A magnitude 7.2 earthquake, the largest in 25 years, struck off the coast of Hualien, Taiwan, causing nine deaths, hundreds of injuries, and significant structural damage.

A polar bear was drawn to the Hope Dog Sled Race in Chukotka, Russia, an unusual event for the area. It is the third recent visit of a bear to the village. In size and build, the polar predator is similar to the same bear thatdisturbedlocal residents on the night of March 28.

Cows at two Texas dairy farms have contracted bird flu, marking the first known instance of the disease in livestock, amidst recovery from devastating wildfires.

Peak bloom of the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, happened on March 17, ahead of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The past few decades have been the most significant for the damage the mice have caused, said Dr. Anton Wolfaardt, the Mouse-Free Marion project manager. He said their numbers have increased hugely, mainly due to rising temperatures from climate change, which has turned a cold, windswept island into a warmer, drier, more hospitable home.

Early March's relatively mild start will get wetter in southern areas on Thursday, when a significant amount of rainfall is expected — with up to a full centimetre expected in western areas.