In the beginning of the new year, nature's breathtaking spectacles such as meteor showers and light pillars have graced the night skies of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north.
The first meteor shower of 2025 lit up the night sky over Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Friday to Saturday.
In Karamay City, the annual Quadrantid meteor shower streaked across the sky at a rate of nearly a hundred shooting stars per hour during the early hours of Saturday, offering stargazers a celestial treat.
The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the three major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere, alongside with the Perseids and Geminids.
Further to the west, stunning red aurora painted the Sayram Lake with radiant hues on Friday night. Nestled in the embrace of Tianshan Mountains, the lake's frozen surface reflected the softly blowing curtain of brilliance, creating a mesmerizing interplay of light and color.
In Inner Mongolia, rare light pillars were seen during two frigid winter nights with vertical beams of light extending from the ground into the sky, glowing with a riot of colors like red, orange, yellow and green.
Light pillars are an optical phenomenon caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals in the air, requiring exceptionally subzero temperatures, high humidity and little to no wind. A recent snow and cold snap in the region created the ideal conditions for these light pillars to occur with wide coverage, strong luminosity and extended duration.
Spectacular meteor shower, mysterious light pillars dazzle night skies in China
Nigeria's fuel market is undergoing a rare shake-up as competition pushes prices lower, bringing relief to local consumers while raising concerns over business durability.
In the capital city of Abuja, the state oil firm Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has been selling petrol at about 815 naira per liter (about 0.57 U.S. dollars per liter), down from about 0.66 U.S. dollars per liter earlier in 2026. Other stations supplied by private giant Dangote are offering even lower prices, selling at around 750 naira (about 0.53 U.S. dollars) per liter.
For millions of Nigerians, the drop has been easing pressure on transport, food and daily living costs.
"I spend relatively lower on fuel and, by implication, transportation now than what it used to be," said Salifu Usman, a local resident in Abuja.
"We are happy with what we are seeing, because, of course, for a very long time, we are witnessing the crash down of price, even during festive period," said Jonathan Madaki, another resident.
The price cut has also allowed for higher profit margins for local small business operators, who have long relied on petrol-powered generators to cope with chronic power shortages.
Behind the price cuts is a growing battle for market share. The Nigeria-based Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa, has boosted domestic supply and slashed its wholesale price to around 700 naira (about 0.49 U.S. dollars) per liter.
The move has forced importers and the state oil company to lower their own prices to stay competitive. But as margins shrink, analysts warn, what now appears to be a price war may not last.
"My own interpretation is that we are going to that stage where, especially those that, if it keeps coming down, I think those that bring in products may find it not so attractive again. So I don't actually see how sustainable this price war, if I may use that term, will be," said energy expert Paul Ogwu.
Nigeria petrol price cuts ease living costs, raise durability concerns
