Photos: Stunning Frozen Niagara Falls (January 2018)

Photo credit to Express.co.uk

The East Coast of the United States and Canada was slammed by a “bomb cyclone”, a low-pressure weather system similar to a hurricane which brought snow, ice, and strong winds even to places that rarely snows like certain parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Please click here for: Photos: Palm Trees Covered in Snow in Florida The Sunshine State!

The extreme cold weather froze parts of the running water of the Niagara Falls, which turns it into a beautiful natural winter wonderland.  

Please click the photos for larger images:

Photo credit to Express.co.uk

A lone visitor on the United States side of the Niagara River watches as ice chunks and water flow over the brink of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron Lynett

Visitors take pictures near the brink of the ice covered Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron Lynett

A building covered in ice sits at the base of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron Lynett TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Ice hangs from the top of the American side of Niagara Falls on January 3, 2018. The cold snap which has gripped much of Canada and the United States has nearly frozen over the American side of the falls. / AFP PHOTO / Geoff Robins (Photo credit should read GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images)

TOPSHOT – Ice coats the rocks and observation deck at the base of the Horseshoe falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario on January 3, 2018. The cold snap which has gripped much of Canada and the United States has nearly frozen over the American side of the falls. / AFP PHOTO / Geoff Robins (Photo credit should read GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images)

Ice and water flow over the American Falls, viewed from the Canadian side in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron Lynett

Water flows over ice forming at the base of the American Falls, viewed from the Canadian side in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron Lynett

Ice and water flow over the American Falls, viewed from the Canadian side in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron Lynett

Also read: Photos: Niagara Falls Frozen For The Second Time (March 2014)

Photos: Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Awards 2015

The overall winner of the competition was Canadian photographer Don Gutoski. The judges were moved by his picture of a red fox clutching a lifeless arctic fox in a rare example of the two larger of the two foxes hunting its smaller cousin. The picture was taken in the far north of Canada, where global warming has forced the two species to live in the same areas and compete for the same prey. (Don Gutoski / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London announced their winners.

Dan Gutoski from Canada was the overall winner for capturing a photo of a red fox eating an Arctic fox.

Here are nine of the winners’ submissions:

A massive Bryde’s whale rips through a shoal of sardines in the picture that won the Underwater category. The whales can eat hundreds of fish in one bite, and the feeding frenzy was captured by photographer Michael AW during the annual sardine run, when billions of sardines migrate along South Africa’s Wild Coast. (Michael AW / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

In Guilin China, big cats are drugged, have their claws removed and are forced to perform in shows by trainers wielding spiked metal poles. Britta Jaschinski won the Wildlife Photojournalist Single Image award by capturing the cruel and surreal nature of the circus show. (Britta Jaschinski / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

A barn swallow soars through a torn oil painting in this surreal image, captured by Juan Tapia at his farm in Spain. Juan hung the ripped painting in front of a storehouse window, knowing it was a spot the swallows often flew through. The resulting picture took the prize in the Impressions category. (Juan Tapia / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

A birdseye view of the Bahia de Cadiz National Park in Spain shows the marshes alive with bright colour, thanks to a bloom of microalgae, salt deposits and orangey-brown sediment. The picture took the top prize in the From The Sky category. (Pere Soler / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

Jonathan Jagot claimed victory in the 15 to 17-year-old photographer category with his shot of a flock of Scarlet Ibis gliding smoothly over a Brazilian sand dune. The birds are usually found in marshes and mangroves, so the sand is an usual background for their flight. (Jonathan Jagot / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

Photographer Amir Ben-Dov spent days observing the behaviour of these red-footed falcons in Israel before snapping this moment of interaction. The strange dynamic he caught won him the prize in the Birds category. (Amir Ben-Dov / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

In the 11 to 14 year-old photographer category, the top picture was taken in the far north of Norway during summer, when the sun shines 24 hours a day. Photographer Ondrej Pelánek visited with his father, and captured these male ruffs fighting for the attention of the females. (Ondrej-Pelánek / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

The ghostly silouette of a fox, taken in a Surrey garden, was the winning photograph in the Urban category. Richard Peters was aiming to capture the relationship between urban foxes and humans, despite not actually depicting either. (Richard Peter / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)

TPPA: A Step Backwards For Malaysia’s Sovereignity?

Malaysia is supposed to sign the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement or TPPA by the end of this year.

