Hello Barbie creepy eavesdropping doll at New York Toy Fair violates privacy TomoNews US 2015-03-13 | Toymaker, Mattel Inc., has announced an internet connected Barbie doll which features interactive conversation with its user. However, privacy advocates fear the doll's cloud-based technology exposes children to eavesdropping by Mattel, or anyone with access to the company's servers. The doll, named Hello Barbie, uses technology developed by a company called ToyTalk. The doll converses with its user by recording audio files of the user's speech when the record button is pressed. The Wifi-connected doll then sends those files to Mattel's servers where the speech is decoded and processed. A conversational reply is then sent back over the internet and played by the doll. Mattel's servers retain information about each user in order to personalize the doll's responses. For instance, the doll remembers the user's name, likes, and dislikes. Parents can also have the doll's collected recordings of their child's voice emailed to them daily or weekly, so they can know what their child is telling the doll. This feature by itself has been called a potential invasion of children's right to privacy. ToyTalk says the information collected by the doll will not be used for marketing purposes, and a statement from Mattel says "Mattel is committed to safety and security, and Hello Barbie conforms to applicable government standards."The doll will be available for purchase starting in Fall 2015.-------------------------------------------------------------Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUSSubscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:youtube.com/channel/UCt-WqkTyKK1_70U4bb4k4lQ?sub_confirmation=1Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.netCheck out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCjCheck out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1fStay connected with us here:Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUSTwitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUSGoogle+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUSInstagram @tomonewsus http://instagram.com/tomonewsus-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-Please watch: "Crying dog breaks the internet’s heart — but this sad dog story has a happy ending" youtube.com/watch?v=4prKTN9bYQc-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Hong Kong cancels Winnie the Pooh TomoNews US 2023-03-24 | A "Winnie-the-Pooh" horror film has been pulled from cinemas in Hong Kong, probably because the chubby bear looks like China's portly president, Xi Jinping.According to The Hollywood Reporter, a cut version of the low-budget viral hit had passed Hong Kong’s censors and was scheduled to run in 30 movie theaters this weekend. The film's distributor, VII Pillars Entertainment, said Tuesday on social media that it was cancelling the film in Hong Kong and Macau. The post said: "It is with great regret to announce the scheduled release of Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey in Hong Kong and Macau on March 23 has been cancelled. We are sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience."Winnie the Pooh has faced bans in China after the internet noted the Disney character’s strong resemblance to Chinese president Xi Jinping. The cartoon bear later became a symbol of resistance to China in Hong Kong.Beijing has worked to destroy Hong Kong’s liberal institutions after promising to allow the city to maintain its economic and governing systems for 50 years, until 2047. The city’s censorship rules were amended in 2021 so films could be banned on “national security” grounds.
How Russia Lost the Battle for Kyiv’s Hostomel Airport TomoNews US 2022-04-12 | HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — The battle of Hostomel’s airport, also called Antonov Airport, started on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The airport is situated on the northwestern side of Kyiv, and it is clear that the Russian military saw it as a very strategic asset — a platform it could use to airlift thousands of troops and equipment. From Hostomel, these airlifted forces would be within a stone’s throw of Ukraine’s capital.First-hand accounts of what happened on that day now explain why Russia could never make use of the airport, and why Russian forces had to retreat from the area after weeks of fighting.SOURCES: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Timeswsj.com/articles/putin-thought-ukraine-would-fall-quickly-an-airport-battle-proved-him-wrong-11646343121nytimes.com/interactive/2022/world/europe/ukraine-maps.html
Surgical Duct Tape: Animated Explainer TomoNews US 2022-04-12 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — Researchers from MIT developed “Gastrointestinal tape” as an alternative to avoid complications caused by sutures and sealants, according to MIT News.Gastrointestinal tape comes in squares that are sticky on one side, so that nearby tissues won’t get stuck together. Each square consists of two layers that match gastrointestinal tissue properties and provide stability for healing. The study’s co-lead author Hyunwoo Yuk explained to MIT News that the two layers are combined into one, with the sticky layer pre-stretched to prevent closed wounds from bursting open.To meet the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials, the tape had to go through several mechanical tests to evaluate its adhesive properties. Study results show that the tape had a superior adhesion performance when compared to commercially available gut sealants.The research team wanted to see how human cells would respond to the tape and in comparison to the existing gut sealant outside the human body first.As it turns out, the duct tape is more compatible with the human body than the bluish glue, which can cause inflammation.Researchers tested the tape on rats and pigs that had defects in their colon and stomachs. Application of the tape was timed to mimic a clinical setting and compared to a control group that utilized sutures. The tape established a fluid-tight sealing in less than 10 seconds without preparation, while sutures took several minutes.Several weeks after the procedures, the injuries treated with the tape showed no signs of inflammation, while the sutured defects showed inflammation and fibrosis.The study concluded that the tape is a quicker and more robust solution compared to sutures and sealants. It can be applied without preparation, induces only minimal inflammation and provides wounds with a more stable environment for healing.SOURCES: New Scientist, MIT News, Biorxiv, Science Translational Medicine, Quick Medicalnewscientist.com/article/2306925-medical-dressing-works-like-duct-tape-to-seal-internal-wounds/#ixzz7JqY4nEkwhttps://news.mit.edu/2022/surgical-tape-bioadhesive-sutures-0202science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abh2857biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.12.435203v1.full.pdfyoutube.com/watch?v=bRILBtcuK0k
U.S. Hypersonic Missile: U.S. Secretly Tests Hypersonic Weapon TomoNews US 2022-04-07 | WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force tested Lockheed Martin’s Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept in March, but kept it secret to avoid increasing tensions with Russia.A DARPA press release said the missile was initially accelerated up to high speeds by a booster stage.It then engaged its air-breathing scramjet engine, which propelled it to a speed faster than Mach 5.The hypersonic missile maintained that speed for an extended period of time, flying higher than 65,000 feet, and traveling more than 300 nautical miles.Launched from a B-52H bomber, the missile can conduct short or no-notice strikes against time-sensitive and other critical targets.As with other hypersonic missiles, it can maneuver within the atmosphere, meaning it can fly more unpredictably than ballistic missiles.The initial secrecy around the launch comes in contrast to Russian claims of using hypersonic missiles against targets in Ukraine, but both gestures point toward a wider hypersonic arms race already ongoing.On Tuesday, it was announced that the U.S. would work with Britain and Australia in developing nuclear-capable hypersonic weapons, according to The Guardian, and this is seen as a response to developments in the area by Russia and China.SOURCES: The Drive, Defense Newsthedrive.com/the-war-zone/45075/americas-latest-hypersonic-cruise-missile-made-a-secret-test-flightnews.yahoo.com/pentagon-kept-hypersonic-test-quiet-152411321.htmlSOURCES: CBS News, CNN, BBC, The Financial Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, CNN, CNN, WeChat press release, South China Morning Post, Defence Blog, Asia Times, Xinhua Nethttp://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/06/c_137370948.htmcbsnews.com/video/cbs-news-exclusive-senior-us-general-on-chinas-military-buildup/#xedition.cnn.com/2021/11/17/politics/john-hyten-china-hypersonic-weapons-test/index.htmlbbc.com/news/world-asia-59001850ft.com/content/4a317b8c-d433-4f74-91d9-0be47fc0f04ausatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/11/04/china-hypersonic-missile-sputnik-moment-icbm-mach-5-weapon/8581971002washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/28/its-not-sputnik-moment-we-should-not-feed-cold-war-paranoiaedition.cnn.com/2018/03/27/politics/general-hyten-hypersonic-weapon-threat/index.htmledition.cnn.com/2018/08/07/china/china-hypersonic-aircraft-intl/index.html?no-st=1533692596mp.weixin.qq.com/s?subscene=23&__biz=MzI3MDA2NDI2MQ==&mid=2650740091&idx=1&sn=8c2545c20c672d7f52d97fd560abe48c&chksm=f2dd7a91c5aaf38700ba3d259a68661b738e8303f0e4f36b6bee01f770c7e95ceb31ff1b050e&scene=7#rdscmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2158524/chinas-hypersonic-aircraft-starry-sky-2-could-be-used#commentsdefence-blog.com/aviation/china-successfully-test-fire-hypersonic-aircraft.htmlhttp://www.atimes.com/article/china-tests-its-hypersonic-wave-rider-aircraft
Lessons From Russian Invasion of Ukraine for Taiwan TomoNews US 2022-04-06 | Russia’s surprising struggles in Ukraine present various lessons for the world in dealing with a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, according to the War on the Rocks site.Firstly, Russia’s military buildup outside Ukraine demonstrates that any Chinese attack would likely be preceded by an equivalent buildup, and thus surveillance can prevent surprises.The second lesson is that a strong national identity could play a factor in creating stronger resistance than anticipated, with asymmetric guerilla tactics harnessed in a similar way.The third lesson is that while of course warfare plays out militarily, it’s also conducted economically.The fourth lesson is that refugees may well become a major consideration in any future conflict.And then, finally, the last lesson offered by War on the Rocks is that wars come with unintended consequences.SOURCES: War on the Rockswarontherocks.com/2022/03/ukraines-lessons-for-taiwan
How Much Plastic Do We Eat? You’re Eating a Credit Card’s Worth of Plastic Every Week TomoNews US 2022-04-01 | VIENNA, AUSTRIA — Humans are consuming about five grams of plastic, the equivalent to a credit card’s worth, every week, according to a new review in the Health and Exposure journal.Gut News explains that both microplastics, between 0.001 and 5 millimeters in size, and nanoplastics, less than 0.001 millimeters, enter our food chain after starting out as waste packaging.These particles can enter the body through seafood, with fish known to mistake them for food or accidentally consume them alongside other food, but they can also enter the body when we drink from plastic bottles, with people who drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day from these bottles taking in 90,000 plastic particles per year, while tap water drinkers take in around 40,000.The particles can trigger local inflammation and immune response, and nanoplastics in particular have been found to trigger chemical pathways involved in the formation of cancer.The presence of both types of particles in the gastrointestinal tract has also been found to change the gut microbiome composition, linking it to metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and chronic liver disease.SOURCES: Exposure and Health journal, Gut Newslink.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8gutnews.com/microplastics-food-gut-healthScientific Reports, Hakai Magazinenature.com/articles/srep46173#discussionhakaimagazine.com/article-short/theres-probably-plastic-your-sea-salt Inhabitat, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Ecologist, Plastic Health Coalition inhabitat.com/microplastics-accelerate-cell-death-at-3-times-the-normal-rate-study-sayshttps://www.umcutrecht.nl/nl/Nieuws/Wat-doen-microplastics-met-onze-afweertheecologist.org/2019/oct/03/microplastics-may-harm-human-healthplastichealthcoalition.org/press/what-health-risks-do-micro-and-nanoplastics-pose-to-the-human-body-the-plastic-health-summit-brings-scientists-influencers-and-industry-from-all-over-the-world-together-and-presents-the-preliminaryReuters, IUCN.org, ZME Science, Ocean Conservancyreuters.com/article/us-asean-summit-environment-idUSKCN1TM0J5zmescience.com/science/the-mediterranean-sea-is-packed-with-plastic-waste-and-it-could-get-worse-soonportals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2020-030-En.pdfact.oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/full-report-stemming-the.pdf NY Times, Science Advances, Inhabitatnytimes.com/2020/10/30/climate/plastic-pollution-oceans.htmladvances.sciencemag.org/content/6/44/eabd0288inhabitat.com/u-s-contributes-5-times-more-ocean-plastic-than-previous-estimates
