Hokkaido population falls below 5 mil. in Japan's largest prefectural drop; Sapporo shrinks

Trump says Musk has restored Ukraine's internet access

Ukraine relies on Starlink for a range of military uses - its owner Elon Musk has repeatedly denied restricting access.

Targeted by Trump, ICC wins top EU rights prize

STRASBOURG, France — Facing US sanctions, the International Criminal Court was on Thursday awarded the European Union’s top rights prize, in a show of support that risks upsetting President Donald Trump. READ: Trump at UN calls on countries to quit ICC “The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and this

Collisions Fall After Wildlife Overpass: I-25 crossings cut crashes by up to 91%; Colorado plans six more

A network of wildlife crossings in Colorado has reduced collisions along Interstate 25 by approximately 85 percent. This system includes fencing, underpasses, and an overpass which opened in December 2025. Recent studies show a significant decline in wildlife-related crashes since the introduction of these measures. Various species, including elk and pronghorn, have begun using these crossings effectively.

ICC: Delivering justice for the world’s worst crimes

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Sakharov Prize for the International Criminal Court comes as the institution endures the toughest period in its history, reeling from a damaging sex scandal, hemorrhaging members, and bracing for potentially crippling US sanctions. The ICC, housed in a shiny glass building on the outskirts of The Hague, was set up

Nearly all coral reefs risk collapse in 50 years — IUCN

YEREVAN, Armenia — Nearly all of the world’s shallow-water coral reefs face an “extremely high risk” of collapse by 2075 due to climate change, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned Thursday. In the first global assessment of its kind, the world authority on threatened wildlife classified 96 percent of the planet’s coral

New York bans horse-drawn carriages over safety and abuse concerns

As the council voted to banish the carriages, views in Central Park were divided over the 160-year-old tradition.

Karoline Leavitt says her previous job was obviously not for Katie Zacharia who survived as press secretary for 5 days

After 2005 rat removal, three seabird species on a Pacific island grew up to tenfold over decades

The successful eradication of invasive rodents in 2005 has greatly influenced seabird populations on Surprise Island. Researchers closely monitored seven seabird species to document their recovery post-eradication. While some species thrived quickly, others needed more extended observation to show signs of improvement. Notably, noddies saw a significant increase in breeding pairs, whereas red-footed boobies showed a more gradual recovery.

Kuwaiti H-1B doctor in Ohio poisoned girlfriend with abortion drug to terminate pregnancy, became US citizen lying on his Form N-400

French authorities seek to ban or curb fresh protests

PARIS — French authorities on Thursday imposed bans or restrictions on fresh protests springing up in the wake of demonstrations last weekend that degenerated into the country's worst street violence in years. President Emmanuel Macron said after chairing a meeting of key ministers and intelligence officials that curfews and other security measures would be imposed, including bans on "groups without legitimacy" holding protests. "The priority is a return to calm," he said, adding that he would chair a defence council meeting of key ministers on Friday to decide "the next steps" for new nationwide demonstrations called for Saturday and afterwards. The worst of the violence, Macron said, "was led by organised ultra-left groups aiming to bring down the republic," that he accused of "sedition." Officials are still reeling from the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism of public buildings that broke out on October 17, on the margins of mass demonstrations of more than half a million people against the surging cost of living. Macron's government has admitted police lost control, and candi

Magnitude 7 earthquake strikes China's Tibet

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China's southwestern region of Tibet at around 10:33 p.m. (1433 GMT) on Thursday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said. Local authorities have found at least two people injured in a village near the epicentre, with some houses in villages closest to the epicentre showing cracks, the state broadcaster said. The quake is the strongest to hit China since January 2024. The epicentre was in a sparsely populated, high-altitude county in Nagqu, northern Tibet, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The average elevation within 5 km of the epicentre is about 4,864 metres (15,960 feet), CENC data showed. Videos released by local officially run media showed people leaving their homes and seeking shelter outside or in their cars parked on the street. One resident reported being awakened by the strong quake and heard the house squeaking in the tremor. The quake was clearly felt in the local area, CENC said. The epicentre was around 400 km from the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Local fire and rescue teams have mobilised and are heading to the affected region, state

S. Korea repatriates aid worker from Ukraine over safety

South Korea's international aid agency has decided to bring back one of its two staff members from its office in Ukraine's capital on safety grounds, the Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday. Kyiv has come under increasingly heavy Russian drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, more than 4-1/2 years after Moscow's invasion of its neighbour. South Korea has also been caught up in a diplomatic dispute with Ukraine and withdrew its ambassador this month after accusing Kyiv of breaching a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to the South. The decision by the Korea International Cooperation Agency to repatriate the aid agency staff member was made after a safety meeting, Yonhap said in its report. It cited an official from the agency who did not mention the dispute over the prisoners of war. The other staff member would stay in Kyiv, it added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the UN General Assembly in September that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to the South. He said the men had been sent there after be