A brutal winter storm that trapped drivers on icy roads, blacked out hundreds of thousands of homes, grounded airplanes and closed schools across much of the country was poised to slam California Thursday.

"We are in for a VERY busy week!" the National Weather Service bureau in San Diego tweeted. "We have issued warnings for damaging winds, heavy mountain snow, highly hazardous boating conditions and the list goes on."

A weakened Cyclone Freddy which pummeled Madagascar Tuesday night with heavy rains and strong destructive winds, killing four people, is continuing to wreak havoc in the southwest of the Indian Ocean nation.

Freddy battered the western city of Mananjary and left 16,660 people displaced and damaged nearly 5,000 homes in the country, according to the latest provisional assessment by Madagascar's risk and disaster management office. But somewhat weaker winds and better preparation staved off further damage.

States in the northern plains are largely shutting down ahead of a massive winter storm that could dump up to 2 feet of snow in some areas, accompanied by strong winds and dangerously cold temperatures.

Many schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off for Wednesday, ahead of the storm. Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature, which won't reconvene until Monday. Emergency management leaders warned people to stay off the roads or face potential "whiteout" conditions due to the snow and fierce winds.

A helpless neighbor has described watching in horror as an elderly woman was killed by an alligator while walking her dog in a retirement community in the southern U.S. state of Florida.

U.N. member states on Monday open two weeks of negotiations aimed at finally reaching a treaty meant to protect and preserve vast areas of the world's oceans.

Conspiracy theories about a U.S. research station have resurged, with social media users falsely blaming it for the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, following debunked claims it causes weather disasters and spreads the coronavirus.

Appearing at a glance to be just a simple pleasure boat floating on the San Francisco Bay, as the hydrofoil-equipped vessel picks up speed it suddenly begins rising above the water, grabbing the attention of passengers on a nearby ferry.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Friday long-distance events could be "decoupled" from major championships due to climate change as concerns mount about competitor welfare in soaring heat.    

A pet leopard escaped from a house in the Pakistan capital and roamed the streets for hours before being shot with a sedation dart, wildlife officials said Friday.

A desert bloom triggered by heavier than usual winter rains has carpeted the sands of northern Saudi Arabia with purple flowers, drawing sightseers from across the Arabian Peninsula.