Story archive

All Articles

Page 4

Every published story from across the site, arranged for browsing rather than scanning a feed.

Heavy El Niño rains bring thousands of hectares of Chile’s Atacama Desert into bloom

Euronews reports that exceptionally heavy El Niño rains in northern Chile have triggered a “flowering desert” in the Atacama, with violet and white blossoms covering land that is usually parched. The report says millions of seeds lying dormant beneath the soil have been awakened, while its headline describes thousands of hectares in bloom.

atacama desertel niñodesert bloom

September 23, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

EnvironmentFrance

Genomic study identifies Kerguelen gentoo as a distinct penguin species

An international research team has identified the gentoo penguins of the Kerguelen Islands as a distinct species, Pygoscelis kerguelensis. Whole-genome evidence also supports treating gentoo penguins as four species rather than one widely distributed species with subspecies. The study warns that climate-driven habitat change could leave several sub-Antarctic island populations with few suitable alternatives by 2050.

penguinsgenomicsbiodiversity

September 22, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureTel Aviv, Israel

Study proposes why Qumran’s 364-day calendar may have shifted from practice to ideal

A Tel Aviv University study proposes that the Qumran community used its 364-day calendar early on, then stopped using it as the calendar drifted away from the seasons. The reconstruction links that practical difficulty with changing relations between the sect and Hasmonean rulers. It offers an explanation for why the calendar remained central in the Dead Sea Scrolls despite its apparent disappearance from everyday use.

dead sea scrollsqumranancient calendars

September 20, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureMaracaibo, Venezuela

Venezuelan rescue dog Tsunami honoured with bronze statue in Maracaibo

A bronze statue has been unveiled in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to honour Tsunami, a Border Collie credited with search-and-rescue work after deadly earthquakes in June. Al Jazeera reports that Tsunami helped locate at least 26 survivors; the same report says the earthquakes killed more than 6,500 people. The report does not provide details on the statue’s commissioning, the rescue deployments or independent verification of the survivor figure.

venezuelaearthquake rescuerescue dogs

September 20, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceUnited States

Al Jazeera examines reported US product recalls exceeding one billion items in six months

Al Jazeera published a “By the Numbers” video on September 20, 2026, titled “How did the US recall a billion products in six months?” The supplied page does not provide the underlying recall data, period boundaries, product categories, agencies, or reasons for the recalls. The available evidence therefore supports reporting the video’s stated topic, not independently confirming its numerical premise.

product recallsconsumer safetyunited states

September 20, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceJapan

Japan’s centenarian population exceeds 100,000 as ageing pressures deepen

Japan has recorded 107,677 people aged 100 or older, the first time its centenarian population has passed 100,000. The Health Ministry figure is 7,914 higher than in 2025 and extends a 56-year annual increase. The rise reflects longer lives but coincides with very low births, a shrinking workforce and growing demands on pensions, healthcare and care services.

japanpopulation ageingcentenarians

September 19, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceBrussels, Belgium

European cultural policy brings museums and arts into the public-health conversation

A June 18 joint declaration by EU institutions names culture’s effect on health among principles intended to inform member-state cultural policy. A new Culture Next report and existing museum prescription programs in Europe and North America show how cultural participation is being considered alongside health and social-care responses. The evidence cited is promising but remains uneven across settings and populations.

museum prescriptionsarts and healthcultural policy

September 18, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceUnited Kingdom

Early trial tests PRX3-targeting treatment for relapsed mesothelioma

An early-phase trial of RSO-021, a formulation based on the antibiotic thiostrepton, tested whether disabling the antioxidant enzyme PRX3 can make mesothelioma cells vulnerable to oxidative stress. The study reported disease control in 67% of participants; the 15-patient cohort had average progression-free survival of 4.2 months, while researchers described overall-survival findings as encouraging. Phase two has been completed, with results expected at a global oncology meeting this year.

mesotheliomacancer researchclinical trials

September 17, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceSydney, Australia

Four-week diet trial shifted biological-age markers in older Australians

A University of Sydney study of 104 Australians aged 65 to 75 found that three of four assigned diets were associated with lower estimated biological age after four weeks. The estimate combined 20 biomarkers, including cholesterol, insulin and C-reactive protein; the strongest statistical evidence was in an omnivorous, lower-fat, higher-carbohydrate group. The researchers say the short study does not show permanent age reversal, longer life or lower disease risk.

healthy agingnutrition researchbiological age

September 16, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

ScienceBenin

Cameras confirm living coral ecosystem off Benin after decades of uncertainty

Scientists have documented a living mesophotic coral ecosystem more than 50 metres below the surface off Benin, where 1960s surveys had described a possible reef as probably dead. Sonar, an underwater drone and a deep-sea camera system revealed patchy coral communities and fish life. The finding is reported as the first confirmed living mesophotic coral ecosystem on the Gulf of Guinea continental shelf, though coral identifications from imagery still require sampling.

coral reefsbeninmarine science

September 15, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

EnvironmentQuito, Ecuador

Quito residents join firefighters as forest fires threaten homes

Residents in Quito, Ecuador, joined firefighters battling forest fires that were threatening residential areas, according to an Al Jazeera NewsFeed video published on September 14, 2026. The report places the fires in densely populated parts of the capital but provides no figures for fires, evacuees, damage, or personnel involved.

quitoecuadorwildfires

September 14, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

CultureUnited States

Teen rescued after two days clinging to capsized boat in Alaska’s Bering Sea

A 15-year-old boy was rescued after spending two days clinging to a capsized small boat in Alaska’s Bering Sea, Al Jazeera reported. The boat had overturned while he, his older brother and cousin were fishing for their community; the older two died.

alaskabering seamaritime rescue

September 12, 2026 · 3 min read · 1 sources

Page 4 of 17