Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, eeff, Magnifico, annetteboardman, Besame, jck, and FarWestGirl.
Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Interceptor 7, Man Oh Man (RIP), wader, Neon Vincent, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck (RIP), rfall, ScottyUrb, Doctor RJ, JeremyBloom, BentLiberal, Oke (RIP), doomandgloom and jlms qkw.
OND is a regular community feature on Daily Kos since 2007, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00 AM Eastern Time. Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments.
Satellites track Pacific tsunami in real time after massive Russian earthquake.
Space.com
A massive earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in late July triggered a tsunami that rippled across the Pacific — and NASA's experimental detection system tracked the event in real-time by monitoring the atmosphere above.
The GUARDIAN (GNSS Upper Atmospheric Real-time Disaster Information and Alert Network) taps into signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), like GPS. When a tsunami forms, the surge of water pushes on the air above it, sending invisible pressure waves up through the atmosphere. These waves continue rising until they reach the ionosphere — a region high above Earth where satellites send navigation signals down to the ground.
As the pressure waves ripple through the ionosphere, they bend and distort the signals, causing subtle changes that are detectable by GUARDIAN, allowing scientists to detect signs of a tsunami moving across the ocean, before the waves make landfall, according to a statement from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Psyche asteroid probe uses lasers to phone home from 218 million miles away.
Space.com
Final tests of NASA's laser beam communication technology offer a promising new way to keep in touch with astronauts and spacecraft venturing into deep space, including future missions to Mars.
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment, a technology demonstration carried aboard the Psyche mission, has completed its 65th and final test, successfully exchanging laser signals across 218 million miles (351 million kilometers), surpassing all technical goals after two years of operations, according to a statement from the space agency.
"NASA is setting America on the path to Mars, and advancing laser communications technologies brings us one step closer to streaming high-definition video and delivering valuable data from the Martian surface faster than ever before," Sean Duffy, acting NASA Administrator, said in the statement. "Technology unlocks discovery, and we are committed to testing and proving the capabilities needed to enable the Golden Age of exploration."
'A front-row seat to history': NASA's Artemis 2 moonshot could launch as early as Feb. 5.
Space.com
HOUSTON — NASA's ambitious mission to return astronauts to the moon for the first time this century is on track to launch no later than April 2026, but it just might fly sooner if all goes well.
The 10-day-long Artemis 2 mission, which will fly four astronauts around the moon on NASA's Orion spacecraft, could lift off as early as Feb. 5, mission managers said today (Sept. 23) during an event here at the agency's Johnson Space Center (JSC).
"We together have a front-row seat to history: We're returning to the moon after over 50 years," Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, told reporters in a press conference today.
Virgin Galactic to launch 'Purdue 1' human spaceflight in 2027.
Space.com
The university known as the cradle of astronauts will soon send a few more folks to the final frontier.
Twenty-eight alumni of Indiana-based Purdue have flown to space or been selected for spaceflight. That impressive roster includes Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Roger Chaffee and Gus Grissom, as well as Adam Fuhrmann and Yuri Kubo, members of NASA's just-announced 2025 astronaut class.
And the list just got longer, for Purdue announced today (Sept. 23) that it's sending a team of researchers, students and alumni to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic in 2027, on a mission called Purdue 1.
Earth's next 'mini-moon' could create a gold rush for asteroid miners.
Space.com
Almost a year ago, the space science community watched as an asteroid entered Earth's orbit and circled above our heads for almost two months before departing. Scientists usually track such asteroids because of the risk they pose for life on Earth. But although they can pose a threat to our planet, asteroids are also potentially worth many billions of dollars because of the precious metals they contain. This is why space entrepreneurs and scientists are gearing up for the next asteroid visit, with the aim of capturing future space rocks and mining them.
Most asteroids orbit the sun within rings between Mars and Jupiter known as the asteroid belts. And importantly, some of those asteroids are full of metals that could be used to make laptops and smartphones; metals such as platinum, cobalt, iron, and even gold. NASA once calculated that the metals in these asteroids could be worth $100 million for every person on Earth, and mining even just 10 of the most profitable asteroids could yield up to $1.5 trillion.
