According to nasa

Rail passengers faced five times as many severely disrupted days this winter as in the same period last year, figures show, with flooding and adverse weather blamed for the increase in cancellations. There were 21 severely disrupted days – defined as a day on which the cancellations score is five per cent or more – between October and December, compared to four in the same period the previous year. Flooding and other bad weather in the north-west and the Midlands was largely responsible, according to the latest figures published by the Office for Rail and Road. Overall, the number of services running on time rose slightly on the same period last year, reaching 86.9 per cent, but it has fallen over a five-year spell. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, wrote on Twitter that Britain's train companies still had "plenty more to do". "Last year I asked for trains to be regarded as 'on time' only when they arrive to the minute (not five or 10 mins late as per previous measure)," … [Read more...] about Big rise in winter rail disruption blamed on floods and bad weather

One of the most striking links with domestic abuse is animal cruelty . I’ve seen in court cases that abusers harm or threaten to harm a beloved pet in front of their partner and their children. It’s terrifying – and it couldn’t be a clearer example of coercive and controlling behaviour designed to intimidate victims to remain in, or be silenced about, their abusive relationship. Which brings me to the latest from the high-profile court case in the United States involving Amber Heard, Johnny Depp – and his dog . Heard recently gave evidence that Depp, “grabs this teacup yorkie and holds Boo out of the window of the moving car, and he’s howling like an animal while holding the dog out the window…And everyone in the car – I’ll never forget it – everyone just froze. No one did anything.” She added, “I didn’t want to react to cause him to drop the dog,” Heard said. I’ve seen this before. It goes like this – if you dare to step out of line, I have the power to slit … [Read more...] about There’s a reason Johnny Depp’s dog keeps coming up in the Amber Heard trial

Body-positivity advocate Iskra Lawrence is urging her followers to embrace their uniqueness after revealing she used to suffer from body dysmorphia and an eating disorder. On a recent unedited Instagram post of herself in a bikini, the plus-size model shared some advice for anyone who's ever thought “If I looked like her all my problems would go away.” According to the 28-year-old, she recently saw the comment on one of her photos, which prompted her to share her own experiences feeling the same way - and the unhealthy outcome. Recommended Model Iskra Lawrence speaks out about the dangers of extreme dieting “Maybe it was said in jest but thoughts turn into consciousness, and in turn can start to affect our mindset, outlook, and how we view ourselves,” she wrote, continuing: “Which in turn will eventually be your reality - I used to think like that.” For Lawrence, her own previous desire to look like photoshopped and “slimmer models” stemmed from … [Read more...] about Iskra Lawrence reveals she suffered from body dysmorphia and reminds followers ‘no one can ever be you’

Kumail Nanjiani has opened up about his discomfort with the focus on the physical transformation he underwent to prepare for his role in Marvel ’s Eternals . In December 2019, the actor shared shirtless photos of his muscular physique on Instagram , where he explained that he had “never thought” he’d be “one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless,” but that he had worked “way too hard for way too long” to not show off his results. In the caption, Nanjiani had explained that he’d decided to “transform” how he looked after learning that he had gotten the role in the Marvel superhero movie, before thanking his team of nutritionists and personal trainers who helped him. However, in a new interview with GQ , the Silicon Valley star revealed that, in the year and a half since he shared the photos, he has grown “uncomfortable” talking about his body. “I’ve found out over the last year and a half, since I did that picture, that I am very uncomfortable … [Read more...] about Kumail Nanjiani says he is ‘very uncomfortable’ talking about his body since viral shirtless photos

A significant proportion of both men and women in Britain display signs of body dysmorphia and say that low body confidence has had a negative impact on different aspects of their lives, a new study has found. According to a survey by social enterprise Better, the majority of men (54 per cent) and nearly half of women (49 per cent) show signs of body dysmorphia. A survey of 2,000 respondents, both men and women, found that about a third of both think “often” about making their body “muscular or lean enough”, while more men (34 per cent) have exercised despite being sick or injured than women (27 per cent). Around the same proportion of men and women said they have felt anxious about missing a workout (26 per cent and 23 per cent respectively), but a higher number of men (24 per cent) have forgone work obligations or social activities in order to maintain a workout schedule or diet compared to women (15 per cent). Young people were more likely to experience … [Read more...] about Majority of men in Britain show signs of body dysmorphia, study says

