Weatherman goes berserk over 'thundersnow' in Boston

Cantore stands in front of the camera as a Thundersnow bolt of lightning strikes

It's always nice to see a man enjoying his job.

Just take the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore as an example. The 51-year-old meteorologist displayed the infectious enthusiasm of a child while reporting on Sunday's blizzard in Massachusetts, US.

In the video below, which has gone viral over the past 24 hours, Cantore can be seen tramping around in knee-deep snow when the screen suddenly flashes pure white in a rare example of 'Thundersnow' - when lightning occurs during snowfall.

"Oh yes! Yes! Yes!" he exclaims. "We got it baby! We got it! We got it! Woo! Woo! We got it! Yes! Listen to that! Listen to that! Oh baby!"

Just as Cantore begins to regain his composure, the screen again flashes white, setting the excitable weatherman off on another bout of wild celebration. "Oh again! Again!" he shouts, throwing a handful of snow into the air. "That's a two-fer. That's a two-fer, baby. Oh my goodness!"

Four further flashes illicit similar exultations, as the meteorologist gives up any pretence of hiding his excitement.

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Researchers confirm fragmented 'super-terminal' raindrops

Five years ago, a research team at Michigan Technological University and Universidad Nacional Autanoma de Mexico (National University of Mexico) detected tiny, super-fast raindrops. The finding was unexpected—small drops fell much faster than expected—and now this unexpectedly fast-falling rain has been verified.

Not only do these small raindrops fall faster than expected, they fall faster than they should be able to alone. As an object falls, two forces clash: Gravity pulls it down while air resists. Where the force of gravity matches the force of air resistance, the object reaches its "terminal speed." While the name sounds final, it's not. These small raindrops move faster—they are "super-terminal" raindrops.

Study co-author Alex Kostinski, a professor of physics at Michigan Tech, says confirming the speed was exciting, but not the most surprising result.

"What was so surprising was just how many drops violated the speed limit, so to speak," he says.

Over five months, the research team found super-terminal raindrops in all six rain storms they studied at a site just outside Charleston, S.C. Of the 1.5 million raindrops measured, all drops 0.8 mm and larger fell at expected speeds—and for drops sized 0.3 to 0.8 mm, 30 to 60 percent of them fell at super-terminal speeds.

To detect and measure the falling rain, the team used 22 instruments that optically track each drop as it passes through a laser beam. The equipment was crucial for ruling out instrument error and splashing as the source of the speedy drops.

Lead author Michael Larsen, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at the College of Charleston, designed the experiment set-up. A Michigan Tech alumnus and former doctoral student of Kostinski's, Larsen says working on this research has helped "recapture some of the magic" of his graduate studies.

"The fact that a substantial fraction of drizzle-sized drops are moving faster than their terminal velocities suggest that we are not just seeing an outlier effect here," Larsen says. "That was a bit surprising to me and helped me realize that there's more science to be done."

With instrumental error ruled out, figuring out how to plug super-terminal drops into existing calculations may change rainfall estimates and erosion impacts. To do so calls into question a base assumption of many models. Kostinski says he is amazed "the assumption that rain consists of single, isolated drops, falling at prescribed speeds, has lasted so long," explaining that this assumption is deeply embedded in atmospheric science.

The quantitative extent of super-terminal raindrops' impact is yet unknown. And before calling to rewrite a bunch of calculations, Kostinski and Larsen want to figure how the drops form in the first place. One possibility is that the super-terminal rain breaks off of larger drops.

"Collisions may be very important, and rain may be more agitated than we think," says Kostinski, explaining the shape of falling raindrops. Certainly more restless than the endearing tear-shaped icon, falling raindrops are actually distorted spheres—flat on the downside, wobbling like a bowl of jello above. Caught between gravity and air resistance, the raindrops may break up and Kostinski explains, "As larger drops break up, fragments move at unexpected speeds."

Unexpected but now measured, verified and ready to be explored.

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Greek Envoy in Moscow: Paving way for Tsipras visit, strengthening ties with Russia

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.

to confirm the new Greek cabinet's commitment to upgrading ties with Russia, while showing no stomach for EU sanctions policy.

Visiting Moscow on his way from Berlin, Kotzias rebuffed criticism that the cash-strapped nation is hobnobbing with the Kremlin and hinted that the cabinet of Premier Tsipras will not turn its back on Russia.

, Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations, , independent expert on Greek foreign policy, , Editor-in-Chief of international affairs news magazine and journalist, , prominent author, Deputy Head of the Center for Mediterranean Studies, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences.

Andrew Korybko:

Kyrill Koktysh: I actually don't see any possibility not to get a tremendous success, because currently Brussels depends on Greece much more than Greece depends on Brussels. If Greece would really declare its intention to get out of the Eurozone, Greece immediately would be followed by Spain, Italy, by some countries of the Eastern Europe. This means that the price could be the collapse of the Euro currency, because it is not clear how to fasten the Eurozone. For Brussels the only option is to plead Athens not to do this.