A major question remains: Can we access these metals?
Every so often, Jupiter's strong gravity sends an asteroid hurtling through the solar system, sometimes towards Earth. Last year, one of these asteroids entered Earth's orbit: asteroid 2024 PT5 from the Arjuna asteroid belt that's about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from the sun.
We have a Darwin Award nominee tonight, (possibly two).
Colorado lightning strikes kill two elk hunters caught in ‘horrific act of nature’
The Guardian
Lightning strikes in Colorado earlier this month killed two elk hunters who were caught in a storm, authorities concluded this week.
Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, had been hunting in the Rio Grande national forest in southern Colorado the week of 11 September when they stopped making contact. After extensive search-and-rescue operations, crews came upon their bodies a week later.
…
The Conejo county coroner’s office told media on Tuesday that he performed the autopsies this week and found that lightning struck the pair as they stood under a large tree. Authorities initially reported their bodies had no clear injuries or signs of trauma and determining their cause of death was challenging, said Richard Martin, the county coroner.
FYI: It remains a bad idea to shelter under a large tree in a thunderstorm, in case you’d wondered.
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Super Typhoon Ragasa: 17 killed in Taiwan and Hong Kong battered as storm hits China.
The Guardian
Fierce winds, pounding rain and high seas battered Hong Kong as Super Typhoon Ragasa headed into southern China after causing a lake to burst in Taiwan, killing at least 17 people.
Hong Kong experienced widespread damage on Wednesday, including fallen trees and flooding in many areas, with the storm surge smashing the glass doors of an upmarket hotel and flooding its lobby, according to footage circulating online.
Ragasa was gradually turning away from Hong Kong around noon (0400 BST) but the city will still be lashed by hurricane-force winds, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which issued the highest level of typhoon warning overnight.
Wednesday briefing: What Russia wants with NATO airspace – and what options it leaves the west.
The Guardian
Good morning. Of all the scary things about the recent military escalation between Russia and Nato, perhaps the most unnerving is this: it is impossible to know which incident will be the one that sends things spiralling out of control.
In the past two weeks, there have been a series of Russian incursions into Nato airspace with unpredictable consequences. First with drones, and then with fighter jets, the Kremlin appears to be testing how far Ukraine’s allies will go in response. “We do not want to see a continuation of this dangerous pattern by Russia, intentional or not,” Nato chief Mark Rutte said yesterday. “But we stand ready and willing to continue to defend every inch of allied territory.”
Nato countries have warned Russia that any further incursion will be met with a military response – and yesterday at the UN, on the same day that he accused European countries of “destroying their heritage” through immigration, even Donald Trump said he would support Nato countries shooting down Russian aircraft over their territory.
Colombia’s Petro urges ‘criminal trial’ against Trump for Venezuelan strikes.
The Guardian
Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s president, addressed the UN general assembly on Tuesday to call for Donald Trump to face “criminal proceedings” over the US strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
Petro said unarmed “poor young people” died in the strikes that Washington said were part of a US anti-drug operation off the coast of Venezuela, whose president Washington accuses of running a cartel.
More than a dozen people are known to have been killed in strikes on at least three boats in attacks UN experts have described as “extrajudicial execution”.
Swatting away concerns the killings are unlawful, the US president vowed at the same forum earlier on Tuesday to obliterate drug smugglers.
“To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence,” he told the assembly.
Trump has dispatched eight warships and a submarine to the southern Caribbean, and the biggest US deployment in years has raised fears in Venezuela of an invasion.
West Africans deported by the US were denied their rights, says lawyer.
The Guardian
A lawyer for 11 west Africans deported by the US to Ghana said they had been returned to their home countries despite many fearing for their safety.
Under Donald Trump’s drive to ramp up expulsions, the US has sent migrants to third countries, including Rwanda, Uganda and El Salvador, prompting accusations that deportee rights have been violated.
Ghana’s president, John Mahama, said last week that his country had accepted 14 west African nationals deported by the US and was ready to accept 40 more. Officials initially said all 14 had been sent on to their home countries but lawyers for 11 said they were then held in dire conditions in a military camp.
