Highest-ever temperature recorded in Norwegian Arctic archipelago

Norway's Arctic archipelago Svalbard on Saturday recorded its highest-ever temperature, the country's meteorological institute reported.

According to scientific study, global warming in the Arctic is happening twice as fast as for the rest of the planet.

For the second day in a row, the archipelago registered 21.2 degrees Celsius (70.2 Fahrenheit) in the afternoon, just under the 21.3 degrees recorded in 1979, meteorologist Kristen Gislefoss told AFP |||READ MORE

Australia fires: Canberra escapes worst as fires rage on

A bushfire near the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) continues to rage, although the damage is not as serious as previously feared.

Residents in some areas around the capital, Canberra, had been warned that it was "too late to leave" and they should try to seek shelter.

The fire south of Canberra is still out of control and has already burned more than 20% of the territory's landscape |||READ MORE …