The number of wildfires recorded in England and Wales so far this year has already surpassed the 2021 total, fuelling concern for what the future might hold if the climate crisis is left unchecked. There were 243 wildfires from January to April, compared to 237 for the whole of last year, according to figures logged on the National Fire Chiefs Council National Resilience reporting tool, shared exclusively with The Independent . Firefighters and wildfire experts warn the intensity and frequency of larger wild blazes have increased in recent years, likely due to a dangerous mix of climate change, a lack of land management, arson attacks and accidental fires. “I am very fearful that a member of the public or a firefighter is going to get seriously hurt,” said Craig Hope, a wildfire tactical adviser at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, who said more prevention work is needed, along with better training for firefighters who tackle the blazes before the problem got … [Read more...] about Climate change fuels surge in wildfires sparking concern of ‘devastating consequences’ if left unchecked

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old, at least five months after completion of a primary series, officials announced Tuesday. "While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience longer term effects, even following initially mild disease," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said in a statement Tuesday. "The FDA is authorizing the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age to provide continued protection against COVID-19," he added. Pfizer asked the FDA in April to authorize its booster vaccines for younger children, after it submitted data that indicated their shot was safe and generated a strong immune response in children ages 5 to … [Read more...] about FDA authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shots for children 5 to 11 years old

Maple Leafs star Mitchell Marner was the victim of a carjacking in Toronto, the team confirmed Tuesday. The Maple Leafs said Marner will have no additional comment on the matter as police continue to investigate. Police said suspects took a black Range Rover at gunpoint at 7:45 p.m., Monday, according to multiple reports. Tuesday is exit interview day for the Maple Leafs, and while Marner is not expected to speak, his teammates said that he's doing well. "I'm just happy he's OK and he wasn't hurt," Auston Matthews said. "I don't really know much more than you guys do but it's great to see him here today. I can't imagine that's a fun experience to go through. We're all just glad he's OK." Added Jason Spezza : "It's scary; that's [real] life. That's not hockey. That's scary. That stuff is jarring. So happy to see that he's OK." Marner, who grew up outside of Toronto, had a career-high 97 points this season and contributed two goals and six assists in the … [Read more...] about Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitchell Marner victim of carjacking

A meeting of the Moscow-led military alliance of post-Soviet countries "did not go well", according to one Russia analyst, amid internal squabbles and no public consensus expressing support for President Vladimir Putin 's invasion of Ukraine. The statement issued after the gathering of the six members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) made no mention of Ukraine nor what Russia calls its "special operation." The group with Putin as its geopolitical center of gravity is the post-Soviet world's answer to NATO and was hosted by the Russian leader at the Kremlin, marking the 30th anniversary of its founding. But only the Russian leader, and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, spoke about the war in Ukraine. Russian news agencies reported how Putin repeated unfounded claims that Ukraine was developing biological weapons and revisited his justification for the war he is waging by describing the "rampant neo-Nazism" in his neighbor. Lukashenko … [Read more...] about Cracks are emerging in Putin’s alliance against the west

President Donald Trump has said his administration is looking "very strongly" at an outbreak of violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has left dozens dead and raised fears of a broader war between the Caucasus neighbors. At least 24 people have been killed in fighting that broke out over the weekend and continued into Monday, the Guardian reported. The two sides have long been at loggerheads over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally-recognized Azeri land but is controlled by ethnic Armenians as the self-declared Republic of Artsakh. The two nations went to war between 1988–94 over the region, which broke away from Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then there have been sporadic border clashes. This weekend's violence is the most significant since 2016, when hundreds of troops on both sides were killed during a spate of border fighting. Heavy artillery, helicopter gunships and … [Read more...] about Trump says U.S. will try to stop Armenia, Azerbaijan war as nations urge calm