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A recent study published in the journal Nature suggests that ancient Earth may have produced its earliest water supply.

Beijing Hospital Fire: Over 25 people killed, others escape from windows

The fire at the private Changfeng Hospital that broke out on April 18 afternoon forced dozens of people to evacuate and prompted some of those who were trapped to escape from windows using bedsheets tied together.

Massive landslide buries trucks, kills 2 people in Pakistan: See Pics

A massive landslide struck a key highway in northwestern Pakistan near the border town of Torkham before dawn on April 18, burying two dozen trucks and killing at least two people, officials said.

In Pics: Putin visits Ukraine's Kherson, Lugansk regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine early on April 18, his second trip to the Russian-held territories there since March.

California bursts into super bloom of wild poppies: See Pics

An explosion of oranges, yellows, purples and whites has covered California's hillsides, as a rare "super bloom" bursts into life in the wake of a very wet winter.

South Florida downpours leave many stranded, airport shut | See Pics

Parts of South Florida began cleaning up April 13 after the unprecedented storm that trapped Valentine and other motorists dumped upward of 2 feet (60 centimetres) of rain in a matter of hours, caused widespread flooding, closed a key airport and turned thoroughfares into rivers. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

In Pics: Protesters march against French President Macron's plan to raise pension age

Protesters opposed to President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plan to raise the retirement age in France marched on April 13 in cities and towns around France in a final show of anger before a decision is taken on whether the measure meets constitutional standards.

In Pics: Over 100 killed in Junta airstrike; here's what is happening in Myanmar post 2021 coup

Myanmar has suffered decades of repressive military rule. In 2021, Myanmar’s brief tryst with democracy ended when its military seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government, dashing hopes for democratic reforms in the country.

China blanketed with floating sand and dust; yellow sand reaches Japan & South Korea

Many areas in northern China were blanketed with floating sand and dust on April 13, and a sandstorm was expected to sweep through parts of Inner Mongolia. The yellow sand is now spreading to South Korea and Japan. Sandstorm was seen in Tokyo city for the first time since 2021.

In Pics: Biden urges Northern Ireland parties to restore power-sharing on Good Friday anniversary visit

US President Joe Biden urged political compromise in Northern Ireland on April 12, using a brief visit to promote the benefits of enduring peace and investment, but faced heated criticism from pro-UK hardliners.

In pics | Inside NASA's simulated Martian habitat: This is where a four-person Mars crew will live

NASA plans to send astronauts to Mars sometime in the 2030s, but before take-off, the space agency will observe the effects of a four-person crew staying in a simulated Mars habitat for about one year. This is where four people will live for about a year.

Sitharaman in US: FM visits NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on April 11 visited NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland during her official visit to the US. She was accompanied by the US Ambassador of India Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Sitharaman's US visit: Finance Minister participates in FICCI's "Investing in India Decade" roundtable; meets US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

During the roundtable, FM Sitharaman underlined the reality of a global acknowledgement of “New India” and the renewed role India is poised to play in the global economic order, besides India as an investment destination going forward into “Amrit Kaal.”

In Pics: Nirmala Sitharaman calls for 'more transparent' globalisation during US visit

Sitharaman interacted with business leaders and investors during a roundtable on 'Investment opportunities for the long term: India on the Rise'. The finance minister is on a week-long visit to the US for the annual spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF

Britain finding a soft spot for homemade Brie and Camembert | In Pics

France, the country of a thousand cheeses, is often a source of inspiration. Nine employees work in Hedges's creamery near Basingstoke in England's southern Hampshire region, making about 7,000 cheeses a week, and up to 12,000 during the Christmas season

Ice storm hits Canada, leaves more than a million without power | In Pics

Ice storm that battered eastern Canada left two dead and over a million people without electricity on April 6, as fallen trees blocked roads and downed power lines. The storm pummelled Quebec and Ontario, Canada's two most populous provinces.

France Pension Reform Standoff: Protesters clash against security forces; set Macron's favorite restaurant on fire

The controversial pension reforms seek to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, while requiring people to work longer for a full pay-out.

In Pics: France's Macron meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing

President Emmanuel Macron met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on April 6, as the French leader seeks to dissuade China from supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In Pics: All about the Ozempic, the diabetes drug touted as a miracle for weight loss

Ozempic is a brand name for the generic drug semaglutide, which is FDA-approved to treat Type-2 Diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels.

