ENVIRONMENT

Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology caught the eruption on video and posted it immediately on YouTube.

Australia has broken its own hottest summer record, according to data released by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has tapped the services of Chinese actress Olivia Mann to protest the brutal and inhuman way of killing animals in China for their fur.

Barbecue-related activities and cooking in open stoves in public, densely-populated places in China would soon be prohibited to limit the smog but could be a bane to street food hawkers and vendors.

Doomsday prophets will again have a field day forecasting an Apocalypse, following the eruption of Mt. Etna in Italy on Tuesday.

The smog pollution that hit China's capital in Beijing, so massive that it even crossed borders over to Japan, has been found to contain cancer causing photochemicals.

A new study by scientists from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington found that the bulk of the popular sweetener Splenda, which is used all over the world, is winding up in the Gulf Stream, the "conveyor belt of water transport" that circulates in the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of North American to Europe, Africa and beyond.

China has fired up its first nuclear power plant after the destructive 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, near Wafangdian in Liaoning province at its northeast portion.

A meteorite has reportedly crashed Friday into the Earth's atmosphere above central Russia. International news agencies have received reports of "windows crashing" and "injuries." Meanwhile, UFO fears reportedly sparked panic in the affected region, as witnesses reported their ordeal on Twitter.

The United States is being invaded by stinging ants from Asia, NBC reports. The ant invasion is damaging not only properties but also harming Americans because the tiny insect's sting produces small welts that are surrounded by a rash, itches and hurts when scratched.

Dolphin and whale watch cruises are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Auckland, New Zealand. However, this thriving money earner is being jeopardised by the threat of extinction by 2030 for one dolphin sub-species - the Maui dolphin. Scientists from the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) in the U.S. said that the population of the world's smallest dolphin sub-species has gone down to only 55.

Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) announced on Wednesday the discovery of a material that could absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants and released upon exposure to sunlight.

A penis that detaches and regrows has been discovered by Japanese researchers. However, the male organ was not found among humans but on a sea slug which is found in the Pacific Ocean.

About 30 tourists out to visit the breathtaking ice glacier known as Perito Moreno in Argentina's Patagonia region got more than what they came for when the ice started to crack and fell into the lake.

Australia is often reputed as having one of the most effective regulatory systems in the world for ensuring the safe use of chemicals.

Members of Britain's Royal Academy of Engineering urged governments to be prepared for solar superstorms to protect their citizens.

Residents of San Antonio de Platina in Brazil were treated to a rain of spider over the weekend.

The cash cow of the Philippine province of Agusan del Sur, the world's largest crocodile in captivity, is gone. The capture of Lolong in 2011 placed the once sleepy province in world map which provided income for the local government because of tourists.

With an average record time of 10.31 metres per second run, Jamaican runner Usain Bolt bagged the gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, Britain. However, a Japanese researcher discovered that a sea creature could beat Mr Bolt's record at 11.2 metres per second.

A Bengal tiger mauled its American trainer on Saturday in front of circus audience made up of children and adults. Reports identified the victim as Alexander Crispin Suarez, 35, who suffered bites on the neck and subsequently died in a hospital.

Tsunami watch has been raised in Australia after a magnitude 8 earthquake struck near Solomon Islands Wednesday morning. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a tsunami warning for the affected islands.

Researchers from the James Cook University in northern Queensland initially blamed furry coral crabs for the damage on the Great Barrier Reef, but they are now considering tapping the crabs to heal the corals from the white syndrome disease.

The month-long smog hanging over China had been blown over to Japan's skies, putting another strain to the relations of the two countries riled by a diplomatic rift over coveted Senkaku Islands.

Gripped by a toxic smog pollution which doesn't seem to abate, Beijing will be barring fireworks on heavily polluted days in the lead up to the Spring Festival holiday on Sunday as part of a package of measures aimed at dealing with air pollution in the capital.

The number of hospital admissions related to respiratory complaints has risen in China and may continue to rise as the country's residents continue to experience yet again another toxic smog pollution which is seen could be exacerbated by a prevailing cold front.

Today is not only the first day of February but is also the day set by the UNESCO as deadline for the Australian government to submit its actions as to how it plans to preserve and protect the Great Barrier Reef, or otherwise risk losing its World Heritage status. The Australian federal government had said it was able to meet the deadline, but the question still floats - were its submitted to do actions really enough to save and salvage the great reef?

It won't be long before fresh air starts getting to be a luxury item in China. In fact, a Chinese entrepreneur had already thought of canning fresh air, similar to sodas in cans, and selling them to his fellowmen as heavy smog again griped China for the second time this month.

While several Australian states are now suffering from too much water the second year in a row, with just four deaths so far, the inundations are still mild compared to flooding that hit other nations the past few decades or centuries.

Torrential rains peaked at 10.7 meters in Maryborough, prompting major floods and evacuation in the northern area of Australia.