Athens turns orange as winds carry dust from Sahara desert

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Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athenian landmarks.

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  • California wildfires: Quebec's 'Super Scooper' planes, pilots draw praise as Canada steps up despite Trump's threats

    These Canadian CL-415 aircrafts, also known as amphibious water bombers, have been on the front lines fighting the wildfires blazing through California

  • Volcano located in deep sea off Vancouver Island set to erupt

    John Cassidy, an earthquake seismologist with Natural Resources of Canada, says a volcano located 500 kilometres off the coast of B.C. could erupt this year, and it's an exciting opportunity for scientists to observe its impacts.

  • Polar vortex set to invade Canada and the U.S. with dangerous cold

    The polar vortex will soon elongate over North America with a dangerous cold moving into sections of Canada and the U.S.

  • Alberta First Nation voices 'grave concern' over Kevin O'Leary's proposed $70B AI data centre

    An ambitious plan from celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary to build the "world's largest" AI data centre in northern Alberta is facing opposition from a First Nation in the region.In December, O'Leary Ventures announced plans to build Wonder Valley, a $70-billion data centre in the Municipal District of Greenview, near Grande Prairie.The project has been widely praised, including by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.Its location would put it on traditional territory of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. "

  • L.A. Wildfires: 2 More Arson Suspects Apprehended Bringing Total Number Of Fire-Related Arrests To At Least 60 – Update

    UPDATED with latest: Two more people were behind bars today for allegedly setting small fires in Los Angeles as crews continued efforts to contain the major blazes that have killed dozens of people and destroyed roughly 13,000 structures. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported there have been 44 arrests so far, 36 in the …

  • How to quickly remove ice and snow from your car's windshield — and common mistakes to avoid this winter

    As January brings the ice and snow, many of us are braving the elements to get our vehicles ready for the road.

  • Quebec water bomber pilot describes turbulent missions over Los Angeles area wildfires

    Pascal Duclos, the head pilot of Quebec's aerial service, says crews are getting tired after days of dumping water on California wildfires in high winds over mountainous terrains.

  • Where are mandatory evacuation orders for California wildfires? See maps

    Areas of Los Angeles County in Southern California are under mandatory evacuation orders following multiple fires that have started.

  • Arctic air set to flood into Ontario, but with a blast of snowfall first

    A potent cold front will open the door to frigid Arctic air, with some of the coldest conditions in years set to spread across Ontario

  • Windy, flame-fanning weather eases up as progress made on LA-area fires

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — The windy, flame-fanning weather that put the nation's second most-populous metropolitan region on edge eased up Wednesday as firefighters made significant gains against the two massive wildfires burning around Los Angeles.

  • L.A. firefighting deployment demonstrates Canadian sovereignty, close ties: Sajjan

    Canadian crews are being put to use in the battle against wildfires that are devastating parts of Los Angeles, in a deployment that demonstrates Canadian expertise and sovereignty, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said.

  • More widespread snow hits Ontario ahead of coldest conditions in years

    Several episodes of light snow set to hit Ontario ahead of a potent cold front that opens the door to Arctic air, which will fan out across the region. Some of the coldest air of the season to come

  • Automakers push back on electric vehicle sales mandates as federal incentives halted

    TORONTO — Automakers in Canada are calling for the end of electric vehicle sales mandates because of the sudden pause of federal EV incentives and what they say is the slow build-out of charging infrastructure.

  • Operation underway to capture B.C. wolves for relocation in Colorado

    A wildlife team from the United States has begun capturing grey wolves in British Columbia for release in Colorado after voters in the state approved a proposal to reintroduce the animals, which have been "functionally extinct" there for 75 years.

  • Firefighters work to clear a firebreak on a hillside covered with pink fire retardant in Los Angeles County. The substance is used to slow down a fire's progress.

