On April 3, 2024, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan's east coast. The tremor, centered 11 miles south of the coastal city of Hualien, was the most powerful to hit the island nation in 25 years. It was felt across the country and as far away as Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. The quake sent boulders and mud tumbling down the mountains and destroyed or damaged several buildings in Hualien. At least 13 people were killed, and over a thousand were injured. As of April 7, 2024, rescuers were still looking for six people believed to be buried in the rubble....

The United Kingdom (UK) Antarctic Heritage Trust is looking to hire five people — a base leader, a shop manager, and three general assistants — to work at the "Penguin Post Office" in Port Lockroy, Antarctica. The five-month stint is open to UK residents over the age of 18. It will begin in early November 2024 and last until March 2025....

Earth Hour 2024 will occur on March 23 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. The event, held annually toward the end of March, encourages individuals, communities, and businesses worldwide to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour. The voluntary rolling blackouts are also observed by landmark structures such as the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. They remind us of the urgent need to protect our planet....

An 8-year-old has become the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster (GM) in classical chess. For those unfamiliar with the term, GM is the highest title a chess player can attain. Ashwath Kaushik achieved the incredible feat on February 18, 2024, after beating 37-year-old Jacek Stopa in round four of an international chess competition in Switzerland. Kaushik went on to finish in 12th place, but his victory over Stopa was the talk of the tournament....

Ramadan is the ninth and most sacred month in the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, Jibril (the archangel Gabriel in the Judeo-Christian faith) unveiled the first verses of the Quran — Islam's holy text — to Prophet Muhammad. Ramadan's start date is determined by the appearance of the new crescent Moon. This year, it is expected to begin at sundown on or around March 11, 2024....

Need more time to complete an assignment this month? Then, you will be thrilled to know that 2024 is a Leap Year, an event that occurs every four years. Instead of the customary 365 days, this year will have 366 days. The extra day is added to the calendar as February 29, also known as Leap Day....

After lying dormant for 6,000 years, the Fagradalsfjall volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula suddenly came to life in 2021. The eruption lasted six months. But it was considered minor, and posed no risk to nearby residents. However, the volcano's most recent outbursts are threatening the survival of Grindavík. The small fishing village of 3,800 residents is located about 6 miles (9.9 km) from the volcano....

On January 5, 2024, 171 passengers and six crew members boarded Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in Portland, Oregon, for what they believed would be a short, uneventful trip to Ontario, California. However, just ten minutes after take-off, they heard a loud explosion. Before anyone could react, an aircraft panel broke off and flew away, leaving behind a gaping hole. It was later revealed that the panel was a "door plug." It covers optional emergency exits in some Boeing 737-9 Max airplanes....

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II announced her intention to leave the throne in her annual New Year's Eve speech on December 31, 2023. The popular monarch attributed her surprising decision to ill health. She will formally step down on January 14, 2024, and be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik....

Honshu, the largest of Japan's four main islands, was hit by a powerful earthquake at 4:10 pm local time on January 1, 2024. The 7.5 magnitude quake and the ensuing aftershocks triggered tsunami warnings across western Japan, sparked fires, and tore apart roads....

Happy 2024! As is the case each year, countries worldwide welcomed the New Year with dazzling fireworks shows. Here are some spectacular displays that lit up the skies at midnight on December 31, 2023....

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all about purchasing holiday gifts for loved ones. However, GivingTuesday, which will be observed on November 28, 2023, has a more altruistic purpose. "The Global Day of Giving" is marked annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It encourages people worldwide to "give their voice, time, money, goods, and advocacy to support communities and causes."...

A massive pumpkin display at Sunnyfield Farms in the United Kingdom set a new world record for the largest Cucurbita mosaic on October 22, 2023. Cucurbita includes squashes, pumpkins, zucchinis, and some gourds. The 2,081-square-foot (193 square meters) artwork was created to mark the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton's animated movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas....

In late August 2023, over 300 amateur detectives from around the world gathered in the United Kingdom's Scottish Highlands to look for the Loch Ness Monster. The two-day search in the Loch Ness lake, where the creature is said to dwell, was the most extensive one conducted in over 50 years. The investigators used various technologies, including surveying equipment and drones with infrared cameras....

Paris is usually associated with stunning landmarks, world-class museums, and fancy restaurants. However, lately, France's capital and most populous city has been in the news for an unlikely reason — bed bugs!...

In early September 2023, parts of the Mediterranean and Libya were struck by one of the deadliest and costliest tropical-like cyclones in recorded history. Storm Daniel brought torrential rains in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria on September 5th and 6th before slamming down on Libya on September 10th....

Just days after landing a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole, India turned its attention to the Sun. On September 2, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft to study the fiery star....

Hundreds of firefighters are currently battling catastrophic wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. The fires ignited on August 8, 2023. The flames rapidly burnt through vegetation before exploding overnight and spreading to nearby communities. Fanned by strong winds from a distant hurricane, they moved so quickly that some residents were forced to jump into the ocean to escape....

There are thousands of stunning waterfalls worldwide. However, none are as unique as Antarctica's Blood Falls. The aptly-named waterfall, which flows from the tip of the Taylor Glacier, spurts out bright red water. The existence of this five-story-tall waterfall has been known for over a century. But the reason behind its crimson waters has remained a mystery. Now, a team led by W. Berry Lyons of The Ohio State University may have finally found the answer....

In most countries, a person's age is determined by subtracting the date of birth from the given date. However, in South Korea, an individual's age can be calculated in three different ways. A new law that took effect on June 26, 2023, aims to simplify the confusing system....

In what can only be described as a miracle, four children from an indigenous community in Colombia were rescued after being stranded in the Amazon rainforest for 40 days. On May 1, 2023, 13-year-old Lesly, nine-year-old Soleiny, four-year-old Tien Norie and 11-month old Cristin, were flying with their mother to the town of San José del Guaviare. Midway through the journey, their small airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed in a remote part of the Colombian Amazon jungle....

We all need to spend time alone once in a while. But Beatriz Flamini took things to a whole new level. The Madrid, Spain, resident spent 500 days alone in a cave 230 feet (70 meters) underground. Flamini was 48 years old when she went into isolation and 50 when she emerged from the cave on April 14, 2023. The extreme athlete took up the challenge to test her mental strength. She also wanted to help scientists explore the effects of isolation on the human body and mind....

On May 6, 2023, King Charles III will be officially sworn in as the 62nd monarch of the United Kingdom (UK) and fourteen other Commonwealth realms. They include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This is Britain's first coronation ceremony since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953. Here is a brief preview of what to expect....

The phrase "living under a rock" usually means being oblivious to what is happening in the world. But in Setenil de las Bodegas, the idiom takes on a literal meaning. Many of the Spanish town's 3,000 residents live in homes built inside the rock formations of a narrow gorge of the Río Trejo river....