Thursday, October 16, 2025

BIG Wrap

Johnson calls for ‘step-by-step’ move from Russian fuel

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for a "step-by-step" move away from dependence on Russian oil and gas as a result of the Ukraine war. After talks with the Canadian and Dutch PMs, Johnson said nations have to work together to secure alternatives. Canada's Justin Trudeau said Europe did not want to repeat its mistake of being too dependent on Russia. But Dutch PM Mark Rutte warned forcing a boycott now would have "enormous consequences." And in...

Shell makes ‘difficult decision’ to buy Russian oil

Shell said today that it made the "difficult decision" to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil to ensure a continued supply of energy to the European market, the BBC reports. "Cargos from alternative sources would not have arrived in time to avoid disruptions to market supply," the oil giant said in a statement. It said the firm is facing challenges in shifting from Russian oil "because of how significant is to global supply." Shell said...

Self-imposed measures limit COVID-19 spread between university and community, research finds

In fall 2020, when college students across the nation returned to their campuses after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the previous spring, many worried that the influx of people would put the surrounding communities at risk. But new research, conducted in Centre County, Pa., home to the Penn State University Park campus, and in the surrounding communities, reveals that despite a rise in cases among returning students, the use of behavioral interventions protected the local...

Single test for more than 50 genetic diseases cuts diagnosis timing dramatically

A new DNA test, developed by researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney and collaborators from Australia, the U.K., and Israel, has been shown to identify a range of hard-to-diagnose neurological and neuromuscular genetic diseases quicker and more accurately than existing tests. "We correctly diagnosed all patients with conditions that were already known, including Huntington's disease, fragile X syndrome, hereditary cerebellar ataxias, myotonic dystrophies, myoclonic epilepsies, motor neuron disease and more," says Dr. Ira...

Putin likens sanctions over Ukraine invasion to declaration of war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described sanctions imposed by western nations over the invasion of Ukraine as "akin to a declaration of war." "But thank God it has not come to that," he added. Putin also warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be seen as participation in the armed conflict, the BBC reports. And he rejected suggestions that he would introduce a state of emergency or martial law in Russia. Putin made the...

Old rocket just hit the Moon going 9,300 km/h, scientists say

Add one more crater to the long list of pockmarks on the lunar surface. According to orbital calculations, a rocket hurtling through space for years crashed into the Moon today (Friday), but the strike wasn't directly observed, and there might be a wait for photographic evidence, Phys.org reports. The impact would have taken place at 7:25 am Eastern Time (1225 GMT), on the far side of the Moon, said astronomer Bill Gray, who was the first to predict...

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s call for Putin assassination draws criticism

A U.S. senator has called on someone in Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle to assassinate him, the BBC reports. Lindsey Graham said the only way Russia's invasion of Ukraine ends is "for somebody in Russia to take this guy out." In a statement on Twitter, the outspoken Republican asks if the Russian president has a "Brutus" who can take out Putin and end the war. His comments have outraged the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Graham, who...

Type of COVID-19 data presented influences behaviour directly, says U of T study

A University of Toronto Scarborough study finds that showing COVID-19 data in a certain way can influence how seriously people view the pandemic, which in turn can affect behaviour. The study looked at two commonly used types of data: stock (the total case counts since the pandemic started) and flow (the number of new daily cases). Researchers found that people viewed the pandemic as riskier – and more deserving of caution – when they were shown total...

Saudi Arabia offers to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has told the leaders of Russia and Ukraine he is "ready to make efforts to mediate between all parties," the BBC reports. In separate phone conversations with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, he expressed support for "a political solution" to their conflict. He told Zelensky that the kingdom will extend by three months the visas of Ukrainian tourists and residents that are due to expire. According to Saudi Arabian media, it...

Small-scale renewable energy sources could increase power failures, according to study

Renewable energy that feeds into the main power grid could destabilize the system and potentially cause power failures, according to a new study. Mathematicians from the University of Nottingham used data from smart meters to track how grid composition changes over time, and found resilience varies over the course of a day and that a high uptake of solar panels can leave the grid more susceptible to failure, Tech Xplore reports. Their findings have been published today...