The 11 men filed a legal case seeking to be released. However, their lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor told a hearing on Tuesday that most had already been deported, despite eight claiming they could not legally be sent to their home countries “due to the risk of torture, persecution or inhumane treatment”.
“This is precisely the injury we were trying to prevent,” Barker-Vormawor said, adding that the onward deportations meant their lawsuit had become irrelevant.
Mass grave reveals scale of unlawful killings by Egyptian army in Sinai, say campaigners.
The Guardian
Hundreds of bodies could have been buried at a mass grave discovered in Egypt’s Sinai province by human rights campaigners.
Bodies lying on the surface and others buried barely 30cm below were found at a burial site near a military outpost by the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights.
The group discovered the mass graves while conducting research into disappearances and extrajudicial killings of civilians during a decade of conflict in the Sinai region between Egyptian security forces and Islamic State-aligned militants.
The findings, exclusively shared with the Guardian, provide “rare, documented evidence of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions in North Sinai”, said Ahmed Salem, the executive director of SFHR.
Unification Church leader arrested in South Korea over bribery allegations linked to former first lady.
The Guardian
The 82-year-old leader of the Unification Church was arrested in South Korea early Tuesday as investigators probe allegations that the church bribed the wife of jailed former president Yoon Suk Yeol and a conservative lawmaker.
Han Hak-ja, the widow of the church’s South Korean founder, Sun Myung Moon, has denied allegations that she directed church officials to bribe Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, and the lawmaker.
The Seoul central district court approved investigators’ request for an arrest warrant for Han, saying she posed a risk of destroying evidence.
A self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative family values, founder Moon built the Unification Church into an international movement with millions of followers and extensive business interests. The church is widely known for mass weddings, pairing thousands of couples who often are from different countries.
Han did not speak to reporters as she arrived at the Seoul court on Monday for a hearing on the warrant request. After an hours-long hearing, the court issued its decision in the early hours of Tuesday as Han awaited the verdict at a detention centre near Seoul, where she will now be held.
Note: Signatures are fine, but this presumes Russia has the capability to follow through, which is in serious question, given the destruction of Russia’s various capacities in the current war.
Putin, Khamenei Sign Nuclear Pact For 8 New Reactors In Iran; Trump & Netanyahu In Panic Mode?.
Times of India
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei signed a major nuclear agreement on the construction of eight small nuclear reactors in Iran. The deal, described by Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom as a “strategic project,” marks a deepening of Tehran-Moscow energy and defence cooperation. Iran aims to expand its nuclear energy capacity to 20 GW by 2040 amid domestic electricity shortages, currently relying on its sole Bushehr plant. The move comes as Iran faces international scrutiny over its nuclear ambitions, while Russia has condemned U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year
Trump CRUSHES Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' Dream? Seals Big Deal With Muslim Leaders On West Bank.
Times of India
In a high-stakes meeting with Arab leaders, US President Donald Trump reportedly promised to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from annexing the West Bank. This assurance comes amid ongoing conflict and stalled peace talks between Israel and Hamas. While Trump described the meeting as his "most important" of the day, no official readout has been released, leaving many questions unanswered. The future of the Abraham Accords and the possibility of a ceasefire hang in the balance.
India mostly with us, says Zelenskyy, hopes for more
Times of India
TOI Correspondent from Washington: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in an interview to Fox News that he thinks "India is mostly with us" and that he hopes US President Donald Trump will be able to convince New Delhi to stop purchasing Russian oil. "Yes, we have these questions with energy, but I think that President Trump can manage it with Europeans, make more close and strong relations with India," Zelenskyy said. "And, I think, we have to do everything not to withdraw Indians and they will change their attitude to the Russian energy sector (sic)," Zelenskyy said while responding to a question on Chinese and Indian purchases of Russian oil helping Moscow.
Trump, meanwhile, made a stunning departure from his previous calls for Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia, asserting on Tuesday that he now believes Kyiv can "fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form" with the support of the European Union and Nato, "and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!" The turnaround came after Zelenskyy met Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, even as Washington continued to pressure New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil.
TikTok Deal: Donald Trump to approve agreement on Thursday, White House confirms.
