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Japan: Heavy Snow Paralyzes Aomori as Record Accumulation Piles Up

A series of strong cold air masses brought heavy snowfall to northern Japan from January 21 through February 2. According to authorities, a total of 30 people have died across the region since January 20 due to snow-related incidents. In Aomori City, numerous vehicles were left stranded by the snow, causing traffic congestion in many areas. Snow accumulation reached 178 centimeters on February 2—about 2.6 times the seasonal average—prompting the closure of all public elementary and junior high schools in the city.

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Spain: First Snowfall in 11 Northern and Central Mountainous Regions 3

The arrival of a mass of Arctic air, associated with Storm Claudia, has triggered the first serious winter episode in the north of the Iberian Peninsula on Thursday, November 20, bringing snowfall to unusually low altitudes for November and sub-zero temperatures inland. Official warnings cover much of the northern third of Spain. Specifically, the Picos de Europa region is under an orange alert until 6 a.m. Friday, November 21, where snowfall is expected to reach 30 centimeters in 24 hours at altitudes above 900 meters.

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Spain: First Snowfall in 11 Northern and Central Mountainous Regions 2

The arrival of a mass of Arctic air, associated with Storm Claudia, has triggered the first serious winter episode in the north of the Iberian Peninsula on Thursday, November 20, bringing snowfall to unusually low altitudes for November and sub-zero temperatures inland. Official warnings cover much of the northern third of Spain. Specifically, the Picos de Europa region is under an orange alert until 6 a.m. Friday, November 21, where snowfall is expected to reach 30 centimeters in 24 hours at altitudes above 900 meters.

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Spain: First Snowfall in 11 Northern and Central Mountainous Regions

The arrival of a mass of Arctic air, associated with Storm Claudia, has triggered the first serious winter episode in the north of the Iberian Peninsula on Thursday, November 20, bringing snowfall to unusually low altitudes for November and sub-zero temperatures inland. Official warnings cover much of the northern third of Spain. Specifically, the Picos de Europa region is under an orange alert until 6 a.m. Friday, November 21, where snowfall is expected to reach 30 centimeters in 24 hours at altitudes above 900 meters.

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Japan: Record Snowfall Batters Hokkaido 4

Heavy snowfall has been battering Hokkaido. In Iwamizawa City, snow that began falling on December 11 had reached a record high of 176 centimeters as of December 18. This video shows a blizzard hitting Kamikawa, the middle of the island of Hokkaido, on Friday, December 20.

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Japan: Record Snowfall Batters Hokkaido 2

Heavy snowfall has been battering Hokkaido. In Iwamizawa City, snow that began falling on December 11 had reached a record high of 176 centimeters as of December 18. This video shows a blizzard hitting a neighborhood in Sapporo on Friday, December 20.

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French Senate Votes On Controversial CETA Free Trade Deal

File photo dated April 29, 2010 shows a major spring snowstorm dumped over 20 centimeters of snow on southern Alberta leaving thousands without power. Cattle make their way through snowy trees to their feed in a blizzard near Cremona, Alta, Canada. The French government on Thursday faces a risky vote on the controversial CETA trade deal between the EU and Canada in the Senate where an unlikely alliance between left and right hopes to torpedo the pact. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been in force provisionally since 2017, but requires ratification in all European Union member countries to take full effect. Cattle farmers have always been among the main opponents of CETA. They feared that lower tariffs on Canadian meat imports would lead to unfair competition. Photo by Jeff McIntosh/CP/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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High Tide And Coastal Erosion - Ile D'Oleron

High tide and coastal erosion at Pointe de Gatseau, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, Ile d'Oleron, France on March 11, 2024. Every year, the sea regains a few centimeters of the coast in Normandy, Brittany and here, on the island of Oléron, the European territory most affected by this phenomenon. With an average of 20 meters of coastline lost each year, the island is in absolute emergency. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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[Breaking News]Small tsunami recorded in areas along Japan's Pacific coast

Wakayama , Japan Kyodo - Video taken in Wakayama on Dec. 3, 2023,Small tsunami were observed in areas along Japan's Pacific coast early Sunday following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake off a southern Philippine island, Japan's weather agency said.Tsunami up to 40 centimeters in height were measured at Hachijo Island in the Izu chain near Tokyo and up to 20 cm for some other islands in the chain, while surges of 20 cm were also seen in coastal areas of Wakayama and Kochi prefectures in western Japan after warnings were issued for the areas.

