Temperatures in parts of the United States could drop to record lows of -30C (-22F) as a result of a “polar vortex” of cold, dense air. John Hammond from the BBC Weather Centre explains what causes the unusual phenomenon Please follow and like us:
The chemistry and momentum is clearly with a charismatic Modi but will he have the numbers to become India’s next prime minister? For almost three decades, Sharad Pawar has been India’s prime minister-in-waiting. A few years ago, when journalists asked him if he had finally given up on his prime ministerial ambitions, the Maharashtra leader candidly admitted that with a party of less than 10 MPs, his chances for the […]
The Chinese ice-breaker that helped rescue passengers stranded on the Akademik Shokalskiy vessel in Antarctica is now stuck itself. An Australian ice-breaker carrying the rescued passengers is no longer on standby and is returning to shore. On Thursday, a helicopter from the Chinese ship, Xue Long, transferred 52 passengers from the Akademik Shokalskiy to the Aurora Australis. The Russian boat has been trapped by thick floes of ice since […]
The negative effects of global tourism STORY HIGHLIGHTS Documentary explores fallout from mismanaged tourism in developing world Filmmaker uses dramatic examples from around world Films looks at “dark tourism,” travel to sites associated with suffering and danger A new documentary suggests tourism is out of control in parts of the world, irreversibly damaging the environment and indigenous cultures. “Gringo Trails,” a film more than a decade in the making by […]
Residents of the north-eastern US have been warned to stay indoors, as the region braces for a storm expected to dump up to 14in (35cm) of snow. Nearly 2,000 flights have been grounded nationwide as heavy snow fell from Illinois to Michigan in the US Midwest. New York and New England are expected to see blizzard conditions, with wind gusts of up to 45mph (72 km/h). In Canada, temperatures […]
Holly Wright and her boyfriend found a couch outside a house with a ‘Free’ sign on it near their home in Grand Rapids, Michigan She used it for two months to read books, check emails, and her dog regularly sat on it This week she was shocked when a boa constrictor came slithering out The animal was not aggressive and died, likely from starvation, shortly after getting out of the […]
Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi chief minister wins confidence vote Arvind Kejriwal, new chief minister of India’s capital Delhi, has won a vote of confidence in the state assembly. Support from the Congress party which had been in power helped him secure 37 votes, one more than he needed. Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi (Common Man’s) Party (AAP) won 28 of the 70 seats in last month’s elections on a pledge to […]
Special forces in Iraq are fighting jihadist militants who have reportedly taken over swathes of two cities. The clashes with fighters from the al-Qaeda linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) are taking place in Fallujah and Ramadi. Both cities are in the province of Anbar where Sunni militant activity has been on the rise. On Monday the security forces broke up a long-running Sunni anti-government protest camp […]
A bus has plunged down a deep gorge in the western Indian state of Maharashtra killing at least 27 people, police say. Reports said the driver lost control of the bus after it collided with a truck near Malshej Ghat, a tourist area about 160km (99 miles) from Mumbai. A senior police officer said the bus was carrying 40 people and rescue work had begun, Associated Press reported. Road accidents […]
Sea ice conditions in the Antarctic are likely to delay plans to take passengers off an ice-bound ship, officials say. Rescue co-ordinators based in Australia said it is now likely the airlift will not go ahead on Thursday as hoped. They had earlier been optimistic that helicopter operations would begin soon as weather conditions had improved. The ship, the Akademik Shokalskiy, with 74 passengers and and crew aboard, has been […]
