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Portugal Closes All Schools and Non-Essential Services Ahead of a Major Atlantic Storm

Varieties Heavy machinery clears the debris from a landslide along the Marocos road in Machico municipality, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, due to severe weather caused by the passage of Storm Charles, 11 November 2026. (EPA)

Portugal Closes All Schools and Non-Essential Services Ahead of a Major Atlantic Storm

Portugal closed all schools and shuttered non-essential public services on Wednesday as a major Atlantic storm headed for the country's mainland. Streets…

Varieties The S.S. United States crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times. (Getty Images)

Once the World's Fastest, Ocean Liner Will Become Largest Artificial Reef

An ocean liner that is longer than the Titanic and was once the fastest on the seas is headed to a final home on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico as the world's…

Varieties Celine Dion. (AFP)

Medical Breakthrough for People with Same Disorder as Celine Dion

People suffering from stiff person syndrome (SPS), which affects Celine Dion, the singer, could soon benefit from a new medicine which improves symptoms. …

Varieties View of a flooded area after storm Leo passed by Alcacer do Sal, Portugal, February 5, 2026. (Reuters)

Portugal Storm Alert Closes Schools

Portugal will shut schools and non-essential public services on Wednesday, with the government urging people to shelter from winds potentially reaching 140…

Varieties British author John Harrison poses after winning the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel "The End of Everything" at the awards ceremony in London, Britain, 09 November 2026. (EPA)

British Writer John Harrison Wins 2026 Booker Prize for ‘The End of Everything’

British author ‌John Harrison has won the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel, "The End of Everything," a dystopian satire that the prize says probes the…


Varieties In this photograph taken on July 23, 2024, South Korean climate activist Lee So-yeon, who has not bought any new clothes for the past six years and now has a wardrobe consisting of used items that she received from friends and family, looks at a selection of her clothes, during an interview with AFP in Seoul. (AFP) 

No New Clothes: S. Korean Climate Activist Targets Hyperconsumption 

Recovering South Korean shopaholic-turned-climate activist Lee So-yeon used to buy new clothes almost daily -- until a $1.50 winter coat triggered an awakening…

Varieties  This image provided by NASA shows a view from orbit looking obliquely across the surface of the moon, where an ancient asteroid strike carved out a pair of grand canyons on the moon’s far side. (Ernie T. Wright/NASA via AP)

Asteroid Impact on Moon Blasted Two Grand Canyons in 10 Minutes

The Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of Earth's natural wonders, carved out over millions of years by the gradual erosion power of the Colorado River. Close to…

Varieties Heavy machinery (C) is used to clear a road as snow falls across northern Japan, in the city of Obihiro, Hokkaido prefecture on February 4, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP)

Heavy Snow Hits Northern Japan, Disrupting Daily Life 

Record-breaking snowfall fell on Japan 's northern main island of Hokkaido, disrupting traffic, causing airport closures and delaying deliveries on Tuesday. …

Varieties Two fishermen stand on a rocky overhang as the sea hits the shore during high tide along the Atlantic Ocean in Lacanau, southwestern France on February 1, 2025. (AFP)

Europe’s Water Resources Under Pressure, Most Surface Bodies Polluted, EU Says 

Most of European Union surface water bodies are polluted by chemicals, the European Commission said on Tuesday, in a report that revealed the damaged state of…

Varieties The study focused on determining how the transition to renewable sources can support water management in the Kingdom. (SPA)

KAUST Identifies Top 10 Sites for Solar and Wind Energy Storage in Red Sea 

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has identified the top 10 recommended locations for solar and wind energy storage through a new…

Varieties Tourists carry their luggage as they leave the village of Fira, following increased seismic activity on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 4, 2025. (Reuters)

As Quakes Rattle Greek Islands, a Few Brave Tourists Enjoy Having Santorini to Themselves 

More Greek islands closed schools Tuesday as hundreds of earthquakes ratted the Aegean Sea, while a handful of hardy tourists enjoyed having Santorini’s…

Varieties The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) urged ministers to explore introducing containment zones -- within which there would be restrictions on cats -- to protect wildlife in "vulnerable areas". (AFP)

Purrfect! Scotland Has No Plans to Ban Cats, Leader Says

Scotland is not planning to ban cats, the leader of the devolved government insisted Monday, after welfare experts gave ministers pause for thought in a new…

Varieties In this undated photo released by Zoological Society of London on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, Darwin's frog is seen at London Zoo. (Zoological Society of London via AP)

Tiny Endangered Chilean Froglets Are Born in London after a Mission to Save Them from Extinction

It was quite the journey for such tiny froglets: traveling thousands of miles from the forests of southern Chile to London, carried and brooded inside their…

Varieties Microsoft founder Bill Gates' new memoir explores how his childhood quirks, upbringing, friendships and experiences coalesced into shaping his internal operating system - The AP Photo

Bill Gates Explores the Making of His Internal Operating System in New Memoir

As he prepares to turn 70 later this year, Microsoft founder Bill Gates' new memoir explores how his childhood quirks, upbringing, friendships and experiences…

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Varieties Photo by SPA

King Salman Royal Reserve Marks World Wetlands Day

The King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (KSRNR) Development Authority observed World Wetlands Day on February 2 by highlighting its role in…