Ukraine Says It Destroyed Russian Ship With Ballistic Missile TomoNews US 2022-03-31 | BERDYANSK, UKRAINE — Ukraine says it used a relatively inaccurate ballistic missile with a big warhead to hit a Russian ship while it was unloading ammunition in a Ukrainian port that had been taken over by Russian forces. The Ukrainian military also claimed that it knew when and where to strike because it is getting information from double agents within the Russian military.The Ukrainian military says it used a Tochka-U short-range ballistic missile to destroy a Russian military cargo ship on Thursday March 24. Footage shared on social media showed the Russian ship burning and exploding at its berth in the Ukranian port of Berdyansk. Russia’s RT news reported a few days earlier that such a rocket had been shot down near the ship. The Tochka-U missile system was an upgrade that entered service in Russia in 1989. The Tochka-U increased its predecessor’s range to 120 kilometers and improved its accuracy to a 50% probability of hitting within 90 meters of its target, by using a combination of a GPS system and a terminal guidance radar. Each missile has its own dedicated launch vehicle that can travel at up to 60 kilometers per hour on roads, while being able to traverse rough terrain and cruise on water. Deploying a Tochka for launch takes 15 minutes, while reloading takes 20 minutes. The system usually travels with a Zil-131 truck that tows additional missiles and a missile-loading system.The military analysis website Shephard News says there is no independent confirmation that it was a Ukrainian missile that was responsible for the explosions. It says that, based on visual evidence of an initial fire and secondary explosions, an alternative theory could be that the explosions started after a munitions-handling failure by Russian troops.Unlike the majority of ballistic missiles, which never see use, the Tochka-U has caused a lot of destruction around the world.The first operational use of the Tochka-U was during the 1994 Yemen civil war, where the northern forces fired them at the Saudi-backed southern side — often hitting military bases and causing many casualties.SOURCES: BBC, Deutsche Welledw.com/en/ukraine-claims-to-have-sunk-russian-warship-orsk/a-61252595bbc.com/news/world-europe-60859337
Roman Abramovich ‘Poisoned’ During Peace Talks: Animated Reenactment of Russian Oligarch Poisoning TomoNews US 2022-03-31 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Roman Abramovich poisoned: explainer. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators were allegedly poisoned after eating chocolates and drinking water during informal peace talks last month.According to The Wall Street Journal, Abramovich, Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov and another negotiator developed symptoms after a March 3 meeting in Kyiv. These included peeling skin on their faces and hands, red eyes and constant, painful watering.According to a source cited by The Guardian, Abramovich also lost his sight for several hours after the incident.The poison may have consisted of organophosphates, the base chemical in nerve agents, according to one former chemical weapons colonel cited by Marca, though investigative outlet Bellingcat said the poisoning occurred through an “undefined” chemical weapon, adding that initial symptoms abated the next morning.Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is also known to have met with Abramovich, but was not affected, according to Bellingcat, and all of those involved have since recovered.As to the motivation behind the attack, allies of the poisoned men blamed ‘hardliners’ in Moscow, who allegedly ‘wanted to sabotage talks to end the war,’ according to The Guardian.SOURCES: Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Marca, The Independent, BBCwsj.com/articles/roman-abramovich-and-ukrainian-peace-negotiators-suffer-symptoms-of-suspected-poisoning-11648480493theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/28/abramovich-and-ukrainian-mp-may-have-been-poisoned-this-monthmarca.com/en/football/chelsea/2022/03/29/6242fc0c46163fe1968b45a2.htmlindependent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-abramovich-poisoning-peace-b2045780.htmlbbc.com/news/world-europe-60904676
Russia’s New Terminator Machines Spotted at Ukraine Border TomoNews US 2022-03-30 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia’s new “Terminator” machines have been spotted near the Ukraine border.The Drive reports that some of Russia’s brand new BMPT-72 armored fighting vehicles have been spotted near the Ukrainian border at the start of the Russian invasion. Nicknamed the Terminator 2, the BMPT-72 is designed to support tanks, not carry troops. For this purpose it features four anti-tank missiles and two automatic cannons.One of the cannons fires high-explosive rounds that have a wider kill zone, while the other fires armor-piercing rounds that can penetrate thin armor and walls. The original model also featured two frontal grenade launchers, which can unleash a deadly storm of shrapnel against infantry at any range. Most of the new models do not have such launchers, although some new models have been photographed with them. The BMPT-72 is designed to protect heavy tanks in urban terrain. Its fast-moving turret can lift its machine guns at high angles to hit targets high up in buildings. The idea is that the BMPT-72 would suppress infantry targets like Javelin missile teams, while the tanks use their big guns to blow away walls and engage other tanks.The number of BMPT-72s in the Russian arsenal is a tightly guarded secret, but some analysts think Russia currently only has around a dozen of them. This would explain why none have been spotted inside Ukraine, so far.The war in Ukraine has been very costly for Russia, with a lot of Russian APCs and tanks having been destroyed, abandoned or left behind after getting stuck in thick mud. On Thursday, March 24, a Russian landing ship blew up, damaging two other Russian vessels in the occupied Ukrainian port city of Berdyansk. The Ukrainian military posted footage of the ship blowing up and said the ship had been hit by its forces.Details of what caused the explosion and fire on board the ship are unclear.SOURCES: The Drive, Janes Defense Newsthedrive.com/the-war-zone/44389/russia-sends-its-terminator-advanced-urban-fighting-vehicles-towards-ukrainejanes.com/defence-news/news-detail/russias-central-military-district-receives-new-equipment-including-bmpt-terminator
Russian Invasion: Disturbing Radioactive Dust at Chernobyl Suicidal TomoNews US 2022-03-30 | CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE — Chernobyl dust kicked up during Russian capture of the site a 'suicidal' decision for soldiers involved. Explainer.Russian soldiers who drove their vehicles through Chernobyl’s toxic ‘red forest’ kicked up clouds of radioactive dust on their way to capturing the nuclear site in the opening days of Russia’s invasion, according to plant workers cited by Reuters, with a sensor near waste storage facilities recording the absorbed dose of radiation as seven times higher than normal, according to the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management.Without radiation protection, this was ‘suicidal’ for the soldiers, according to one Chernobyl worker, as the radioactive dust is likely to cause internal radiation in their bodies.However, it is not the main nuclear threat to Ukraine right now, according to nuclear expert Vadim Chumak, cited by MIT Technology Review.Rather, the main threat comes through spent fuel. There are about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies stored at the Chernobyl site, and they contain a huge amount of fission products, such as cesium and strontium, which are very radioactive. If Russia was ‘crazy enough’ to demolish these storage sites, Chumak said, it would “pose a problem.”The scale of that problem at Chernobyl is mitigated by the fact that the material has already decayed over time. However, elsewhere, at Zaporizhzhia, the second Ukrainian nuclear plant the Russians have captured, any damage to the spent fuel assemblies could “result in an enormous radiological emergency, comparable to what happened [originally] in Chernobyl,” according to Chumak.This possibility is of particular concern because while reactor buildings are extremely difficult to destroy, spent fuel assembly storage was never designed to be attacked by tanks or missiles, and “definitely could not resist a strike by modern weapons.”What’s more, the vulnerability of these bundles of used fuel rods was demonstrated in Fukushima, according to Chumak. There, the developers ‘put countermeasures for a tsunami in place to protect the equipment. But the tsunami was one or two meters higher than predicted for the worst-case scenario,’ he said. In that instance, rising temperatures in spent fuel rods along with explosions and a fire contributed to the release of higher levels of radiation from the plant.SOURCES: Reuters, MIT Technology Reviewindependent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-chernobyl-radioactive-dust-b2046066.htmltechnologyreview.com/2022/03/25/1048297/nuclear-risk-in-ukraine-a-radiation-expert-speaks-from-kyiv
Militarization of the South China Sea: Philippines China Tensions as China Risks Collision TomoNews US 2022-03-29 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES —Philippines China tensions: summary. Plus, the militarization of the South China Sea explained. The Philippine Coast Guard has accused a Chinese Coast Guard boat of steering within meters of one of its vessels in the South China Sea, according to Agence France Presse.The incident occured March 2, near the contested Scarborough Shoal, one of the region's richest fishing areas, and the Philippines’ statement accuses China of breaking international rules and risking a collision as its boat allegedly came within 19 meters of a Filipino patrol boat.According to The Associated Press, the last 12 months has seen three similar incidents around the same area, with two coming in June during a Philippine maritime exercise and one coming a month before that when a Chinese Coast Guard ship moved close to a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries vessel.Additionally, in November, a Chinese Coast Guard ship fired a water cannon at Filipino boats trying to re-supply Filipino forces occupying the Second Thomas Shoal.The broader context for all such confrontations is that China makes sweeping and contested claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea, home to an estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, plus rich fishing grounds and strategically important shipping lanes.These claims rest on the so-called ‘nine-dash line’ border, first inscribed on a Chinese map in 1947, according to Time Magazine and, despite the fact that a 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against its legal legitimacy, China has looked to enforce it both with efforts at intimidation of other countries’ vessels and by physically building in the region.”The Council on Foreign Relations explains: “In recent years, satellite imagery has shown China’s increased efforts to reclaim land in the South China Sea by physically increasing the size of islands or creating new islands altogether.”Practically this means that in addition to piling sand onto existing reefs, China has built ports, military installations, and airstrips — most notably in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, where it has 20 and seven outposts, respectively.Additionally, and more recently, The Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, published satellite images that show China is also aggressively building electronic warfare installations in the area with the same broad aims in mind.The CSIS suggests that these installations could be designed to turn the waterway into an electronic "dead zone," in which U.S. ships and planes would find it hard to function.SOURCES: Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Council on Foreign Relationsfrance24.com/en/live-news/20220327-philippine-coastguard-accuses-china-ship-of-risking-collisionnews.yahoo.com/philippine-coast-guard-chinese-maneuvers-075839496.htmlcfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ — Ukraine’s Never-Ending Battle Near Kyiv TomoNews US 2022-03-28 | HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — After Russia attacked and took the airport at Hostomel — also known as Antonov Airport — on the first day of the invasion, the Ukrainians fought back. That night a small force of Ukrainian paratroopers infiltrated the forest outside the airport’s high wall. They made the mistake of sending five men over the wall, where Russian special forces were waiting. After taking withering fire from Russian machine guns and grenade launchers, the Ukrainians called in airstrikes on the Russian positions. Here’s how the battle ended:The Wall Street Journal reports that, after calling in an artillery strike, the small Ukrainian paratrooper force set up missile firing positions to take out any Russian planes that might try to land at the airport. Having taken several casualties, the main force then retreated toward the south. Suddenly, they heard the roar of Russian tanks and BMPs coming in their direction. The Ukrainians scurried to set up an ambush in the dark. When the Russian armor came within range, they fired an anti-tank missile, which destroyed the leading tank. They then fired rocket-propelled grenades at the remaining vehicles, which quickly turned around and sped away. A short while later, the soldiers were met by civilians who used their cars to take the injured to hospital. Over the next few days Ukrainian forces managed to halt Russian forces on a front line around Hostomel. Since that first day of the invasion, heavy fighting has continued for weeks around the airport, and Russia has been unable to land its big transport planes at the airport — which lies just outside Kyiv.Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defenders had been able to inflict losses on the Russian war machine by mixing effective tactics with expensive Western missile systems.SOURCES: Wall Street Journal, New York Timeswsj.com/articles/putin-thought-ukraine-would-fall-quickly-an-airport-battle-proved-him-wrong-11646343121nytimes.com/interactive/2022/world/europe/ukraine-maps.html
Ukraine Airport Battle: Ambush at Zero Dark Forty TomoNews US 2022-03-26 | HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — In part two of this video series we looked at how — on the first day of the Russian invasion — Hostomel airport was hit by first a cruise missile, then by three hours of helicopter strafing, followed by Russian special forces being inserted by helicopters. That night, Ukrainian forces tried to infiltrate the area around the airport to shoot down incoming Russian troop-carrier planes. A force of 48 Ukrainian paratroopers were approaching the airport under cover of darkness when they were spotted by a Russian microdrone. Here’s what happened next.The Wall Street Journal reports that the Ukrainians, knowing they had been spotted, stormed the airport, but they ran into the airport’s tall concrete wall topped with barbed wire.Lacking explosives to blast through, the team cut a hole in the wire and started scaling the wall. Five made it over. Then a Russian machine gun opened up at them. Three of the Ukrainians were badly injured. The incoming fire pinned the team down, and a grenade exploded close to them, setting the grass around them on fire. They realized that the enemy had used their time to build a strong line of defense, so they called in coordinates for Ukrainian artillery to hit the enemy from the south. At that stage, another Ukrainian attack was launched by an armored unit that had approached the airport from the north, so the team managed to set up firing positions for anti-aircraft missiles. Their commander was then told via radio that the Russian airlift operation was called off, because the Russians realized Ukrainian missile teams were active in the zone outside the airport perimeter.We’ll show you how the battle for Hostomel ended tomorrow. The battle happened on the first day of the invasion, and it resulted in a flood of video footage as Ukrainian civilians used their phone cameras to record images of the battle. The footage shows hundreds of Russian helicopters flying low over Ukraine as they headed toward the strategic airport. Some also show Russian helicopters being shot down by missile teams while on their way.SOURCES: Wall Street Journal, New York Timeswsj.com/articles/putin-thought-ukraine-would-fall-quickly-an-airport-battle-proved-him-wrong-11646343121nytimes.com/interactive/2022/world/europe/ukraine-maps.html
Game of Thrones-esque Ice Wall Blocked First American Migrants TomoNews US 2022-03-25 | CORVALLIS, OREGON — A massive wall of ice may have stopped the first people entering the Americas doing so via the land bridge that connected it with Asia, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which instead suggested they likely arrived via boats along the Pacific coast.Previous research has suggested an ice-free corridor between the ice sheets that covered North America at the time may have allowed for travel from Beringia, the landmass that connected Asia with North America, down to the Great Plains.However, analysis of geological samples from six locations found that the ice-free corridor did not fully open until about 13,800 years ago, whereas, according to Live Science, previous studies have discovered stone artifacts in central Mexico that were at least 26,500 years old, which would mean these earliest immigrants’ path would’ve been blocked by ice sheets.These sheets may have been between 1,500 and 3,000 feet, or 455 to 910 meters high, according to the new study, which makes them taller than any building on Earth.SOURCES: Live Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.livescience.com/first-americans-ice-wallpnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2118558119Live Science, CTV News, NY Times, CNN, Archaeology.org, Live Science, Science Direct, CNN, The Guardian, Nature journal, National Geographicedition.cnn.com/2021/10/20/world/vikings-arrival-americas-scn/index.htmltheguardian.com/science/2021/oct/20/vikings-settled-north-america-1000-years-ago-solar-stormnature.com/articles/s41586-021-03972-8#Sec2nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ancient-solar-storm-pinpoints-viking-settlement-americas-exactly-1000-years-agoarchaeology.org/news/9661-210427-viking-boat-cavelivescience.com/viking-boat-structure-ragnarok.htmlsciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440320302363livescience.com/viking-ship-cult-burial.htmlnytimes.com/2020/11/11/world/europe/viking-discovery.htmledition.cnn.com/2020/11/10/europe/viking-site-radar-norway-scli-intl-scn/index.htmlctvnews.ca/sci-tech/ground-penetrating-radar-reveals-viking-ship-burial-iron-age-cult-house-in-norway-1.5182987?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D89530 Nature Ecology and Evolution, Business Insider, La Brea Tarpits and Museum, Encyclopedia Britannicanature.com/articles/s41559-017-0131http://www.businessinsider.in/A-treasure-trove-of-sabre-tooth-tiger-and-dire-wolf-bones-show-how-prehistoric-predators-made-their-kills/articleshow/58695801.cmstarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits/timelinebritannica.com/animal/dire-wolf#ref197131
Airport Battle: Ukraine Strikes Back TomoNews US 2022-03-24 | HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — In part one of this video series we looked at how — on the first day of the Russian invasion — Hostomel airport near Kyiv was hit at 7 a.m. by a Russian cruise missile. A few hours later, dozens of Russian helicopter gunships started engaging the airport’s defenders for hours. Here’s what happened next.The Wall Street Journal reports that, after nearly three hours of strafing Hostomel airport on the first day of the invasion, Russian helicopters started to disgorge elite Russian soldiers on the most remote parts of the airport’s open fields. These troops could later be seen on helmet cam as they carefully engaged the remaining resistance and moved toward the airport’s built-up area. Here, they set up roadblocks and anti-tank missiles to stop Ukrainian counter attacks. As the Russians dug in, Ukrainian intelligence realized that Moscow planned to send 18 transport aircraft into Ukraine from Belarus. That night, a unit of 48 Ukrainian paratroopers jumped into three helicopters and sped toward Hostomel. Their mission was to get close enough to the landing strip to destroy at least the first Russian transport aircraft, so no others would dare to land. The small Ukrainian force dismounted in a field west of the airport and approached it on foot, under cover of darkness. Suddenly, a Russian surveillance drone buzzed over them, and they realized that they had been spotted.Tomorrow we’ll show you part three of the battle of Hostomel airport. Interestingly, combat footage of the first day of the battle shows many parts of the battle unfolding. One video shows a Russian Kamov Ka-52 attack helicopter conducting many strafing runs before it is damaged by Ukrainian fire and has to make an emergency landing in one of the fields surrounding the airstrip. In another video, Ukraine’s famous Antonov An-225 cargo plane can be seen burning to the ground in its open hangar. The An-225 was the world’s largest functional cargo plane, and only one was ever built. It is not certain if it was hit by Russian fire, or if the Ukrainians destroyed it to prevent the Russians from using it.There are also quite a few videos showing hundreds of Russian attack and troop-carrying helicopters converging on Hostomel from all sides. Most of these videos were taken by Ukrainian civilians using their phone cameras to get footage of the attack from their homes and cars.SOURCES: Wall Street Journal, New York Timeswsj.com/articles/putin-thought-ukraine-would-fall-quickly-an-airport-battle-proved-him-wrong-11646343121nytimes.com/interactive/2022/world/europe/ukraine-maps.html
China Boeing 737 Plane Crash Animation: China Eastern Airlines MU5735 Plane Crash TomoNews US 2022-03-24 | WUZHOU, CHINA — China Boeing 737 plane crash animation. China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 pulled out of one nosedive before another sent it crashing to the ground, according to flight data cited by the South China Morning Post.On Monday, the Boeing 737-800 was traveling from Kunming, carrying 132 people, and had been due to land in Guangzhou in the afternoon.Data from FlightRadar24 shows that just after 2:20 p.m. the plane was at 29,100 feet when it began to dive down at speeds of up to 348 miles per hour.After 20 seconds, the rate of descent became slower, and for the next 45 seconds the plane began to slowly level off, before reaching 7,425 feet above the ground and eventually beginning to climb back up.About 15 seconds later, however, with the plane at 8,600 feet, it fell into a second dive which it did not recover from, crashing into the ground after around 30 seconds of falling, in a wooded area of Teng county, near Wuzhou city. No survivors have been found.SOURCES: Associated Press, South China Morning Post, BBCapnews.com/article/china-eastern-plane-crash-what-happened-c8f4d525f390e0d725ae499904464178scmp.com/news/china/article/3171470/china-eastern-airlines-flight-mu5735-data-suggest-pilots-pulled-outbbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60830395Wired, The Air Current, Boeing, Asia Timeswired.com/story/boeing-safety-warning-737-max-nosedivetheaircurrent.com/aviation-safety/what-is-the-boeing-737-max-maneuvering-characteristics-augmentation-system-mcas-jt610http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_12/attack_story.htmlasiatimes.com/2019/03/article/was-the-737-max-problem-just-bad-software
Ukraine Drones: U.S. Sending ‘Kamikaze’ Switchblade Drone to Kyiv TomoNews US 2022-03-23 | KYIV, UKRAINE — The U.S. is sending 100 Switchblade drones to Ukraine to help fight off the Russian invasion as part of the Biden administration’s new $800 million weapons package. The single-use drone is small enough to be carried in a backpack and can be set up and launched in two minutes. Ideal for urban combat, it can loiter in the air for up to 15 minutes before performing a precision strike directed by an operator in the field.The Switchblade is a 2-foot long, 5-pound drone designed to loiter over the battlefield and crash into its target while detonating an explosive warhead. The drone is launched from a tube and operated with a handheld controller. It fits in a backpack and can be set up in less than two minutes. The smaller Switchblade 300 is designed to take out enemy personnel and light armored vehicles. The larger Switchblade 600 can destroy heavy armor like tanks. The Switchblade 300 uses daytime and infrared cameras and GPS to target distant enemy positions. It has a range of 6 miles and can fly for 15 minutes. A “wave off” feature allows the operator to call off a strike within four seconds of detonation to engage a different target. This makes the Switchblade ideal for urban combat because it limits collateral damage and allows for strikes with pinpoint accuracy.SOURCES: AeroVironment, CNN, The Driveavinc.com/tms/switchbladeedition.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/biden-military-assistance-ukraine/index.htmlthedrive.com/the-war-zone/44785/ukrainian-president-zelensky-pleads-for-air-defenses-in-speech-to-u-s-congressthedrive.com/the-war-zone/34414/we-talk-killer-drones-and-the-future-of-unmanned-warfare-with-aerovironments-steve-gitlinavinc.com/tms/switchblade
Antarctic Heat Wave: Antarctica and Arctic Both Experience Historic High Temperatures TomoNews US 2022-03-23 | ANTARCTICA — Antarctic heat wave explained.Earth's poles have been experiencing major heat waves simultaneously, with the Arctic 6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 1979 to 2000 average on Friday, March 18, and the Antarctic, heading toward its Autumn period, about 8.6 degrees warmer, according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer.Individual weather stations in the latter region emphasize the scale of the heat, with the Vostok station recording temperatures around 27 degrees above its all-time record, while the remote research station at Dome C reached around 68 degrees warmer than its average for this time of year since 1990, according to Berkeley Earth lead scientist Robert Rohde.In both regions, warm air being transported by strong winds is responsible for the temperature spikes, according to Severe Weather Europe, though an atmospheric river was also a major contributing factor in the eastern Antarctic, according to one climate researcher cited by The Guardian.“These are rivers of moisture in the air that bring warm and moist air to certain locations, and there was a really significant one occurring in that region over Antarctica,” Julie Arblaster of Monash University explained. The moist air trapped heat above the continent, and that resulted in the warm surface temperatures.Such heat would have to persist for a fairly long time to have a significant impact on the Antarctic ice sheet, according to Andrew Mackintosh, head of the school of earth, atmosphere and environment at Monash University, though the ultimate danger is that ice shelves that extend out over the ocean could melt and, as a result, “grounded ice that sits inland would flow out faster … go to the ocean and cause sea level rise.”In the Arctic, however, there has already been a sharp drop in levels of sea ice this month, adding to a study last year that found sea ice across much of the Arctic thinning twice as quickly as previously thought, according to The Guardian. SOURCES: Associated Press, The Guardian, Climate Reanalyzer, Severe Weather Europeapnews.com/article/climate-science-colorado-arctic-antarctica-eda9ea8704108bdab2480fa2cd4b6e34?fbclid=IwAR0hBd3V5xDOMWfcBPKNdahC-rRyn4MK7a8nw5cQgXtiu38wrp4bq-KQ3yw#l0xbkssh3xh5h6ukstgtheguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/21/extremes-of-40c-above-normal-whats-causing-extraordinary-heating-in-polar-regionsclimatereanalyzer.orghttps://www.severe-weather.eu/global-weather/polar-circle-strong-temperatue-wave-forecast-spring-march-2022-fa/Polar Portal, Space.comhttp://polarportal.dk/en/greenland/mass-and-height-change/space.com/greenland-ice-loss-cover-united-statesScience Magazine, BBC, American Geophysical Union conferencescience.org/content/article/ice-shelf-holding-back-keystone-antarctic-glacier-within-years-failurebbc.com/news/science-environment-59644494agu.confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/978762
Ukraine War: The Intense Battle for Hostomel Airport TomoNews US 2022-03-23 | HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — Russia says it sent 200 helicopters to attack Hostomel airport outside Kyiv on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine. First-hand accounts of what happened that day now explain why Russia is still struggling to make use of the airport.The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about what happened during the battle of Hostomel airport during the first day of the Russian invasion. The Journal quoted first-hand accounts that said the airport was hit by a Russian cruise missile at 7 a.m. on the morning of February 24. A few hours later, dozens of Russian attack helicopters and aircraft started strafing the airport’s defenders with rockets and machine gun fire. The airport’s defenders were Ukraine’s elite Rapid Reaction Brigade, who were based at the airport to deploy their skill set quickly. The defenders quickly recovered and started to fan out over the large airbase, armed with rifles, anti-aircraft guns and some shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. The Russian aircraft flew in twos and threes, circling for strike runs on the airport and the base. This initial Russian barrage badly damaged the largest transport aircraft ever made, the Ukrainian made Antonov An-225. The defenders say they managed to down three Russian helicopters with missiles, and another two with heavy machine gun fire.After nearly three hours of strafing the airport from the air, Russian helicopters began to land to deliver a large force of airborne troops, who fanned out and began firing. But more about that in our next video.Footage released on social media shows Russian soldiers dismounting from helicopters at the airport, while other footage shows a Russian helicopter gunship attacking ground targets over the airport. The Russian Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator” helicopter can be seen making many attack runs over the airport before it is damaged and forced to crash-land.SOURCES: Wall Street Journalwsj.com/articles/putin-thought-ukraine-would-fall-quickly-an-airport-battle-proved-him-wrong-11646343121
NASA’s Most Powerful Ever Rocket (SLS) May Be Its Last TomoNews US 2022-03-22 | WASHINGTON — NASA’s Most Powerful Ever Rocket (SLS) May Be Its Last - here's why.As NASA successfully moved its massive new Space Launch System rocket to Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, March 18, ready for tests that pump more than 3.2 million liters of cryogenic propellants into its tanks, Space site Ars Technica explains its role in carrying the Orion crew capsule could be the last time NASA attempts to build its own rocket in-house, for financial and logistical reasons.The background is this. After committing in 2005 to return humans to the Moon and then push on to Mars through its Artemis program, the cost of NASA flying one Orion and SLS mission per year has spiraled up to $4.1 billion, while numerous delays have pushed back launch dates repeatedly.The SLS’s first uncrewed mission, Artemis 1, could be ready to launch in June, but this schedule has already seen its first crewed mission, Artemis 2, pushed from April 2022 to May 2023 and its first crewed mission to land on the Moon pushed from 2024 to 2025, according to Gizmodo.Now, Ars Technica suggests that such problems and the expense behind them can largely be attributed to a funding structure built by Congress, which has prioritized hiring contractors across 50 states, rather than allowing private-sector-funded rockets like SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, or its forthcoming Starship vehicle, to power the project at lower costs.The site summarizes: “NASA could have just bought launch services from the private sector at a significant discount” and focused its own efforts on developing technologies such as in-space fuel depots, propellant transfer in orbit, and space-based propulsion.This situation leads the site to the following conclusion, seemingly dramatic conclusion: the combination of cost, time and the existence of companies with currently better setups makes it unlikely that NASA will take on another equivalent project in future.SOURCES: New Atlas, BBC, Ars Technicanewatlas.com/space/nasas-sls-moon-rocket-launch-padbbc.com/news/science-environment-60788761arstechnica.com/science/2022/03/its-huge-expensive-and-years-late-but-the-sls-rocket-is-finally-hereSpace.com, StemRad, European Space Agencyspace.com/phantom-dummy-stemrad-radiation-vest-artemis-mission.htmlspace.com/40590-anti-radiation-life-vest-deep-space.htmlspace.com/22252-women-astronauts-radiation-risk.htmlstemrad.com/astrorad-4https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion/Radiation_for_dummiesPhys.org, NASA, The New York Times phys.org/news/2019-05-nasa-unveils-artemis-moon-mission.htmlnasa.gov/artemisnasa.gov/mission_pages/themis/news/artemis-orbit.htmlnasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/20170724-ppe-rfi-industry-forum-v5.pdfnasa.gov/themis-and-artemisnasa.gov/specials/moon2marsnytimes.com/2019/05/13/science/trump-nasa-moon-mars.htmlBBC, NY Times, The Guardian, Business Insiderbbc.com/news/science-environment-54583588nytimes.com/2021/01/16/science/nasa-rocket-sls-test.htmltheguardian.com/science/2021/jan/16/nasa-boeing-deep-space-rocket-once-in-a-generation-testbusinessinsider.com/nasa-moon-rockets-engine-issue-could-doom-2021-launch-2021-1
Ukraine’s Mud Forcing Russian Tanks Into Howitzer Traps TomoNews US 2022-03-19 | SKYBYN, UKRAINE — Rasputitsa is the name given to the terribly muddy conditions that affect Russia and Ukraine when spring temperatures melt the winter snow. It was a huge problem when first Napoleon and then Hitler tried to invade Russia, and it's now a huge problem for Putin trying to invade Ukraine.France24 reports that springtime temperatures are starting to turn Ukraine into a quagmire of mud. This has led to many Russian armored vehicles and even tanks getting stuck in the stuff, forcing their crews to abandon them. This means Russian armor has to stay on roads, and can’t risk maneuvering over open ground. Ukraine’s army has been able exploit this limitation by getting information on where the convoys are moving toward. They can then choose an ambush point and use trucks to pull long-range artillery pieces into a position where it can hit the ambush point accurately. Drones can then be used to show when the enemy reached the ambush point. Drone footage recently showed how one such artillery ambush managed to drop shells on dozens of Russian tanks that had clustered together in the town of Skybyn. The drone recorded as shell after shell rained down on the armored vehicles, scoring a few direct hits. The convoy then quickly retreated back up the road it came in on. Ukrainian missile teams then moved in and managed to destroy more of these tanks just north of Skybyn.Russian armor continues to amass around major cities in Ukraine, while mostly keeping to paved roads, where Ukrainian infantry units can often engage them with anti-tank missiles from short distances. SOURCES: France24.com, Slate.comfrance24.com/en/live-news/20220308-ukraine-thaw-could-slow-russian-advance-in-mudslate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/mud-in-ukraine-history-of-russian-army-and-rasputitsa.html
Helmet Cam Shows Close-Quarters Tank Battle in Mariupol TomoNews US 2022-03-18 | MARIUPOL, UKRAINE — The gunner of a Ukrainian BTR-4 fighting vehicle had his helmet cam on when he engaged multiple Russian tanks and APCs in a deadly motorized street fight. The result is a fascinating look at the high-risk game of modern motorized warfare. Here’s how it happened:The Telegraph has posted helmet cam footage that was released by the Ukrainian National Guard’s Azov regiment. The regiment says the footage shows the targeting screen of the gunner of a Ukrainian BTR-4 that was engaging Russian armor in the outskirts of Mariupol in Ukraine. The footage shows the view through the APC’s gun camera as the vehicle arrives at a street corner and sights a Russian T-72 tank. The viewer can then see the gunner aiming the vehicle’s 30 millimeter cannon and firing multiple rounds into the tank, as the Ukrainian vehicle slowly backs up to get behind the cover of a house. In another clip, the same vehicle gets to another street corner, sights a Russian APC, and starts firing shells at it. Troops can be seen hiding behind the Russian APC as the gunner then aims the cannon to impact in front of the APC, thereby hoping to create deadly shrapnel flying underneath the armored vehicle and hitting the soldiers behind. The gunner then fires many more shells into the front of the APC, severely damaging it, before speeding off.The BTR-4 is an amphibious 8 by 8 wheel armored personnel carrier, or APC, designed in Ukraine by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau. Although Ukraine has been fighting back and having many successes, the Russian invasion is still advancing.SOURCES: New York Times, Business Insidernytimes.com/live/2022/03/16/world/ukraine-russia-warbusinessinsider.com/video-ukraine-amphibious-vehicle-destroys-russian-armor-in-mariupol-2022-3
U.S. Water Crisis: Western States Turn to Cloud Seeding to Fight Worst Drought in 1,200 Years TomoNews US 2022-03-18 | CHEYENNE, WYOMING — U.S. cloud seeding explainer. Western U.S. states in the midst of a two decade-long drought that is the worst in 1,200 years are turning to cloud seeding to increase the water supply, according to CNN, with Wyoming a recent adopter of the method.The process involves inserting silver iodide crystals, which have a shape similar to ice crystals, into clouds so supercooled water droplets accumulate around them and gain enough mass to form snowflakes.Proponents say studies prove more snow is created than otherwise would have fallen and that at $28 to $34 per acre foot it represents one effective countermeasure against droughts.However, seeding cannot be done without clouds that are going to produce a certain amount of snow anyway, and some are concerned it is effectively stealing snow from other areas rather than making more.UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain told CNN: “It may be, at least on a regional basis, a zero-sum game where if water falls out of the cloud in one spot, it’s even drier by the time it makes it downwind.”SOURCES: CNN, The Guardian, Wyoming Water Development Office, The Conversationedition.cnn.com/2022/03/14/weather/cloud-seeding-weather-modification-wxn/index.htmltheguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/15/us-west-megadrought-worst-1200-years-studywwdc.state.wy.us/weathermod/WxMod_Fact-Sheet_2019.pdftheconversation.com/cloud-seeding-might-not-be-as-promising-as-drought-troubled-states-hope-177233The Star, New Straits Times, Channel News Asiahttp://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/03/04/Cloud-seeding-brings-brief-respite-Operation-to-induce-rainfall-provides-break-from-heat-and-haze-in/http://www.nst.com.my/latest/get-ready-for-shower-as-cloud-seeding-ops-to-start-soon-1.497131http://www.nst.com.my/latest/get-ready-for-shower-as-cloud-seeding-ops-to-start-soon-1.497131
Russia Slams Ukraine With Cluster Bombs and Thermobaric Weapons TomoNews US 2022-03-17 | KYIV, UKRAINE — The U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner said on Friday, March 11 it had received “credible reports” of several cases of Russian forces deploying cluster munitions in Ukraine. “Due to their wide area effects, the use of cluster munitions in populated areas is incompatible with the international humanitarian law principles governing the conduct of hostilities,” the statement read, adding that use of such weapons in towns and villages “may amount to war crimes.”Cluster bombs are banned by more than 100 countries under the 2010 Convention on Cluster Munitions, according to Human Rights Watch. Despite this, they are still used by militaries around the world, including those of Russia, China, the U.S. and Ukraine.Previously, The Guardian reported that Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. said Russia had started using thermobaric weapons to bomb Ukrainian cities. This comes in the wake of multiple social media posts showing TOS-1 thermobaric missile launchers entering Ukraine.
