Watch: Giant rat leads floating parade to kick off Venice Carnival 2026The grand opening to the Venice Carnival 2026 took place on Sunday, with a variety of boats and floats making their way through the city's canals.As is tradition, a giant paper-mâché rat aboard a gondola lead the way; known as "Pantegana", it is a long-standing symbol of the carnival.The two-week festival attracts tourists...

NATO members have launched a new Arctic initiative NATO members have launched a new Arctic initiative after President Trump's threats to take over Greenland.

Greetings from Mexico City's iconic boulevard, where a dog on a bike steals the show Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world. Every Sunday, Mexico City shuts down the Paseo de la Reforma, the most important street in the country, to car...

I Tested 5 Bestselling Cheap Kitchen Gadgets from Amazon Is a vampire-themed garlic crusher exactly what your kitchen needs? I tried five quirky kitchen gadgets to find out. Article updated on February 11, 2026 at 2:35 AM PST Our Experts Written by  Joey Skladany Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover...

Church fresco resembling Italian PM has face scrubbed out after outrageRiccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty ImagesNow you see it, now you don't - one of the angels is left with no face at allThe face of an angel on a restored church fresco in Rome that sparked outrage because of its likeness to Italy's prime minister, has been crudely scrubbed out by the artist who painted it.Church and...