a separate statement, Adani Airports said the funding deal is supported by global banks and institutional investors such as BlackRock-managed funds and Standard Chartered. The proceeds will be used to support modernization, capacity expansion, and sustainability initiatives at Mumbai airport. Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports, said the transaction reflects the group’s “operational strength and unwavering commitment to sustainability.” Strategic Legal Support The transaction was supported by top legal firms. Allen & Overy LLP and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas advised MIAL, while Milbank LLP and Khaitan & Co represented Apollo. Mumbai Airport: A Key National Hub Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is India’s second-busiest airport, having handled 25.8 million passengers in the last financial year. The airport accounted for 23% of India’s passenger traffic and 30% of its air cargo, further underscoring its strategic importance in the country’s aviation and logistics infrastructure.

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India’s Shubhanshu Shukla Soars to Space Aboard Axiom-4, Becomes First Indian to Reach ISS

The Axiom-4 mission successfully launched into space at noon on Wednesday, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other international crew members. The spacecraft began its 28-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic moment for India and several other nations. With this mission, Shubhanshu Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space, over four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight on a Soviet mission in 1984. Significantly, Shukla is the first Indian to reach the International Space Station, a continuously manned research facility orbiting Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers. Also aboard are Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, both representing their nations’ return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years. Shortly after entering orbit, Shukla addressed viewers from space, saying, “This is not the beginning of my flight. This is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight efforts. I am with you all. You all can participate in this flight and feel the energy, and become a part of this mission.” The mission had faced several delays due to weather conditions and technical issues but finally launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is expected to dock with the ISS around 4:30 PM IST on Thursday. Back home, the launch was celebrated with cheers and applause at the CSIR headquarters in New Delhi, where Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh, scientists, and dignitaries including Australian High Commissioner Philip Green watched the event live. The Axiom-4 mission symbolizes not just a scientific milestone, but a new chapter in India’s space journey, reinforcing its aspirations in human space exploration.

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