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What's a toilet like about 2,000 years ago in ancient China?

STORY: What's a toilet like about 2,000 years ago in ancient China? SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 14, 2023 DATELINE: Nov. 20, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:36 LOCATION: HANZHONG, China CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the ancient pottery model of a toilet 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): LU HUI, Curator of Hanzhong Museum, Shaanxi Province STORYLINE: Nov. 19 marks World Toilet Day. What's a toilet like about 2,000 years ago in ancient China? An exhibit at Hanzhong Museum, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has the answer. The ancient pottery model of a toilet, with a height of 40 centimeters, a length of 22.5 centimeters, and a width of 15.5 centimeters, was unearthed from a tomb of Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220). SOUNDBITE (Chinese): LU HUI, Curator of Hanzhong Museum, Shaanxi Province "We can tell from the structure of the relic that the toilet has already been separated by gender back in the Han Dynasty. It has a window on each side for ventilation, which was designed very scientifically." Xinhua News Agency correspondents

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Harvesting Leeks Underwater - Charente-Maritime

Organic market gardener Noel Michaud harvests leeks in his flooded field in Angoulins, near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France on November 14, 2023. Usually, the leeks are drowned in 10 or 20 centimeters of water, but currently the rows disappear under 80 centimeters, due to the record-breaking rain of recent days. Photo by Leoty X/ANDBZ/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

The turtle 'Bermiu', before being released at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea dock, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

The turtle 'Bermiu', before being released at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea dock, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

The turtle 'Bermiu', before being released at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea dock, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

A diver releases the turtle 'Bermiu' at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea jetty, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

The turtle 'Bermiu', before being released at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea dock, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

Several people next to the turtle 'Bermiu', before releasing it at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea jetty, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

Two people release the turtle 'Bermiu', at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea jetty, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

Several people sult the turtle 'Bermiu' at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea dock, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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A Turtle Released In The Wild - San Sebastian

A diver releases the turtle 'Bermiu', at the Kofradía Itsas Etxea jetty, on August 24, 2023, in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain. Bermiu' is a small loggerhead turtle, measuring 20 centimeters and weighing 1.3 kilos. The turtle was recovered at sea on June 27th by a recreational boat that discovered it "motionless" five miles from Bermeo. After its rescue, it was sent to the Donostia Aquarium for its recovery, as it is a reference center for sea turtle conservation. Photo by Unanue/Europa Press/ABACAPRESS.COM

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CHINA-GUANGXI-CHONGZUO-ROCK PAINTING (CN)

(230809) -- NINGMING, Aug. 9, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Aug. 8, 2023 shows a rock painting with a height of about 20 centimeters, the smallest one of Huashan rock paintings, in Ningming County, Chongzuo City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Zuojiang Huashan site is home to more than 1,900 well-preserved drawings on the face of the Huashan mountains along the Zuojiang River and its tributary Mingjiang River in Chongzuo. The brownish red paintings, created from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to East Han Dynasty (25-220), depict the sacrifices of the Luoyue people, ancestors of today's Zhuang ethnic minority. It is said that the major images of the paintings are frog-shaped people -- a totem of the Zhuang ethnic group. Some of those paintings also show sports scenes. It remains a mystery how the Luoyue managed to paint on the rocks. The group of rock paintings was included into UNESCO's world heritage list in 2016. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

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Mirror discovered at ancient Japan tomb

Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2023, in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, shows a shield-shaped mirror excavated from the fourth century Tomio-Maruyama tomb mound in the western Japan city of Nara in November 2022. The 5.7-kilogram mirror, which is 64 centimeters in length and 31 cm in width at its widest, is the largest bronze mirror ever found in Japan, according to the city's board of education and an archeological institute that supported the excavation.

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Big harvest in N China winter fishing

STORY: Big harvest in N China winter fishing DATELINE: Jan. 8, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:02 LOCATION: CHENGDE, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of winter fishing STORYLINE: The 2023 ice fishing festival was held in Weichang Man and Mongolian Autonomous County of Chengde City, north China's Hebei Province on Saturday, attracting about 1,000 tourists. More than 20 tons of silver carp and bighead carp were caught by a huge fishing net. Diaoyutai Reservoir has a water area of 533,000 square meters. In winter, its ice layer is as thick as 80 centimeters. Its frozen period lasts for more than 70 days, providing excellent natural conditions for winter fishing. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chengde, China. (XHTV)

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Snowcapped Nagoya Castle amid heaviest snowfall in 9 years

NAGOYA, Japan - Visitors walk toward a snowcapped Nagoya Castle on Dec. 18, 2014, as snowfall in the central Japan city of Nagoya reached 23 centimeters, topping the 20 cm line for the first time since December 2005.

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Nagoya hit by record snowfall

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2014, shows Nagoya Castle covered with snow in the central Japan city of Nagoya. Snow accumulation there reached 23 centimeters, topping the 20 cm line for the first time since December 2005, causing traffic disturbance.

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Nagoya hit by record snowfall

NAGOYA, Japan - Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2014, shows Nagoya TV Tower and the surrounding area in the central Japan city of Nagoya, covered with snow. Snow accumulation there reached 23 centimeters, topping the 20 cm line for the first time since December 2005, causing traffic disturbance.

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Penguin cam

ASAHIKAWA, Japan - An Humboldt penguin wears a small camera at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Japan's northernmost prefecture Hokkaido, on Nov. 20, 2014, as an IT-related company in Tokyo begins distributing live moving images from the camera to smartphones. The camera, which is 7 centimeters in diameter and about 160 grams in weight, is worn by the penguin on a belt for two or three hours a day.

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Polar bear enjoys heavy snow in Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan - A polar bear enjoys heavy snow in the quiet Ueno Zoological Gardens in Taito Ward, Tokyo, covered with more than 20 centimeters of snow for the first time in 20 years on Feb. 8, 2014.

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Flooded road in Ishinomaki

ISHINOMAKI, Japan - A woman walks on a flooded road in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 20, 2011. The area sank around 80 centimeters after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and high tides have been flooding the area since the disaster.

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Elderly deaths in record snowfall

SENDAI, Japan - A man removes snow on a rooftop of a garage in Akita Prefecture's Yokote City where snow has accumulated over 150 centimeters, more than double in the average year, on Jan. 20, 2011. At least 23 people have died in Akita and four other northeastern Japan prefectures from snow-related accidents, with 70 percent of the victims being 60 years old and above.

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'Jumping' slime flounders attract visitors at Japanese aquarium

FUKUI, Japan - A slime flounder ''stands up'' for food at an aquarium in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast for their performance of ''jumping'' for food. Echizengani Museum staffers said the flat fish, before asking for food, ''stand'' 20 centimeters and show themselves above the surface while ''looking around'' with big round eyes.

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Miniature police dog gets geared for action

WAKAYAMA, Japan - A miniature schnauzer (front) sits wearing a police jacket alongside its coworker in the city of Wakayama on Jan. 20, 2010. The 3-year-old dog, only 38 centimeters in size, will finish its training as an odor detecting police dog after being hired in January by the Wakayama Prefectural Police Headquarters.

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Benthic moss pillars in Antarctic lake

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows colonies of Benthic moss pillars (Koke Bouzu) discovered at the bottom of ''Nagaike'' lake, some 40 kilometers south of Japan's Showa Station in the Antarctic. Members of the Japanese Antarctic expedition team found the moss pillars measuring 20-50 centimeters high at a depth of eight meters on Jan. 22, 2010. (Pool photo)