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Varieties A drone view of Oia, on the island of Santorini, Greece, May 7, 2020. (Reuters)

Greek PM Calls for Calm Amid 'Very Intense' Santorini Tremors

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appealed for calm Monday after a wave of seismic tremors hit the tourist island of Santorini, prompting hundreds of…

Varieties Guests bathe in a thermal pool at a spa in Korbous, in Tunisia's northeastern region of Nabul on January 25, 2025. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)

Tunisia Sets Sights on Becoming World's Top Seawater Therapy Spot

With a Mediterranean coastline, natural thermal springs, clement weather and affordability, Tunisia has become the world's second-largest destination for…

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Varieties The H3 Launch Vehicle No. 5, carrying the Quasi-Zenith Satellite "Michibiki No. 6," lifts off at a launch pad in Tanegashima Space Center in Tanegashima, southern Japan, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan Launches Navigation Satellite on New Flagship Rocket for Improved Positioning System

Japan on Sunday launched a navigation satellite on its new flagship H3 rocket as the country seeks to have a more precise location positioning system of its…

Varieties An Iraqi skateboarder performs a trick at a skate park in Baghdad on February 1, 2025. (AFP)

Baghdad’s Newly Opened Skate Park Offers Safe Space Iraqi Youth Have Longed for

Car bombs and militant attacks are no longer a daily concern in the streets of Baghdad as they were in the chaotic years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, or…

Varieties  Police officers and rescue members prepare for a rescue mission in Yashio, northeast of Tokyo, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, two days after a truck fell into the sinkhole made on a street Tuesday. (Yu Matsuda/Kyodo News via AP)

Residents Near Japan Sinkhole Urged to Evacuate

Five households in the immediate vicinity of a massive, ever-widening sinkhole near Tokyo were urged to evacuate Sunday, with efforts to rescue a man stuck…

Varieties Ruins of a settlement, including a former Catholic monastery, lie on the rocky promontory of Skaros on the Greek island of Santorini, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (AP)

Multiple Tremors Near Greek Island of Santorini Shut Schools and Put Residents on Edge

A series of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini have led authorities to shut down schools, dispatch rescue teams with sniffer dogs and send…

Varieties Police officers and road workers are seen in front of a submerged structure visible in floodwaters in the suburb of Windsor as the state of New South Wales experiences widespread flooding and severe weather, in Sydney, Australia, March 22, 2021. (Reuters)

One Dead, Thousands Urged to Evacuate as Australia’s Northeast Battles Floods

One person died on Sunday in Australia's north Queensland state in heavy flooding, authorities said, urging thousands of people to move to higher ground due to…

Varieties  A streamlined Mercedes raced by Stirling Moss and five times Formula One world champion Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955 is pictured in Fellbach near Stuttgart, Germany, January 24, 2025, and could become the most expensive grand prix car of all time at an auction in Stuttgart on February 1, 2025. - Reuters

Motor Racing-Mercedes 'Streamliner' Fetches Record 51 Million Euros at Auction

A streamlined Mercedes raced by Formula One greats Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955 set a record for a grand prix car on Saturday, selling at…

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Varieties Saudi women work inside the first all-female call center in the Kingdom’s security sector, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia August 29, 2017. (Reuters)Saudi women work inside the first all-female call center in the Kingdom’s security sector, in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia August 29, 2017. (Reuters)

Arab Parliament Praises Women Role as Key in Society's Development

Speaker of the Arab Parliament Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi emphasized that Arab women are essential partners in the process of construction and development of…

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Varieties  The festival is named after the traditional Saudi klija pastry filled with dates and molasses - SPA

Sixteenth Klija Festival Kicks off in Qassim

The 16th Klija Festival, a 10-day event organized by the Chamber of Commerce in Qassim, kicked off Friday at the King Khalid Cultural Center in Buraydah. In a…

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Varieties A statue of the late Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum stands in the Zmalek district of Cairo on January 28, 2025. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

50 Years On, Umm Kulthum is Still Arab World’s Voice

Half a century after her death, Umm Kulthum's singular voice still echoes through busy streets in Egypt, across time-worn cafes in Iraq, and in millions of…

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Varieties A Union flag flies near Big Ben in London, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, on the 5th anniversary after the UK officially left the European Union. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Runaway Alligator, Other Non-emergencies that Hampered UK Ambulance Dispatchers

If your pet alligator escapes, don't call for an ambulance — unless it has sunk its teeth into someone. That's the message from the Welsh Ambulance Service in…

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Varieties The truck pulled out from a sinkhole is seen at the scene without its driver’s cabin, in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, 31 January 2025. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON

Japan Sinkhole Grows to Almost Olympic Pool Length

Emergency workers in Japan began building a ramp Friday to try and reach a 74-year-old truck driver who has not been heard from since his vehicle was swallowed…

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Varieties FILE - The snow-covered coastal plain area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is seen, with the Brooks Range at right, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, near Kaktovik, Alaska. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Mushers and Dogs Braved Horrific Alaska Winter to Deliver Lifesaving Serum 100 Years Ago

The Alaska Gold Rush town of Nome faced a bleak winter. It was hundreds of miles from anywhere, cut off by the frozen sea and unrelenting blizzards, and under…

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