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China: Cat Chatters After Hearing Bird-Like Sound

On January 21, 2026, in Beijing, a video recorded a chubby cat resting inside its bed. A sudden bird-like sound caught the cat’s attention. The cat immediately got up, opened its mouth, and began making rapid clicking sounds resembling telegraph signals. At the same time, it searched around for the sound’s source. Chinese viewers explained that the noise triggered the cat’s hunting instinct. The behavior was described as a natural response rather than abnormal behavior.

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China: Tricycle Lifts Off Front Wheels After Being Overloaded With Steel

On August 21, 2025, in Liaocheng, Shandong, a man sitting on a three-wheeled tricycle was jolted upward when heavy steel bars were loaded onto the back, causing the front to lift off the ground. The tricycle briefly tipped before settling down, and the man regained his balance without injury.

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China: Penguins Race at Harbin Winter Attraction, Drawing Crowds

On December 21, 2025, in Harbin, Heilongjiang, a video showed penguins racing at Poseidon Ocean World during its Ice and Snow Fairy Tale Season. Wearing numbered outfits, the penguins waddled along a set course as visitors watched and filmed. The playful event quickly drew crowds and became a popular winter attraction.

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China: ‘Smiling Face’ Optical Illusion Box Created by Parrots

On January 21, 2026, in Anhui, eastern China, a video showed a white box with two round holes and a curved opening below, forming the shape of a strange smiling face. When the filmer touched the holes, two large eyes suddenly appeared inside, giving the illusion of a human-like face staring outward. The image looked unsettling at first. The effect was created by two parrots positioned behind the holes. Their dark pupils and surrounding white feathers produced the illusion from the chosen angle.

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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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China: Roof Snow Collapses Moments After Person Steps Away

On January 21, 2026, in Anhui Province, eastern China, a person was clearing snow outside the entrance of a building when a small chunk of snow suddenly fell from above. As they stepped a few paces away to check what had happened, a much larger mass of snow suddenly slid off the roof, crashing down like an avalanche.

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China: Soap Bubbles Freeze Instantly in Minus 27°C Cold

On January 21, 2026, in Jilin, northeastern China, a video showed extremely cold outdoor conditions with temperatures reaching minus 27 degrees Celsius. A young boy was seen blowing soap bubbles into the air. As the bubbles floated and landed on a nearby table, they quickly froze into crystal-like bubbles. Their surfaces reflected colorful light, creating a sparkling appearance. When the frozen bubbles eventually broke, they turned into soft white fragments instead of liquid. The unusual effect could only be observed under severe winter conditions.

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China: Winter Rescue After Car Falls Into Frozen Water in Shandong

On January 21, 2026, in Shandong, located in eastern China, a video recorded a car that had fallen into icy water surrounded by floating ice. The temperature was visibly cold, and the water surface was partially frozen. A rescuer from the Zheng’an rescue team jumped directly into the freezing water to reach the trapped person. Another team member broke the ice from above to assist. Despite the harsh conditions, the rescuers worked quickly to save the driver. The scene highlighted an urgent winter rescue effort.

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US: Dozens of Anti-ICE Protesters Detained After Noise Protest in Maple Grove, MN

Dozens of anti-ICE demonstrators were detained on Monday, January 26, after gathering outside a hotel in Maple Grove, Minnesota, for a "noise protest." The protesters targeted the location believing a Border Patrol commander was staying there.

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US: Hundreds Gather at Graduate Hotel in Minneapolis for Anti-ICE Protest

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis where they believed federal agents were staying on Wednesday, January 21. Police arrested three individuals for unlawful assembly and deployed chemical irritants after the demonstration turned tense.

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Ruling on shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe

NARA, Japan, Jan. 21 Kyodo - A vehicle carrying Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, enters the Nara District Court in Nara for a ruling on Jan. 21, 2026. The court sentenced him to life in prison for killing Abe during an election stump speech in the western Japan city in July 2022. (Kyodo)

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Northern Japan chapel made of ice

SHIMUKAPPU, Japan, Jan. 21 Kyodo - Video taken on Jan. 20, 2026, in Shimukappu, a northern Japan village where winter temperatures can fall as low as minus 30 C, shows a chapel where the ceiling, walls, altar and cross are made of ice. (Kyodo)

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Missing helicopter on Mt. Aso

ASO, Japan, Jan. 21 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Jan. 20, 2026, shows the crater area of Mt. Nakadake, one of the peaks of Mt. Aso in Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, after a sightseeing helicopter went missing earlier in the day. (Kyodo)

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Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex in Niigata Prefecture is pictured on Jan. 21, 2026, the day Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. restarted its No. 6 reactor. TEPCO, however, said two days later that it had shut down the reactor after an alarm was triggered during control rod withdrawal operations.

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US: Blowing Snow and Gusty Winds Sweep Iowa

Strong gusts caused blowing snow and low visibility in Iowa on Wednesday, January 21. The National Weather Service has issued extreme cold warnings for most of the state until Friday.

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US: Panic Buying as People Rush to Stock Up Ahead of Winter Storm 2

As a potentially historic winter storm dubbed “Fern” approaches the United States, residents from Texas to the Northeast are stockpiling essential goods. Fears of being trapped indoors by heavy snow, ice and extreme cold have triggered widespread panic buying, leaving grocery store shelves bare across many areas. This video was shot at Walmart in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

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US: Thundersnow Lights Up Sky in Salem, Ohio

Rare thundersnow was captured in Salem, Ohio on Wednesday, January 21.

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US: Thundersnow Caught on Camera in Buffalo, New York

Rare thundersnow was captured in North Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday evening, January 21. A video posted on social media shows a flash of blue light followed by booming thunder during blowing snow.

