Scientists discover ancient magnetic fossils of unknown creature who navigated with internal GPS

"Whatever creature made these magnetofossils, we now know it was most likely capable of accurate navigation." Animals like birds and sea turtles navigate using a "biological GPS" called magnetoreception. We now actually know that many animals use this method to connect with Earth's magnetic field so they know where to go — but scientists don't really understand how the whole process works yet. As such, researchers at Cambridge University and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have been studying tiny ancient fossils littering ocean floors to learn more about magnetoreception. And sure enough, the team says they've discovered that these "magnetofossils" indeed exhibit magnetoreception. Because they found the magnetofossils in sediments that date back 97 million years, their work could be the first time we've had direct evidence that animals have been navigating the world like this for a very long time.

'Legally impossible' to sign peace treaty with Ukraine now - Putin

Moscow is, however, interested in reaching an agreement with Kiev at some point, the Russian president has reiterated. Sealing a peace accord with Ukraine is "legally impossible" at present, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated. While Moscow would like to sign such an agreement eventually, the current Ukrainian leadership has lost all legitimacy by canceling elections, Putin told reporters on Thursday. Wrapping up his state visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin stated: "It makes no sense to sign documents with the Ukrainian leadership - I have covered this topic many times already. The Ukrainian leadership made a fundamental, strategic mistake, when it was afraid to hold elections. Zelensky lost his legitimate status." Under Ukrainian law, presidential elections should have been held in May 2024; however, Zelensky refused to hold them, citing martial law. Moscow has considered him an illegitimate leader since. Putin noted that while Russia is also locked in a military conflict, it...

Israel is violating ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and Trump is allowing it

In recent days, Israel has dramatically escalated its violations of the ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon, which have been met with utter silence from the United States. Could this mean a return to the full-scale atrocities of the past two years? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word "ceasefire" means: "a suspension of active hostilities." The so-called "kids' definition" is: "a temporary stopping of warfare." That all seems clear enough. But Israel's definition differs significantly. They understand "ceasefire" to mean: "they cease, we fire." This is not news to Palestinians, Lebanese, or any of Israel's neighbors. Much like how Israel and its supporters like to say that there was "peace" before October 7, 2023, questions of violence are always defined not by whether there is shooting or bombing but by whether Israelis are getting hit with those bullets and bombs. When the United States imposed or brokered ceasefires between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, it was...

Georgia drops 2020 election case against Trump, allies, after new prosecutor declines to pursue

A Georgia judge dismissed the 2020 election interference case against President Trump and more than a dozen of his allies and supporters Wednesday after the case's new prosecutor moved for all charges to be dropped — saying pursuing the matter would be "unproductive." The dismissal means Trump no longer faces any open criminal cases after a pair of federal cases led by former special prosecutor Jack Smith were tossed last year. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee threw out the case less than an hour after Peter Skandalakis - who appointed himself as prosecutor after he failed to find anyone else willing to take the job following the ouster of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis - filed a motion to dismiss the case against Trump and 14 other co-defendants. "This case is hereby dismissed in its entirety," McAfee wrote in a one-paragraph ruling.

CoupCoup Birds

"Literally everything the left did, every line they crossed and rule they broke, all came back to slap them in the face." — Insurrection Barbie on "X" Indeed, you have a lot to be thankful for this week of humble national gratitude — for instance, the explosive new revelations as to just exactly how US elections have been rigged, and how, it now appears, Mr. Trump and his people, are prepared to go mad-dog on the sinister forces behind it. It all unspooled this Thanksgiving week, which is always a kind of a time-out from the urgent realities of the moment. And yet, while you basted your turkey (not a good practice by the way, but that's another matter), rumors of a mysterious coup (as in coup d'é·tat) were flying all over alt media and social media. Something or someone (a bunch of someones) have got a very dark op underway, the rumor goes. . . fault lines are opening in the US government. . . we're in a danger zone.

The Sahel in flames: The legacy of French and US colonialism has created a breeding ground for chaos and violence

The Sahel region, stretching across sub-Saharan Africa, is plunged into a deep crisis of staggering proportions. News of mass school abductions, terrorist attacks, the seizure of entire territories, and thousands of deaths has become routine here. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is desperately calling for unity and for setting aside differences in the face of a common threat. However, behind these appeals lies a bitter truth: the wave of violence engulfing the Sahel is not a natural disaster. It is a direct consequence of the deliberate policies of external powers, primarily France and the United States, whose colonial and neocolonial interference created the perfect conditions for the spread of terror, plunder, and killing. The region's modern borders, political fragmentation, and economic dependency are a legacy that continues to fuel the crisis, turning the Sahel into a convenient platform for violence.

