Adorable footage of Polar Bears seeing snow for the first time will make your heart melt

From a curious polar bear cub to an excitable puppy: Adorable footage of animals seeing snow for the first time is sure to make your heart melt From spectacular waterfalls to sensational samba dances: Discovering the enticing rhythm of Argentina and Brazil on a trip-of-a-lifetime tour These really are pop-up hotels! Tourists can stay in one-off glamping cabins installed in Wales’ secret beauty spots which disappear after they visit Meet the man who’s travelling on CONTAINER SHIPS in an attempt to see every country in the world… without flying Make 2017 a roaring triumph: From dinosaurs and rock gods to a Far Eastern tropical idyll, this year’s top destinations revealed Bring the bambino: Newsreader Emma Crosby proves a tour of Tuscany with a toddler CAN still be child’s play Planet Earth – the live show: Head to Namibia for the best seat in the house at this spectacular African safari … (more)

Classic film director dies at the age of 85

Jeremy Summers, who was born in St Albans in 1931 to Dora, an actor, and Walter Summers, a film director and screenplay writer, died on December 14 at the age of 85. Summers began working as a runner at Elstree Studios, in Borehamwood, when he was 16 and became an assistant director on films such as The Dam Busters and Moby Dick . His son Julian Summers said: “Walter had come back from the second world war a physical and nervous wreck and had already acquired a reputation in the film industry for being difficult.

‘Buyers will find it tough to find something’ – Property expert on…

‘Buyers will find it tough to find something’ – Property expert on the 10pc house price jump forecast in next 18 months ‘Buyers will find it tough to find something’ – Property expert on the 10pc house price jump forecast in next 18 months ‘Buyers will find it tough to find something’ – Property expert on the 10pc house price jump forecast in next 18 months Economist at Trinity College, Ronan Lyons, predicts that house prices will continue to rise between 5pc and 10pc over the next 18 months.

‘Main office conversation today: Who slept the least last night and …

‘Main office conversation today: Who slept the least last night and who put on the most weight in two weeks’: Twitter explodes with #backtowork memes as workers return from their 17 DAY Christmas break It’s been a long Christmas holiday for many Britons who only needed to take eight days of annual leave to enjoy a 17-day break. But the realisation that they were returning to the office today was almost too much to bear for some who shared their back to work blues on social media.

Heavy smog blankets part of China as locals still dance the Viennese Waltz in Fuyang

Nothing can stop them! Heavy smog blankets part of China but it doesn’t stop the locals from donning face masks and dancing the Viennese Waltz Heavy smog blanketing northern and central China could not deter the spirits of a number of locals who took to the streets to dance. Dozens of flights and highways were closed on Monday but people in Fuyang, in the Anhui province, braved the shocking pollution, donning masks to perform their best Viennese Waltz.

Manchester schoolgirl was raped after being dragged off a street by a man in a balaclava

Schoolgirl, 12, was raped after being dragged off a street and into an alleyway by a man in a balaclava A 12-year-old girl has been raped after she was dragged off a street into an alleyway by a man in a balaclava. The victim was attacked as she walked in Levenshulme, Manchester but police said the girl only spoke out last week and told them the incident took place on Tuesday November 22 last year.

Not lovin’ it! Cardinal voices outrage after a McDonald’s store…

Mayhem at airports as immigration system inexplicably crashes – causing huge lines and hours of disruption on one of the busiest travel days of the year, but officials dismiss suggestion of hacking Four young siblings are killed and a further six relatives are hospitalized by poisonous gas from MOUSE PESTICIDE sprayed under their home Don’t drop your life for your partner, avoid talking about your ex and NEVER become clingy: The six things you shouldn’t do if you want your relationship to last the distance United Airlines employee is found trapped in a plane’s baggage hold after a flight from North Carolina to Virginia So what DID happen the night George Michael died? Tweets about suicide. Rumors of drug abuse.

Syria rebels suspend talks with government over violations

The cease-fire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey is to be followed by talks between mainstream rebel factions and government representatives in the Kazakh capital of Astana. But in a statement posted late Monday, 10 rebel factions said they are suspending any talks related to the Astana negotiations or any discussions related to the cease-fire “until it is fully implemented.”

Juba University lecturers strike over detained colleagues

Academic lecturers have indefinitely suspended lessons at the South Sudan’s main University of Juba in protest to arbitrary detention of two academics. Academic staff president Philip Finish Apollo and natural resources lecture Zuher Sule were arrested on Thursday for holding a “secret meeting” after being suspended from the university by Vice Chancellor Prof.

Sudan’s NCP dismisses claims about possible U.S. retreat from lift of sanctions

Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party has called on the Sudanese to not listen to the opposition forces’ “nonsense” remarks about a possible retreat by the incoming U.S. Administration from the recent decision to ease economic sanctions imposed on Sudan. On Friday, the outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order to ease sanctions against Khartoum enabling trade and investment transactions to resume with Sudan.

Eight dead in suspected Sudan cholera outbreak: report

Eight people have died and 342 infected at several Sudanese states in a second wave of a suspected cholera outbreak within five months, said a report by the independent Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors. The report, which was seen by Sudan Tribune on Monday, said the preliminary tests of diarrhea samples proved they were cholera cases, pointing such cases are usually confirmed by a reference laboratory and announced by the Department of Epidemiology at the Health Ministry.

