LED lights on surfboards may prevent great white shark attacks: Study
A new study published on Monday, Nov. 11, shows LED lights may prevent great white shark attacks on surfers and kayakers. Australian researchers found seal-shaped decoys with underside lighting blocked the view of silhouettes against the sunlight above, deterring the attacks by obstructing the predator’s vision.
“So, what we’re trying to do now is move from seal decoys into a surfboard prototype by implementing LEDs into the bottom of the surfboard,” Dr. Laura Ryan, one of the lead researchers, said.
The study involved a boat towing a seal decoy for dozens of hours. Researchers found horizontal lighting on objects was much more effective than other positioning. They also say finding the correct level of brightness will be crucial for the technology to be employed in surfboards.
“So, if you don’t get this right, you might not have an effect,” said Professor Nathan Hart with Macquarie University, which is leading the research. “It’s always a possibility that any stimulus you put in the water might attract a shark. So, with that careful testing, we worked to find the optimal brightness, which mostly works like a counter illumination, breaks up the silhouette and seems to deter the shark from attack.”
The study also relies on previous research, which shows great white shark attacks on humans may be a case of mistaken identity. The sharks have a harder time seeing shapes and details than humans.
“Some of the previous research within my group also found out that sharks are potentially colorblind,” Hart said. “So, they don’t see color like we do. They also don’t see as much details as we do. They also don’t see as many details. So, their acuity is a lot lower than ours.”
Scientists believe more studies will be necessary to simulate surfers paddling, and there’s more work to be done to find the best way to implement the technology.
While shark attacks are rare, worldwide most bites are linked to people surfing or participating in board sports.
Furthermore, most fatal bites are from great white sharks. However, the study notes, it may be important to test the lights on sharks with different predatory behavior.
Mexican Navy intercepts ‘narco sub’ carrying nearly 8,000 pounds of cocaine
The Mexican Navy said it seized 3.6 tons, about 8,000 lbs., of cocaine off the coast of Acapulco. They say a “narco sub” was spotted in the Pacific Ocean near the resort town earlier during the week of Nov. 4.
When Mexican Navy ships intercepted the boat, they said they found more than 100 packages filled with bricks of cocaine onboard.
Narco subs are semi-submersibles vessels that cannot go fully underwater. They’re popular among international drug traffickers as they can sometimes elude detection by law enforcement.
Mexican authorities said they detained nine crew members on the boat, six of whom were foreigners. Authorities did not specify where the crew members were from.
The seizure comes just weeks after the Mexican Navy seized a record more than 8.3 tons of drugs in the Pacific Ocean. That cargo was intercepted from six different vessels, including one “narco sub” that held about 4,800 pounds alone.
Mexico’s Navy said as of Tuesday, Nov. 5, nearly 30,000 pounds of alleged drugs have been seized at sea under the current administration, which has only been in place since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office Oct. 1.
The not-so-long goodbye: Airport puts time limit on hugs
Saying goodbye isn’t always easy, but one airport is saying goodbye to long farewells. Dunedin Airport in New Zealand has posted new signs in its drop-off lanes, putting a time limit on hugs.
The airport is asking people using the lanes to keep their hugs, and therefore their goodbyes, to three minutes or less.
The change is getting mixed reviews on social media, but airport officials say it’s their more lighthearted way to cut down on traffic compared to some other airports around the world that threaten wheel clamping or fines for drivers parked in drop-off areas.
“That’s a long hug. I tell you what, you get a lot of oxytocin and serotonin out of a three-minute hug. Twenty seconds is all we need,” said the airport’s CEO Dan De Bono. “We don’t have hug police, not yet anyway. And if people overextend their hugging time, that’s ok. But really the message here is getting it front of mind for people to kind of help create space for others to drop off and also have their hugs.”
The new signs point those looking to draw out their farewells to the parking area, where they can hug for up to 15 minutes before parking fees kick in.
Animal rights groups warn of abandoned pets as Cubans flee in record numbers
Cubans are fleeing their homes in record numbers, fueled by fears of shifting U.S. immigration policy and poverty caused by mass inflation, as reported on Saturday, Oct. 12. More than 1 million Cubans have reportedly left the nation since 2020, which is around a tenth of the island’s population.
Additionally, many Cubans are resorting to a dangerous journey, sailing the open sea on makeshift rafts toward the U.S. and other destinations. Hundreds of people have reportedly drowned or gone missing in search of a new home.
