Food aid is accumulating at the Israel-Gaza border but not reaching those in need. At the Kerem Shalom crossing, trucks from Gaza load supplies like flour and produce from the Israeli side and return to Gaza. Despite this activity, aid is not being distributed effectively within Gaza, where over 2 million Palestinians are affected by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Israel blames U.N. agencies for not efficiently collecting and distributing the aid.
Read more at: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/nx-s1-5035998/gaza-israel-food-aid-piling-up-not-reaching-those-in-need
The deaths of Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, whose remains were found in suitcases on Clifton Suspension Bridge and in a West London flat, are being treated as a hate crime. Yostin Andres Mosquera, 34, has been charged with their murders. The victims, previously in a relationship, lived together in the Scotts Road flat where Mosquera was staying. The Metropolitan Police have followed national guidelines to initially categorize the incident as a hate crime, pending further evidence. Mosquera will appear in court, and the investigation continues.
Read more at: https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/15/clifton-suspension-bridge-suitcase-killings-hate-crime-same-sex-couple/
King Aegon II Targaryen has survived but is bedridden and suffering after recklessly flying Sunfyre into battle at Rook’s Rest. In the fifth episode of House of the Dragon season two, actor Tom Glynn-Carney had minimal dialogue, only crying out to his mother. Despite this, Glynn-Carney shared his thoughts on the gruesome turn of events, revealing he knew it was coming but was unaware of the timing.
Read more at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/house-of-the-dragon-tom-glynn-carney-aegon-interview-1235948389/
The President’s memory lapses, such as confusing Ukrainian President Zelensky with Putin and Kamala Harris with Trump, turned the summit into a referendum on Biden’s age. This raised concerns about a potential Nato-sceptic Trump administration. In response, hawkish member states like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania tailored their messages to appeal to Republicans, using analogies like golf club rules to emphasize the importance of respecting Nato commitments.
Read more at: https://unherd.com/2024/07/why-nato-fears-for-its-future/
Israeli leaders assert readiness for any scenario in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant issuing strong warnings. However, there are growing concerns within Israel about overstretched soldiers and depleted resources after prolonged conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Experts warn that a conflict in Lebanon would involve a more formidable foe and risk a deeper military quagmire. Since October 8, Israel has been fighting on two fronts, facing attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon, escalating the border conflict.
Read more at: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93b3JsZC8yMDI0LzA3LzE1L2lzcmFlbC1sZWJhbm9uLWhlemJvbGxhaC13YXItYm9yZGVyL9IBAA?oc=5&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
Ukrainian startups are developing a low-cost robot army to combat Russia, leveraging innovation in secret workshops due to manpower shortages and uneven international aid. Around 250 defense startups are creating unmanned vehicles, like the Odyssey, which costs $35,000—10% of an imported model’s price. These workshops, resembling rural car repair shops, produce various unmanned air, ground, and marine vehicles. A new military branch, the Unmanned Systems Forces, was established in May to integrate these technologies into Ukraine’s defense strategy.
Read more at: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/nx-s1-5039839/ukrainian-startups-low-cost-robots-to-fight-russia
Conflicts have hindered global child vaccination efforts, with 14.5 million children missing their first immunization dose, over half in conflict-affected areas, according to UNICEF and WHO. Sudan’s war increased unvaccinated children from 110,000 in 2021 to 701,000 in 2022, while Yemen’s rose to 580,000. Additionally, 6.5 million children were under-vaccinated in 2023. Both figures increased from 2022, jeopardizing the goal to halve zero-dose children by 2030. Dr. Katherine O’Brien of WHO warned this endangers the most vulnerable children.
Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/jul/15/war-conflict-immunisation-vaccination-vaccine-hesitancy-nutrition-disease-children-who-unicef-measles-hpv
Last year, a pair of perfectly aligned “wave clouds” were spotted above the Crozet Islands in the Southern Ocean. These clouds, formed by island mountains, were photographed by an unnamed astronaut aboard the International Space Station.
Read more at: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/weather/earth-from-space-gravity-waves-spark-pair-of-perfect-cloud-ripples-above-uninhabited-islands
Dark comets, mysterious objects with traits of both asteroids and comets, may have brought water to Earth in the past. An international team of astronomers, publishing in Icarus, suggests these dark comets could make up 60% of near-Earth objects and likely originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Unlike typical comets, dark comets contain some ice but lack the visible dust and gas cloud. This discovery offers a new mechanism for ice delivery to the inner solar system.
Read more at: https://futurism.com/the-byte/earth-dark-comets
Astronauts face challenges with bodily functions during spacewalks, which can last up to nine hours. Currently, they use the Maximum Absorbency Garment (MAG), an advanced diaper, to manage urination. Researchers propose an in-suit water recovery system to filter and recycle urine into potable water, addressing the limitations of diapers and providing more hydration. This system, though bulky and weighing about 8 kg, uses a dual forward osmosis-reverse osmosis (FO-RO) filtration method to ensure clean water. This approach is less advanced than the fictional stillsuits from “Dune” but offers practical benefits for astronauts.
Read more at: https://hackaday.com/2024/07/14/using-forward-and-reverse-osmosis-to-let-astronaut-eva-suits-produce-fresh-water-from-urine/