!HASH

Mitchell Stephens returned from injury to score a goal and set up two more as Canada downed the Czech Republic 5-3 in a quarter-final on Monday at the world junior hockey championship. Julien Gauthier, with two, Blake Speers and Thomas Chabot also scored for Canada, which advanced to a semifinal on Wednesday against Sweden.

USLS student dominates Negros Speedcubing tilt

UNIVERSITY of St. La Salle engineering student Jay Benedict Alfaras topped the 1st Negros Speedcubing Open 2016 held at Lopue’s East Centre in Bacolod City on December 29. Alfaras, who hails from Bacolod City, finished in 9.67 seconds ahead of fellow La Sallian Lance Christian Juarez and Iloilo City’s May John Saban . The Negros Open gave Alfaras his fourth straight title after he was declared champion in three other competitions in the past three months, including the Baguio City Open on October 30, Speedcubing Yearend Open in Cebu City on November 26, and Pinoy Big Cubes Open in Quezon City on December 18. Alfaras also registered a 29.60 solve in the 4x4x4 puzzle event, which is officially the new Philippine National Record.

At Least 60 Killed In Prison Riot In Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 3 — At least 60 people were killed during a riot over the weekend at a prison in Brazil. The revolt which lasted nearly 20 hours started on Sunday afternoon as part of a rivalry between two criminal organizations at the Anisio Jobim Prison Complex in the city of Manaus.

64 killed in bombings in Baghdad

Five car bombs detonated in the Iraqi capital on Monday, marking a bloody start to the year as Iraq attempts to squeeze the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant from its last remaining territory in the country. Sixty-four people were killed in the attacks, according to a security official from Baghdad Operations Command, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Serena Williams wins opening match in Auckland

Serena Williams mixed flashes of form and occasional bouts of frustration as she ended four months on the sidelines with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Pauline Parmentier on Tuesday in the first round of the ASB Classic. Top-seeded Williams had to wait an extra day to make her first appearance of 2017 because rain forced the postponement of her first-round match on Monday.

Asia stocks see subdued start to 2017, dollar resumes climb

Investors look at computer screens showing stock information at a brokerage house in Shanghai, China, April 21, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song Asian stocks began 2017 on a flat note on Tuesday, uninspired by a surge in European markets to their highest in more than a year, while the dollar resumed its climb after last week’s stumble.

Oil prices rise as markets eye OPEC, non-OPEC production cuts

Oil prices rose in the first trading hours of 2017, buoyed by hopes that a deal between OPEC and non-OPEC members to cut production, which kicked in on Sunday, will be effective in draining the global supply glut. International Brent crude oil prices LCOc1 were trading up 31 cents, or 0.55 percent, at $57.13 a barrel at 0203 GMT on Tuesday – close to last year’s high of $57.89 per barrel, hit on Dec. 12. Oil markets were closed on Monday after the New Year’s holiday.

Former Davao City vice mayor joins Duterte admin as new DBP board member

Former Davao City vice mayor Luis Bonguyan has joined the Duterte administration as a new board member of the Development Bank of the Philippines . Bonguyan, who was Duterte’s vice mayor in early 2000, told reporters during the regular Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City on Monday that DBP’s mandate for this year is to focus its support to the local government units , the electric cooperatives and water districts in the country.

Making waves on the water at Fyans

RESIDENTS in and around Lake Fyans rang in the new year on the water, making waves in an afternoon of knee boarding and water skiing. It was a warm end to 2016 after Stawell reached a maximum of 28 degrees on New Year’s Eve.

Is Beijing concealing Pakistan-linked terror in Xinjiang1 hour ago

Hong Kong, Jan.3 : In the last six months of 2016, state-owned media in China has reported two terrorist incidents in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region , the most recent of which occurred in the province’s Karakax County, resulting in the death of one person. Both of these terror-related incidents took place this year on September 10 and December 28 respectively.

Donald Trump will not tolerate dual role from India’s neighbours: Transition team member1 hour ago

New Delhi, Jan. 03 : In an apparent reference to Pakistan, a member of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has said that the incoming President will not tolerate dual role from India’s neighbour. “The President-elect has made that policy very very clear that he is not going to tolerate dual role from India’s neighbours,” transition team member Shalab Kumar told ANI.

UP Polls: Congress divided on tying up with Samajwadi Party under Akhilesh Yadav 51 mins ago

Lucknow, Jan 3: Amid the ongoing crisis in Samajwadi Party, Congress’ stand seem divided on forming an alliance with the party under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav in the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections this year. While the senior leadership of Congress compared the family feud in the Samajwadi Party to a 1990s soap opera and evaded questions of pre-poll alliance, majority of the party MLAs in Uttar Pradesh spoke in favour of tie-up with Samajwadi Party under the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Supreme Court to hear petition challenging CBI interim director…

New Delhi , Jan. 3 : The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a plea challenging the appointment of interim Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation Rakesh Asthana, a 1984 Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service officer. The Public Interest Litigation filed by Prashant Bhushan on behalf of Common Cause, an NGO, sought the quashing of Asthana’s appointment in accordance with the Vineet Narain case.

Trump on North Korea ICBM: ‘It won’t happen!’

“North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US,” Trump tweeted. “It won’t happen!” Kim Jong-Un announced on Sunday that North Korea is in “final stages” of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile .