Monday, September 15, 2025

BIG Wrap

Canada’s Supreme Court says $9.1-million fine for theft of maple syrup sticks

Canada's top court has imposed a $9.1-million CDN fine on a man behind one of the country's stickiest crimes – the theft of 3,000 tonnes of maple syrup. The so-called Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist saw the loss of nearly $18 million worth of syrup from the country's reserves by a group of thieves. The court ordered Richard Vallières, a "major player" in the scheme, to pay a penalty or face six years in prison. Vallières was...

Russia threatens to stop supplying gas if not paid in roubles

Russia has told "unfriendly" foreign countries they must start paying for gas in roubles, or it will cut supplies. Vladimir Putin has signed a decree stating buyers "must open rouble accounts in Russian banks" from Friday, the BBC reports "Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity either – that is, existing contracts will be stopped," the Russian president said. Putin's demand is being seen as an attempt to boost the...

UN report indicates nearly half of pregnancies are unintended

The UN Population Fund says new research shows that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide – 121 million annually – are unintended, which it calls "a neglected crisis." In its annual State of World Population Report 2022 released Wednesday, the fund said over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion, and an estimated 45% of abortions are unsafe, causing 5% to 13% of maternal deaths, reports Medical Xpress. "This report is a wakeup call," said Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive...

U.S., Russian space travellers return to Earth together

Nasa astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov shared a capsule on their flight back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). Vande Hei logged a US space-endurance record of 355 consecutive days in orbit as he finished his second ISS mission. It was Dubrov's first space flight, while Shkaplerov was ending his rotation as the latest ISS commander, accumulating a total of 708 days in space. There has been concern...

What a $615-million hack says about the state of cryptocurrency

Thousands, if not millions, of people could have lost money in the second largest crypto hack in history. Ronin Network, a key platform powering the popular mobile game Axie Infinity, has had $615 million stolen. In the game, players fight cartoon pets called Axies to earn cryptocurrency. The game is hugely popular with millions of players around the world hoping to win cryptocurrency and collect the game's non-fungible tokens (NFTs). It is particularly big in the Philippines, where...

Cybersecurity help wanted – hackers’ path made easier with 600,000 U.S. jobs unfilled

President Joe Biden has urged U.S. companies to "harden your cyber defences immediately" amid a growing risk of Russian cyberattacks. For many, that won't be easy. The war for talent has been well-telegraphed throughout the country, but it's particularly acute in cybersecurity. And it's only worsened as competition in the broader labour market has heated up, heightening both companies' potential vulnerability to hackers and the urgency to boost the workforce, reports Bloomberg News. About one million people...

Liverpool scientists make advance in development of synthetic antibiotics targeting superbugs

University of Liverpool scientists have taken a significant step toward unlocking the medical potential of a new class of potent antibiotic capable of killing "superbugs" including MRSA without detectable resistance. The researchers have developed simplified synthetic versions of the molecule teixobactin, used by producer bacteria to kill other bacteria in soil. They have developed and tested a unique library of synthetic versions of the "game changing" antibiotic, optimizing key features of the drug to enhance its efficacy...

Space weather model could help determine exoplanetary habitable zones

A refinement to a space weather model developed by a center director at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) could help scientists check out which planets outside our solar system are likely to have someone home. Exoplanets are what planets are called when they orbit stars outside our own solar system, and the effort to winnow out those that could harbour life has been intensifying. Now at the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research...

Shanghai to lock down in phases amid COVID-19 outbreak

Shanghai will launch a phased lockdown with intent to curb an Omicron-fuelled COVID-19 outbreak that has hit China with its highest caseloads since the early days of the pandemic, the city government said Sunday. China's biggest city will lock down its eastern half from Monday until Friday, officials said, followed by a similar lockdown of its western side beginning April 1. The metropolis of 25 million has in recent days become the leading hotspot in a...

Russia hacked Ukrainian satellite communications through U.S. firm, officials believe

Russia is believed to have hacked U.S. satellite communications provider Viasat on the first day of its invasion of Ukraine. Western intelligence agencies have been investigating the incident, and while they have not yet made a public accusation, they reportedly believe Russia was behind it. It appears to be the most significant cyber attack linked to the conflict, affecting military and government communications. Overall, western officials say Ukraine has proved more resilient to cyber attacks than many...