Cuba’s government claims the problem will only get worse, blaming the United States sanctions for tanking its economy and forcing the high migration numbers.
The mass exodus of Cubans also means more pets are being abandoned in the nation. Animal rights groups say they have rescued hundreds of dogs and cats and warn that the situation is getting worse.
Most Cubans reportedly cannot afford to bring their pets with them to another country. Trips to the U.S. and elsewhere cost thousands of dollars, and many Cubans only make about $21 a month. It has forced many migrants to abandon pets and seek the cheapest yet most dangerous option of getting on a raft or poorly constructed boat at sea.
A coastal resident of Cuba who survived a shipwreck told Reuters that he believes another wave of immigration is inevitable, and he’d been offered a seat on a boat, which he declined. He said, “It’s going to kick off again at any moment.”
Thousands of shipping containers met a watery death in past decade: Report
Thousands of shipping containers have been lost at sea over the last decade, according to a report on Thursday, Oct. 3, by The Associated Press. As ships get bigger, reportedly doubling in capacity in just the past 20 years, the problem is getting worse. Scientists warned that the environmental consequences could be catastrophic.
“We know we got a problem on the surface, but I think the bigger problem is what’s on the seafloor,” Russ Lewis, a retired ecologist, said.
Lewis has found everything from mismatched Croc shoes to squirt guns, and he said he knows it’s from shipments lost at sea.
“That’s definitely a container spill when you find more of the same thing more than once,” Lewis said. “If you find it three or four times, that kind of strikes me that it’s a container spill. Plus, it has some biofouling on it.”
It’s not an easy fix as ships are essential to people’s needs. Shipping containers are used to move the majority of the world’s everyday items over long distances in enormous quantities.
“Containerized shipping is essentially the box, and so, they come in 20 feet, and that’s where you hear the abbreviation TEU for 20-foot equivalent, but many are 40 feet long,” Joe Kramek, the president and CEO of the World Shipping Council, said. “And these boxes have revolutionized world trade because they’re easy to pack. They’re easy to load in most cases, and just by way of example, 250 million containers were moved by containerized shipping last year.”
As a result, scientists believe there is likely a graveyard of containers at the bottom of the sea. What happens to the environment because of them is still being studied. However, researchers do know that a shipping container that tumbled overboard in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 2004 changed an entire ecosystem surrounding it on the seafloor.
It was not the only container to go overboard. More than 20,000 shipping containers have reportedly fallen off ships in the past decade. However, many experts note that the number may be much higher due to lack of reporting and incomplete data.
The contents of parcels have poisoned fisheries and land habitats, and there are limited legal consequences. Scientists and environmentalists want that to change.
“The fact that when it’s on the high seas, there is no kind of liability, and there is no obligation of reporting about that kind of loss,” Antidia Citores, who works with the Surfrider Foundation Europe, said.
Environmental advocates are pushing for more tracking of losses and added safeguards to prevent spills. Meanwhile, the United Nations Maritime Organization said it’s doing that by amending two international ocean treaties earlier this year.
“When you lose containers offshore, you have to report that loss to some type of government authority because it’s a hazard to navigation and it might be a pollution hazard depending on what’s inside that,” Kramek said. “And so, you know, what we’re talking about the International Maritime Organization in 2026 will require mandatory reporting, typically, the reporting is required by coastal states.”
However, there are no penalties from the U.N. if the operators choose not to comply, and ship owners argue it’s an impossible task to keep tabs on everything in every container. Ship owners said that they are often at the mercy of the company making the product for proper labeling and information regarding hazardous materials.
China fires off rare ICBM test amid growing tensions in Indo-Pacific
China announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25, that it test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean. The country is reportedly bulking up its nuclear arsenal, and the rare public test is sparking international concerns.
The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLAARF) announced that the ICBM with a dummy warhead landed accurately in a “predetermined” area, but no specifics on the location were given.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry maintains the test is a routine part of the PLAARF’s annual training and “in line with international law and international practice.” However, nuclear experts noted it’s anything but a regular occurrence, saying that it is the first time China has launched an ICBM into international waters since the early 80s, and one expert said it was “odd” for China to describe the test as routine and annual.
A former Pentagon official, Drew Thompson, who is a senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, believes that it is a veiled threat. He wrote on X, “Timing is everything,” and added, “This launch is a powerful signal intended to intimidate everyone.”
China’s state-run media reported Beijing notified “relevant countries” ahead of the launch.