Putin’s ‘Mystery Missiles’: Russia Firing Decoys From Iskander-M Ballistic Missiles TomoNews US 2022-03-17 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Russian Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles fired into Ukraine from Russia have been found to contain decoys that trick air-defense radars and heat-seeking missiles, according to The Drive.One Russian Iskander system 9M723 missile can be loaded with at least six of what the Collective Awareness to Unexploded Ordnance group has identified as Russian 9B899 submunition.These decoys are released during the terminal phase of the missile’s flight, according to Michael Duitsman of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, likely in response to the primary, 9M723 missile being illuminated by air defense radars, according to The Drive.The decoys themselves seem to contain a jammer that can disrupt radar-frequency emitters and a heat source to mislead infrared-guided missiles, and The New York Times explains that their use could partly explain Ukrainian air-defense weapons’ difficulty in intercepting Russia’s Iskander missiles.SOURCES: The New York Times, The Drive thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44760/russias-use-of-iskander-ballistic-missiles-in-ukraine-exposes-secret-decoy-capabilitynytimes.com/2022/03/14/us/russia-ukraine-weapons-decoy.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20220316&instance_id=55880&nl=updates-from-the-newsroom®i_id=163817602&segment_id=85667&te=1&user_id=a6732d5e01cb3200939ecaf36d89244bReuters, Business Insider, National Interestreuters.com/world/biden-approves-350-million-military-aid-ukraine-2022-02-26nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/united-states-sending-stinger-missiles-ukraine-200910businessinsider.com/president-biden-send-stinger-missiles-ukraine-shoot-russian-helicopters-2022-3The Guardian, Reuters, The Drive, Globalsecurity.orgreuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-ambassador-us-says-russia-used-vacuum-bomb-monday-2022-02-28theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/01/what-are-thermobaric-weapons-and-how-do-they-workthedrive.com/the-war-zone/44479/the-truth-about-russias-terrifying-tos-1a-thermobaric-rocket-launchers-now-in-ukraineglobalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/tos-1a.htm Bloomberg, Business Insider, Warleaksbloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-15/success-of-st-javelin-could-also-make-ukraine-war-more-brutalhttps://www.businessinsider.co.za/video-ukraine-ambushes-russia-tanks-missile-launcher-near-kyiv-2022-3youtube.com/watch?v=IfRcmJTAouM
Coronavirus Brain Damage: Two Ways COVID-19 Can Cause Long COVID TomoNews US 2022-03-16 | CHICAGO — Coronavirus brain damage: Two ways COVID-19 can cause long COVID explained. At least one-third of people who have had COVID-19 experience neurological complications, according to the chief of Neuroinfectious Diseases and Global Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, and Axios reports that scientists have established two possible mechanisms behind the phenomenon.A study in science journal Nature found that SARS-CoV-2 has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier which usually tightly regulates the movement of molecules, ions and cells between the blood and the central nervous system, resulting in degradation.A U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information study, meanwhile, found that brain-barrier cells of the choroid plexus can become inflamed, relay inflammation onto glial cells and cause damage to neurons.Without indicating which of these mechanisms was responsible, a separate study in Nature found even people with mild COVID-19 infections showed evidence of cognitive decline, degeneration in parts of the brain and brain shrinkage. SOURCES: Axios, Nature, U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Informationaxios.com/covid-brain-fog-damage-4a2e6e6b-1e92-42e0-b545-9b6f4390629a.htmlnature.com/articles/s41586-022-04569-5_reference.pdfncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8400927ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4292164
Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov Threatens Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Says He’s in Ukraine TomoNews US 2022-03-16 | HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — Ramzan Kadyrov Ukraine war involvement. Chechen Leader threatens Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ramzan Kadyrov says he is in Ukraine, writing on Telegram that he has joined Russian forces in Ukraine as he claims to be heading toward ‘Nazis’ in Kyiv. The comments appeared alongside a video of the Chechnyan leader discussing military tactics with a group of soldiers, apparently taken March 13, at an airfield in the northwestern Kyiv suburb of Hostomel.The airfield is now well known as the location of a fierce battle in the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Russian forces first taking, then losing, then retaking the site.Though Kadyrov’s video could not be verified, the Institute for the Study for War says Chechen forces are confirmed to be participating in Russian efforts to encircle Kyiv from the west and, regardless of its veracity, it can be seen as an attempt to raise the morale of Chechen troops, who have reportedly suffered heavy losses in Ukraine in the wake of Kadyrov’s very public commitments to the invasion.Over the course of the war, Kadyrov has directly threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky more than once, writing on Telegram two weeks ago that ‘his only chance’ was to relinquish power, according to Bulgarian news agency Novinite.com, and offering a $500,000 reward for the head of each commander of the ‘Ukrainian nationalists’ according to the Caucasian Knot site.However, The Kyiv Independent reported that a Chechen special forces column of tanks near Hostomel was destroyed on February 26, with Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council saying those killed were part of an elite Chechen unit sent to assassinate Zelensky.SOURCES: The Guardian, Business Insidertheguardian.com/world/2022/mar/14/ukraine-chechen-leader-ramzan-kadyrovbusinessinsider.com/putin-ally-kadyrov-says-in-ukraine-kyiv-2022-3
Ukraine: Shocking Drone Footage Shows Close-Quarters Tank Ambush TomoNews US 2022-03-16 | SKYBYN, UKRAINE — Drone videos are giving the world a horrifying yet fascinating look at the tactics used by both sides of the war in Ukraine. A new video shows a very brave Ukrainian infantry team ambushing an entire column of Russian tanks and APCs with modern anti-tank missiles –- and that from an incredibly close distance of only 30 meters.A recent drone video posted by Warleaks shows a Russian armored convoy being ambushed on the E-95 highway just north of Skybyn in Ukraine. It is clear from the footage that a Ukrainian infantry team had constructed a concealed firing position that managed to keep them hidden from Russian tanks passing only 30 meters away. Without warning, the Ukrainian team fired multiple anti-tank missiles at the closest Russian vehicles. An N-LAW missile can be seen streaking over one tank, detonating above it. The explosion then punched through the tank’s thin roof armor and started a fire in the tank. Within seconds the tank’s crew can be seen exiting the tank and running in all directions. Behind the burning tank, Russian infantry exited their APCs, also running for cover while the ambush team sprayed automatic fire at them from close range. The APCs then took evasive action to escape from the kill zone. Behind them, two Russian tanks fired toward the main ambush position, hitting the area with high explosives, before another anti-tank rocket hit one of the tanks, seemingly with little effect.At the end of the video, the tank that was first hit by the first N-LAW missile can be seen rolling down the road, while a Russian APC maneuvers behind it. The tank is clearly cooking off, as the explosives inside it are starting to burn.The footage is a reminder of the sudden ferocity of war, as well as the brutal cruelty of a successful ambush followed by a successful counter ambush.SOURCES: Bloomberg, Business Insider, Warleaksbloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-15/success-of-st-javelin-could-also-make-ukraine-war-more-brutalhttps://www.businessinsider.co.za/video-ukraine-ambushes-russia-tanks-missile-launcher-near-kyiv-2022-3youtube.com/watch?v=IfRcmJTAouM
Ukraine Says It Sank Russian Warship After Luring It Into Kill Zone TomoNews US 2022-03-15 | KYIV , UKRAINE --- The Ukrainian military says it used a very low-tech way to sink a Russian warship that had attacked the soldiers who famously defended Ukraine’s Snake Island — after their commander told the invading force to go F itself.The Times of London reports that the Ukrainian military claims to have sunk the same Russian warship that attacked Ukraine’s Snake Island at the beginning of the invasion.Snake Island became world famous when a social media post claimed that its Ukrainian defenders told the attacking warship to go F itself, before they were killed. The Timessays the Ukrainian navy laid a trap for the ship by setting up a Grad rocket launcher and hiding it under camouflage netting. Small boats were then used to lure the warship to apre-targeted position. When the ship got close to the position, which was in the middle of the Grad’s kill zone, the Grad opened up, sending dozens of rockets, tipped with powerfulwarheads, screaming out over the ocean. The Ukrainian military says at least one of the rockets hit the ship, causing a fire that later sunk the ship. The news comes days afterUkraine sank its own flagship, a large frigate that was under repairs when the invasion started. The ship was scuttled to make sure the Russians couldn’t capture and use it.Regarding the famous story about the Ukrainian soldiers who were killed after bravely hurling F bombs at the invading fleet, it later emerged that those defenders were actually taken prisoner by the Russians.It still has to be confirmed whether it was one of these defenders who spoke the famous words, or whether it was simply a recording of a hoaxer who was speaking to another hoaxer over a radio.SOURCES: The Times of London, Times of Israel, Fox News, ABC7chicago.comthetimes.co.uk/article/russian-warship-that-attacked-ukraines-snake-island-is-destroyed-h279r25pctimesofisrael.com/russian-warship-that-attacked-snake-island-destroyed-reportfoxnews.com/world/ukraine-sank-russian-warship-snake-islandabc7chicago.com/snake-island-russian-warship-vasily-bykov-ukraine/11636208
Shocking Ukraine Drone Footage Shows Close Combat in Kherson TomoNews US 2022-03-14 | KHERSON, UKRAINE — Drone videos are giving the world a horrifying yet fascinating look at the tactics used by both sides of the war in Ukraine. A new video shows some classic mistakes made by both sides in an intense skirmish. Here are the details:A recent drone video posted on social media by Warleaks showed how isolated Russian infantry had to fight off a Ukrainian force in Kherson. The small Russian force was inserted over the town’s vital bridge over the Dnieper river, where it prevented sappers from blowing up the bridge and fought off any military advance. They then ambushed a small Ukrainian artillery convoy on the highway leading up to the bridge. Soon after, two Ukrainian BRDM-2 armored vehicles were seen approaching on the highway, from the Ukrainian side. The BRDM-2 crews made the mistake of not noticing that around 25 Russian troops had moved up to an ambush position between them and the burning convoy. Both vehicles drove right past the troops before the troops started firing at point blank range. The vehicles then stopped and Ukrainian troops poured out, some right in front of the attacking Russians. An intense exchange of gunfire and grenade throwing ensued. One of the BRDM-2s seemed too damaged to move and the embattled Ukrainians had to retreat under heavy fire in the remaining vehicle.It was clear from this close-quarter exchange that, in this instance, the Ukrainian artillery convoy did not have the protection required to survive a Russian ambush on friendly soil. In turn, the Russian force seemed to have only light weapons and could not bring an anti-armor weapon to bear on the retreating BRDM-2, although it did manage to knock out the lead vehicle. The Ukrainian force, in turn, paid a high price for not spotting the Russian ambush.SOURCES: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Al Jazeerawsj.com/articles/russian-advance-is-blunted-by-ukrainian-tactics-war-tested-troops-and-western-weapons-11646575579nytimes.com/2022/03/02/world/europe/kherson-ukraine-russia.htmlaljazeera.com/news/2022/3/3/why-capturing-ukraine-kherson-important-for-russia
How Ukraine Fights Back (3D Animation) TomoNews US 2022-03-13 | KYIV, UKRAINE — The Russian war machine is designed to get air superiority by using its large fleet of attack jets to pound enemy radar and anti-aircraft installations into oblivion. Once it gets air superiority, its strategy is to use its large arsenal of tanks and armored personnel carriers to steamroll over the target country.The Associated Press reports that, after two weeks of war, Russia is starting to lay siege to Ukrainian cities and pounding them with heavy artillery. The reason for this is partly because Ukrainian forces have been able to frustrate Russian war tactics by successfully deploying their limited number of expensive Western-made missile systems. Russia managed to gain air superiority early on by destroying large anti-aircraft and radar systems via air strikes. However, it later had to hold back most of its large aircraft arsenal after many of its attack planes and helicopters were shot down by roving bands of soldiers firing MANPAD missiles, like the famous Stinger, with lethal effect. Russia’s other tactical focus, its large tank force, has also been blunted by small groups of Ukrainian troops using advanced anti-tank missiles like the Javelin and N-LAW. These small infantry units had been able to stop large armored divisions in their tracks. Such tactics had trapped Russian armor in long, static convoys, where Ukrainian drones could bomb them from the air.One of the results of Ukraine’s dogged defense, is that many Russian war machines had to be abandoned on roads and fields because their supply trucks were blown up. This led to a large number of videos showing Ukrainian civilians using civilian methods to spirit the large war machines to secret locations. However, war analysts warn that, despite the fact that Ukrainian fighters have had many successes and inflicted many losses on Russian forces, it is far too soon to say that Russia is losing the war. Analysts believe it is still very early in the conflict, and Russia still has large forces at its disposal.SOURCES: AP News, New York Times, PBSapnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-evacuations-kharkiv-01693b3373cf8bcf2400ae29af992bbenytimes.com/2022/03/12/technology/ukraine-minister-war-digital.htmlpbs.org/newshour/show/why-russia-is-using-increasingly-brutal-tactics-in-ukraine
Ukraine No-Fly Zone: NATO No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine Would ‘Start a Larger War’ TomoNews US 2022-03-11 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine no-fly zone explainer. Why Ukraine no-fly zone is a bad idea.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over his country, sparking debate around its consequences in which most military and political leaders have come out against the idea.Speaking to Al Jazeera, associate professor of political science Peter Harris explained a no-fly zone in Ukraine would mean prohibiting Russian military planes from flying over it, and retired U.S. military personnel writing for War on the Rocks detail that this involves maintaining not only control of the air, but also the elimination of threats from the ground.The first issue with such air supremacy is that it is difficult to attain, and the second is that it may not even help Ukrainian aircraft, as currently they are not under major threat from Russian ground defenses, which are only available to the Russians in Russian-controlled areas.Additionally the concept represents a major escalation for little even theoretical gain, as current air parity in Ukraine has not significantly halted Russia’s advance through the country.Enforcement would require flights into Ukrainian airspace, putting NATO forces directly in contested airspace, while surface-based air defenses in bordering countries would not allow for domination of airspace Russian aircraft were flying in, but would invite the escalatory response of Russia attacking NATO aircraft over Ukraine from outside Ukraine.Even in terms of direct civilian casualties, a no-fly zone may have limited effect, as the majority of Ukrainian civilian casualties do not appear to have been caused by airpower but rather by artillery. Russian precision strikes seem to be inflicted by ballistic and cruise missiles, which once fired, it says, cannot be interdicted by aircraft in a no-fly zone.The end result, then, would appear in theory to be that NATO would enter a direct conflict with Russia, with what would at this stage be little to gain, either in military or humanitarian terms.SOURCES: War on the Rocks, Al Jazeera, The New York Timeswarontherocks.com/2022/03/the-dangerous-allure-of-the-no-fly-zonealjazeera.com/news/2022/3/7/russia-ukraine-what-is-no-fly-zone-why-has-nato-said-nonytimes.com/2022/03/05/world/europe/what-is-no-fly-zone.html
