Glen MacPherson first heard the Hum in 2012. He was in Sechelt when he detected a low-level drone that he thought was coming from nearby float planes. Over time, he started to realize the Hum had nothing to do with planes and tried to figure out what exactly was going on. So, he did what most people do when they have an unanswered question: he Googled it.

He found out he wasn't alone. MacPherson discovered an online community of people who say they have been hearing a mysterious drone that has been dubbed The World Hum.

"Much to my surprise, it turns out I was one of the people who can sense what seems to be a very unusual low-frequency sound," he said.

Four years later, when curious people like MacPherson Google information about the Hum, they come across his website, The World Hum Map and Database.

MacPherson, a schoolteacher in Gibsons who has also worked as an instructor at the University of British Columbia, says he wanted to apply a measure of scientific rigour to this unexplained phenomenon, so he created the database to track reports from people around the world who say they too hear the Hum.

MacPherson has heard from thousands of people from locations as far as Iceland, New Zealand, Kazakhstan and the Philippines. The data, he admits, is skewed since the site only reaches English speakers. He plans to the translate the site into Chinese, which means he could get a flood of new data from the world's most populous country. He says if you look at the data he has accumulated, a few things stand out.

"I caution anybody who looks at the Hum Map to not be distracted by the high concentration of points on the Eastern Seaboard of the US and, in particular, over in England. Over in England, it would appear that they're being absolutely clobbered," MacPherson said.

He also notes that Vancouver Island has a "significantly higher concentration of Hum reports."

Ten days of persistent rains in the north of Malawi have killed dozens, injured others while destroying over 1000 houses and affecting about 17,000 families.

The impact of the rain has made President Peter Mutharika to declare a state of emergency as local authorities call for help.

The disaster has wreaked havoc on the densely populated country, where most people survive on subsistence farming. Crops of maize have been destroyed, villages wiped out, homes swept away and livestock killed.

Ethel Khosa, is one of the survivors, but unfortunately she lost two of her children and her home.

At least 23 people were killed as heavy rainfall and floods hit Afghanistan's Badghis province on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Based on the reports we have received so far, 23 people, including women and children, have been confirmed dead due to downpour and flooding in Jawand, Balamurghab and Abkamari districts," a police official told Xinhua news agency.

Rainstorm and flooding hit several parts of Afghanistan, including the capital city Kabul, on Saturday night and parts of the country were still receiving heavy rain.


Source: IANS

Heavy rains have caused severe flooding and cut water service to millions of people in Chile's capital, Santiago.

Authorities say the Rio Mapocho flooded several districts of the city and landslides killed at least one person. Seven others are missing and people along the Costanera Center shopping center were being evacuated Sunday.

City officials say water service was cut to at least 3 million people due to contamination caused by the flooding. They've urged residents to limit water use until the problem is past.

Electricity also was cut to tens of thousands of people in the Chilean capital on Sunday.



Source: Associated Press

April 16 is the beginning of a pesticide-bacteria spraying program in western Washington, authorized by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The stated purpose is to kill Asian and European gypsy moths.

Here is a map of the areas being sprayed.

A Drukair aircraft with 103 passengers aboard was damaged after flying through hail while on approach to Guwahati airport in India yesterday.

The flight, KB 140, which was on the way to Bangkok via Guwahati, landed safely.

A press release issued by the national airline stated that the weather condition at Guwahati was forecast to be good in terms of visibility and with only light showers occurring.

The pilots were in the process of circumnavigating to avoid thunderstorms en route to Guwahati when they encountered hailstones. "On the approach of flight KB 140, the pilots unexpectedly encountered severe hail stones at the proximity of thunderstorm, though on very rare occasions thunderstorms produce hail stones," a press release from the airline stated.

Damage to the aircraft is currently being assessed the airline said, while adding that it will be back in operation as soon as possible.

The unfortunate incident happened when the two women went to participate in the regular Holy Ghost Hour prayer session of Heavenly Sure Charismatic Church, a Pentecostal church, usually held in the premises of Comprehensive Secondary School, Emekuku in Owerri North LGA, Imo State.

25-year-old Chioma Jonathan was a native of Obiangwu in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area and Chinonye Anyanwu, aged 26, from Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, both in Imo State.

Also affected in the lightning strike was the 54-year-old General Overseer of the church, Pastor Luke
Nwokocha, who led the short-lived prayer session. He temporarily lost consciousness and was rushed to a hospital by his wife and another member of the church, where he was revived. In addition, he sus­tained injuries on his leg.

At the headquarters of the police command in Imo State, Pastor Nwokocha recounted to Sunday Sun, what happened.

The Lopes Mendes Beach is considered the 8th most beautiful of the world, and 2nd most beautiful in Brazil.

But on Monday, April 11, 2016, this idyllic place turned into a horror scenario as thousands of swordfish were found dead on the beach sands.

The killing was first attributed to water pollution.

As many of the swordfish had a broken neck, officials however say that the probable cause of this dead fish appearing on this paradisiac beach is overfishing.

Mobile phone videos of a sandstorm in Guazhou County in northwest China's Gansu Province on Friday showed its intensity. The entire county was enveloped by the storm in less than 10 minutes. The storm brought strong gales with speed of more than 75 kilometers per hour and dropped visibility to less than 600 meters. As the storm moved fast and was quickly over, it did not cause much damage to local industries or agriculture.