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Italy: Storm Harry Brings Flooding and Massive Waves to Sicily 2

Severe weather battered southern Italy from January 18, 2026, as Storm Harry swept through the central Mediterranean, hitting Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia with violent winds, torrential rain, and massive waves. Authorities issued red alerts, evacuated nearly 200 people across Sicily, and deployed thousands of emergency workers as coastal flooding, transport disruptions, and storm surges caused widespread damage, while officials warned that conditions remained critical.

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US: Extreme Cold Watch in Effect in Iowa as Strong Gusts Create Dangerous Conditions

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Iowa, warning of high winds, snow, and an extended period of low temperatures. A wind advisory remained in effect until 11 p.m. Wednesday, January 21, for several counties. In northern and northeastern Iowa, strong gusts caused blowing snow and reduced visibility, potentially triggering blizzard conditions.

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Volvo Cars CEO Samuelsson

Volvo Cars Corp. CEO Hakan Samuelsson gives an interview in Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Volvo Cars CEO Samuelsson

Volvo Cars Corp. CEO Hakan Samuelsson gives an interview in Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Volvo Cars CEO Samuelsson

Volvo Cars Corp. CEO Hakan Samuelsson gives an interview in Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Missing helicopter on Mt. Aso

Police officers and firefighters walk toward an area near a crater on Mt. Nakadake, one of the peaks of Mt. Aso in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, on Jan. 21, 2026, to search for a sightseeing helicopter that went missing on Jan. 20.

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Missing helicopter on Mt. Aso

Police officers and firefighters walk toward an area near a crater on Mt. Nakadake, one of the peaks of Mt. Aso in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, on Jan. 21, 2026, to search for a sightseeing helicopter that went missing on Jan. 20.

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Aso Helicopter missing

Police officers and firefighters walk toward an area near a crater on Mt. Nakadake, one of the peaks of Mt. Aso in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, on Jan. 21, 2026, to search for a sightseeing helicopter that went missing on Jan. 20.

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RECAP: Strongest Solar Storm in Over 20 Years Triggers Widespread Auroras

A powerful geomagnetic storm triggered by one of the strongest solar eruptions in more than 20 years lit up skies across large parts of Europe and North America on Monday, January 19 and Tuesday, January 20. The rare event allowed the northern lights to be seen far south of their usual range, including in parts of the United States, the UK, Germany, and Switzerland, according to NOAA.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun holds a press conference in Beijing on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun holds a press conference in Beijing on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Volvo launches new EV

Volvo Car Corp. unveils its new EX60 electric vehicle model, featuring Google's Gemini AI technology for the first time, during a global premiere in the suburbs of Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Volvo launches new EV

Volvo Car Corp. unveils its new EX60 electric vehicle model, featuring Google's Gemini AI technology for the first time, during a global premiere in the suburbs of Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Snow in western Japan

Photo shows a snow-covered street in the western Japan city of Tottori on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Snow in western Japan

People walk through the falling snow in the western Japan city of Tottori on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Snow in central Japan

Gates are closed at an interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway in the central Japan city of Toyama to prevent accidents given expected heavy snowfall on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Snow in central Japan

Gates are closed at an interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway in the central Japan city of Toyama to prevent accidents given expected heavy snowfall on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Snow in central Japan

An electronic signboard at an interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway in the central Japan city of Toyama informs drivers of the closure of a section to prevent accidents given expected heavy snowfall on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Snow in central Japan

Photo taken on Jan. 21, 2026, shows JR Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, blanketed in snow.

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Snow in central Japan

People walk in the snow near JR Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on Jan. 21, 2026.

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South Korean President Lee

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Jan. 21, 2026.

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South Korean President Lee

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Japan PM Takaichi presented dried persimmons

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (far R) receives a box of dried persimmons produced in Fukushima Prefecture from Masao Uchibori (2nd from R), governor of the northeastern Japan prefecture, at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Japan PM Takaichi presented dried persimmons

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (far R) receives a box of dried persimmons produced in Fukushima Prefecture from Masao Uchibori (2nd from R), governor of the northeastern Japan prefecture, at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Japan PM Takaichi presented dried persimmons

Japanese Prime Minster Sanae Takaichi eats a piece of dried persimmon produced in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 21, 2026.

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US: Snow Blankets Parts of Kentucky 2

Parts of Kentucky saw snowfall on Wednesday, January 21.

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US: Snow Blankets Parts of Kentucky

Parts of Kentucky saw snowfall on Wednesday, January 21.

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Minor opposition party head Yamamoto to step down as lawmaker

Taro Yamamoto, leader of the minor opposition party Reiwa Shinsengumi, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 21, 2026, announcing his decision to step down as a House of Councillors lawmaker due to ill health.

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Minor opposition party head Yamamoto to step down as lawmaker

Taro Yamamoto, leader of the minor opposition party Reiwa Shinsengumi, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 21, 2026, announcing his decision to step down as a House of Councillors lawmaker due to ill health.

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Minor opposition party head Yamamoto to step down as lawmaker

Taro Yamamoto, leader of the minor opposition party Reiwa Shinsengumi, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 21, 2026, announcing his decision to step down as a House of Councillors lawmaker due to ill health.

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Echizen crabs in central Japan

Boiled Echizen crabs are shown to the media at a fish wholesaler in Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, on Jan. 21, 2026, as part of an annual event organized by the central Japan prefecture to present the winter delicacy to Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other imperial family members.

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Echizen crabs in central Japan

Boiled Echizen crabs are shown to the media at a fish wholesaler in Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, on Jan. 21, 2026, as part of an annual event organized by the central Japan prefecture to present the winter delicacy to Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other imperial family members.