Times of India
US President Donald Trump is set to sign the TikTok deal on Thursday, a White House source confirmed, as reported by Reuters.
Last week, the US president held a lengthy phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during which they discussed TikTok, among other things, that he described as “productive.”“I just completed a very productive call with President Xi of China. We made progress on many very important issues, including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal,” he said through a post on Truth Social.
Negotiators from both countries now have until December 16 to finalize the terms, after the administration granted its latest extension.
Rs 66,500 crore deal for 97 Tejas jets, largest ever, may be inked today.
Times of India
NEW DELHI: The largest contract for 97 Tejas Mark-1A fi-ghters, worth Rs 66,500 crore, is all set to be inked with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, though IAF is yet to get even the first such 'improved' jet of the 83 ordered earlier for Rs 46,898 crore in Feb 2021.
The mega 97-jet contract for the fourth-generation Tejas could be inked as early as Thursday, a day ahead of the retirement of 36 old MiG-21s that will drag down IAF to its all-time low of 29 fighter squadrons (each has 16-18 jets), defence sources told TOI.
Pakistan, in contrast, is cruising close behind with 25 fighter squadrons, and will get at least 40 J-35A fifth-generation Chinese stealth jets in the near future. China, of course, is leagues ahead, with more than four times the number of fighters, bombers and force-multipliers as compared to India.
After Operation Sindoor, which saw Pakistan use Chinese-origin jets like J-10s armed with PL-15 beyond visual range air-to-air missiles with ranges over 200km, an IAF internal assessment has held it will need far more than even its "authorised" 42.5 fighter squadrons to tackle the collusive and fused threat from its adversaries.
From smog to stress: Lifestyle factors that damage the lungs,
Times of India
Our lungs work quietly and tirelessly to deliver oxygen in and out of our bodies, but are all too often disregarded when it comes to health. While smoking is a notorious trigger, a range of environmental and lifestyle factors — from dirty air to chronic stress — can chip away at respiratory function over time. Preventing them is all about understanding these risks.The Urban Smog TrapAir pollution is one of the gravest threats to lung health.
Smog, filled with fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, and ozone, irritates the airways and reduces capacity. Prolonged exposure leads to asthma, chronic bronchitis, and even lung cancer. The World Health Organization has said millions of premature deaths worldwide each year are linked to air pollution, which is respiratory-related in much of it. For city residents, risks can be minimized by tracking air quality levels, wearing masks on bad pollution days and using indoor air purifiers.
Ukraine, Syria restore diplomatic ties after breakdown during Assad regime.
Al Jazeera
Ukraine and Syria have formally restored diplomatic relations as their leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following his meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, along with an accompanying delegation, also attended the meeting on Wednesday in New York, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.
Ukraine broke off relations with Syria in 2022 after the government of the country’s former ruler, Bashar al-Assad, moved to recognise the “independence” of the Russian-backed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Shortly after, Syria announced it would break ties with Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Syria signed a communique on the restoration of their diplomatic relations.
Iran’s president vows to never build a nuclear bomb in his UNGA speech.
Al Jazeera
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran will “never seek to build a nuclear bomb”, as diplomatic efforts are under way to avert the so-called “snapback” sanctions on Tehran over the country’s nuclear programme.
The remarks on Wednesday came as a 30-day process launched by the United Kingdom, France and Germany to restore UN sanctions against Iran approaches its September 27 deadline.
The three European powers, known as the E3, accuse Tehran of failing to comply with a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear arms.
The E3 have said they would delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months if Iran restores access for UN nuclear inspectors, addresses concerns about its enriched uranium stockpile and engages in talks with the United States.
“An agreement remains possible. Only a few hours are left. It’s up to Iran to respond to the legitimate issues we have raised,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X after meeting Pezeshkian at the United Nations.
Zelenskyy slams UN’s weakness over Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan wars.
Al Jazeera
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed the UN and other international institutions as being too weak to stop wars in Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine during a speech at the UN General Assembly.
Ugandan President Museveni, in power since 1986, to seek another term.
