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China Has Slashed Air Pollution, but the ‘War’ Isn’t Over 

Varieties This picture taken on February 11, 2026 shows pedestrians walking along an overpass as traffic snarls in Beijing. (AFP)

China Has Slashed Air Pollution, but the ‘War’ Isn’t Over 

Fifteen years ago, Beijing's Liangma riverbanks would have been smog-choked and deserted in winter, but these days they are dotted with families and exercising…

Varieties Investigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from parcels destined for Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Romania. (AFP file)

Sydney Man Jailed for Mailing Reptiles in Popcorn Bags 

A Sydney man who tried to post native lizards, dragons and other reptiles out of Australia in bags of popcorn and biscuit tins has been sentenced to eight…

Varieties A member of the CRS Alpes Grenoble mountain rescue team operates as he searches for potential buried victims during an avalanche emergency response rescue mission in an off-piste area of the Ecrins massif, French Alps on January 29, 2026. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)

Two Snowboarders Dead after Austrian Avalanche

Two snowboarders have been confirmed dead after their bodies were recovered following an avalanche in western Austria over the weekend, police said Monday. …

Varieties Trees lie amid the floodwaters after heavy rain and wild winds in Puketotara, Waikato region, New Zealand, February 14, 2026, in this picture obtained from social media. Wayne Feisst/via REUTERS

Wild New Zealand Storm Disrupts Transport, Leaves Thousands Without Power

Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand's North Island on Monday,…

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Varieties A couple dances next to a street musician in Central Park on Valentine's day in New York, on February 14, 2026. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

New York Creatives Squeezed Out by High Cost of Living

After 20 years as a makeup artist for TV and cinema, Noel Jacoboni sees few other options than to leave New York City, where she has been "priced out" by the…

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Varieties Smoke rises from a burning forest on a hillside behind a home near Longwood as bushfires continue to burn under severe fire weather conditions in Longwood, Victoria, Australia, January 9, 2026. AAP/Michael Currie via REUTERS

Scores of Homes Razed, One Dead in Australian Bushfires

Bushfires have razed hundreds of buildings across southeast Australia, authorities said Sunday, as they confirmed the first death from the disaster. …

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Varieties Pedestrians and cars move along Lexington Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City on December 16, 2025. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

New York's Chrysler Building, an Art Deco Jewel, Seeks New Owner

The future of the Chrysler Building, a unique monument to art deco architecture on the Manhattan skyline, remains in limbo as it awaits a possible sale. The…

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Varieties Dam reservoir levels have dropped to 1.12 per cent and taps are being shut off for several hours a day in certain districts on a rotating schedule in Ankara. PHOTO: AFP

Ankara City Hall Says Water Cuts Due to 'Record Drought'

Water cuts for the past several weeks in Türkiye capital were due to the worst drought in 50 years and an exploding population, a municipal official told AFP,…

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Varieties  This photo shows Action Comics #1, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York, a copy of a rare comic book that introduced the world to Superman which has been sold for a record $15 million. (Andrew Wilson/Metropolis Collectibles Inc. via AP)

Rare Copy of the Comic Book That Introduced the World to Superman Sells for $15 Million

A rare copy of the comic book that introduced the world to Superman and also was once stolen from the home of actor Nicolas Cage has been sold for a record $15…

Varieties Smoke billows from the Longwood bushfire along the Goulburn Highway in Victoria, Australia, 09 January 2026. (EPA)

Australian Bushfires Raze Homes, Cut Power to Tens of Thousands

Thousands of firefighters battled bushfires in Australia's southeast on Saturday that have razed homes, cut power to thousands of homes and burned swathes of…

Varieties Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales reacts as she speaks to a patient next to Prince William, Prince of Wales, during an arts workshop at Charing Cross Hospital, in London, Britain, January 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Britain’s Princess Catherine ‘Deeply Grateful’ After Year in Cancer Remission

Britain's future queen, Princess Catherine, marked her 44th birthday Friday with a video about the healing power of nature, almost a year since she revealed…

Varieties People exercise along Sydney Harbour, Australia, 08 January 2026. (EPA)

Experts Say Oceans Soaked up Record Heat Levels in 2025

The world's oceans absorbed a record amount of heat in 2025, an international team of scientists said Friday, further priming conditions for sea level rise,…

Varieties Smoke from the Longwood bushfire is seen at a staging area outside Seymour in central Victoria, Australia, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

‘Hectic’ Bushfires Threaten Rural Towns in Australian Heatwave

Bushfires destroyed houses and razed vast belts of forest in southeast Australia on Friday, firefighters said, as hot winds fanned "hectic" conditions in the…

Varieties New Zealand's critically endangerd kakapo parrot only breeds every few years. Don Merton / DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION/AFP/File

New Zealand's Rare Flightless Parrot Begins Breeding Again

New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrot, the kakapo, started breeding last week for the first time in four years, the government conservation…

