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Money weighs on would-be Chinese parents as population falls
Young Chinese are increasingly hesitant to start families, citing economic concerns exacerbated by rigid social norms around child-rearing, even as their government grows desperate to boost the birth rate and stave off a demographic crisis.
Guinness World Records has doubts about age of world's oldest dog
Bobi the Dog's title as the world's oldest canine was suspended on Tuesday after Guinness World Records officials began to have doubts about his real age.
Indian songbird fights return after cruelty ban overturned
Squawking and screeching, tiny songbirds flutter around a fighting ring in a centuries-old Indian tradition decried by some as cruel but returning after an eight-year ban was overturned.
Torrential rains leave at least 11 dead in Brazil
Torrential rains that turned avenues into rivers killed at least 11 people in Rio de Janeiro, the fire department told AFP Sunday.
Climate protesters interrupt Trump event in Iowa
Several young protesters chanting "Trump, climate criminal" briefly disrupted an Iowa campaign event by the former US president on the eve of the state's first-in-nation vote in the Republican presidential nomination race.
Torrential rains leave at least seven dead in Brazil
Torrential rains that turned avenues into rivers killed at least seven people overnight into Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, officials said.
US climate envoy Kerry stepping down to help Biden campaign: reports
US climate envoy John Kerry, a key player in the Biden administration's push to tackle climate change, will step down to work on the president's reelection bid, media reported Saturday.
Discarded Christmas trees, a gift to Stockholm's fish
On a freezing January morning, dozens of discarded Christmas trees collected after the holidays are tossed into Stockholm's glacial waters, recycled to provide a welcoming habitat for marine life.
Sharks killed at alarming rates despite regulations: study
Global shark populations are plummeting despite worldwide efforts to curb mass killings for their fins, researchers said in a new report showing that more needs to be done to protect one of the ocean's apex species.
Global warming pushes ocean temperatures off the charts: study
In 2023, the world's oceans took up an enormous amount of excess heat, enough to "boil away billions of Olympic-sized swimming pools," according to an annual report published Thursday.
World added 50% more renewable energy but more needed: IEA
The world added 50 percent more renewable energy capacity in 2023 over the previous year but more is needed in the battle against climate change, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.
South Korea parliament passes bill banning dog meat trade
South Korea's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have called an embarrassment for the country.
In Colombia, rare bird flaunts male and female feathers
On the right side of its body, the bird flaunted the typical blue plumage and black head of the male Green Honeycreeper. On the left, it was a beautiful grass green.
India, China eye strategic areas bordering 'last barrier' Bhutan
Squeezed between giant arch-rivals India and China, the landlocked mountain kingdom of Bhutan was long isolated by icy Himalayan peaks.
APA to acquire Callon Petroleum in $4.5 bn deal
US energy company APA Corporation has agreed to buy competitor Callon Petroleum in a transaction valued around $4.5 billion including debt, the firms announced Thursday, marking the latest deal in the sector.
Venezuela oil giant says 80 percent of oil spill cleaned up
Venezuela's state oil company said Thursday that an oil spill at a refinery on the country's western coastline was no longer "active" and that more than 80 percent of the affected area had been cleaned up.
Triumphs and tests: Brazil's Lula marks one year back in office
In the year since Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to office, he has overseen a reduction in Amazon deforestation and some wins on the economic front.
Forest fires: a record year
As the deadliest year this century for forest fires comes to a close, attention is turning to how to prevent such infernos happening again.
Insect compasses, fire-fighting vines: 2023's nature-inspired tech
Even as human-caused climate change threatens the environment, nature continues to inspire our technological advancement.
'Urban mining' offers green solution to old solar panels
As the world pivots from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, a new pollution problem is rearing its head: What to do with old or worn-out solar panels?
China air pollution worsens in 2023, first time in decade
China's air pollution worsened in 2023, the first time it has done so in a decade, a study released on Friday said.
Heartbreak in Zimbabwe park: elephants' desperate hunt for water
Storm clouds are finally gathering over Zimbabwe's biggest animal reserve, but it has come too late for more than 110 elephants that have died in a searing, extended drought.
More records tumble as China cold snap persists
More low temperature records tumbled across China on Thursday, as the country endures a persistent cold snap that has crowned a year of extreme weather.
Dogs, antennas and honey for Japan's big bear problem
Thousands of bears are being shot in Japan each year as they become more and more of a problem. Junpei Tanaka and his dog Rela, straining at her leash in the woods, have a kinder, smarter way.
Surfing tower will be built, says Paris Games chief
The controversial building of a tower to judge the surfing event at the Paris Olympics will go ahead despite the sport's federation saying it is not required, chief organiser Tony Estanguet said on Wednesday.
EU looks to downgrade wolf protection status
The European Commission said Wednesday it wants to allow wolves to be hunted based on new data suggesting the animals pose a rising threat to livestock.
In tiny US community, big questions about chemical recycling
On the banks of the Susquehanna river in rural Pennsylvania, a quiet, unassuming plot of land is the unlikely backdrop for a simmering debate over chemical recycling, a controversial process for dealing with plastic waste.
From the Israel-Hamas war to the Moon race: events that defined 2023
From Hamas's brutal attacks in Israel and the fierce retribution it provoked to the kiss that sparked a revolt in Spanish football, here are 10 events that marked a tumultuous 2023:
Native oysters return to Belfast after a century's absence
Long gone from Belfast's famed harbour where the Titanic was built, oysters are making a comeback thanks to a nursery installation project aimed at boosting marine life and water quality.
Russia's isolation takes toll on Arctic climate science
Glaciologist Andrew Hodson used to collaborate with his Russian colleagues in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, but snowmobile excursions to see them have come to a halt since the war in Ukraine.
Acapulco's cliff divers are back after deadly hurricane
With few tourists watching the daring feat, Abraham Estrada dives off La Quebrada, an emblematic Acapulco cliff where the spectacle has resumed but struggles to attract visitors after the Mexican resort was hammered by Hurricane Otis.
Pakistan uses artificial rain against smog for first time
Artificial rain was used for the first time in Pakistan on Saturday in a bid to combat hazardous levels of smog in the megacity of Lahore, the provincial government said.