Japan planning next-generation nuclear reactor for safety reasons

Japan is planning the development of a fast neutron reactor, as the country gets ready to decommission the Monju nuclear power plant, which last operated in 2010.

Heavy rain, floods in Saudi Arabia leave seven dead

At least seven people died and many others were injured or trapped by heavy rain and floods that swept various regions of Saudi Arabia, press reports said on Tuesday.

Un tremblement de terre tue deux mineurs dans l'ouest de la Pologne

Au moins deux mineurs ont perdu la vie à l'ouest de la Pologne dans l'effondrement d'échafaudages suite à un tremblement de terre mardi soir, rapportent les médias locaux.

India unveils the world's largest solar power plant

Images have been released showing the sheer size of the new solar power plant in southern India.

Thousands of chickens, ducks to be killed in Japan after avian flu found

Authorities began culling 310,000 chickens at a farm on the Sea of Japan (East Sea) coast early Tuesday after a highly pathogenic strain of H5 avian influenza was detected in five birds, local authorities said.

Parts of Britain prepare for coldest November spell for 25 years

A level 2 cold weather warning was issued by meteorologists at the Met Office Monday saying all parts of England should be braced for several days of prolonged temperatures.

Fukushima cleanup cost double previous estimate, report says

Japan's electricity customers may have to pay more in order to cover the cost of decommissioning the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Jordan picks firms for ambitious canal project linking Dead Sea with Red Sea

Jordan said Monday it had chosen five international consortiums to build the first phase of a multi-million-dollar canal linking the Red Sea to the shrinking Dead Sea.

Moderate earthquake jolts Nepal

A moderate earthquake of 5.6 magnitude jolted Capital City Kathmandu and the rest of other parts of Nepal at 5.20 a.m. local time on Monday, forcing people to rush out of their homes in panic.

China issues alert as typhoon Tokage nears

Chinese meteorological authorities have issued an orange alert - third in the four-color alert system - against typhoon Tokage as it approaches the southern regions of the country.

Greenland Pushes Denmark to Clean Up Dangerous American Military Junk

Greenland is asking Denmark to clean up US military junk left behind by Cold War-era American military projects on the giant island.

Italy's flooding crisis eases, leaving trail of death and destruction

 Flooding in several regions has begun to ease as authorities work to pick up the pieces and search for survivors. Destructive high water hit the regions of Liguria and Piedmont in the northwest and Sicily in the south.

Eight feared dead as boat sinks in New Zealand

Up to eight people are feared dead after a chartered fishing boat sank in New Zealand, police said.

After Mass Bee Die Off Canada Considers Ban on Pesticides

Health Canada, a federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve health, released on Wednesday a draft risk-assessment for Imidacloprid for public comment.

Cuba's Fidel Castro dies aged 90

Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader who built a communist state on the doorstep of the United States, has died aged 90.

EU energy chief assures Russia that Ukraine has funds to purchase gas

Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Energy Union Maros Sefcovic has assured Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak that Ukraine has funds for the purchase of gas and Ukraine will receive additional funds in the near future, the Russian Minister told reporters.

6.5-Magnitude Quake Registered in China Near Border With Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan (local time: 20:24, Depth 10 km)

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake has hit northwestern China near the border with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) reported Friday.

Hurricane Otto: Deaths as storm hits Costa Rica

A number of people are dead or missing in Costa Rica after Hurricane Otto made landfall as a Category Two storm.

Threat of tsunami after earthquake hits El Salvador and Nicaragua (local time: 12:43, Depth 10 km)

A strong earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Central America shook the region, US monitoring agencies said.

Israel fires: Tens of thousands flee as fires hit Haifa

Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated from their homes as wildfires rage through parts of the Israeli city of Haifa.

At least 40 killed in construction collapse in China

At least 40 people died after scaffolding collapsed at an under-construction nuclear cooling tower in eastern China early Thursday morning, according to official state reports.

Snow Falls in November in Tokyo for First Time in 54 Years

Tokyo experienced its first November snowfall in 54 years on Thursday.

At least 17 dead in 56-car pile-up in China on icy road

Fog and a slippery road helped cause a pileup with dozens of cars on a highway in north China on Monday.

Flooding, power cuts as Storm Angus batters England, Wales with wind, rain

Parts of England and Wales woke up on Tuesday to flooded roads, power cuts and railway delays due to heavy winds and rain brought about by a powerful storm, according to British authorities.

Fukushima reactor cooling system stops following quake & tsunami

The cooling system of the third reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has stopped circulating water following a powerful 7.3 offshore earthquake. TEPCO said it managed to restart the system some 90 minutes after the failure.

Tsunami warning issued after Japanese earthquake (local time: 05:59 , Depth 10 km)

A tsunami warning has been issued after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 hit northern Japan.