The entirety of the Indo-Pacific region is on high alert, bracing for potential conflict, while watching China ramp up its nuclear arsenal. China’s nuclear weapons inventory is reportedly expected to at least triple by 2035 from 500 nuclear warheads currently to 1,500 in just about a decade.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported it detected 23 Chinese military aircraft around the Island on Wednesday, and all but one crossed the island’s “air-defense identification zone.”
All of these events happened the same week that Russia and China each sent four warships through a strait separating Russian and Japanese territory, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry on Monday, Sept. 23.
It’s not just China and Russia causing concerns in the Asia-Pacific region, it’s also North Korea. The country fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea last week for the second time in September as Pyongyang has ramped up its weapons testing since 2022.
North Korea claims that its weapon tests are in response to growing joint military exercises between the United States, South Korea, Taiwan and others in what it calls a rehearsal for invasion.
The South China Sea is also vitally important route for shipping that China claims to be theirs. There have been several confrontations between Beijing and other countries with which it has territorial disputes with, particularly, the Philippines.
In response, the U.S. has deployed an advanced missile system to the Philippines earlier this year as it sees China as a threat to the island country.
Biden to address UN assembly for last time as president
Joe Biden is set to address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as U.S. president. And with a heavy focus on Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump is reportedly returning to the town of his first assassination attempt. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.
Biden to address UN assembly for last time as president
The Pentagon announced Monday, Sept. 23, it’s sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East to supplement the roughly 40,000 already in the region as tensions continue to rise there — especially between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Associated Press has reported Biden administration officials will also be speaking to their counterparts on the sidelines of the U.N. about ways to prevent the fighting there from escalating further.
Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump while he’s visiting the U.S.
Trump, Harris focus on crucial swing state Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has long been considered a swing state when it comes to presidential elections and this year, the candidates know the importance of winning there. During a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania Monday, former President Trump told supporters, “If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole thing. It’s very simple.”
His visit was just the latest in a handful of visits to the crucial state in recent weeks as he looks to secure a second presidential term.
Also on Monday, sources close to the Trump campaign told media outlets he will return to Butler, Pennsylvania on Oct. 5. Butler is where a sniper fired and grazed his ear with a bullet, in the first assassination attempt on his life in July.
Since then, the Secret Service put in place tighter security protocols for candidates at rallies.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also pushing to win the Pennsylvania vote. She’ll be there again Wednesday, Sept. 25, for a campaign event in Pittsburgh. She’s also made many stops in the swing state since taking up the Democratic nomination.
In the 2020 election, Pennsylvania went to Joe Biden, a key state in helping him win the presidency. There are 19 votes at stake in the Keystone State.
Israeli strike kills nearly 500 in Lebanon in deadliest day since 2006
Nearly 500 people were killed Monday in Lebanon in the deadliest strike by Israel in nearly two decades. Lebanese authorities said Israeli warplanes struck civilian areas in the southern part of the country.
Earlier in the day, Israel had told civilians to move away from the areas, which it says are commonly used by Hezbollah for military purposes.
This comes after almost a year of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza along Israel’s southern border. Israel is now shifting its focus to the north, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, which is also backed by Iran.
Tuesday morning, Israel’s military said it struck “dozens” of additional targets in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it fired rockets into northern Israel late Monday night.
The fighting has heightened fears of a widening war in the region.
Missouri set to execute man convicted of 1998 murder
An execution of a man found guilty of a 1998 murder is set to proceed Tuesday evening in Missouri, after the state’s supreme court and governor rejected requests to cancel the scheduled lethal injection.
A jury convicted Marcellus Williams of the stabbing death of Lisha Gayle, a social worker and former newspaper reporter, inside her suburban St. Louis home. Williams has asserted his innocence.
His lawyers argued the state supreme court should halt the proceedings due to alleged procedural errors in jury selection and alleged mishandling of the murder weapon by the prosecution. The court rejected those arguments.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson also rejected a clemency request to switch the sentence to life in prison. Williams’ lawyers still have an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.
As of now, though, the execution — which would be the third in the state this year — is set for 6 p.m. CST Tuesday.
Hurricane John makes landfall in Mexico as Category 3 storm
Hurricane John made landfall in Mexico late Monday as a Category 3 storm. It brought 120 miles per hour winds to Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Levi’s teases a potential partnership with Beyoncé
It appears music superstar Beyoncé has a new collaboration coming out. This one would not be with another singer, but with a jeans company.