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Varieties A huge wave crashes on the jetty of the harbor of Le Conquet, western France on January 8, 2026 as storm Goretti is announced to approach France's northern coasts. (Photo by Fred TANNEAU / AFP)

Hundreds of Thousands without Power as Storm Goretti Pummels Europe

Fierce winds battered France and Britain on Friday as Storm Goretti barreled through northern Europe, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of households in…

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Varieties Lost Earth Adventures' instructor Mick Ellerton climbs a frozen waterfall in Gordale Scar near Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, as ice warnings are in place across the UK ahead of a storm which is set to bring heavy snow later in the week, on Wednesday Jan. 7, 2026. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

UK Braced for Heavy Snow as Cold Weather Snap in Europe Persists

Britain, already in the midst of one of its coldest and longest cold snaps in years, is set to endure heavy snowfall and strong winds later Thursday that…

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Varieties A group of people observes glowing lava emerging from a fissure during ongoing volcanic activity on Mount Etna in Catania, Sicily, Italy, January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Antonio Denti

Volcano Guides at Mount Etna are Protesting over New Safety Rules

Guides who take tourists to enjoy the striking views of Sicily’s Mount Etna are up in arms over tougher restrictions imposed by local authorities after a round…

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Varieties Lego unveils Smart Bricks (AFP)

Lego Unveils Tech-Filled Smart Bricks

Lego has unveiled Smart Bricks - tech-filled versions of its small building blocks - which it says will bring sets to life with sound, light and reaction to…

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Varieties Beige seamless vector background with Leonardo da Vinci sketch drawings (Shutterstock)

Did Leonardo da Vinci Leave his DNA on Artwork?

Scientists have recovered tiny DNA traces left on Renaissance artifacts, at least some of which they suspect belong to visionary Italian polymath Leonardo da…

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Varieties FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the Moon's shadow covering portions of Canada and the US during a total solar eclipse as seen from the International Space Station on Monday, Aug. 8, 2024. (NASA via AP, File)

NASA Considers Rare Early ISS Crew Return Due to Astronaut’s Medical Issue

NASA is considering a rare early return of an astronaut and its crew from the International Space Station (ISS) over an unspecified medical issue, hours after…

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Varieties Swimmers at Marrinawi Cove in Sydney, Thursday, January 8, 2026. EPA/BIANCA DE MARCHI

Australia Heatwave Stokes Risk of Catastrophic Bushfires

Firefighters warned millions of Australians of "catastrophic" bushfire dangers on Thursday as they battled multiple blazes stoked by a heatwave blanketing the…

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Varieties A person with a candle stands at the window during a power outage in southwest Berlin, Germany, 05 January 2026. (EPA)

Power Restored to Thousands of Berlin Households After Attack on Lines Causes Several-Day Outage

Power was being restored on Wednesday to thousands of households in Berlin that had been without electricity in freezing temperatures for four days following a…

Varieties More than 100 million of the pocket-sized plastic eggs have been sold worldwide since their debut three decades ago. (AFP)

Nostalgia and New Fans as Tamagotchi Turns 30

Japan's Tamagotchi toys were a 1990s playground craze and the virtual pets that demand food and attention are still a hit among retro-loving Gen Z and…

Varieties The butterfly pea grows wild across India. (Shutterstock)  

'Magical' Blue Flower Changing Farmers' Fortunes in India

“Until a few years ago, the butterfly pea flower was just another climbing plant in my village,” said Nilam Brahma who lives in Anthaigwlao, a village in the…

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Varieties Healthy teeth are key to a longer life. (Shutterstock)

Scientists Find Link between Healthy Teeth and Longer Life

Poor oral health may significantly reduce life expectancy, according to a new Japanese study that called for better dental maintenance among older adults. …

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Varieties A man shelters from falling snow under an umbrella past as he walks on the snow-covered Esplanade des Invalides in Paris as winter weather with snow and cold temperatures hits a part of the country, France, January 7, 2026. (Reuters)

Western Europe Braces for Another Wave of Snow and Ice

Western Europe braced for more snow and ice on Wednesday, with the first named storm of the year hitting the continent's Atlantic coast. More flights were…

Varieties The nation's weather bureau issued severe or extreme heat warnings for the states of New South Wales, Victoria, ‌South Australia and ‌Tasmania. (AFP file)

Intense Heatwave Grips Australia’s Southern States, Fans Bushfires

Australia’s south sweltered through a brutal heatwave on Wednesday that delivered temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some cities…

Varieties  People walk along the Baltic Sea shore covered in a thick blanket of snow, in Stralsund, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP)

More Travel Chaos to Hit Europe as Cold Snap Brings More Snow

More flights will be cancelled, trains will run late and roads will be blocked by snow across Europe in coming days as a cold snap is expected to worsen,…

Varieties New research show tree mortality is rising across Australia's forest as the climate warms. DAVID GRAY / AFP/File

Study: Climate-driven Tree Deaths Speeding Up in Australia

Australia's forests are losing trees more rapidly as the climate warms, a new study examining decades of data said Tuesday, warning the trend was likely a …

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