Donald Trump Indictment: Former US President charged, pleads not guilty

On 4 April 2023, Donald Trump became the first-ever US president to be charged with a crime. The case is the beginning of Trump’s journey through the US criminal justice system. A look at the charges against Trump, and the events leading up to his indictment.

In Pics: Huge fire engulfs market in Bangladeshi capital

Hundreds of Bangladeshi firefighters were mobilised in the capital Dhaka on April 4 to battle an inferno that raged through a popular clothing market and blanketed the city's oldest neighbourhoods in black smoke.

NASA announces Artemis II Moon mission crew: First woman, Black astronaut to make 2024 flight around Moon

NASA unveiled the crew on April 3 for its first human mission to the Moon in more than 50 years –- including the first woman and Black man to voyage into deep space. Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen are the crew who will be the first to fly the Orion capsule, launching atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than late 2024. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit, but rather fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth, a prelude to a lunar landing by two others a year later.

Vietnam's robusta: The go-to coffee bean in a warmer world?

Robusta coffee has a dire reputation, but a small group of farmers in Vietnam is trying to turn the bean's fortunes around as a warming world threatens the industry.

Weapons to wasabi: Russian jihadist runs Syria sushi outlet

As the conflict wanes in Syria and fighters look for other income, Islam Shakhbanov, 37, from Russia's Muslim-majority Dagestan republic, has traded his weapons for wasabi but hasn’t lost his taste for combat

In US, men unravel stereotypes by knitting: See Pics

Knitting has surged in popularity once again in the United States in this age of pandemics and self-care. But on a sunny March afternoon just outside the nation's capital, one club of enthusiasts sets itself apart: the 10 or so people clicking their needles are men.

In Pics | Violent storm kills at least 20 people in US

A violent storm with heavy rains ripped through Southern and Midwestern sections of the United States on April 1, leaving at least 22 dead and scores injured, according to officials and media reports.

Trump Indictment: A look at some legal battles former US President is embroiled in

Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.

In Pics: Timeline of events leading to Trump’s indictment

A New York grand jury has indicted Donald J Trump over hush money payments made to a porn star during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former US president to face criminal charges.

Spain: Easter procession events a ‘yearlong’ operation

Spain is getting ready for one of its most revered holiday periods of the year: Easter Week, which means thousands of colorful and noisy religious street processions that draw multitudes onto the streets to watch.

In Pics: Ukrainian ballerina uprooted by war flies high again in Swan Lake

After the lights dim in Budapest's magnificent Opera House, Ukrainian ballerina Ganna Muromtseva flutters high with undulating arms in the lead role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet. In the end, the audience bursts into applause.

Care, 'magic' help DC's cherry blossom trees defy age: See Pics

Peak bloom has arrived for the thousands of Japanese cherry blossom trees at the National Mall in Washington, and the area is awash in magnificent pink and white. Predicting the timing of peak bloom — defined as when 70 percent of the blossoms have opened — has been getting harder.

France Pension Reform: Police counter protest violence; garbage strike ends

Bolstered French police forces clashed with demonstrators in numerous cities on March 28 as hundreds of thousands of marchers protested President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular retirement reform. Security was ramped up for the 10th round of protest marches since January after the government warned that some demonstrators intended “to destroy, to injure and to kill."

Danish artist hatches epic global troll hunt: See Pics

A Danish artist famous for his towering wooden trolls sent fans on a worldwide quest on March 27 to find his latest creation. Thomas Dambo has created a complex treasure hunt to find "Moon Mother", his 100th troll sculpture, which he said has "crawled into the most secret spot in the forest" to give birth.

In Pics: King Charles III’s coronation souvenirs boost struggling English ceramics industry

Just six weeks before King Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6, a historic English pottery is working flat out to meet demand for the fine bone china souvenirs.

France’s Pension Protest: Louvre staff block entrances as part of pension reform protest

The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed to the public on March 27 when its workers took part in the wave of French protest strikes against the government's unpopular pension reform plans. The action comes on the eve of another nationwide protest planned for March 28 against the bill — and as Macron holds a meeting with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to discuss the way forward. The Louvre is always closed on Tuesday, so staff protested a day earlier.

Germany at a standstill as huge strike halts planes and trains: See Pics

Airports and bus and train stations across Germany were at a standstill on March 27, causing disruption for millions of people during one of the largest walkouts in decades in Europe's biggest economy as soaring inflation stokes wage demands. The 24-hour "warning" strikes called by the Verdi union and railway and transport union EVG were the latest in months of industrial action which has hit major European economies as higher food and energy prices dent living standards.