Russia Regrouping: Russia Will Attack Kyiv in Days After Regrouping TomoNews US 2022-03-10 | NORTHERN UKRAINE — Russia regrouping summary.Russian forces are overcoming early issues and “concentrating in the eastern, northwestern and western outskirts of Kyiv” as they prepare an “assault on the capital” in the coming days, according to The Guardian, citing the Institute for the Study of War.New satellite images of the long Russian convoy heading toward Kyiv from the northwest show it has not advanced beyond the airport in Hostomel, 30 kilometers outside Kyiv, but Russian forces elsewhere have been consolidating, notably in the Irpin area in the west and the Brovary area in the east, in what is characterized as an attempt to resupply, reorganize and plan.The necessity for such a regrouping was caused primarily by the flawed assumption that a quick, efficient ‘decapitation’ of the Ukrainian government was possible, because their forces would be welcomed as liberators, according to Michael Kofman, director of the Russia studies programme at the CNA thinktank.After a massive air assault on Hostomel airfield near Kyiv was repulsed, and lightly armored, vanguard forces working ahead of Russian air defenses initially failed in attempts to march into both Kyiv and Kharkiv in the first days of the conflict, Russia was not prepared for a larger, strategic ground offensive in Ukraine, and this lack of preparation saw the infamous large convoy stalled en route to Kyiv, with vehicles running out of fuel and breaking down.This in turn caused a traffic jam in the northwest, arguably the most direct route to Kyiv, and this has been “extremely hard to undo.”Now, though, progress does appear to be being made through the country, with Russia both more cautiously building its invasion by keeping its troops under the protection of its air defenses, and making progress outside of the still-stalled convoy in the northwest.Furthermore, limited air power available to the Ukrainians means that the convoy has not been destroyed and, by extrapolation, will eventually be able to join an attempt at a complete encirclement of the capital.In this context, The New Yorker said last week that 15,000 Kyiv citizens were taking shelter in the city’s metro system every night.SOURCES: Institute for the Study of War, The Guardian, Air Force Times, Voxunderstandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-8theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/08/russia-solving-logistics-problems-and-could-attack-kyiv-within-days-expertsnews.yahoo.com/russian-military-equipment-damaged-bridge-001320683.htmlvox.com/22954833/russia-ukraine-invasion-strategy-putin-kyivThe Guardiantheguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-everything-you-need-to-know
Ukraine Unleashes Its Own Stealth Attack Drone on Russians TomoNews US 2022-03-09 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine has unleashed its own sneaky stealth drone on Russian forces, hitting high-value targets with small bombs that ignite huge explosions and cause massive damage. Here are the details:The Times of London reports that the Ukrainian army is using a nimble stealth drone that has dropped many bombs on Russian forces. Developed in Ukraine, the Punisher drone has a wingspan of 2,3 meters and is designed to attack enemy fuel storage, ammo trucks and electronic warfare stations up to 50 kilometers behind enemy lines.The drone’s designers say its most powerful feature is that it’s very light and small, making it almost impossible to see with the naked eye or with radar — which is why they are very hard to hit. The drones use an electrical engine, which also makes them very quiet, so they are very effective at sneaking over enemy lines and hunting high-value targets.The drone is launched from a special catapult by a three-man team that can easily pack the system into an SUV and blend into the countryside. The operators control the drone remotely via a laptop. It uses a powerful camera to search for targets. Once the operator clicks on a target, the drone flies to it and releases the bomb automatically.The Ukrainian military says the drone can carry up to three bombs up to 50 kilometers behind enemy lines, flying at an altitude of up to 400 meters. It says the system has been very successful at causing damage to Russian supply lines — and at keeping Russian soldiers nervously scanning the skies above them.SOURCES: The Times of London, Business Insider, WIONthetimes.co.uk/article/game-changing-drones-helping-ukraine-in-battle-for-the-skies-lg68l8xjwbusinessinsider.com/ukraines-punisher-drones-hit-russian-troops-multiple-times-reports-2022-3wionews.com/photos/how-ukraines-punisher-drone-is-targeting-russian-supply-lines-460230
Russian Convoy Moving Towards Kyiv: Why Huge Russian Convoy Stalled (Animation) TomoNews US 2022-03-09 | NORTH UKRAINE — Russian convoy moving towards Kyiv update. Why the huge Russian convoy stalled.A 64 kilometer-long Russian military convoy heading toward Kyiv that has virtually stalled for over a week now sits about 15 miles out from the city, according to The Washington Post.Mechanical breakdown, congestion and morale issues, plus food and fuel supplies running low, are cited by the BBC as contributing factors to the extremely slow progress.Additionally, one former commander of the U.K. Joint Forces Command, told the BBC command and control issues such as faulty radio networks are likely to be causing bigger problems.The Associated Press, meanwhile, reports that Ukrainian resistance may also account for some of the slowdown, with one senior U.S. defense official saying Ukrainian troops have been targeting the convoy with ground fire, including shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles, and essentially creating roadblocks when vehicles at the front of the convoy are struck.Alternatively, though, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has suggested that the vehicles, which he says are largely meant for “resupply” purposes, could be deliberately paused as the Russians regroup themselves.Cited by The Washington Post last week, the director of the Security and Defense Studies Program at Turkish think tank EDAM, added detail to that suggestion, explaining the convoy’s delay could be partially the result of Russia’s attempt to move away from a failed plan to ‘decapitate’ the Ukrainian government quickly.The Russian forces are instead now trying to transition to “Soviet-type heavy fire power and armor-focused operations,” he said.Going further, the former head of the British Army, General Lord Dannatt, told the BBC “This enormous column ... will encircle and lay siege to the capital,” Kyiv, where the New Yorker reported last week that thousands of those residents still in the city are seeking shelter every night in its metro system.SOURCES: Associated Press, BBC, Reuters, The Washington Posthttps://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4461682bbc.com/news/world-europe-60596629reuters.com/world/europe/russian-military-convoy-north-kyiv-stretches-40-miles-maxar-2022-03-01washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/07/russian-convoy-ukrainewashingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/05/ukraine-military-battlefield-kyiv-mariupol
Russian Helicopter Shot Down: How Ukraines Stinger Missile Works TomoNews US 2022-03-08 | WASHINGTON — “Manpads” aren’t what you think they are. The “Man” part stands for “Man,” yes, but the “P” stands for “Portable,” and the A.D.S. stands for “Air Defense System.” The Stinger missile is one such a “Man-Portable Air Defense System,” and the U.S. is sending many to Ukraine. The U.S. recently committed to sending another $350 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, bringing the one-year total donation to $1 billion.Among these weapons are a large number of Stinger missiles, which are designed to destroy fighter jets and helicopters with the pull of a trigger. Here is how the Stinger missile works:The Stinger system can be carried by one person and is fired from the shoulder. The operator aims the launcher at the target until the missile’s infrared seeker locks on to the heat of the target aircraft’s engine exhaust. When the seeker locks on, it makes a buzzing noise. The operator then pulls the trigger, causing a small launch rocket to shoot the missile out of the tube. This launch rocket then drops away and the missile’s folded steering fins pop out. The main rocket ignites, propelling the Stinger to approximately 2,500 kilometers per hour, or Mach 2. The missile uses its steering fins to steer itself to the target automatically. When it gets close to the aircraft, its warhead detonates, destroying vital systems with blast effect and fragmentation.The system was heavily used by Afghan fighters during the Soviet occupation of the 1980s. Up to 250 Soviet fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters were claimed to have been shot down by Stingers. In total, the Stinger is credited with around 300 shoot-downs worldwide.SOURCES: Reuters, Business Insider, National Interestreuters.com/world/biden-approves-350-million-military-aid-ukraine-2022-02-26nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/united-states-sending-stinger-missiles-ukraine-200910businessinsider.com/president-biden-send-stinger-missiles-ukraine-shoot-russian-helicopters-2022-3
Russia Invasion: Russia Shells Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant TomoNews US 2022-03-08 | ZAPORIZHIZHIA, UKRAINE — Russia Shells Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant: summary.The International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed ‘grave concern’ over Russia’s capture of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.In a Friday statement cited by CNN, Ukraine's State Emergency Services said a training building outside the main reactor complex caught fire after shelling from Russian military forces, while the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said that although the plant's six reactors remained intact, compartment auxiliary buildings for Reactor Unit 1 had been damaged. Experts speaking to science journal Nature have cautioned against comparisons to the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl, however, because unlike at Chernobyl each reactor sits within both a massive reinforced-concrete containment structure, and is enclosed in a pressurized steel vessel.Additionally, The Guardian explains that the Chernobyl disaster was caused by a graphite fire which sent a radiation plume across Europe, while The Zaporizhzhia plant uses pressurized water reactors, which do not involve graphite.One issue that does remain, though, is that according to Nature, as the attack took place, five of Zaporizhzhia’s six reactors had been shut down.The problem here is that uranium nuclei in used fuel rods break up, and as a result radioactive isotopes can accumulate and produce heat even after a shutdown.To mitigate against this, shutdown reactor cores still need to be cooled, which requires power, and if the reactors’ active cooling suddenly stopped, the plant could face a scenario similar to that at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, when power was cut off after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and three reactors melted down.Even this scenario is unlikely, however, as one nuclear safety researcher at the University of Tokyo explained that the Ukrainian plant has several alternative cooling systems, and experts told Nature that even if a reactor core were to melt down, “it might not cause a major release of radioactive materials.”Elsewhere, strategically, having taken Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has now warned Russian forces will attempt to capture the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power, according to The Associated Press.SOURCES: CNN, Nature, Times of Israel, The Guardian, IAEAedition.cnn.com/2022/03/03/europe/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-fire-ukraine-intl-hnk/index.htmledition.cnn.com/2022/03/03/europe/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-fire-ukraine-intl-hnk/index.htmltimesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/russian-troops-seize-two-nuclear-plants-heading-to-a-third-zelensky-saystheguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-everything-you-need-to-knowiaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-13-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine
Ukraine’s Giant Bomb Shelter: Ukrainians Fleeing to Kyiv Metro System TomoNews US 2022-03-07 | KYIV, UKRAINE — As military experts warn that Russia may be shifting tactics, increasingly using artillery and air bombardments to ‘pulverize’ cities as they previously did in Chechnya and Syria, according to The Associated Press, Kyiv’s metro is operating as a citywide bomb shelter.In the last week, Russia has bombarded Kyiv with missile strikes, with troops attempting to push into the city from the northwest and the Kyiv TV tower hit by a projectile on March 1.The New Yorker explains that the situation is seeing metro stations in Kyiv fill with as many as 15,000 civilians every night in search of safety.The system of 52 metro stations is home to famous historic features dating back to the Soviet era. Its Arsenalna station is the deepest in the world at 105 meters below ground level.SOURCES: CNN, Euro News, The New Yorker, The Business Insider, The New York Timesedition.cnn.com/2022/02/28/europe/ukraine-russia-invasion-monday-intl-hnk/index.htmleuronews.com/travel/2022/02/25/ukraine-war-europe-s-most-impressive-metro-station-becomes-bomb-shelternewyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/14/inside-kyivs-metro-a-citywide-bomb-shelterbusinessinsider.com/kiev-ukraine-soviet-era-metro-system-beautiful-deepest-world-2019-9The Guardian, Reuters, The Drive, Globalsecurity.orgreuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-ambassador-us-says-russia-used-vacuum-bomb-monday-2022-02-28theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/01/what-are-thermobaric-weapons-and-how-do-they-workthedrive.com/the-war-zone/44479/the-truth-about-russias-terrifying-tos-1a-thermobaric-rocket-launchers-now-in-ukraineglobalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/tos-1a.htm
Why Russia Hates Ukraine’s Javelin Anti-Tank Missile (Animation) TomoNews US 2022-03-07 | WASHINGTON — Why Russia Hates Ukraine’s Javelin Anti-Tank Missile (Animation). Ukraine’s armed forces seem to be destroying a lot of Russian tanks with the expensive, shoulder-fired missile systems that the West has given to Ukraine.Reuters reports that U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent gift to Ukraine of $350 million worth of U.S. weapons brings the total U.S. assistance package to $1 billion over just the last year. The donation includes a large number of Javelin anti-tank weapons. The Javelin system has a day sight as well as an infrared sight for targeting armored vehicles at night. The missile’s computer locks on to the target. A small charge blasts it out of the tube before the powerful rocket engine ignites. Here, the folded fins pop out to steer the weapon to the target. The weapon can be fired directly at buildings, or the operator can set it to “top attack” mode, in which case the missile flies up to 150 meters before slamming down on a tank from above. Once it gets close to the target, the missile’s first warhead detonates to activate the tank’s reactive armor. After the reactive armor explodes, the main warhead detonates against the tank’s thin top armor, where the shaped charge of the warhead punches a hole through the armor, causing the tank’s ammunition to detonate.The Javelin is a “fire and forget” system that can destroy tanks up to 2 kilometers away. It can defeat armor that’s up to 80 centimeters thick. The launcher can be reloaded, and each missile costs either $80,000 or $175,000 — depending on who you ask.