In this case, of course, Greece has a good chance to play along with Russia. Greece now reverses the train and it has a strong hand to negotiate and to press Brussels. And Russia can help Greece in this bargaining with Brussels.

Andrew Korybko:

Anna Liatsou: I need to say that the visit of the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias to Moscow on Wednesday was a very significant step, showing that Greece is actually trying to promote and, as it was said just after the elections, would be reverting towards Russia. This does not mean that Greece is turning its back to the Europe. Moreover, Mr. Tsipras said that being a member of the EU is an important factor for Greece, but Greece wants Europe to remember that there are not only the obligations that Greece has towards Europe, but also Greece has its power and the right to decide what to do.

Russia is viewed as a partner for Greece and Nikos Kotzias during his press conference in Moscow especially noted that what was said immediately after the elections continues.

Andrew Korybko:

Anna Liatsou: Mr. Kotzias is a very modern person, so to say. He has worked at the university and he is a professional diplomat as well. He knows how to speak. He very much relies on the ideas that he has. He is not a person to govern through emails, as people in Greece say. He definitely supports the negotiations and he takes part in them. He actually chooses who he would like to speak to. And the fact that he came to Moscow is a very significant fact. He is personally interested in promoting the pre-election program and I think he is very good minister for Russia as well.

Andrew Korybko:

Manuel Ochsenreiter: If we look into the German mainstream media and how they were covering exactly that topic, we can see that there is a lot of fear-mongering. I'll give you an example. One of the leading German liberal weekly newspapers, was commenting on those approaches of the Syriza Government towards Moscow. They were writing that this endangers the soul of Europe.

Andrew Korybko:

Manuel Ochsenreiter: I think this would be a big change. I mean, we have to look at it on several levels, not just on the financial level. First of all, we see that the member country of the EU is pointing out its own sovereignty. And sovereignty is always the financial sovereignty also. This is the thing not used in Brussels anymore, as well as in Berlin, in London and in Paris. They thought that is already long time over. So, Greece now starts behaving like a sovereign country and for Brussels this is a very new situation.

Andrew Korybko:

Alexander Rytov: I think that, of course, Greece needs some big change in its big debt burden, because from 2008 the country is developing as a developing country with the terrible social cuts, with the survival style of life and it is not the standard of the EU. It could last for 2-3, maybe, 4 years, but it now it lasts from 2008 and many entities of the small business of Greece disappeared, and the key countries are capturing more and more space, and business and the cultural terrain of the country is becoming poorer and poorer. That's why, of course, it is necessary to see some change in the development.

And Greece has its historical claim and reasons for a lighter burden, and for the restructuring of the debts. Those debts are the result of the Greek political support of the developments in the Balkans. In public Greece didn't support the war in Yugoslavia and the consequences. But it played its role as a member of NATO and the EU. Its role was very much important for the political and psychological environment around Yugoslavia crisis. And the majority of the debts and credits Greece received, were the credits from the 1990s and the beginning of 2000.

I'm sure that in case Greece would have decided to restructure its debt in 2006 before the Kosovo solution, it would have met a better reaction and a real restructuring of the burden. But it was the fault of Greece that it didn't follow the political conjuncture and missed its fantastic chance to change and lay the blame on the political and financial gamblers in the country. Let's hope that the situation will change, because it is not a good standard for the EU.

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Red tide of algae kills 200 tons of lobsters off South Africa coast

Red tide

Harmful algae off the coast of South Africa has killed more than 200 metric tons of West Coast Rock Lobster, according to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The algae, known as red tide for the color it creates in the water, killed 80 tons of the crustacean on Wednesday at Eland Bay, north of Cape Town, the department said in an e-mailed statement. The total loss is equivalent to more than 10 percent of the allowable catch this season.

The bloom was detected on Feb. 3 off South Africa's west coast and killed about 30 tons of lobsters on Feb. 9 and another 70 tons on Tuesday, the department said.

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President Maduro: Venezuela has foiled coup directed 'from Washington'

© Reuters / Miraflores Palace

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro has announced that the country has defeated an alleged US-sponsored coup which was reportedly plotted by five Air Force officers.

"We have broken up and foiled a coup attempt against democracy and the stability of our country," Maduro said, adding that the coup had been directed "from Washington."

The coup plan involved an attack on the presidential palace or another top target, Maduro said.

"This was an attempt to use a group of military aviation officers to provoke a violent event," and one of the detained plotters was "an [Air Force] general called Hernandez, alias el Oso [the bear]."

"On these dates, February 12 and 13, during the commemoration events, [the plot was to] fly a 'Tucano' airplane, arm the Tucano and attack the Miraflores [Presidential] Palace, or whichever location I would have been when participating in any one of these events. And then later attack other targets which they had outlined before," Maduro said, as quoted by AP.

The alleged plot was uncovered by the Venezuelan intelligence agency, and one of the participating officers was connected to the right-wing forces allegedly planning to provoke a wave of violence.

According to Maduro, the military man was given financial aid, as well as a US visa, which permitted him to leave on February 3.

The president provided no concrete evidence of the alleged coup.

