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Half of China hit by drought in worst heatwave on record
Half of China's vast territory is now experiencing drought, including parts of the frigid Tibetan Plateau, official data showed -- with more high temperatures forecast Thursday for hundreds of millions of people enduring the country's hottest summer on record.
British Museum showcases ancient vessels smashed in Beirut blast
Eight ancient glass vessels shattered in the 2020 Beirut explosion go on display at the British Museum from Thursday, walking visitors through the painstaking international project to piece them back together.
Oldest human relative walked upright 7 mn years ago: study
The earliest known human ancestor walked on two feet as well as climbing through trees around seven million years ago, scientists said Wednesday after studying three limb bones.
Power cuts and sleepless nights in China's record heatwave
The lights are out along a once-bustling boulevard in a tourist spot at the epicentre of China's hottest summer on record, as people take refuge indoors from the searing heat engulfing the country's southwest.
Flood toll tops 800 in Pakistan's 'catastrophe of epic scale'
Record monsoon rains were causing a "catastrophe of epic scale", Pakistan's climate change minister said Wednesday, announcing an international appeal for help in dealing with floods that have killed more than 800 people since June.
For Russian re-enactors, battle with West is more than history
Surrounded by dozens of men in chainmail and helmets playing dead in a field, an impersonator of mediaeval Russian prince Alexander Nevsky raises his sword and roars.
An overview of NASA's Artemis 1 mission to the Moon
NASA's Artemis 1 mission, scheduled to take off on Monday, is a 42-day voyage beyond the far side of the Moon and back.
All systems go for Artemis 1 mission to Moon
Fifty years after the last Apollo mission, the Artemis program is poised to take up the baton of lunar exploration with a test launch on Monday of NASA's most powerful rocket ever.
Elon Musk's Twitter friendship with Indian superfan
Not many people can boast of having candid conversations about planetary conquest with Elon Musk, but for Indian software engineer Pranay Pathole, a friendly chat with the world's richest man is just a tweet away.
Germany, Canada partner on transatlantic hydrogen trade
The leaders of Canada and Germany signed a green hydrogen deal on Tuesday, laying a path for a transatlantic supply chain as Europe seeks to lessen its dependence on Russian energy.
Drought uncovers dinosaur tracks in US park
A drought in Texas dried up a river flowing through Dinosaur Valley State Park, exposing tracks from giant reptiles that lived some 113 million years ago, an official said Tuesday.
Kenyans taking UK to EU court over colonial-era abuses
Kenyans forced off their land by British settlers during colonial rule are taking their case against the UK to the European Court of Human Rights, their supporters said on Tuesday.
James Webb telescope captures stunning images of Jupiter
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning images of the planet Jupiter showing two tiny moons, faint rings and auroras at the northern and southern poles.
'Close shave!' How De Gaulle escaped assassin's bullets 60 years ago
August 22, 1962: French President Charles de Gaulle and his wife are being whisked by car through the Paris suburb of Petit-Clamart for a flight back to their country home, when a man on the side of the road waves a newspaper.
Rat race: What rodent drivers can teach us about mental health
The girls can't hide their excitement as they're brought out to the racing arena.
Deadly wildfires contained in Algeria after homes, livelihoods lost
Wildfires which killed at least 38 people across northern Algeria have been contained, firefighters said Friday, as volunteers mobilised to help those who lost homes and livelihoods in the tragedy.
Algeria fire crews rein in blazes that left 38 dead
Algerian firefighters on Thursday brought under control a string of forest blazes that have killed at least 38 people including 12 who died in a bus trapped by the flames.
Scientists find simple, safe method to destroy 'forever chemicals'
"Forever chemicals" used in daily items like nonstick pans have long been linked to serious health issues –- a result of their toxicity and extreme resistance to being broken down as waste products.
Huge complex of 500 standing stones found in Spain
A huge megalithic complex of more than 500 standing stones has been discovered in southern Spain which could be one of the largest in Europe, archaeologists told AFP Thursday.
Drought blamed for dozens of cow poisoning deaths in Italy
An Italian farm became an open-air morgue earlier this month after around 50 cows were poisoned by young sorghum plants, an accident experts blame on drought.
Giorgio Armani warns neighbours of wildfire on Italian isle
Dozens of people were evacuated after a wildfire broke out on the remote Italian island of Pantelleria, helped by designer Giorgio Armani who was holidaying there, officials said Thursday.
Climate change causes wonky bumblebee wings: scientists
Warmer and wetter weather linked to climate change appears to stress out bumblebees and make their wings more asymmetrical, which could ultimately affect their future development, according to UK scientists in a new research paper.
US communities are mapping heat islands to boost climate resilience
The phone's home screen shows 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32C) in Silver Spring, a suburb of Washington, on a mid-August day. But the reality is more complex -- in terms of heat exposure, not all parts of the city are equal.
Ancient Indian sport builds bridges across cultures in Hong Kong
Overlooked by high-rises on the outskirts of Hong Kong, a group of students practise body-slam tackles and vicious ankle-wrenches at weekly training for an unlikely sport: the ancient Indian game of kabaddi.
Guatemala retrieves 33 Mayan artifacts from private collection in Germany
Guatemala said Wednesday it had recovered 33 pre-Columbian artifacts that were voluntarily returned from a private collection in Germany.
Studies to see if mutations behind monkeypox spread: WHO
Studies are under way to see whether genetic changes in the monkeypox virus are driving the rapid spread of the disease, the World Health Organization told AFP on Wednesday.
Russian spacewalk cut short due to issue with suit
A spacewalk by two Russians on Wednesday was ended abruptly due to a problem with the battery in cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev's suit, though at no point was he in any danger, the US and Russian space agencies said.
NASA's new rocket on launchpad for trip to Moon
NASA's giant new SLS rocket arrived at its launchpad Wednesday in Cape Canaveral ahead of a planned flight to the Moon in less than two weeks.
China heat wave pushes up prices as hens lay fewer eggs
Scorching temperatures in eastern China have pushed up egg prices because hens are laying fewer in a hotter-than-usual summer, local media reported.
Net zero, Russia war driving nascent hydrogen economy
Kevin Kendall pulls up at the only green hydrogen refuelling station in Birmingham, Britain's second-biggest city, and swiftly fills his sedan with clean gas.
Space mission shows Earth's water may be from asteroids: study
Water may have been brought to Earth by asteroids from the outer edges of the solar system, scientists said after analysing rare samples collected on a six-year Japanese space mission.
Tibetan Plateau water stores under threat: study
The Tibetan Plateau will experience significant water loss this century due to global warming, according to research published Monday that warns of severe supply stress in a climate change "hotspot".