America Is Seizing Russian Oligarchs’ Yachts TomoNews US 2022-03-04 | WASHINGTON — America seizing Russian Oligarchs' yachts: summary.The U.S. Justice Department is launching a special unit to enforce sanctions against Russian government officials and oligarchs, targeting their yachts and other assets.The U.S. has already joined the European Union and other allies in targeting ‘Russian elites and their family members’ with sanctions including freezing assets.Now, as Rolling Stone reports billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s yacht was seized by German authorities Wednesday, it is launching its KleptoCapture task force to enforce its sanctions.Anger against those seen as playing a part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been widespread even outside of state actors, with a Ukrainian sailor arrested Saturday in Spain after admitting to trying to sink a yacht owned by the head of a Russian state arms firm, stating it was retaliation for the invasion.Responding to the change in mood, at least five Russian-owned superyachts were in the Maldives on Wednesday, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S., according to Reuters.SOURCES: CNN, White House press statements, U.S. Justice Department, Reuters, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Forbesedition.cnn.com/2022/03/02/politics/yachts-russian-oligarchs/index.htmledition.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/russian-sanctions-families-putin-inner-circle/index.htmlwhitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/24/fact-sheet-joined-by-allies-and-partners-the-united-states-imposes-devastating-costs-on-russiawhitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/26/joint-statement-on-further-restrictive-economic-measuresjustice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-announces-launch-task-force-kleptocapturereuters.com/business/russia-billionaires-move-superyachts-maldives-sanctions-tighten-data-shows-2022-03-02reuters.com/world/us-launches-kleptocapture-task-force-aimed-russian-oligarchs-2022-03-02rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/russian-oligarch-superyacht-seized-1315552/washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/03/02/russia-oligarchs-ukraine-americaforbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/02/28/eu-sanctions-russian-billionaire-oligarchs-fridman-usmanov-timchenko/?sh=333781d920cfThe Hollywood Reporterhollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/glasgow-film-festival-russian-boycott-ukraine-1235102810
Thousands of Burning Porsches, Lamborghinis Sink With Ship TomoNews US 2022-03-04 | PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — The 4,000 luxury cars that were stuck on a burning ship in the middle of the Atlantic, have stopped burning. They are now on the bottom of the ocean, with the ship, which has also stopped burning. Here are the details:The Washington Post reports that the vehicle-carrier ship that had been burning in the middle of the Atlantic, has sunk, taking with it nearly 4,000 luxury cars, including 1,100 Porsche vehicles. The Felicity Ace started burning on February 16, when it was roughly halfway through its transatlantic journey from Germany to Rhode Island in the U.S. The ship’s 22-person crew were unable to stop the fire and had to be rescued by an oil tanker. It is still unclear how the fire started, but it is assumed that the large batteries of the electric vehicles on board would have made fire-fighting more difficult. The vehicle cargo consisted of around 1,100 Porsches and around 200 Bentleys. Also on board were a number of Lamborghini Urus, Aventado and Huracan vehicles, and these were the last Aventadors to be produced. Add to that thousands of high-end Volkswagen cars, for a total value of $400 million. The ship was being towed when it sank on Tuesday, March 1, 250 miles from the Azores Islands. The ship was carrying about 2,200 tons of fuel and 2,200 tons of oil when it went down, sparking concerns that the nearby Azores archipelago could be polluted. The pristine group of islands are home to many marine species and a key feeding ground for blue whales and humpback whales.SOURCES: Washington Post, MSN.com, fleetmon.comwashingtonpost.com/business/2022/03/01/cargo-ship-felicity-ace-porsche-cars-sinksmsn.com/en-us/news/world/cargo-ship-carrying-thousands-of-luxury-cars-sinks-after-burning-for-weeks/ar-AAUufAvfleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/37269/mol-car-carrier-fire-abandoned-atlantic
Russia Uses Thermobaric Weapons on Ukraine: How Vacuum Bombs Work TomoNews US 2022-03-03 | KYIV, UKRAINE — A few of Russia’s feared thermobaric missile launchers have been seen entering the Ukraine, which means that large parts of Ukrainian suburbs could soon be vacuum bombed, leading to massive civilian casualties.The Guardian reports that Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. says Russia has started using thermobaric weapons to bomb Ukrainian cities. This comes in the wake of multiple social media posts showing TOS-1 thermobaric missile launchers entering Ukraine. The TOS-1 vehicle can fire 24 thermobaric missiles in 15 seconds, and each missile can destroy buildings within hundreds of meters of the detonation point. The missile can be fired up to 6 kilometers away. When it hits its target, an initial charge distributes an aerosol made up of very fine material — which could be anything from a carbon-based fuel to tiny metal particles. This highly flammable cloud is then ignited by a second charge. When the cloud erupts it creates a massive shockwave, as well as a vacuum as it sucks up all surrounding oxygen. The blast wave can last for significantly longer than a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporizing human bodies. It is however designed to destroy defensive positions, which means it causes massive damage to city buildings, while also causing many human casualties.Marcus Hellyer of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says it’s only a matter of time before Russia starts using thermobaric weapons, as their use is “pretty standard” in terms of Russian warfare tactics. Hellyer said he expected to see more thermobaric warfare in Ukraine.SOURCES: The Guardian, Reuters, The Drive, Globalsecurity.orgreuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-ambassador-us-says-russia-used-vacuum-bomb-monday-2022-02-28theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/01/what-are-thermobaric-weapons-and-how-do-they-workthedrive.com/the-war-zone/44479/the-truth-about-russias-terrifying-tos-1a-thermobaric-rocket-launchers-now-in-ukraineglobalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/tos-1a.htm
Zelensky Assassination Plot: Chechen Hit Squad Eliminated, According to Ukrainian Minister TomoNews US 2022-03-03 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Assassination plot to kill Ukrainian President foiled: explainer of Zelensky assassination plot.As fighting continues as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an elite unit of Chechen soldiers sent to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been eliminated, according to Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, cited by Ukrainian news outlet The New Voice of Ukraine.Speaking to Ukraine’s Rada TV channel, Oleksiy Danilov said on March 1 that the Chechens had split into two groups, with one “handled” near Hostomel, a town near Kyiv, and the other “in our sights.”Seemingly corroborating part of the statement, The Kyiv Independent reported on February 27 that Ukrainian forces had successfully destroyed a Chechen special forces column of tanks near Hostomel on Saturday 26, while on March 1, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov confirmed a small number of losses among those serving under his command in Ukraine, according to The New Voice of Ukraine.Along similar lines, The Times of London reported last week that more than 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in Kyiv with orders to assassinate President Zelensky. The Wagner Group, a private Russian militia, flew in mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to ‘decapitate’ Zelensky’s government.SOURCES: Interfax Ukraine, Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria, The Kyiv Independent, The New Voice of Ukrainehttps://ua.interfax.com.ua/news/general/804875.htmltwitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1497931292247134212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1497941632209108992%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fputin-ally-kadyrov-admits-troop-losses-calls-new-russia-tactics-2022-3twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497771662615396354https://english.nv.ua/nation/kadyrov-s-elite-chechen-squad-eliminated-in-ukraine-says-danilov-50221383.htmlthetimes.co.uk/article/volodymyr-zelensky-russian-mercenaries-ordered-to-kill-ukraine-president-cvcksh79dWall Street Journal, Yahoo News, Forbeswsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-26/card/ukraine-says-it-uses-turkish-made-drones-to-hit-russian-targets-DrigGO7vkGfDzbBuncnAca.news.yahoo.com/welcome-hell-ukraine-drone-strike-121922922.htmlforbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2022/02/28/ukrainian-drone-strike-videos-are-extremely-bad-news-for-russiamiddleeastmonitor.com/20220228-ukraine-envoy-praises-turkish-made-drones-in-fight-with-russiabreakingdefense.sites.breakingmedia.com/2022/02/ukraines-turkish-made-drones-face-off-against-advanced-russian-military
Jet Stream Getting Faster, Causing More Powerful Storms TomoNews US 2022-03-03 | MAYNOOTH, IRELAND — A group of scientists used powerful computers to calculate the speed of high-altitude jet streams as long ago as 1871. They then used these computer models to come to some shocking conclusions. Here are the details:The Irish Times reports that scientists used a group of powerful computers to model jet stream speeds from 1871 up to 2021. The study was led by doctor Samantha Hallam from Maynooth University in Ireland. She said the jet stream model created by the computers show that the northern hemisphere jet stream has grown stronger since 1871, with the average speed of the stream during winter having increased by 8 percent, compared to 1871. The current average is 212 kilometers per hour. According to the computer model, the position of the jet stream during winter has also moved northwards by up to 330 kilometers, bringing it much closer to Ireland. Over the week starting on February 15 the jet stream brought three powerful storms to Ireland and the U.K. Hallam said that, in addition to increasing storm activity, the changed jet stream pattern is also affecting temperature patterns in the Northern Hemisphere, and these changes can bring strong winds and flooding events.Hallam’s research team used a vast amount of data that was analyzed by the so-called “Twentieth Century Reanalysis Dataset," a group of powerful computers that analyzes global atmospheric circulation and surface pressure observations.SOURCES: Irish Times, The Independent, Science Dailyindependent.co.uk/climate-change/jet-stream-forecast-storm-eunice-uk-b2021630.htmlirishtimes.com/news/environment/change-in-atlantic-jet-stream-making-for-more-powerful-storms-finds-research-1.4809003sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220222085607.htmlink.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-022-06185-5
Ukraine’s Lethal Turkish Drones Devastate Russian Convoys TomoNews US 2022-03-02 | KYIV, UKRAINE — Turkish drone Bayraktar TB2: Ukraine has been having success in using Turkish-made drones to infiltrate the air space above invading Russian convoys and turning the convoys into exploding fireballs. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Ukrainian Air Force is crediting its new Turkish-made drones with destroying a large number of Russian weapon systems with guided bombs.The chief commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny, posted a video of such a drone strike turning multiple Russian trucks into a fireball, adding the comment “Welcome to hell!” The video was posted on Facebook with text that says the Bayraktar drone struck a Russian convoy near the city of Malyn, around 97 kilometers northwest of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. A few such videos show multiple bombs hitting Russian weapon systems in wooded areas and in convoys. The drones seemed to be very effective at exploiting long Russian military convoys stuck in traffic jams. These stuck convoys present the drones with the opportunity to target an explosive-laden target like a supply truck. Once the truck and its explosives are hit, the massive explosion often blows up multiple surrounding vehicles and troops. Russian troops have been seen deploying anti-aircraft missiles effectively against such drones.Ukraine began receiving shipments of the drones in 2019. The drone’s primary function is to use its high-powered cameras to view the battlefield and laser-correct artillery strikes. It can stay aloft for 24 hours, flying at a maximum altitude of 7.6 kilometers. A remote pilot can fly the drone from as far away as 300 kilometers, in good weather.SOURCES: Wall Street Journal, Yahoo News, Forbeswsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-02-26/card/ukraine-says-it-uses-turkish-made-drones-to-hit-russian-targets-DrigGO7vkGfDzbBuncnAca.news.yahoo.com/welcome-hell-ukraine-drone-strike-121922922.htmlforbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2022/02/28/ukrainian-drone-strike-videos-are-extremely-bad-news-for-russiamiddleeastmonitor.com/20220228-ukraine-envoy-praises-turkish-made-drones-in-fight-with-russiabreakingdefense.sites.breakingmedia.com/2022/02/ukraines-turkish-made-drones-face-off-against-advanced-russian-military