Bolivia declares national emergency amid drought

Bolivian President Evo Morales has declared a national emergency over a lack of water caused by a severe and prolonged drought.

NASA: Cargo Spacecraft Cygnus Leaves International Space Station

A Cygnus cargo spacecraft left the International Space Station (ISS) after spending almost a month there, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said Monday.

Beijing cancels dozens of flights after season's first snowfall

Dozens of flights at the Beijing Capital International Airport have been canceled following the first snowfall of the season, authorities said Monday.

6.4-magnitude quake reported in west-central Argentina (local time: 17:57, Depth 116 km)

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in west-central Argentina at 5:57 p.m. local time (20:57 GMT) Sunday, the US Geological Service (USGS) reported.

At least 100 people killed, 40 seriously injured in India train derailment

More than 100 people were killed and 40 seriously injured Sunday morning when 14 cars on a Patna-Indore Express train derailed near India's northern city of Kanpur, officials said.

Russian spaceship Soyuz MS-03 docks at ISS with 3 astronauts aboard

A Russian Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft carrying three astronauts, including one American, docked with the International Space Station on Saturday, delivering the astronauts for a six-month mission orbiting Earth.

Pacific nation of Kiribati establishes large shark sanctuary

The island nation of Kiribati has established a large shark sanctuary that will help ensure the creatures are protected across much of the central Pacific.

Japan whaling ships set out for Antarctic

Japanese whaling ships departed Friday on the annual Antarctic hunt, the government said, defying a worldwide moratorium and international opposition.

Japan prepares itself for 30 metre high tsunami in future

Japan expects a gigantic 30-metre tsunami wave to lash the country's southern coast in the next few decades, the media reported on Friday.

UN climate conference adopts declaration for action

The United Nations Marrakech climate conference on Thursday adopted a proclamation calling for the highest political commitment and solidarity in the fight against climate change, amid fears that the next U.S. administration may change U.S. policy in this regard.

Arctic warming threatens nomad reindeer herding: study

The loss of sea ice in the warming Arctic is threatening reindeer herding in northern Russia -- the livelihood of one of the region's last remaining nomad communities, researchers said Thursday.

North America's record November warmth

As if to prove the point that 2016 is heading to replace last year as the hottest on record, it is still too warm to ski in Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies.

Researchers urge more regulation over pharmaceutical pollution in Britain's rivers

Pharmaceutical pollution in some of Britain's rivers has reached a worrying level, and researchers urged more regulation to address the issue, according to a study released Wednesday by the University of Leeds.

Half a tonne of ivory seized in Austria

Austrian authorities said Wednesday they had seized more than 560 kilos (1,235 pounds) of ivory, a haul they described as a national record and one of the biggest in Europe.

Prospects of US greenhouse gas emission reduction uncertain under Trump administration

US President-elect Donald Trump, who called climate change a "hoax," may dramatically alter the path set by the Obama administration on reductions of emission, leaving the fate of climate-change research uncertain.

Damage from massive sinkhole repaired in one week in Japan

A Japanese city has reopened a busy street that collapsed into a giant sinkhole, after workers laboured around the clock for a week to repair the damage.

Closure of schools in Tehran extended due to alarming air pollution

Kindergartens and schools will remain closed for a second consecutive day on Tuesday due to heavy air pollution, Press TV reported on Monday.

Expectations of a cold winter: Putin tells Merkel gas piped to EU could be siphoned off in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday of the risk of Ukraine siphoning off Russian gas destined for Europe, the Kremlin said.

2016 set to be hottest year on record - WMO

The world is set to notch up a new heat record in 2016 after a sizzling 2015 as global warming stokes more floods and rising sea levels, the UN weather agency said.

Two deaths, tourist town cut off after severe New Zealand quake

Emergency services were trying to reopen communications and transport to the tourist town of Kaikoura after a deadly earthquake rocked much of New Zealand early Monday.

New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

A tsunami has hit after an earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island.

Japanese nuclear plant holds tsunami & meltdown drills

A major anti-disaster drill has been held at a nuclear plant in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands. The exercise followed a similar drill in Shikoku, and was based on the scenario of a powerful earthquake and tsunami striking the region.

Australia: From hot to stormy, again

More than 21,000 homes were without electricity in Mildura, Victoria on Friday after a lightning storm ripped through the area, tearing down trees and power lines. There were also reports of a mini-tornado damaging buildings.

The mystery around shipwreck of columns and sarcophagi in Greece

Among the most significant trade and marine centers since the ancient times near Methoni at the first leg of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, the island of Sapienza has been the witness of many shipwrecks as a navy passage connecting Italy to the Middle East.