Al Jazeera
Uganda’s long-time President Yoweri Museveni has been confirmed to stand in the January 2026 elections, as he seeks to extend his nearly 40-year rule in the African country.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, on Tuesday urged supporters to back his vision for the future after electoral officials near the capital, Kampala, announced that the 81-year-old leader would be on the ballot.
The governing National Resistance Movement (NRM) party officially confirmed him in June as its presidential candidate.
In a post on X, Museveni thanked his supporters for entrusting him to run again for the 2026-2031 term.
“In this economy, the GDP of Uganda has doubled currently in the recent Kisanja from $34 billion to $66 billion,” he wrote. He has promised to make Uganda a $500bn economy in the next five years.
‘Killed us twice’: Families of US drone victims seek reparations in Somalia.
Al Jazeera
Growing up in a nomadic family in central Somalia’s Galgaduud region, Luul Dahir Mohamed, like many girls in her Bedouin community, never got the opportunity to go to school.
But as she grew up, married and had two children – Mohamed and Mariam – she dreamed of a better life for them. After her marriage ended, the young mother decided to relocate from her rural community in Bergan to the central Somali city of El Buur in 2018, hoping the move would help her provide for her children.
But just a few months later, Luul, 22, and Mariam, aged four, were killed.
It was April 1, 2018, when Luul and her daughter joined several other passengers in a pick-up truck headed to the town of Dac, about 18km (11 miles) from El Buur. They were on their way to visit Luul’s older brother Qassim when the vehicle was struck.
“She’d only been there [in El Buur] for a couple [of] months, before she was killed in the [United States] drone strike,” her other brother, 38-year-old Abubakar Dahir Mohamed, told Al Jazeera.
Fact check: Trump repeats false claims at speech before UN.
Deutsche Welle
US President Donald Trump's address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday was riddled with inaccuracies and exaggerations. He recycled familiar — and wholly inaccorate —talking points about climate change, renewable energy sources, immigration, and his own diplomatic record, and dished out fresh falsehoods about the UN's New York headquarters.
While a full fact check of every one of his incorrect statements goes beyond this article’s scope, DW Fact check examined several of his key remarks.
Did Trump really bid $500 million to rebuild the UN headquarters?
Claim: "I bid to renovate the UN headquarters for $500 million (€426 million). Instead, they spent $2 billion to $4 billion, with massive overruns."
DW Fact check: Misleading.
Trump has long claimed he could have renovated the UN headquarters at a fraction of the actual cost. In 2001, he floated a $500 million estimate to the press, and in 2005 he told Congress he could complete the job for up to $700 million, according to US media reports.
However, DW found no record in the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) or official procurement archives showing that the Trump Organization ever submitted a formal bid for the project. Instead, the UN selected Skanska,
a Swedish firm, as construction manager in 2007 to oversee multiple subcontracts.
Is the United Nations still fit for purpose?
DW
This week marks the 80th anniversary of the the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and world leaders have gathered in New York for the occasion. But amid mounting geopolitical tensions, rising climate change and increased challenges to the global rules-based order, the mood is not exactly celebratory.
Instead, it would appear that the United Nations is being challenged like never before.
One major reason is the split in the Security Council over Israel's war in Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Its peacekeeping missions have also drawn criticism, particularly in Africa. And last year, a group of climate policy experts, including former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the prominent climate scientist Johan Rockstrom, called the COP climate summits "no longer fit for purpose."
But Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stresses the importance of the United Nations to tackle global issues. "No country can stop a pandemic alone. No army can halt rising temperatures," he said on Tuesday while addressing the UN General Assembly.
Denmark: Aalborg Airport closed due to drone sightings.
DW
The airport in the northern Danish city of Aalborg was closed on Wednesday, after drones were observed over its airspace, an airport spokesperson said.
"Drones have been spotted near Aalborg Airport and the airspace has been closed," Police said on X. "The police are on site and investigating further."
What do we know so far?
Eurocontrol, the agency that oversees European air traffic control, said arrivals and departures at Aalborg airport would be at a "zero rate" until 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT/UTC) on Thursday.
No information was provided on how many drones had been observed.
