◎茅毅
The current El Nino which began last year has been one of the strongest ever, leaving the Mekong River at its lowest level in decades, causing food-related unrest in the Philippines, and smothering vast regions in a months-long heat wave often topping 40 degrees Celsius.
◎張沛元
Police in suburban Cincinnati are on the lookout for a bald man they say has been stealing hair growth and memory aid products from stores.
美國俄亥俄州辛辛那提郊區的警方正在注意一名禿頭男子，警方稱此人從商家竊取生髮劑與輔助記憶產品。
◎陳正健
Many parents consider spanking as a softer and safer corporal punishment for their "undisciplined" and "unrepentant" children. But a 50-year-long study suggests angry parents should think twice before resorting to spanking because it can be detrimental to children’s mental health.
許多父母認為，打屁股是一種較溫和、較安全的體罰方式，以管教他們「不守紀律」和「頑固不化」的孩子。但一項長達50年的研究建議，生氣的家長在打孩子屁股前應三思，因為這可能有害孩子的精神健康。
◎魏國金
At least 73 people were killed Sunday when two passenger buses and an oil tanker burst into flames in a head-on collision in eastern Afghanistan, health officials said.
兩輛客運車與一輛油罐車週日在東阿富汗迎面對撞，瞬間陷入火海，至少造成73人死亡，衛生官員說。
A French baker who promised to give his business to the homeless man that saved his life has fired him instead.
法國一名麵包師傅曾承諾要把企業交給一位救他一命的流浪漢，如今反而炒對方魷魚。
◎蔡子岳
To try to combat the carnage on the country’s roads during the annual weeklong traditional New Year’s holiday celebration, Thai authorities are going gory： Drunk drivers may be sent to work in hospital morgues to see the fruits of their irresponsibility.
在為期一週的泰國傳統新年假期裡，泰國當局為了對付國道交通的血腥景象，祭出駭人聽聞的手段：讓酒駕者可能會被送到醫院太平間幹活，見識自己不負責任所造成的惡果。
◎孫宇青
Movie mogul Avi Lerner branded US President Barack Obama "a coward," berating him for not taking on Google over piracy.
好萊塢製片大亨艾維．勒納直呼美國總統歐巴馬是個「膽小鬼」，嚴詞譴責他沒有認真處理Google放任盜版的問題。
◎魏國金
Africa’s longest-serving leader, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, was set to extend his 36-year-hold on power Sunday as the tiny oil-rich nation of Equatorial Guinea went to the polls.
隨著盛產石油的小國赤道幾內亞週日舉行投票，非洲在位最久的領導人提歐多羅．歐比昂．恩圭馬總統，準備延長他掌控了36年的政權。
◎周虹汶
Chacha the chimpanzee made his own great escape on Thursday, fleeing from a zoo in northern Japan and leading authorities on a dramatic chase.
黑猩猩恰恰週四獨力大逃亡，從日本北部一間動物園溜走，引發當局展開戲劇性追捕。
◎ 茅毅
The vast majority of Americans say they prefer lower prices instead of paying a premium for items labeled "Made in the U.S.A.," even if it means those cheaper items are made abroad, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.
◎國際新聞中心
If you’ve ever travelled to Seattle, you’ve likely visited the famous Gum Wall at Pike Place Market. And if you haven’t, you’d better hurry up, because it’s getting scrubbed down for the first time in 20 years.
如果你曾經到西雅圖旅遊，你可能參觀過「派克市場」知名的「口香糖牆」。如果你沒去過，最好快點，因為20年來，它即將首次被刷洗掉。
◎張沛元
A Danish zoo is planning to publicly dissect a year-old lion -- a year after another park’s decision to dissect and skin a giraffe and feed it to lions triggered massive online protests, a zookeeper said Saturday, adding the purpose of it was to give people "a closer to the animals experience."
就在一座丹麥動物園決定解剖一隻長頸鹿，並將其去皮給獅子當飼料吃，進而引爆大規模網路抗議的1年後，丹麥另一家動物園的園長週六表示，他們打算公開解剖一頭1歲大的獅子，還說其目的是要提供民眾「近距離的動物經驗」。
◎周虹汶
Authorities said on Wednesday that a zombie apocalypse had not occurred in central Wisconsin despite the discovery of an empty casket along a rural highway over the weekend.
當局週三說，儘管週末在鄉間一條公路上發現一具空棺材，威斯康辛州中部並未發生殭屍末日。
◎管淑平
China has unwound its one-child policy, for decades a symbol of invasive and coercive government planning, but the shift has been met with a disinterested shrug from many younger couples.
中國解除數十年來象徵侵犯權利和強制政府計畫的一胎化政策，但許多年輕一代夫婦對此政策轉變的反應顯得淡漠。
◎李信漢
The Scottish government gave the go-ahead on Monday to Britain’s floating offshore wind farm project, which could power 19,000 households, saying it would be the "world’s largest".
蘇格蘭政府週一核准英國的離岸浮動風力風電廠計畫，這座電廠可供應1萬9000戶家庭用電，蘇格蘭政府表示，這將是「全球最大」。
◎魏國金
Bavarian allies cranked up pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reverse her "open-door" refugee policy, saying the deadly attacks in Paris underlined the need for tougher measures to control the influx of migrants.
巴伐利亞友黨加劇施壓德國總理梅克爾，以推翻其「打開門戶」的難民政策，他們表示，巴黎的血腥攻擊凸顯有必要以較強硬的措施管控難民潮。
◎張沛元
The best-kept secrets in town are no longer that, courtesy of a hostel here that is trying to broaden the horizons of its foreign guests.
拜當地一家企圖擴展外籍住房客視野的旅社之賜，此地被保守得最好的秘密已不再是秘密。
◎周虹汶
Two zebras broke free from a circus in Philadelphia on Sunday, bringing traffic to a crawl as they roamed city streets for about an hour and strolled past customers inside a fitness center, authorities said.
當局說，兩隻斑馬週日從費城一家馬戲團逃跑，牠們在市區街道上閒晃了約1小時，交通為之癱瘓，還漫步行經一處健身中心裡的顧客們身旁。
◎顧佳欣
Some children may not get their Christmas wishes fulfilled this year as LEGO’s factories, although running at full speed, may not be able to make enough plastic bricks to keep up with demand from toy stores in Europe.
有些小孩今年可能無法實現耶誕節願望了，儘管全速生產，樂高工廠恐無法生產足夠的積木，跟上歐洲玩具店的需求。
◎管淑平
Chancellor Angela Merkel put up a spirited defence of her leadership on Friday, vowing to "fight for my vision" of how to deal with the refugee crisis that has stretched Germany’s resources and damaged her standing.
總理梅克爾週五積極為她的領導能力辯護，針對如何因應這波難民危機，矢言「為我的理念奮鬥」。這場危機已讓德國應接不暇，也傷及梅克爾的地位。