Levi’s teased what appears to be a partnership with Beyoncé in an Instagram post on Monday. The company shared an image of a woman wearing a cowboy hat and riding a horse with the caption reading “Introducing a new chapter,” seemingly referencing Beyoncé’s latest album “Cowboy Carter,” which features a song called “Levi’s Jeans.” Levi’s also tagged her Instagram account in the post.
You could say denim is having a moment lately, with fashion brands like American Eagle and Abercrombie saying the trend is growing in popularity and revitalizing sales.
US and allies warn of increased Russian activities near undersea cables
Undersea cables, crucial to global communications, have recently become focal points of geopolitical tensions between Russia and the U.S. These cables, which sprawl across ocean floors, are vital for international data and power transfer, facilitating approximately $10 trillion in daily transactions.
U.S. officials, according to CNN, have observed a noticeable increase in Russian military activities near key undersea cables. These observations include the presence of surface vessels, submarines, and naval drones, heightening concerns about potential sabotage.
Intelligence reports suggest that Russia is enhancing its capabilities to disrupt these vital communication links. These actions could severely impact global communications, affecting private and government sectors, financial markets, and international energy distribution.
In response to the growing threats, NATO is actively funding a project to develop a system that would seamlessly reroute internet traffic to satellites should undersea cables be compromised by attacks or natural disasters. This initiative involves collaboration with researchers from the U.S., Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland.
It aims to ensure continuous internet connectivity amid global geopolitical tensions. The project also seeks to improve threat detection and the accuracy of monitoring undersea infrastructure.
The waters around Northern Europe have seen increased Russian military operations specifically targeting undersea cables and wind farms. Public broadcasters from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland have reported that Russia has been operating a fleet of suspected spy ships in these Northern European waters.
Through data analysis, intercepted radio communications, and intelligence insights, approximately 50 ships have been tracked over several years, mapping the seabed for potential sabotage.
The U.S. and its Western allies continue to monitor Russian ships patrolling near critical maritime infrastructure and undersea cables far from Russian shores. This heightened surveillance is part of a broader strategy to mitigate the risks associated with undersea cable disruptions.
The U.S. has stated that any sabotage of critical undersea infrastructure would represent a significant escalation in hostilities by Russia.
Millions of dead fish hurt tourism in central Greece as investigation ensues
The scenic countryside of Greece is dealing with an enormous and stinky problem that’s driving away tourists and hurting business. Millions of dead fish, as far as the eye can see, are washing up near the town of Volos.
Seafront businesses dependent on tourism say that revenues on Thursday, Aug. 29, had dropped 80% since the mass die-off and they say that government inaction is to blame.
Authorities said that they have dredged more than 100 tons of fish carcasses from the water near the Port of Volos. Scientists say that the mass deaths are likely the result of a combination of climate change and improper water management.
The fish are thought to have been forced downstream after widespread flooding in the region. Experts say that extreme heat this summer caused water to evaporate. Fish then began to die due to a lack of oxygen and toxins seeping into the water from agricultural lands.
However, the fish swam into the waters months ago and critics argue that the local government should have gotten them out before they died. Now, commercial fishing vessels and excavators have been called in to scoop up the dead fish.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Volos accused the regional authority of moving too slowly in the cleanup process and said he previously warned of the problems created by the flooding of farmland.
Meanwhile, the city’s chamber of commerce is suing over damages to local business. Greece’s Supreme Court prosecutor, Georgia Adeilini, also announced an investigation on Thursday to determine how much culpability the regional authority has in the environmental catastrophe.
7.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Japan, scientists warn bigger one to come
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off of the southern coast of Japan on Thursday, Aug. 8, prompting tsunami worries and concerns a larger quake could happen in the future. Scientists disclosed that after this most recent earthquake, there is a 70%-80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake striking the region within the next 30 years.
Japan sits on the infamous Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences around 1,500 earthquakes a year. The country accounts for around 20% of all global earthquakes.
The most recent earthquake on Thursday triggered tsunami warnings that have since been rescinded. Fears over tsunamis have grown since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. However, Japanese government officials said that all 12 nuclear reactors in the area remain safe for now.
The government is reportedly in the process of establishing a task force to coordinate disaster response efforts. In one neighborhood concrete walls were reportedly destroyed and a wooden home was damaged. However, government officials said that initial findings suggest that infrastructure is holding up relatively well to the earthquake.
Japan experienced a much more disastrous earthquake on Jan 1. That earthquake happened in Japan’s north-central region and killed more than 240 people.