U.S.
Skiers can still hit the slopes this month near Lake Tahoe, Calif. A resort there is the first in the country to use a “snow factory,” a machine that can make snow in temperatures up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditional snow cannons can generate flakes only below 28 degrees F.
NORTHWEST PASSAGE
This month a cruise ship with 1,000 passengers is scheduled to traverse the once iced-in Arctic sea route that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The ship will depart from Seward, Alaska, and arrive in New York City 32 days later.
THAILAND
Local authorities removed 137 tigers from a Buddhist monastery in western Thailand, citing evidence of wildlife trafficking. The controversial “Tiger Temple” has long attracted tourists, who were charged up to $140 for snapshots with the big cats.
SOUTH KOREA
Pregnant women in Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, can now carry a small device that wirelessly signals a pink light to turn on above priority seats in subway cars and buses. The light indicates to other passengers that the seat is needed.
NEW ZEALAND
Geologists discovered a massive chamber of molten rock below an area that has no volcanoes. The unusual accumulation of magma could explain a series of recent earthquakes or signal the development of a new volcano. An eruption is not imminent, experts say.