Russia Nuclear Threat: Putin Orders Nuclear Weapons on “High Alert” TomoNews US 2022-03-02 | MOSCOW — Russia nuclear threat explained. After invading Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has escalated the situation further by ordering the transfer of “deterrence forces ... to a special mode of combat duty,” thus raising the specter of nuclear war.While the ambiguous order could simply be a threat to the U.S., one strategic alternative is that it could mean Russia is dispersing intercontinental ballistic missiles from their bases and fitting them to long-range heavy bombers, according to one senior fellow at international affairs think tank the Carnegie Endowment cited by The Financial Times.The order could also involve moving tactical warheads from centralized storage facilities to deployment locations as a threat to Ukraine.However, alternatively, Pavel Podvig, a senior research scientist at the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva, suggested it could mean that the Russian nuclear command and control system received what is known as a "preliminary command," which essentially means “connecting the wires” of the system so that if a launch order was issued, it would go through. "In peacetime, the system is there but the circuitry is disconnected,” Podvig explained on Twitter. “Even if you press the button, nothing would happen.“However, if the early-warning system detects an attack or if Russia believes it entered a threatening period, the national command authority can bring the system into a working condition, connecting the wires,” he said.Podvig added that the preliminary command could also trigger ‘visible actions,’ such as submarines leaving ports or weapons loaded on bombers, and bomber dispersals. But this is not necessarily the case: Everything could stay on the level of circuits.Importantly, he concluded by saying that the order is not something that suggests Russia is preparing itself to strike first, adding that in his view a first strike has never been an option.SOURCES: The Financial Times, The Guardian, Pavel Podvig, ft.com/content/e12976cf-59be-414e-b90f-56875df79753theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/28/russia-nuclear-weapons-putin-threattwitter.com/russianforces/status/1497957650729943042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1497957650729943042%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatoday.in%2Fworld%2Frussia-ukraine-war%2Fstory%2Frussia-nuclear-capability-ukraine-attack-putin-special-regime-combat-duty-1918965-2022-02-28France 24, Bulletin of Atomic Scientistsfrance24.com/en/live-news/20220228-russia-s-nuclear-force-the-world-s-biggesttandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00963402.2022.2038907CNN, 9news, Business Insider, National Interestedition.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/russia-skyfall-missile-test-satellite-images/index.htmlhttps://www.9news.com.au/world/russian-skyfall-nuclear-missile-could-circle-world-for-years-warns-uk-general/d5b181b4-304d-4933-a13b-06227bd05495businessinsider.com/us-putins-skyfall-missile-failed-test-and-exploded-during-recovery-2019-10 businessinsider.com/russia-tests-nuclear-doomsday-torpedo-in-arctic-expands-military-2021-4 nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/nuclear-overkill-why-russia-can-never-use-its-poseidon-torpedo-183251
Flight MH370 Researcher Used Radio Distortions to Find Plane TomoNews US 2022-03-01 | PERTH, AUSTRALIA — In 2014, a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 disappeared with 239 people on board while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A revolutionary new method to trace the path of the plane now suggests that the pilot was active and seems to have been talking with Malaysian authorities during what many researchers describe as a “murder suicide."On Sunday, February 20, Sixty Minutes Australia interviewed a retired aerospace engineer who showed evidence that adds an alarming new twist to the mystery of the disappeared flight MH370. The engineer, Richard Godfrey, says he analyzed records of the disturbances that the huge airliner made in the radio waves of amateur radio signals. He says his research clearly shows the path of the airplane as it made maneuvers that could only have been done manually by an active pilot. His analysis indicates that the plane made a strange 360-degree loop off the coast of Malaysia for 20 minutes, before it flew toward Antarctica. Godfrey thinks it’s possible that the pilot was communicating with Malaysian authorities during those 20 minutes, saying, “I hope that, if there was any contact with Malaysian authorities, that after eight years ... now they'd be willing to divulge that.” Godfrey says his analysis shows that the plane then flew south before crashing 2,000 kilometers west of Perth, Australia, and some 4 kilometers under the water — in an area known as the “seventh arc.”The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said that Godfrey is a credible expert on the subject of MH370, and that it had ordered a review of the search data. However, the Bureau added that any further searches would be up to the Malaysian government.SOURCES: 60 Minutes Australia, Sky News Australia, Yahoo.comyoutube.com/watch?v=Jq-d4Kl8Xh4news.yahoo.com/expert-advances-active-pilot-theory-225104701.htmlhttps://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/chris-kenny/greatest-mystery-of-all-time-sky-news-reveals-sinister-new-details-in-mh370-disappearance/video/75712dafacd877dd98ed2e2e4e755e53
Russia Takes Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in ‘Fierce Battle’ TomoNews US 2022-03-01 | CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE — The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency says it is ‘closely monitoring’ developments at nuclear-related facilities in Ukraine after Russian forces captured the Chernobyl nuclear plant after a fierce battle with Ukrainian national guards protecting the decommissioned site on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera.Infamously, Reactor No. 4 at Chernobyl exploded on April 26, 1986. The subsequent fire that demolished the reactor building released large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Citing the official website of the site’s operator, Reuters explains that nuclear waste management and storage remain ongoing at the site, while New Scientist reported a surge in fission reactions around the destroyed nuclear reactor in May last year.The situation now according to nuclear scientists who spoke to New Scientist both directly before the attack and after is that the risk of nuclear material being released from the decaying reactor as a result of the conflict is low, with one researcher who monitors the ongoing emission of neutrons from the reactor explaining that staff at Chernobyl were safe. “The entrance of [Chernobyl is] controlled by Russians. They do not enter inside,” he said. Bruno Merk at the University of Liverpool meanwhile concluded: “I think as long as there is not a deliberate attack the risk is comparably low,” though he added: “If it’s a deliberate act, you could possibly do it.” Closest to the situation itself, Chernobyl scientist who worked on confinement plans at the site told New Scientist on February 22 that monitoring work would continue and that all safety systems at the plant are working well, but that scientific data processing has been partially suspended.In terms of the wider Russian invasion of Ukraine, NBC News reports that the Chernobyl is most likely valuable because of its location, sitting on one of the most direct routes to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as Russian troops look to push through the country. “They want it because they want to take control of the whole effing country,” according to Evelyn Farkas, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia for the Obama administration. “They want to surround the capital.”SOURCES: IAEA, Reuters, Yahoo News, Al Jazeera, New Scientist, NBCiaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-director-general-statement-on-the-situation-in-ukrainereuters.com/world/europe/chernobyl-power-plant-captured-by-russian-forces-ukrainian-official-2022-02-24reuters.com/world/europe/iaea-says-ukraine-power-plants-running-safely-no-destruction-chernobyl-2022-02-24ca.news.yahoo.com/war-comes-to-chernobyl-raising-nuclear-fears-in-russia-invasion-of-ukraine-170528013.htmlaljazeera.com/news/2022/2/24/chernobyl-nuclear-plant-targeted-as-russia-invades-ukrainenewscientist.com/article/2309599-risk-of-nuclear-disaster-is-minimal-as-russian-forces-reach-chernobylnewscientist.com/article/2277195-nuclear-reactions-at-chernobyl-are-spiking-in-an-inaccessible-chambernbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/russia-want-take-chernobyl-rcna17615
Myocarditis (Enlarged Heart) and COVID Vaccines: Rare Side Effects of Pfizer & Moderna TomoNews US 2022-02-25 | ATLANTA — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its advice to say males between 12 and 39 might consider waiting eight weeks between first and second doses of Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines to reduce still-rare risk of heart inflammation.The increase on the minimum approved interval of three and four weeks respectively comes in the wake of several studies linking those vaccines to increases in rates of pericarditis, inflammation of the outer lining of the heart, and myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle.While incidence of COVID-19-associated cardiac injury or myocarditis are estimated to be 100 times higher than those related to vaccines, and the latters’ symptoms are usually far milder and resolved within weeks, a Nature Reviews Cardiology study suggests one possible mechanism behind the issue is that the immune system might detect the messenger RNA in the vaccines as an antigen, resulting in “the activation of pro-inflammatory cascades and immunological pathways in the heart.”As so-called mRNA vaccines, both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines package messenger RNA, or the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, into a lipid nanoparticle carrier in order to program cells to reproduce the coronavirus spike protein so that it can later be recognized by the body’s immune system should it come into contact with the actual virus.For now, though, there are several active theories about how this process could trigger heart inflammation, with the increased incidence among male patients also suggesting hormone signaling might be involved.SOURCES: CNBC, CDC, Pfizer, Reuterscnbc.com/2022/02/23/cdc-says-waiting-longer-between-pfizer-moderna-doses-may-reduce-myocarditis-risk.htmlcnbc.com/2020/11/10/pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-is-90percent-effective-heres-what-happens-next-moderna-mrna.htmlcdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.htmlpfizer.com/news/hot-topics/get_the_facts_on_our_covid_19_vaccine_candidatesreuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-vaccines-pfizer-idUSKBN27P1IDThe Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicinemayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/myocarditis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352539hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/myocarditis#:~:text=Myocarditis%20Causes,can%20lead%20to%20myocardial%20inflammation
Chinese Ships ‘Going Dark’ in East China Sea TomoNews US 2022-02-25 | EAST CHINA SEA — A new Chinese data protection law may be causing an increasing number of vessels to switch off tracking systems usually used in maritime transport, according to satellite data from commercial satellite firm Unseen Labs, and the effect could be to help conceal the activities of fishing boats while worsening the current shipping crisis and congestion of ports.Unseen Labs’ data reveals that up to 80 percent of vessels didn’t broadcast an AIS signal during an eight-day satellite campaign in the East China Sea in November.The AIS or Automatic Identification System signal transmits a ship’s position to other ships. The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization and other management bodies require large ships to broadcast their position with AIS in order to avoid collisions, according to Global Fishing Watch.AIS has also become a tool for port management, as explained in an Unseen Labs press release, by “providing information on berth availability and anchorage waiting times among other things.” This, along with the fact that six of the world’s 10 busiest container ports are in China, potentially presents a major obstacle for the international shipping movements.The new law behind the shift requires all handlers of Chinese data to gain government approval before any transfer of data to foreign countries. Unseen Labs suggests companies may effectively be “playing it safe” by turning off tracking systems before seeing how the new law will be implemented.SOURCES: Unseen Labs, The Drive, Global Fishing Watch, CSIS https://unseenlabs.space/2022/02/18/unseenlabs-reveals-ships-that-vanished-from-conventional-geolocation-systems/thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44390/scores-of-dark-vessels-belonging-to-chinas-maritime-militias-are-operating-in-contested-watersglobalfishingwatch.org/faqs/what-is-aiscsis.org/analysis/pulling-back-curtain-chinas-maritime-militia-0ocean.csis.org/spotlights/illuminating-the-south-china-seas-dark-fishing-fleets
