China: Raccoon Sits Cross-Legged While Playing With Prayer Beads

A small raccoon in Qingdao, Shandong Province, was captured sitting upright and holding a long string of prayer beads on Tuesday, January 13. The raccoon appeared unusually focused as it slowly manipulated the beads with its front paws in a human-like pose.

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran - Paris

March For Iran - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

March For Iran Rally In Support Of The Iranian People - Paris

A woman wearing blood like stain makeup with a hashtag displaying an approximate number of protesters killed in Iran takes part in a March for Iran rally in support of the Iranian people, called by supporters of the son of the last Shah of Iran, at Place Victor Hugo in Paris, France on January 18, 2026. Photo by Parspix/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini At Victor Comme Tout Le Monde Premiere - France

Fabrice Luchini at the premiere of the film "Victor comme tout le monde" (Victor Like Everyone Else), January 17, 2026 at the Angers Convention Centre in Angers, France. Photo by Laurent Lairys/ABACAPRESS.COM

Osaka governor, mayor announce twin elections

Osaka governor, mayor announce twin elections

Hirofumi Yoshimura (R), Osaka governor and leader of the Japan Innovation Party, and Osaka mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama meet the press in Osaka on Jan. 15, 2026. The Osaka governor and Osaka mayor said they will resign and run for reelection to their respective posts as part of the JIP's third attempt to transform the western Japan city into a metropolis like Tokyo.

Sedentary birds

Sedentary birds

Valga, 08.01.2026. While many birds head south for the winter, the rivers of Estonia remain surprisingly lively during the colder months. For hardy species like the Mallard duck, the decision to stay behind is a calculated risk. Photo Arvo Meeks, Lõuna-Eesti Postimees

AI-powered industrial robot

AI-powered industrial robot

A Yaskawa Electric Corp. robot packs a parcel during an international robot exhibition in Tokyo on Dec. 4, 2025, with its arms having a human-like range of movement.

AI-powered industrial robot

AI-powered industrial robot

A Yaskawa Electric Corp. robot packs a parcel during an international robot exhibition in Tokyo on Dec. 4, 2025, with its arms having a human-like range of movement.

China: Thousands of Migratory Birds Form “Giant Wave” in Shandong

A massive flock of migratory birds was captured on video at the Yellow River estuary in eastern China’s Shandong province on December 5. The birds gathered into a dense mass of dark shapes, sweeping across the sky like a moving wave.

China: Chubby Cat Squeezes Into Bag, Becomes a “Pillow”

On December 9, 2025, in Henan, located in central China’s Henan province, a video captured a chubby cat squeezing into a white transparent non-woven bag. As the cat settled inside, the bag ballooned into a rounded, cushion-like shape. From the outside, the filled bag looked like a plump tabby pillow resting on the floor. The cat’s body pressed against the sides, stretching the material into a smooth, firm surface. The owner laughed while opening the bag to let the cat out and joked to Chinese netizens that this was a simple way to “make” a fat-cat pillow at home. Viewers commented that the cat’s size made the effect especially convincing.

China: Trees Seem Lush in Winter, Revealed to Be Covered in Birds

On December 15, 2025, in Xuzhou, eastern China’s Jiangsu province, a video showed several trees that looked unusually lush for winter. From a distance, their branches appeared thick with leaves, even though most nearby trees were bare. As the camera moved closer, the “leaves” were revealed to be small, round birds packed tightly along the branches. They filled almost every twig, giving the trees a dense, full appearance. Occasionally, a few birds shifted or fluttered, but the overall outline remained like a giant canopy. Chinese netizens admired the scene, saying the living “bird trees” reflected the area’s improving environment.

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Pieces of an auction, at the Burela fish market, on December 23, 2025, in Burela, Lugo, Galicia (Spain). The Burela fish market, managed by the company Armadores de Burela (Absa), celebrates today the last seafood auction before Christmas Eve, although the adverse conditions at sea are not helping the catches to be as abundant as they would like and therefore the prices of all products have been increased. Photo by Carlos Castro / Europa Press / ABACAPRESS.COM

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Pieces of an auction, at the Burela fish market, on December 23, 2025, in Burela, Lugo, Galicia (Spain). The Burela fish market, managed by the company Armadores de Burela (Absa), celebrates today the last seafood auction before Christmas Eve, although the adverse conditions at sea are not helping the catches to be as abundant as they would like and therefore the prices of all products have been increased. Photo by Carlos Castro / Europa Press / ABACAPRESS.COM

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Several people during a seafood auction, at the Burela fish market, on December 23, 2025, in Burela, Lugo, Galicia (Spain). The Burela fish market, managed by the company Armadores de Burela (Absa), celebrates today the last seafood auction before Christmas Eve although the adverse conditions at sea are not helping the catches to be as abundant as they would like and therefore the prices of all products have become more expensive. Photo by Carlos Castro / Europa Press / ABACAPRESS.COM

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

Last Seafood Auction Before Christmas Eve In Burela - Spain

A person during a seafood auction, at the Burela fish market, on December 23, 2025, in Burela, Lugo, Galicia (Spain). The Burela fish market, managed by the company Armadores de Burela (Absa), celebrates today the last seafood auction prior to Christmas Eve although the adverse conditions at sea are not helping the catches to be as abundant as they would like and therefore the prices of all products have been increased. Photo by Carlos Castro / Europa Press / ABACAPRESS.COM