The agreement seems good since it is claimed that it can boost Malaysia’s economy by “enhance trade and investment among the TPPA partner countries, to promote innovation, economic growth and development, and to support the creation and retention of jobs.” 

But in reality, the agreement can challenge our rule of laws, our Federal Constitution and the sovereignty of our country because through Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), foreign companies that operate in Malaysia can take Malaysia as their host country to the International Court Of Arbitration if they are not happy with our local laws.

The case of Bilcon, using the ISDS mechanism against the government of Canada is a very good example of how a foreign company can challenge the rule of laws and the sovereignty of its host country for their own benefit.

Bilcon cannot take the government of Canada to a foreign court if Canada did not sign the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because Canada is a sovereign country.

I would like to refer to the case of Duff Development Company v Government of Kelantan (1924), where the court in England rejected the the case since Kelantan is a sovereign independent State at the time; meaning Duff Development Company cannot take a sovereign country to another country’s court.

So if Malaysia sign the TPPA, Malaysia may face what the government of Canada faced in the Bilcon case where the Canadian government has no control over what is right and fair to its own people and country.

Through ISDS, International Court of Arbitration can also challenge the Articles 3(1), 11(4) and 153 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia which means a foreign invasion on the sovereign of our country. 

Is it worth to open the doors to foreign invasion on the sovereign of our country for economic gains?

In fact, many economic experts have warned us that TPPA is more profitable and gives more power to bigger foreign corporations than our small local industries and it is not fair for our small local industries because they must compete with much bigger companies in an open market.

I am afraid that TPPA will give bigger chances to powerful countries to control the economy of smaller and less powerful countries like Malaysia; something like a new way of invading another country like what had happened in the old times.

Signing the TPPA would be a step backwards for Malaysia as a a sovereign independent State.

TPPA opens the doors to foreign companies to make profit in another country without respecting the local laws, customs, environment and the benefit to their host countries because like what happened in the case of Bilcon, the company is only interested in making profit and has no obligation to make sure that the local people and the country really benefit from its operation.

 

In Photos: Heavy Early September Snow Hit Alberta

An icicle forms on a sunflower as snow continues to fall in Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Calgary, and much of the rest of Southwestern Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Calgary, Edmonton and other parts of Alberta receive three days of unseasonal early September summer snowfall.

A woman hides her face from the blinding snow during an early year snow fall in Calgary, Alberta September 8, 2014. The snow and unseasonably cold weather are supposed to last for two days, according to local media reports. REUTERS/Todd Korol (CANADA – Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY)

Jean Rivers inspects the damage to her trees as snow continues to fall in Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A grazes a snow covered pasture during a late summer snow storm near Calgary, Alta., Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. Snow fall warnings have been issued for much of the province over the next couple of days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A grazes a snow covered pasture during a late summer snow storm near Calgary, Alta., Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. Snow fall warnings have been issued for much of the province over the next couple of days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Snow accumulates on rowan berries as snow continues to fall in Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Calgary, and much of the rest of Southwestern Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A woman walks her dog past snow laden trees as snow continues to fall in Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Calgary, and much of the rest of Southwestern Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Two ponies peer out from their pasture as snow continues to fall in Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Calgary, and much of the rest of Southwestern Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

An icicle forms on a sunflower as snow continues to fall in Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Calgary, and much of the rest of Southwestern Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Cool Canadian Tire Ice Truck By Iceculture (Videos)

An ice pickup truck made out of 11,000lbs of ice was sculpted by a team named ‘Iceculture’ in Ontario, Canada.

The cool truck has a steel frame to provide extra support and it was made for Canadian Tire, to show how well car batteries it makes hold up in extreme cold.

The truck is not only beautiful to look at, but we can take a cool ride on it.

To prove it, a team from ‘Iceculture’ drove the vehicle for a mile at 12mph.

And it comes together with license plates, a pine tree-shaped air freshener, and special fans to prevent the exterior from melting.

The truck is now reckon in the Guinness World Record.

It must be very interesting to ride on the cool ice truck!

 And it took 40 hours for the ice truck to melt.

Please click here to learn more about this cool truck.

Lao Airlines Flight QV301 Crashed, 49 Killed

Lao Airlines Airplane (Photo: Sydney Morning Herald)

Lao Airlines plane crashed into the Mekong River in the southern city of Pakse, near the border with Thailand, just before 16:00 (ICT) on Wednesday.

Lao Airlines Flight QV301 crashed in the Mekong River, killing all 49 passengers and crews.

