31.12.2025, 11:58 641

Rising temperatures in the Arctic increase extinction risk for seal species

Surface air temperatures across the Arctic are warming nearly four times faster than the global average, placing Arctic seals under heightened threat of extinction, Anadolu Agency reports.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List includes 172,620 assessed species, of which 48,646 face some level of extinction risk.

There are six species of true seals in the Arctic: harbor seal, ringed seal, harp seal, hooded seal, bearded seal, and grey seal. The latest updates to the list indicate that three Arctic seal species have moved closer to extinction.

The hooded seal has been reclassified from vulnerable to endangered, while the bearded seal and harp seal have shifted from least concern to near threatened.

The IUCN report identifies sea-ice loss driven by global warming as the primary driver of increased extinction risk for Arctic seals.

The Arctic region is warming nearly 4 times faster than the global average, accelerating the decline of sea ice.

According to the 2025 Arctic Report Card, released in December by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, surface air temperatures across the Arctic from October 2024 to September 2025 were the highest on record since observations began in 1900.

Autumn 2024 was the warmest season on record, while the 2024-2025 winter ranked as the second-warmest season.
 

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28.12.2025, 21:31 15466

Paris police detained 40 people for using fireworks

Paris police detained 40 people for using fireworks
Images | depositphotos.com
Paris police have detained 40 people for launching fireworks and smoke bombs on Trocadero Square opposite the Eiffel Tower and on the Seine embankment, iz.ru reports, citing BFMTV.

According to law enforcement officials, the detainees were identified using surveillance cameras.

The Prefect of Police thanks the staff for their promptness and professionalism in stopping the riots," the prefectural police told BFMTV.

 

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27.12.2025, 17:59 20961

Mount Etna emits light ash, sporadic explosions in Sicily

Mount Etna emits light ash, sporadic explosions in Sicily
Images | wikipedia.org
Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily witnessed renewed volcanic activity yesterday, marked by the emission of incandescent material and limited amounts of ash from the volcano’s north-eastern crater, WAM reports.

In a statement, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said that winds pushed the eruption cloud towards the north-east, with light ashfall recorded in the coastal town of Taormina and the Piano Provenzana area, which includes ski slopes.

The institute reported intermittent explosions at the Bocca Nuova crater, during which incandescent material was ejected to heights of several tens of metres above the crater rim.

The regional civil protection agency temporarily raised the alert level as a precaution against the possible occurrence of lava fountains.
 

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27.12.2025, 12:40 21241

Rare tornado warning issued amid powerful California storm

U.S. weather authorities issued and later lifted a tornado warning in parts of California on Friday, highlighting unusually unstable atmospheric conditions as powerful storms continued to bring flooding, high surf and heavy snow across the state, Xinhua reports.

The storm system, driven by an atmospheric river, has caused at least four deaths and widespread damage since last weekend, officials said.

The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in San Francisco said a Flood Watch was extended through 10 p.m. Friday (0600 GMT Saturday) for parts of the Bay Area and Central Coast, warning of rapid rises in creeks and localized flooding. A High Surf Advisory was also in effect through 10 p.m. Friday, with breaking waves up to about 7.6 meters.

A tornado risk has attracted attention after the NWS issued and later canceled a tornado warning for Santa Cruz County on Christmas Day, local media reported, describing it as a rare warning for the region.

Meanwhile, Southern California recorded unusually heavy rainfall. Downtown Los Angeles received 6.6 centimeters of rain from Christmas Eve through midday Christmas Day, making it the wettest Dec. 24-25 period since 1971, the NWS said.

In the Sierra Nevada, the storm dumped massive snowfall, with the University of California, Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Lab reporting about 60 centimeters of snow within 24 hours.

Strong winds caused notable damage at the historic Lick Observatory near San Jose, where gusts tore part of a 137-year-old telescope dome from its structure.

Power disruptions remained a significant operational challenge. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) said that ahead of the storm sequence, more than 5,500 frontline coworkers and contractors would be on storm duty.

