Office | Common News Update

Dec202022 by adminNo Comments

Met Office forecasts 2023 will be hotter than 2022

Science

Getty ImagesBy Georgina RannardBBC News Climate & ScienceNext year will be warmer than this one, and one of the hottest on record, the UK Met Office is forecasting.Predictions suggest it will be the 10th year in a row the global temperature is at least 1C above average.The Met Office explained that a cooling effect known as La Niña will likely end after being in place for three years - part of a natural weather cycle.It also noted the warming impact of human-induced climate change.Scientific evidence shows that climate change is driving up the global temperature.Governments globally have promised to cut emissions to keep temperature rise below 1.5C to avoid the worst effects of climate change.The world has already warmed by around 1.1C compared to the period before the Industrial Revol...

Sep22022 by adminNo Comments

Heatwave: England has had joint hottest summer on record, Met Office says

Science

Getty ImagesEngland has had its joint hottest summer on record, the Met Office says. Provisional figures show the summer of 2022 - covering June, July and August - had an average temperature of 17.1C.This year's summer tied with 2018 for the warmest, according to records stretching back to 1884. It means four of the five warmest summers on record have happened since 2003, as the effects of climate change are felt on the nation's summer temperatures, the Met Office said. This year's summer included the record-breaking heat in July when temperatures in the UK exceeded 40C for the first time as part of a widespread heatwave. Hot and dry conditions have dried up rivers, damaged crops and fuelled wildfires, as well as leaving much of England in drought. For both England and the UK as a whole, i...

Apr42021 by adminNo Comments

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ tops the North American box office with $32.2M

Entertainment

April 4 (UPI) -- The monster mashup, Godzilla vs. Kong, is the No. 1 movie at North American theaters this weekend, earning $ 32.2 million in receipts, BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday. This is the highest amount a film has raked in during its debut in the past year when the coronavirus pandemic has kept people out of theaters and watching films at home. Advertisement Before now, Wonder Woman 1984 held the record with $ 16.7 million when it premiered in December and Tom and Jerry scored $ 14 million when it opened in February. All three movies were released by Warner Bros. simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. Last week's No. 1 movie was Nobody, which opened with $ 6.7 million. Coming in at No. 2 at cinemas this weekend is The Unholy with $ 3.2 million, followed by Nobody at No. 3 ...

Feb282021 by adminNo Comments

UN Human Rights Office says 18 killed in Myanmar crackdown

World

YANGON, Myanmar -- Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military’s seizure of power, and a U.N. human rights official said it had “credible information” that at least 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded.That would be the highest single-day death toll among protesters who are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1 coup. About 1,000 people are believed to have been detained Sunday.“Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement referring to several cities, adding that the forces also used tear gas, flash-bang...

Jan262021 by adminNo Comments

Biden brings moon rock from last lunar mission into Oval Office

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- A moon rock that President Joe Biden has placed in the Oval Office came from the last Apollo mission in 1972, raising hopes that he will support a new lunar landing program already underway. The White House said the moon rock was part of Biden's goal to have the office reflect the best of American accomplishments. Advertisement Astronauts chipped the rock from a large boulder at the base of the North Massif mountain in the Imbrium Impact Basin. The stone's official name is Lunar Sample 76015,143, which refers to NASA's generic numbering system for more than 840 pounds of rock retrieved during Apollo missions. Scientists were pleased with the testament to science and space exploration. Ellen Stofan, director of the National Air and Space Museum, posted a mes...