The state-run Lao Airlines said in a statement that the plane took off from the capital Vientiane and “ran into extreme bad weather conditions” as it prepared to land at Pakse Airport.

AP reported that 17 of the victims were from Lao, seven from France, five were from Australia five from Thailand, three from Korea, two from Vietnam and one person each from Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States.

The airline said it had yet to determine reasons for the crash of the ATR-72 aircraft which was virtually new and had just been delivered in March. 

Please click the photos for large images:

In this undated photo provided by the Rhodes family, Phoumalaysy Rhodes, second left, and her husband Gavin Rhodes, right, hold their children Manfred and Jadesuda, second right, near the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The four are among 49 passengers and crew believed killed when a Lao Airlines plane crashed on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, en route from the Lao capital Vientiane to Pakse in the Southeast Asian nation’s south. (AP Photo/Rhodes Family)

Victim: Aid worker Michael Creighton who was travelling with his father, Gordon (Photo: Sydney Morning Herald)

Victim: Michael Creighton (L) with his ex-wife , former Tasmanian state MP Kathryn Hay (R) (Photo: Sydney Morning Herald)

Beautiful Sights On This Incredible Planet From CNN

A rainbow created by the moon — definitely worth a look.

Our planet Earth is very beautiful.

There are so many beautiful places for us to visit and enjoy their beauty.

But these places will be gone if we do not take care of our planet and if there are wars around the world.

Let us take good care of our planet and please stop the wars.

Please click the photos for larger images:

Dubbed “the greatest shoal on earth,” the sardine run on South Africa’s Wild Coast holds two titles — the world’s largest animal migration also featuring the greatest gathering of predators on the planet.

Every evening, these stunning peaks lay on a glorious display of color, starting out bright yellow before turning an intense red that softens to indigo and violet before darkness finally envelops the mountains.

The Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia is home to the highest tides in the world, creating a rare tidal bore — or giant wave — in the Shubenacadie River. Some adventurous types surf or canoe the wave as it moves upriver.

Some 230 meters beneath a stand of cactus-studded rocky slopes in New Mexico lies a wonderland of 117 caves formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone.

AGRA, INDIA – MAY 28: The Taj Mahal is seen from the South on May 28, 2013 in Agra, India. Completed in 1643, the mausoleum was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who is buried there alongside Jahan.(Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

Lightning flashes during a thunderstorm early on September 13, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stormy weather is expected to continue through Thursday.

The Rialto, the Bridge of Sighs, the vast expanse of San Marco look much as they did 400 years ago, but nothing evokes the mystery of La Serenissima quite like Santa Maria Salute looming out of the mist at the entrance to the Grand Canal.

They’re not exotic and in the European case they’re not even that pretty, but they are one of the most mesmerizing sights in nature.

Every year, armies of young backpackers flock to the ancient town of Fenghuang (which literally means “Phoenix”) in Hunan province, for its rich Miao and Tujia ethnic culture as well as a glorious photo opportunity.

Approximately 40% of Korea’s tea is produced in the rolling fields of Boseong, which have also provided the backdrop of many Korean dramas and films.

Sossusvlei means “the gathering place of water” but you’ll need to bring your own if you don’t want to dehydrate at this, one of Namibia’s most outstanding attractions.

Clean, secluded and easy to skip because it takes some effort to get here, the beaches of the Seychelles are the benchmarks against which others must be judged.

Scandinavia gives you a chance to see the most dazzling light display on Earth.

Old mines reborn as tourist attractions.

In the Lake District it’s OK to ponder like a poet.

Early settlers made homes in these natural formations called fairy chimneys.

Not your everyday ruins.

Seen one beach you’ve seen them all? Not a chance.

Your camera’s memory card might blow up inside this Iceland volcano, but otherwise it’s all cool.

Lucky us, the world didn’t end in 2012, so we still have time to see the Mayan ruins in Palenque.

Not always this clear, we know, but still Yosemite.

Snake-charmers, henna painters and more.

Torres del Paine: created with screen savers and inspirational corporate posters in mind.

Orion, Pegasus and about a million of their friends are visible in Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand.

 

Photos: Toronto Flash Flood, July 8, 2013

Thunderstorms and very heavy rains cause bad flash floods in Greater Toronto Area on July 8, 2013.

Some roads are flooded and some subway services had stopped due to the flooding.

Below are the photos.

(Please click the photos for larger images)

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.

A large thunderstorm resulted in flash flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area on Monday, July 8.