Worldview: Sydney Smothered In Smoke, And More Global Headlines

More than a decade since the last episode of the fan-favorite and award-winning sitcom The Office aired, its fictional universe is set to expand. NBC streaming service Peacock announced Wednesday that it will pick up a new yet-untitled spinoff series from showrunners Greg Daniels, the screenwriter and producer who adapted the British sitcom for a U.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U. S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail, leaving two dead in Tennessee and one dead in North Carolina. The storms continue an outbreak of torrential rain and tornadoes that has cut across the country this week, from the Plains to the Midwest and now the southeastern U.

Malaysia plans to gift orangutans to its major buyers of palm oil, a commodity long blamed for destroying habitats of the endangered apes. The world’s second-biggest palm grower is taking inspiration from China’s “Panda Diplomacy,” and is considering to gift the orange-haired mammals to some of its trading partners, including the European Union, as part of the country’s “strategic diplomatic move.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Read More: How Pandas Are Becoming a Tool of Chinese Diplomacy “This will be a manifestation of how Malaysia preserves wildlife and ensures sustainability of our forests, especially within the palm oil plantation landscape,” Johari Abdul Ghani, the Southeast Asian nation’s plantations and commodities minister, said in a post on X.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued his first apology over his wife receiving a luxury handbag under questionable circumstances, highlighting his efforts to set a new course for his government after a stinging defeat in parliamentary elections. In his first news conference in about two years, Yoon pledged Thursday to improve livelihoods and create a new ministry to boost the country’s birthrate, which is ranked lowest in the world and threatens long-term economic prospects. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] He also laid out priorities for his remaining time in office, which include taming inflation, boosting growth led by the private sector and raising the basic pension for senior citizens to 400,000 won ($292) a month.

New 'FLiRT' COVID-19 Variants Are Responsible For 25% Of Infections AOLCOVID-19 variants called 'FLiRT' continue to spread across the US, CDC says KSAT San AntonioCDC warns that new COVID-19 variants, nicknamed FLiRT, found in wastewater USA TODAY2 new COVID variants called ‘FLiRT’ are spreading: What are the symptoms? AL.comDoctors Warn About 2 New COVID Variants—What to Know About 'FLiRT' Strains Prevention Magazine

Bird flu in milk supply is likely coming from asymptomatic cows- STAT STATJust One Human Is Infected by Bird Flu in the US. More Cases Are Likely Yahoo FinanceBird flu in US cows: where will it end? Nature.comOpinion | If H5N1 spreads among farmworkers, it could lead to a pandemic The Washington PostFDA chief says feds are preparing for low probability of bird flu moving to humans • Iowa Capital Dispatch Iowa Capital Dispatch