The closure of the small airport affected four flights from Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Norwegian airlines and the Dutch carrier KLM.
Suspect arrested in the UK over airport cyberattacks.
DW
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Wednesday that a suspect had been detained in connection with recent cyberattacks that disrupted air travel at several major European airports.
The suspect, said to be in his 40s, was arrested in southern England late on Tuesday.
"Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing," read a statement by NCA Deputy Director Paul Foster.
"Cybercrime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK," he added.
Which airports were affected?
The arrest comes after days of disruption at airports such as London's Heathrow, as well as the main Dublin, Brussels and Berlin airports due to "third-party ransomware" attacks.
Germany's bid to lead in autonomous driving faces roadblocks.
DW
On the grounds of Paderborn Airport, engineer Michael Spengler demonstrates how far self-driving technology has come in Germany. He enters a route into his smartphone, taps a button and rests his hands in his lap. The small car begins to roll, navigating at a leisurely 7 kilometers per hour (4 mph) between buildings and parked vehicles.
"It can go faster — 20 to 25 kilometers per hour is no problem," the researcher from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences said while sitting in the driver's seat — only as a safeguard, he explained, ready to take over if something goes wrong.
Cameras, radar, so-called Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors and a high-performance computer keep the car on course. After a short loop, the vehicle brakes on its own at the destination, where a crowd waits to also get a first taste of autonomous driving.
Science Chaser
Scientists Find a Switch That Could Stop Osteoporosis, Making Bones Stronger in Old Age.
Good News Network
There is a high demand for safe and long-lasting medications to treat bone loss for the millions of people with osteoporosis.
Discovering new targets for drug development is therefore a key step towards better therapies.
In a recent study, scientists at Leipzig University in Germany demonstrated that the G protein receptor called GPR133 plays a central role in building and maintaining healthy bone
“If this receptor is impaired by genetic changes, mice show signs of loss of bone density at an early age—similar to osteoporosis in humans,” explains Professor Ines Liebscher, lead investigator of the study published in Nature.
The team was able to significantly increase bone strength in both healthy and osteoporotic mice using the substance AP503, which was recently identified as a stimulator of GPR133.
In bone tissue, GPR133 is activated through the interaction of neighboring bone cells and mechanical strain. This triggers a signal that stimulates bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) and inhibits bone-resorbing cells (osteoclasts).
The result is stronger, more resilient bones.
Key oceans treaty crosses threshold to come into force.
BBC
A global agreement designed to protect the world's oceans and reverse damage to marine life is set to become international law.
The High Seas Treaty received its 60th ratification by Morocco on Friday, meaning that it will now take effect from January.
The deal, which has been two decades in the making, will pave the way for international waters to be placed into marine protected areas.
Environmentalists heralded the milestone as a "monumental achievement" and evidence that countries can work together for environmental protection.
"Covering more than two-thirds of the ocean, the agreement sets binding rules to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
Decades of overfishing, pollution from shipping and warming oceans from climate change have damaged life below the surface.
In the latest assessment of marine species, nearly 10% were found to be at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Three years ago, countries agreed that 30% of the world's national and international waters - the high seas - must be protected by 2030 to help depleted marine life recover.
Australia approves world-first vaccine to save koalas from deadly chlamydia.
BBC Discover Wildlife
A new single-dose vaccine that could transform koala conservation has been approved by Australia’s veterinary medicines regulator.
The vaccine reduces the risk of symptoms – and death – caused by chlamydia in wild koalas by at least 65 per cent, according to University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) scientists, who developed the jab.
The strain of chlamydia that affects koalas is different from the human form, and can be deadly for the Australian mammals. It causes urinary tract infections, blindness and infertility, and in severe cases leads to death.
Until now, the only treatment available has been antibiotics. But these can be fatal, as they destroy the gut bacteria koalas rely on to digest eucalyptus leaves – their sole food source – meaning treated animals often starve.
“We knew a single-dose vaccine – with no need for a booster – was the answer to reducing the rapid, devastating spread of this disease, which accounts for as much as half of koala deaths across all wild populations in Australia,” says UniSC Professor Peter Timms, who led the research.
First family statue of its kind discovered in ancient Egypt.
