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The Independent
7 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Torrential rains shut down flights at Mexico City airport for second day
Torrential rains have forced Mexico City 's main airport to shut down flights for hours for the second consecutive day, stirring chaos in one of Latin America 's busiest airports. The flight disruptions come as the Mexican capital experiences one of its heaviest rainy seasons in years, leading to constant flooding in other parts of the city. After suspending all flights for at least four hours early Tuesday, aeronautic authorities said they were able to get one runway up and running, but that vast majority of them remained out of service. Around 20,000 passengers were impacted by flight cancellations, delays and rerouting, according to airport authorities. Passengers have reported numerous cancellations and delays this week as heavy rains continue to fall on the Mexican capital. Alicia Nicanor, 69, said her Sunday flight to the northern city of Tijuana was cancelled and when she returned Tuesday morning for her early morning flight, it was also cancelled. 'I told them I have to go, because I have an important appointment with my doctor, but they didn't listen," she said. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said that heavy rains on Sunday flooded the city's main plaza, known as the Zócalo, with more than 3 inches, much of which poured down in just 20 minutes. It broke a record set in 1952. Meanwhile, videos from the city's south show floating cars on flooded streets turned into flowing rivers, even becoming the subject of internet memes. The flooding has fueled criticism by some in the capital, who say they are a sign of larger infrastructure failures by the city's government. ____
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Rare New Zealand Snail Filmed for First Time Laying an Egg from its Neck
Farewell Eagles… Hobbit Sculptures Removed from Wellington Airport A sculpture of an eagle from the Hobbit films, ridden by the wizard Gandalf, hangs over the food court area of Wellington Airport, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay) For more than a decade, a pair of Hobbit-inspired eagle sculptures have cast a watchful eye over visitors at New Zealand's Wellington Airport. But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday to make way for a new mystery exhibit, airport authorities said. According to BBC, the eagles appear as messengers in JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which were adapted to film by New Zealand's Sir Peter Jackson. The spectacular New Zealand landscapes featured in Jackson's films are a consistent draw for tourists, who are greeted at the airport by the eagle sculptures. 'It's not unusual to see airborne departures from Wellington Airport, but in this case, it will be emotional for us, 'Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said in a statement. The giant eagles will be placed in storage and there have not been long-term plans for them. Each eagle weighs 1.2 tons with a wingspan of 15 meters. Riding on the back of one of the birds is a sculpture of the wizard, Gandalf. Made of polystyrene and with an internal steel skeleton, each eagle has hundreds of feathers, the longest one measuring 2.4 meters. While the iconic eagles will soon be gone, not all is lost for fans of the franchise: Smaug the Magnificent, the dragon in The Hobbit, will continue to be displayed at the check-in area. The eagles were unveiled in 2013, around the time of the release of The Hobbit trilogy. The giant sculptures were produced by Wētā Workshop, the New Zealand-based company that made costumes and props for The Lord of the Rings franchise. 'We're working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique, locally themed replacement to take their place,' Clarke said. 'We'll unveil what's next later this year so keep watching the skies.'
