BRITAIN BRACES FOR SNOW STORMS
LONDON: Britain was on Sunday bracing for icy temperatures and blizzard conditions as a Baltic weather system moved in from the north.

Two flurries of snow are forecast, the first of which is expected over Scotland later Sunday before moving south east in time for the Monday rush hour. The second wave is due to move in from the west late on Monday, bringing with it several centimeters of snow.

BEIJING CHOKED BY POLLUTION AT DANGEROUS LEVELS
BEIJING: Dense smog shrouded Beijing, with pollution at hazardous levels for a second day and residents advised to stay indoors, state media said. The municipal environment warning center issued an alert advising the elderly, children, and those suffering respiratory or cardiovascular illness to avoid going out or doing strenuous exercise, Xinhua reported. Those who did venture out wore facemasks for protection, with visibility low, the skyline shrouded, and the sun hidden in the smog. The heavy pollution is expected to last another three days, with weather conditions preventing pollutants from dispersing. Air quality in Beijing showed airborne particles with a diameter small enough to deeply penetrate the lungs at a reading of 456 micrograms per cubic meter, the warning center said. The quality is considered good when the figure stands at less than 100. But a reading shown on the United States embassy website in Beijing was above 800. Last year Beijing said it was illegal for foreign embassies to issue their own air quality readings, but the US said its diplomatic missions in China would not stop tweeting levels, which were useful to its citizens living abroad.

FRANCE BRACES FOR MASSIVE ANTI GAY MARRIAGE PROTEST
PARIS: Tens of thousands were set to march in Paris on Sunday to denounce government plans to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption which have angered many Catholics and Muslims, France’s two main faiths. The French parliament is to debate the bill—one of the key electoral pledges of Socialist President Francois Hollande—at the end of this month. Preparations for the rally gathered pace. Protesters across the country hired as many as 90 coaches and five high-speed trains to head to Paris. They say they have distributed 4.5 million leaflets championing their cause. AFP