Three months ago, eight people disappeared on a flight deep in the Amazon. Small planes are often the only way to get around – but because most landing strips are unofficial, pilots have to lie about where they are flying. And this means that when planes go missing, it can be unclear where to look for them. It was a… Read more »
A huge fireball exploded in the Earth’s atmosphere in December, according to Nasa. The blast was the second largest of its kind in 30 years, and the biggest since the fireball over Chelyabinsk in Russia six years ago. But it went largely unnoticed until now because it blew up over the Bering Sea, off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The space rock exploded… Read more »
Thawing snowpack and heavy rains have brought historically high flooding to several Midwestern states and have led to thousands of evacuations. Three people have died, including a man who officials say was trying to rescue strangers from freezing flood waters. Record-breaking flooding in at least five states has led to emergency declarations. Several communities have been cut off from outside… Read more »
The United States withdrew all diplomatic staff from Venezuela last week due to the “deteriorating situation” there, the State Department has said. The United States ordered all non-essential staff to leave Venezuela in January amid on ongoing diplomatic crisis. Desperation in Venezuela grows, as a widespread power outage and a worsening humanitarian crisis have sparked mass protests. Much of Venezuela… Read more »
Nearly 50 people, including actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, were charged on Tuesday in what federal authorities say was a $25 million scam to help wealthy Americans get their children into elite universities like Yale and Stanford. The most sweeping college admissions fraud scheme ever unearthed in the United States was masterminded at a small college-preparation company based in… Read more »
The Illinois House of representatives has voted to require the teaching of ‘LGBT history’ to elementary school students in the state. Republican opponents have called the measure “indoctrination.” The measure, which passed by 60 votes to 42 on Wednesday, would require history textbooks in the state to include “the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the… Read more »
California Governor Gavin Newsom will impose a moratorium on the state’s death penalty on Wednesday, granting reprieves to all 737 inmates on death row and closing the state’s execution chamber, an administration source said. Newsom, who on Tuesday night hinted at a “major policy announcement,” plans to sign an executive order setting the changes in place on Wednesday morning at… Read more »
Boeing has grounded its entire global fleet of 737 Max aircraft after investigators uncovered new evidence at the scene of the fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash. The US plane-maker said it would suspend all 371 of the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration said fresh evidence as well as newly refined satellite data prompted the decision to temporarily ban the jets. The… Read more »
As Brazilians vote for a new president, senators and deputies on Sunday, one issue in particular might determine their choice: violent crime. Two recent surveys strongly suggest increasing concern among Brazilians about rising levels of violence. Candidates across the political spectrum have promised in their campaigns to address the issue. Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who’s leading in the polls, wants… Read more »
Residents of Caracas and other Venezuelan cities hit by a six-day-long power cut have been searching for water as supplies to their homes have been affected by the blackout. Many pumps which deliver water to homes stopped working when the power cut first hit on Thursday afternoon local time. While in some areas power returned for short periods and people… Read more »