Earth Changes
Locals spotted the stranded 15ft-long megamouth shark on the beach in Negros Oriental, Philippines.
There have only been a handful of sightings of the extremely rare species in the world and superstitious locals believe a dead creature being washed ashore is a sign of impending doom.
Villager Paulino Ocana said: "This is very bad luck. There is a sense that something very bad is coming.
"A big disaster could be coming and we're preparing for it."
Peter Ramirez, a fisherman who was among those who hauled ashore the shark, said: "The animal was dead.

Heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro flood streets across neighborhoods in the city
Overnight storms flooded roads, downed trees and damaged several homes. Several hospitals lost power and were forced to run on generators.
By Thursday evening, authorities had cordoned off more than 50 homes that had been severely damaged in the Alemao slum complex and another neighborhood.
The 4.3-magnitude quake was centered in an area just south of the city in the neighboring province of Hebei.
The epicenter was in a county that is part of Hebei's Langfang city.
There were no immediate reports of any damage, and buildings in Beijing shook only slightly.
China is frequently hit by earthquakes, many of which are centered in the southwest of the country.

Computer model simulation showing a split of the polar vortex into two pieces (blue areas), with an unusually mild area (red) in between.
A split in the polar vortex may sound like a complicated weather concept, but it has huge consequences for weather patterns from Canada to Eurasia. The latest split is likely to put Western Europe and much of Eurasia into the deep freeze for the rest of February, and will offer glimpses of hope for snow lovers along the U.S. East Coast.
Figuring out where the coldest air will go and how it will affect worldwide weather patterns for the next several weeks is a key task facing weather forecasters now.

Motorists steer a stalled motorcycle to the median strip on Jl. Letjen Suprapto in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, which was flooded on Feb. 15. Prolonged heavy rains on Thursday morning saw flooding in several areas across the capital.
According to the official Twitter account of the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), at least six streets in Central Jakarta had been flooded since 10 a.m.
Floodwaters reached a height of 100 centimeters along an underpass in Kebon Kosong, Kemayoran.
Floods also hit Jl. Sukarjo Wiryopranoto, Jl. Letjen Suprapto, Jl. Agus Salim, Jl. Wahid Hasyim and Jl. Palbatu, with floodwaters reaching up to 40 centimeters.
The three French men, one aged 29 and two 38, had gone missing on Wednesday night in the Cauterets resort in the Pyrenees mountains.
On Tuesday, a 19-year-old skier died in an avalanche in the resort of Gavarnie, also in the Pyrenees.
Officials warn of the risks of going off-piste, where most accidents happen.
This year has seen heavy snowfall in the region and also across the Alps.
The bad weather reportedly continued in the Pyrenees and some lifts were closed.
The specimens of gray color and white belly waved on a rocky beach called La Salinita, located in the north of La Paz Bay, capital of the state.
The research professor of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) said that 38 specimens were returned to the sea with the support of some 40 people, including collaborators of the Network and students of the UABCS.
He mentioned that a tourist informed the Network about the massive stranding of dolphins on the beach located near the port of Pichilingue, around eight in the morning, so they proceeded to rescue the marine mammals.
The biologist explained that the foundation received the alert at the end of the day, having moved teams to the place, where they found the whales already dead.
She said that since it was dark, it was only this morning that the technicians returned to collect samples and make measurements of cetaceans.
Sara Ratão indicated that the whales are mostly adults, with a maximum length of five meters, and there is still one calf.
John is describing the smell in the air left by a dead whale he found on his way to a fish at the Kaituna cut.
He could still smell it when he got to the cut, which is about 2km downwind of the decaying carcass.
From its teeth in the narrow jaw and the square front to its head, it looks like a sperm whale, but not fully grown.
John sent his photos through to the Tauranga Department of Conservation office and a whale expert is on his way to inspect the find.
"It washed up with the last high tide overnight," says John.
A combination of Victoria's recent dry weather and Wednesday's strong winds have caused a significant amount of dust unearthed and displaced across the city.
A severe weather warning has been issued due to a strong cold front which will cross Victoria this morning and early afternoon.











Comment: Recently over a meter (3.5 feet) of snowfall in 3 days hit the Pyrenees.