It is not the first time that Maduro has said there has been an attempted coup against his government. At the beginning of February, the president accused US Vice President Joe Biden of orchestrating a plot against Venezuela.

Last December, Maduro announced "recordings" disclosing the US plan to bribe and corrupt Venezuelan authorities.

Relations between Venezuela and the US have been hostile for a few years: they have not sent ambassadors to each other's countries since 2010, and instead have chargé d'affaires running their embassies.

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Peculiar fish found dead on North Devon coast, UK

Peculiar fish found dead

A strange fish has washed up on the North Devon coast.

It was discovered yesterday at Northam Burrows by Nick Porter, who was walking his dogs when he spotted what he believes is a Parrot Fish.

He said: "Interestingly, the carcass was not apparently decaying as you would expect a fish to do.

"The skin was hard and leathery."

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Ron Paul: 'Get NATO, foreign countries out of Ukraine to end civil war'

Screenshot from Ruptly video

The best thing for Ukraine is to force NATO, the US, and regional players out of the country, former US congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul said. Without foreign meddling in the civil war, Kiev will focus on the nation's economic collapse.

"Get the foreigners out of there [Ukraine], get the Europeans out, the US out, get NATO out, and get the Russians out," Paul said at the International Students for Liberty Conference in Washington on Friday. "There will be less of a civil war going on there because they will have to worry about their debt. This is an economic matter too. You have to realize that the country is totally bankrupt."

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"I'm not pro-Putin, I'm not pro-Russia, but I'm pro-facts," Paul stressed when defending his stance. "Crimea is not exactly a foreign country, according to the Russians. But I'm neutral on that," the former presidential candidate stated.

Paul - a 79-year-old retired doctor who spent nearly three decades in the US Congress representing the state of Texas - reiterated his previous statements, noting that what happened in Ukraine last year was a "coup" that was planned by "NATO, EU" and western Ukrainians. "One thing for sure that we do know, is we [US] had the conversations between our State Department and our ambassador before the coup - who will we put in place. And they planned part of the coup."

When the uprising in Kiev in early 2014 led to the ousting of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, Paul urged in an op-ed that the US must "keep [its] hands off Ukraine and let them solve their own problems." Several US officials, including the US State Department's Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, have been accused of meddling into Ukraine's internal affairs.

Protests in central Kiev have since largely subsided, and Petro Poroshenko, the country's current leader, was democratically elected in late May. However, this did not solve Ukraine's problems, as Poroshenko supported the so-called "anti-terrorist operation" against the country's eastern regions, which was launched by the coup-imposed interim government.

Kiev sent regular forces and volunteer battalions to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions earlier in April, after rebels there refused to recognize the country's new authorities. The dispute in the Ukrainian regions in February 2014, along with the addition of the new government's controversial bills and a push for "lustration" of the officials who served under Yanukovich - all of which caused discontent and resistance in the southeast - eventually triggered a full-blown conflict after the sending in of troops.

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Since then, militia forces have been pushed further east from the areas they initially occupied, but have regained control of the major cities of Donetsk and Lugansk, where the majority of the population supported the anti-government movement. Hundreds of civilians have been caught in crossfire. Officials of the two self-proclaimed republics have claimed that Kiev troops, including nationalist battalions, have deliberately been shelling residential areas as retribution, while Kiev officials blame what they call "Russian terrorists" for staging provocations.

The death toll in the Ukraine conflict has exceeded 5,300 people, with over 12,000 injured, according to UN estimates.

Moscow has repeatedly called for the Ukrainian government to stop its military operation, to begin inclusive nationwide dialogue with the rebel regions, and to carry out a constitutional reform that would ensure federalization of the country - something which Poroshenko categorically rejects.

The latest breakthrough in the conflict is the Minsk ceasefire agreement, which has offered some hope that the fighting may come to an end. The deal was reached on Thursday, following marathon overnight negotiations between Ukraine, France, Germany, and Russia. It was also signed and later ratified by the Ukrainian rebels. The document stipulated a ceasefire starting at 00:00 on February 15.

The talks were part of a Franco-German initiative. President Francois Hollande and Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Kiev and Moscow before meeting the Russian and Ukrainian leaders at the negotiating table in Minsk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently criticized NATO's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, claiming the Ukrainian army is essentially a "NATO legion" which fails to "pursue the national interests of Ukraine" and is interested in restricting Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed the US for pursuing steps that "only promoted further aggravation" of the conflict. "Through every step, as the crisis has developed, our American colleagues and the EU under their influence have tried to escalate the situation," Lavrov said during a security conference in Munich on Saturday.

Lavrov highlighted the EU's failure to engage Russia about Ukraine signing an economic association agreement with the bloc, Western involvement during the Maidan protests, and the failure of the West to condemn Ukraine for calling its own citizens 'terrorists' and for supporting a coup which led to the toppling of the democratically-elected president.

Russia's envoy to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said on Thursday that lethal weapons deliveries to Ukraine - a possibility being considered by Washington - would be unacceptable and would potentially have dangerous and unpredictable consequences.

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