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World logs fifth hottest February as atmospheric rivers drench western Europe, Copernicus reports The world registered its fifth hottest February on record as extreme rainfall and widespread flooding inundated parts of western and southern Europe, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitor. Global temperatures last month were 1.49C above pre-industrial levels, defined as 1850-1900, underscoring the persistent heat that is shaping weather extremes worldwide. Europe’s picture was split between temperature and…

Record 129 journalists killed in 2025, CPJ says, with two-thirds linked to Israel A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists said, marking a second straight annual high and the deadliest year since the watchdog began tracking deaths more than three decades ago. “Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,” CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. “We are all at risk when journalists are…

France braces for worsening floods as a man went missing in the Loire River and the country marked a record 35 consecutive days of rain, national forecasters said Wednesday, with Storm Pedro set to drive fresh downpours across the west. Meteo-France, the national weather service, said the streak is the longest series of rainy days since measurements began in 1959, surpassing a previous record set in 2023. The relentless precipitation has saturated soils and swollen rivers across western regions, pushing several waterways to…

China’s birth rate fell to an all-time low in 2025 as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year, underscoring a mounting demographic crisis despite a raft of policies aimed at encouraging couples to have children. Official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show 7.92 million births last year, equivalent to 5.63 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest rate since records began in 1949, when Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China. Births declined by 1.62 million from the prior…

Global temperatures over the past three years have, on average, exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for the first time, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed, underscoring a rapid escalation in warming and its risks. The service reported 2025 as the third warmest year on record and said the last 11 years have been the 11 warmest in modern records. The new analysis, produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), places 2025’s average global surface air temperature…

Spanish police say they have made their largest-ever cocaine seizure on the high seas, intercepting a vessel carrying nearly 10 metric tons of the drug hidden in a shipment of salt and bound for Europe from Brazil. Officers recovered 294 bales of cocaine and a handgun from the ship and arrested 13 people on board, police said in a statement. The vessel later ran out of fuel and had to be towed to port by coastguards in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. The interdiction underscores both the scale and reach of…

Luke Littler polished off a dominant title defense at Alexandra Palace with a 7-1 demolition of Gian van Veen, cementing his status as darts’ unstoppable new force and pocketing a record £1 million winner’s check at the World Darts Championship. The 18-year-old joins Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson as the only players to win back-to-back PDC world crowns. A year after a breakout run announced him to the wider sporting world, Littler returned to the sport’s biggest stage and left no doubt he intends to stay there.…

UK on brink of warmest year on record as 2025 tracks above 2022 benchmark, Met Office says The UK could be set to log its warmest year on record, with 2025 currently tracking to overtake the previous high set in 2022, according to the Met Office. Forecasters said the provisional annual mean temperature so far stands at 10.05C, edging ahead of the 10.03C recorded in 2022. A forecast cold spell over Christmas means the final figure is not yet confirmed, but scientists say the trend is unmistakable. “At this stage it looks more…

Australia defended its record on combating anti-Semitism after an attack that drew national attention, saying it has robust laws and community protections in place as police investigate the incident. Officials condemned the violence and said authorities are working with community leaders to reassure the public and gather information. Law enforcement agencies did not immediately release details about the motive, injuries or suspects, and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward. The government pointed to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — U.S. Africa Command has intensified airstrikes in Somalia, pushing the annual tally to 109 and signaling a stepped-up campaign against al-Shabaab and ISIS militants in coordination with state forces in Puntland State and Jubaland. AFRICOM said multiple operations between Nov. 26 and Nov. 28 struck ISIS positions in the rugged Calmiskaad mountains of Puntland State, roughly 37 miles from Bosaso, the region’s commercial hub. The mountainous redoubt has long provided militants with cover and access to…