Saturday, November 30
Hamas warns no hostage will leave Gaza alive unless demands met; a one-week truce saw 105 hostages released, 137 remain; Qatar mediates for new truce and release of more hostages; Hamas vows to fight Israeli forces; war in Gaza triggered by Hamas attack on Israel, resulting in high civilian casualties. A one-week truce in the war that collapsed on December 1 saw 105 hostages held by the group freed, including 80 Israelis released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Nearly 200 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, were stranded on a beach in western Indonesia after local authorities refused to accept them. The refugees arrived by boat, joining the largest influx of Rohingya since 2015. The Rohingya, who faced a crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017, have fled to Bangladesh and attempted dangerous sea journeys to Malaysia or Indonesia. The local government in Aceh province, where the boat landed, refused to provide the refugees with basic needs.
Nikki Haley aims to have a strong showing in the Iowa caucuses, but winning is not a requirement. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on the other hand, confidently stated that he will win Iowa. Both Haley and DeSantis are vying for a second-place finish as former President Donald Trump remains the front-runner in polls. Haley's campaign received support from the Koch network, the largest conservative grassroots organization in the US. A Sioux City Republican voter is considering Haley and DeSantis, curious about how any candidate can deny Trump the nomination.
There is an overall consensus that Azerbaijan should host the COP29 U.N. climate summit next year, the country's ecology minister Mukhtar Babayev said on Saturday. "I'm delighted to announce that there is an overall consensus on the candidacy of Azerbaijan to host COP29," he told the COP28 summit in Dubai. Nations from the Eastern European region, which is due to host next year's summit, have been deadlocked over the host of the next global gathering to address climate change.
Researchers discover a 407-million-year-old fungus fossil, Potteromyces asteroxylicola, in the Rhynie Chert, marking the oldest evidence of fungi causing diseases. The fossil shows the fungus infecting the ancient plant Asteroxylon mackiei, revealing a predator-prey interaction. The unique reproductive structures of Potteromyces, called conidiophores, distinguish it as a new species. A second specimen confirms its place as one of the oldest ancestors of disease-causing fungi. The findings, published in Nature Communications, highlight the potential of Potteromyces to unlock secrets about fungal evolution using confocal microscopy.
Planetary scientists have discovered salty glaciers in the Raditladi and Eminescu craters near the north pole of Mercury. These glaciers are composed of salt flows that contain volatile compounds. The exposure of these salt formations resulted from asteroid impacts, providing insights into Mercury's geological history. The salt deposits on Mercury have similarities to salty environments on Earth, raising questions about the potential habitability of subsurface areas. The discovery also offers an explanation for craters with missing chunks, suggesting that impacts exposed and evaporated volatiles. Further investigations are needed to understand the origin of these volatile layers.
The University of Pennsylvania faces a severe crisis as major donor Ross Stevens withdraws a $100 million grant of limited partnership units in Stone Ridge Asset Management. Stevens criticizes President Magill for the university's permissive approach to calls for violence against Jewish people. The withdrawal of the donation raises concerns about the university's financial stability and planned initiatives. The controversial congressional hearing on calls for genocide of Jews sparks outrage and a formal investigation by the House Committee on Education & the Workforce. The crisis deepens as another major donor, Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management, demands Magill's replacement.
NASA's Stennis Space Center has passed the software Flight Readiness Review for the inaugural flight of ASTRA (Autonomous Satellite Technology for Resilient Applications). This collaborative effort with Sidus Space marks a historic moment. ASTRA will showcase its capabilities with the launch of LizzieSat (LS), the premier satellite platform. The recently approved ASTRA Flight Software Version 1.0 has been integrated onto the ASTRA flight hardware and the Sidus Space LS-1 satellite. The ASTRA project marks a new frontier for NASA Stennis, aligning with its recently released strategic plan to accelerate the development of intelligent and autonomous aerospace systems.