Weather experts warned that the most serious risks stem from flash flooding, debris flows and mudslides, particularly in Southern California's steep terrain.

Looking beyond California, winter storm warnings and difficult travel conditions extended into nearby high-elevation areas in the broader region, according to NWS offices serving the Sierra and adjacent interior West.
 

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21.12.2025, 20:12 50096

Power outage in San Francisco affects 130,000 households

A large-scale power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday, affecting about 130,000 households and businesses, Xinhua reports.

According to PG&E's website, the first outage was reported at around 9:40 a.m., cutting electricity to approximately 15,000 residential and commercial customers.

A second outage began around 10:10 a.m., with PG&E's online outage map initially showing that about 25,000 customers were affected.

The company later updated the map, indicating that the scope of the outages continued to expand.

The San Francisco Fire Department said that a fire broke out inside a PG&E substation in the city on Saturday afternoon, triggering at least some of the power outages.

In a post on social platform X, PG&E said it was "working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting 130,000 customers."

As of 5:30 p.m., a PG&E spokesperson said the company was still unable to provide an estimated time for the restoration of power in any part of the city.
 

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21.12.2025, 09:20 50456

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts 6 times

Mt. Semeru in Indonesia’s East Java province erupted six times early Sunday, with ash plumes reaching as high as 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) above its peak, aa.com.tr reports.

Located on the border between Lumajang and Malang districts, the mountain, which has been in an active phase for the past few years, is currently at a Level III alert status, according to state-run Antara News.

An eruption occurred on Sunday, 2025, at 5:46 am local time (2246GMT Saturday), with an observed column height of 1,200 meters above the summit," said Liswanto, an officer at the Mt. Semeru Observation Post in Lumajang.


Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has advised the public to avoid activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, within a 13 km (8 miles) radius of the summit.

The public is also prohibited from activities within a 5 km (3.11 miles) radius of the crater due to the risk of ejected rocks," Liswanto added.


According to monitoring data, eruption columns varied in height, ranging between 500 meters (1,640 feet) and 1,200 meters.

Rising 3,676 meters (12,060 feet) above sea level, Semeru is among Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and has a history of eruptions that have at times claimed lives.

Indonesia lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a highly active seismic zone that is home to more than 120 active volcanoes.
 

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19.12.2025, 13:20 61391

Trump administration moves to pause U.S. diversity visa lottery

Trump administration moves to pause U.S. diversity visa lottery
Images | Depositphotos
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced late Thursday that the Trump administration is pausing the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, also known as the DV1 lottery, citing security concerns, Qazinform News Agency reports.

The Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program in 2017 and was granted a green card. This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country," Noem wrote on X. "At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program."

 

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16.12.2025, 15:40 87901

One killed in school stabbing in Moscow region

One killed in school stabbing in Moscow region
Images | Depositphotos
A student was fatally stabbed by a minor, who also wounded a security guard, at an educational institution in the Moscow region early Tuesday, Xinhua reports.

The incident occurred at the Gorki-2 settlement in the western district of Odintsovsky, the committee said, adding that a criminal case has been initiated, the Russian Investigative Committee said.


The victim was a fourth-grade student, said Ksenia Mishonova, children's rights ombudswoman of the Moscow region.

The attacker has been detained and is being transported to investigative authorities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
 

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14.12.2025, 18:38 102371

Two gunmen open fire at Bondi Chanukah event, 12 confirmed dead in mass shooting

Two gunmen open fire at Bondi Chanukah event, 12 confirmed dead in mass shooting
Images | unsplash.com
A mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left at least 12 people dead has been declared a terrorist incident, news.com.au reports.

Naveed Akram is confirmed to be one of the two shooters who opened fire on a Jewish Chanukah event shortly before 7pm on Sunday.

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said bomb disposal were on-site of a vehicle on Campbell Pde which officers believed contained several improvised explosive devices. Police are also probing whether there was a third offender.

Addressing the media, Mr Lanyon confirmed the incident had been designated a terrorist incident.


 

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