An earthquake that rattled remote towns high in California’s Sierra Nevada on Tuesday afternoon startled residents for miles around California, but caused no serious damage or injuries, authorities said.

The magnitude 4.8 quake struck just after 3 p.m. six miles (9.6 kilometers) west of Big Pine, a small community in the eastern side of the mountain range along scenic US Route 395.

The quake nine miles(14.4 kilometers) underground in Inyo County hit along the Owens Valley fault line, said Susan Garcia of the US Geological Survey Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park.

The area has experienced eight quakes of a magnitude 3 since 1935, and a magnitude 4 hit in 1988.

The initial jolt on Tuesday was followed by a series of six aftershocks over more than an hour, the largest had a magnitude of 4.3, Garcia said. Residents in Sacramento, Livermore, Fresno, Bakersfield, Los Angeles and across the state line in Nevada reported feeling the ground shaking.

“I thought something hit our building because there was a loud boom and everything shook for about four to six seconds,” said Cody Lawson, a dispatcher at the nearby Bishop Police Department. “It hit hard right off the bat.”

Nobody called to report an emergency in the town of about 2,500 residents, he said, adding that some in the dispatch center where he works sought shelter under their desks. Lawson said he went to a door frame and waited for the shaking to stop.

Minutes after he got back to his desk and answered the phone, he described one of the aftershocks. “It’s not as strong,” he said. “We’re rolling.” A pre-dawn quake also Tuesday struck just north of Big Bear in the mountains east of Los Angeles. The USGS reported that it registered at 3.8 in magnitude.

The Reserve Bank of India today fixed the reference rate of the rupee at 68.5920 against the US dollar and 76.6104 for the euro.

These rates were 68.3360 and 76.2425 respectively, yesterday.

According to an RBI statement, the exchange rates for the pound and the yen against the rupee were quoted at 98.0180 and 60.32 per 100 yens, respectively, based on reference rates for the dollar and cross-currency quotes at noon.

The SDR-rupee rate will be based on this rate, the statement added.

Dubai, Feb 17 (PTI) Gulf carrier Etihad Airways along with partner Jet Airways has carried a record 3.3 million people between Abu Dhabi and India in 2015, registering a 63 per cent growth in passenger traffic.

Together, the airlines carried a record 3.3 million passengers between Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub and India in 2015, representing a sharp rise on the 2 million flown during the previous 12 months, the airline said.

“Bilateral relations between the UAE and India continue to grow based on years of friendship and deep commitment to strengthen economic, cultural and trade ties.

“With Etihad Airways and Jet Airways together offering over 44,000 seats each week between Abu Dhabi and India, we are clearly are a key contributor to India’s dynamic economy.

There is further room to grow and we are looking at the many opportunities that exist to develop our operations,” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Our investment in Jet Airways was aimed at being part of the Indian success story. Before the Jet deal, Etihad Airways carried only two per cent of the international traffic to and from India. We have helped bring Jet Airways back to profitability.

“Today, Jet Airways is our number one equity partner for revenue and passenger contribution on Etihad Airways, and India is Abu Dhabi’s number one source market for international visitors,” he added.

The UAE is the 10th biggest foreign – and largest Arab – investor in India.

Etihad operates 175 flights each week to and from 11 Indian gateway cities. The combined networks of Etihad Airways and Jet Airways offer over 250 weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and 15 cities across India.

From May 1, the airline will launch its award-winning Airbus A380 operations to Mumbai.

By 2020, domestic and international passenger traffic through Indian airports is expected to double to 450 million.

The UN World Tourism Organisation predicts more than 50 million Indians travelling overseas annually by 2020.

A 19-member Parliamentary Working Committee (PWC) on Naga political issue of Nagaland Assembly has been camping in New Delhi to seek the support of national political parties for early solution of the vexed problem.

The delegation, led by Chief Minister TR Zeliang and Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, called on BJP President Amit Shah and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav yesterday, a government statement said here last evening.

While Shah has given an assurance to meet their demands, Yadav expressed his party’s support even for a constitutional amendment, if required, for a peaceful solution to the Naga political issue, it said.

The PWC delegation is expected to meet other national leaders for a consensus, it said.PTI

Hundreds of journalists today held a protest march against the attack on mediapersons covering the hearing of a sedition case in which the JNU students’ union president has been arrested and demanded that the culprits be brought to book.
The scribes, representing various journalist bodies, took out a march from the Press Club to the Supreme Court raising slogans in support of freedom of expression and against alleged police inaction during the incident yesterday.
A delegation of journalists also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought a thorough probe into the incident and strict action against those involved in the assault at the Patiala House Court Complex.
The journalists questioned the “silence of police” over the attack on students and scribes and dubbed it an insult to the judiciary as the incident took place inside a court complex.
Journalists, students and teachers of JNU were beaten up allegedly by groups of lawyers, drawing criticism from the press amidst calls for the Home Ministry to look into the “dereliction of duty” by police, which has been accused of being a “mute spectator” during the incident.
The journalist bodies said it was a matter of “great concern” that attacks on mediapersons are “going up”.
Police have said two FIRs have been registered against unnamed persons in connection with the attack.