US mass shooting: Ex-student kills six at Nashville school | In Pics

A heavily armed 28-year-old fatally shot three children and three adult staffers on March 27 at a private Christian school the suspect once attended in Tennessee's capital city before police killed the assailant, authorities said.

Mississippi faces more extreme weather after tornado kills 25

Storm-ravaged Mississippi struggled on March 26 with the aftermath of a huge tornado that tore across the southern US state, killing at least 25 people, with devastated communities bracing for a fresh bout of extreme weather.

Israeli PM Netanyahu's dismissal of defense minister sparks mass protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to dismiss Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on March 26 has caused mass protests. This move came after Gallant publicly opposed the government's plan to overhaul the judicial system.

Race against time to rescue Argentina wine grapes: See Pics

It is a race against time in the fabled Mendoza wine region in the west of the South American country once again in the grip of La Nina, a periodic weather phenomenon that cools surface temperatures and intensifies drought. Monteviejo -- a large vineyard between 1,000 and 1,200 meters above sea level -- expects to have a harvest 50 percent smaller than last year. Some others in the region lost everything.

France pension bill: Violence flares as protesters vent fury at Macron reform

Protesters clashed with French security forces on March 23 in the most serious violence yet of a three-month revolt against President Emmanuel Macron's hugely controversial pension reform. The uproar over the imposition of the reform -- which the government chose to push through without a parliamentary vote -- has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron's second term in office.

Relativity's Terran 1 Rocket: First 3D-printed rocket lifts off but fails to reach orbit

The world's first 3D-printed rocket launched successfully on March 22, marking a step forward for the California company behind the innovative spacecraft, though it failed to reach orbit. Billed as less costly to produce and fly, the unmanned Terran 1 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 11:25 pm (0325 GMT Thursday) but suffered an "anomaly" during second-stage separation as it streamed towards low Earth orbit, according to a livestream broadcast by aerospace startup Relativity Space.

World Water Day 2023: World's water in focus as clean supplies squeezed

From droughts stifling once-reliant sources to destructive downpours and floods, what the world does about its water woes is the central question at the U.N.'s three-day water conference that begins on March 22. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of World Water Day, it's the first dedicated U.N. conference on water in nearly 50 years.

Tornado hits southern California as wild weather continues: See Pics

A tornado tore through a southern California city on March 22, ripping roofs off buildings and throwing cars around, as the state's ongoing winter weather drama turned even wilder. A swirling mass of wind -- of the kind usually seen in the Midwest -- raked the city of Montebello near Los Angeles, breaking windows and sending residents scurrying to safety.

Libyan couscous connoisseurs cook up for UNESCO recognition bid

Dozens of Libyan chefs are busy preparing a couscous platter the size of a large inflatable swimming pool as they seek international recognition for their country's beloved dish. Conflict-scarred Libya missed out as the country remains mired in political crisis. Its couscous tradition has not been recognised by UNESCO as Libya is yet to ratify the UN's cultural heritage convention.

In Pics: A look at what type of notices are issued by the Interpol, and what they mean

The CBI has asked Interpol to restore the Red Notice against fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi. How Interpol’s colour-coded notices enable countries to share alerts and requests for information worldwide. Take a look…

Powerful quake jolts Afghanistan, kills at least 12. Tremors felt in Pakistan, India

At least 12 people were killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by a strong earthquake felt across thousands of kilometres, but the region appeared on March 22 to have dodged the mass casualties usually associated with a tremor of such scale. The quake, which struck around 09:30 pm (1700 GMT) Kabul time on March 21 and lasted more than 30 seconds, was felt from central Asia to New Delhi in India -- more than 2,000 km away.

In Pics: Japan's Kishida meets Zelensky, visits massacre site

Japan's Fumio Kishida met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on March 21 during a rare, unannounced visit by a Japanese leader that underscored Tokyo's emphatic support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.

Protests in France continue after Macron's pension plan push: See Pics

Mostly small, scattered protests were held in cities around France, some degenerating late on March 20 into violent incidents. In Paris, small groups took to the streets to set fire to piles of trash that have formed due to a strike by garbage collectors in the capital that is in its 16th day.

From greens to browns: Burkina Faso's eco-friendly golf course

Founded in 1975, the Ouagadougou Golf Club boasts an 18-hole and two nine-hole courses -- all certified by the French golf federation. Visitors to the club, lying amid buildings on the outskirts of the Burkinabe capital, will find the courses a tawny colour, the natural tint of the site.