Phys.org
A study appearing in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology by Dr. Zahi Hawass and Dr. Sarah Abdoh describes a unique Egyptian family statue.
The statue, made of limestone, was recovered from Gisr el-Mudir in Saqqara, Egypt, in 2021. It features a nobleman standing tall with his left foot forward—a stance typical of the Old Kingdom that represents youth, vitality, and strength.
He wears a short, locked wig as well as a half-goffered kilt. The sculptor gave great attention to the depiction of his upper body, especially his shoulders, clavicle area, pectoral muscles, and arms.
To his side is a woman, much smaller than he is, kneeling down and holding onto his right leg. She wears a shoulder-length wig, a broad collar, and a simple sheath dress.
Why economies gain by preparing for climate change.
Phys.org
Climate change is a major economic threat. With a new model, economist Andrea Titton shows how climate disasters can disrupt supply chains, how climate tipping points may cost trillions each year, and how international fairness is also at stake. But, he says, being better prepared now will actually prove cheaper than taking the gamble of hitting a climate tipping point. On Thursday, 2 October, Titton will defend his Ph.D. thesis at the University of Amsterdam.
The growing number of climate disasters is reshaping the way economies function. Events that once seemed rare are becoming more frequent and widespread, while sudden and irreversible shifts in the climate are now a real possibility. "Whether willingly or unwillingly, societies will have to face the economic impact of climate change. And the later we act, the more expensive it becomes," says Titton.
Climate science and economic analysis
Unlike many economists, who study the impacts of catastrophes after they occur, Titton focuses on how economies behave in anticipation of climate change. "Most people think about the economy reacting once a catastrophe hits," he says. "But I wanted to understand how societies prepare, or fail to prepare, for risks they know are coming."
Solar-electric vehicle combination could redefine cities and slash emissions.
Phys.org
Cities are at the forefront of the battle against climate change, as they are responsible for more than 70% of the world's CO2 emissions.
A recent study from Tohoku University, however, has laid out a roadmap for turning this narrative on its head. It revealed that pairing rooftop solar panels with electric vehicles (EVs) in suburban neighborhoods could cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity and transport by up to 90%.
This innovative approach, called the "SolarEV City Concept," positions suburbs not as energy consumers, but as clean energy powerhouses that could one day supply surplus electricity to urban centers. The study is published in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society.
By strategically using rooftops and driveways—spaces already available in residential areas—suburban planners can implement highly effective climate solutions without needing large-scale land developments.
Why slugs are so hard to control, and how scientists are working to keep them in check.
Phys.org
Almost everyone who has a garden knows what a nuisance slugs can be. They are also one of the most destructive crop pests in the UK. Studies show that yields of many major crops, such as wheat, are severely reduced by their feeding.
But recent research into slug movements may help farmers with their slug prevention strategies.
A 2014 report from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board estimated that slugs would cost the industry up to £100 million per year in the UK alone, in the absence of effective control. And contamination makes produce undesirable to consumers—nobody wants to find a slug in their lettuce.
Making a living by growing food is already difficult because of labor shortages and rising costs, climate change and other challenges. The slug problem has been in the spotlight for a long time, but development of affordable and reliable solutions has proven to be difficult.
Tiny extinct crocodyliform with unusual teeth discovered in Montana.
About 95 million years ago, a juvenile crocodyliform nicknamed Elton lived in what is now southwest Montana at the edge of the Western Interior Seaway.
Measuring no more than 2 feet long from nose to tip of tail, young Elton was about the size of a big lizard, according to Montana State University professor of paleontology David Varricchio. Had it lived to be full grown, Elton would have measured no longer than 3 feet, far smaller than most members of the Neosuchia clade to which it and its distant relatives belong.
The clade includes modern crocodilians and their closest extinct relatives, almost all of them semiaquatic or marine carnivores with simple, conical teeth.
Elton, by contrast, lived on the land, probably feasting on both plants and insects or small animals with its assortment of differently shaped and specialized teeth. Its unique anatomy reveals that it was part of a new, previously unrecognized family of crocodyliforms endemic to the Cretaceous of North America.
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