    Some of the visuals coming out of Los Angeles County over the past week are ones we expect with wildfires: dramatic flames, orange skies and damaged structures. But what's with the pink powder blanketing some neighbourhoods? The eye-popping substance coating streets, cars and surfaces is actually fire retardant, dropped by aerial firefighting tankers in massive plumes of red or pink. Unlike water drops, which target active flames, fire retardant is dropped by planes ahead of a fire's path to slow the fire's progress and allow crews to construct fire lines. Thousands of gallons of fire retardant have been dropped in Los Angeles County since fires broke out last week, officials say. The deadly fires have killed at least 25 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and displaced tens of thousands of residents so far. A car is covered by fire retardant as the Palisades Fire, one of simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County, burns at the Mandeville Canyon, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles. (Ringo Chiu/Reuters)What exactly is fire retardant? Fire retardants are composed of fertilizer chemicals such as ammonium phosphates. They often include bright pigments to aid pilots in dropping the retardant accurately. They work to slow the rate of fires by cooling and coating plants that serve as fuel to a fire, depleting the fire's oxygen, and slowing the burning process "as the retardant's inorganic salts change how fuels burn," according to the U.S. Forest Service. Phos-Chek, made by the company Perimeter Solutions, is the retardant being used in Los Angeles County, and the most common one used in Canada. It's also the most-used fire retardant in the world, according to a 2022 report from The Associated Press. Although there are several formulations, it generally comes in a powder concentrate that is mixed with water before being dropped from tankers.An air tanker drops fire retardant in an attempt to fight the Palisades Fire, which has now been burning for a week. (Ringo Chiu/Reuters)Is it safe? Generally, fire retardants approved for use are not considered toxic to humans — though direct inhalation, eye contact or consumption can cause irritation, and scientists say more studies into long-term exposure are needed.  But fire retardants can be toxic to fish or other aquatic animals if they get into waterways. For this reason, the U.S. Forest Service prohibits dropping fire retardant within 300 feet of waterways or specifically mapped out avoidance areas, "except when human life or public safety are threatened."A study released last year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters found that some fire retardants, including Phos-Chek LC-95W, contained toxic metals, including lead and arsenic.A representative with the U.S. Forest Service told NPR that LC-95 had been phased out in 2025 in favour of the newer MVP-Fx formulation. According to Perimeter data, Phos-Chek MVP-Fx is much less toxic to fish than the older LC-95 formulations. A mailbox covered with fire retardant during the Palisades Fire is seen at the Mandeville Canyon, on Monday. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)Perimeter has previously stated that residents should try to clean off retardant with water and mild soap as soon as safety allows. "The longer the retardant dries, the more difficult it is to remove completely," the company stated in a brief. Pressure washers can be used on larger surfaces, it added. The bright colour will slowly fade with exposure to sunlight. WATCH | B.C.-based aviation company talks about helping to battle L.A. fires: Wildfires are connected to a range of health issues, with studies showing long-term smoke inhalation can seriously impact the lungs and heart, and even raises the risk of dementia more than other forms of air pollution. The U.S. Forest Service has been using aerial fire retardants since the 1950s, according to their website, but its usage has gone through many transformations over the years as older formulations were phased out and regulations changed. In 2005, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana ruled that the Forest Service had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by not carrying out proper analysis of aerial fire retardant's impact on the environment and endangered animals. After years of back and forth, the U.S. Forest Service carried out assessments and implemented the requirement of no dumping on waterways and avoidance zones in a 2011 decision.  Last year, the U.S. Forest Service announced that they had decided against entering into a contract with Compass Minerals for magnesium chloride-based aerial fire retardants after inspections found corrosion in the aerial tankers used to deploy the company's retardant.

  • LA wildfires live updates: More than $100m donated to victims as winds slow giving firefighters a break

    Winds speeds are expected to drop on Thursday, but officials warn threats remain in Los Angeles

  • Blowing snow leads to travel advisory in Kingston, Belleville

    Snow whipping off Lake Ontario could make for dangerous driving around Kingston and Belleville Thursday, according to Environment Canada. The agency has issued a winter weather travel advisory, asking people to avoid travel if possible around Kingston and Prince Edward County and to consider changing travel plans in Belleville and Quinte West.The border between the two alerts is roughly Belleville city limits.Timing is at play with the two slightly different messages: blowing snow is expected to

  • From the sex lives of pygmy seahorses to parasites living in fish nostrils: these photos tell extraordinary ocean stories

    British marine biologist and photographer Richard Smith focuses his work on the ocean’s tiniest and weirdest creatures.

  • What is the polar vortex? How it’s responsible for dangerous cold

    What is the polar vortex? It’s a wintertime mainstay capable of flooding Canada with some of the world’s coldest air

  • New blaze threatens tens of thousands in Ventura County

    Around 84,000 people may be forced to flee after a new wildfire erupted on Tuesday in Ventura County, near Los Angeles, where two separate fires have killed at least 25 people in the past week. Strong winds have ramped up the most recent blaze – named the Auto Fire – which has already covered 56 acres, threatening nearby towns.