Zelensky's Closest, Most-Powerful Aide Resigns After Office Raided By Anti-Corruption Agents

Zelensky's chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, has submitted his resignation - the highest level official to fall amid the massive graft probe which has brought rare international embarrassment on the Zelensky government. As a reminder, Andrew Korybko recently opined that Yermak's removal could prompt some progress in peace talks: He's Zelensky's powerbroker so his downfall could undo the already shaky alliance between the armed forces, the oligarchs, the secret police, and parliament that keeps Zelensky in power, thus pressuring him into peace, especially if his warmongering grey cardinal is no longer pushing him to keep fighting. Earlier The Associated Post reported Friday: "Anti-corruption units have raided the home, and reportedly also the office, of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andrii Yermak." Zelensky now says he will hold consultations on replacing Yermak.

Poll: Sympathy for Israel Falls to Historic Low Among U.S. Voters

Sympathies for Israel over Palestine in the Middle East conflict fell to a historic low among registered voters in November. A new national survey conducted by BIG DATA POLL finds just under 3 in 10 (29.1%) say they side with the Israelis versus just over 2 in 10 (21.4%) who now side with the Palestinians. In a clear indication of growing weariness over the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the largest share of voters at 29.9% now say they sympathize with "Neither". Worth noting, sympathies for Israel over Palestine have trended toward more divided opinions for years. A noteworthy exception to this trend was measured after the attacks carried out by the Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorist Group Hamas on October 7, 2023. The percentage of registered voters who sympathized with Israel rose sharply to 54%.

Super-rare 'hybrid' blood type discovered in just 3 people

An investigation into why blood doesn't always behave as doctors expect has revealed a super-rare mutation in an extremely uncommon variation of blood. Testing more than 544,000 blood samples in a hospital in Thailand revealed three people carrying a never-before-seen version of the B(A) phenotype - a genetic quirk estimated to occur in about 0.00055 percent of people, or roughly one in 180,000. This discovery, says a team led by hematologist Janejira Kittivorapart of Mahidol University in Thailand, suggests that there may be more rare blood variants out there, too subtle for standard testing to detect. Human blood is categorized into eight main groups based on the sugars and proteins - or lack thereof - stuck all over your red blood cells. A, B, and AB types are based on the shape of antigens, sugar molecules that can trigger an immune response. O-type blood has no A or B antigens. Meanwhile, rhesus factors are proteins that determine blood compatibility, and are what give your...

Russia to tighten immigration rules - Security Council

Foreigners cannot "groundlessly" expect permanent residence and must leave at the end of their legal stay, Aleksandr Grebenkin has said Russia no longer sees immigration as a way to offset falling birthrates and will not allow migrants to overstay their legal welcome, Aleksandr Grebenkin, deputy secretary of the country's Security Council, has said. In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta released Tuesday, the senior official commented on Russia's State Migration Policy for 2026-2030, approved in October. He said it prioritizes national security and economic development while focusing on combating illegal immigration and integrating foreigners who share traditional values. "According to the new policy, the migration of foreign citizens to our country is no longer viewed as an auxiliary means of addressing demographic issues, but rather as an additional tool for implementing economic measures," he stated. He explained that foreigners cannot expect permanent residence in Russia,...

Severe early cold and heavy snow hits Eastern Europe

Temperatures across the eastern half of Europe experienced a significant drop this week, with the Alpine region recording frigid lows of -20°C and the Polish town of Zakopane in the Tatras Mountains registering -8.5°C. This severe cold snap was accompanied by heavy snowfall across Poland, where the central region received between 15 to 20 centimeters (approximately 6 to 8 inches) of snow, while southern areas near the mountains were blanketed with over 40 centimeters. The inclement weather was attributed to an area of low pressure moving northward from the Balkans, which collided with cold Arctic air mass hovering over Poland. This combination resulted in a series of emergency situations, with firefighters responding to 2,900 callouts and more than 75,000 homes in Rzeszów left without electricity due to the heavy snowfall. Adding to the complications in the region, an Embraer E170STD aircraft, which has a capacity for 80 passengers, skidded off the runway upon landing during a...

Landslide after torrential rains kills 8 in Tahiti

French Polynesian authorities have retrieved a total of eight bodies that were buried following a major landslide on its main island of Tahiti. The disaster struck several houses in the town of Afaahiti-Taravao, southeast of Tahiti, on Wednesday, around 5am local time (Thursday NZT). The final toll comes after one day and one night of searching for potential survivors. The search operations involved about 200 emergency staff, gendarmes and firemen, medical emergency teams, underground cameras, radars, drones but also an army helicopter as well as sniffer dogs. One of the victims is a three-year-old girl. Earlier, in this hillside village, search operations had to stop due to more landslides and collapse of whole portions of the mountain soaked by huge amounts of water accumulated, following days of torrential rains.

Flash floods, landslides kill at least 174, dozens missing in Sumatra, Indonesia - 9.8 inches of rain in 24 hours (UPDATE)

At least 13 people have been killed and three others remain missing after flash floods and a series of landslides hit seven districts and cities in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, local authorities said Wednesday. A total of 13 people were confirmed dead and 37 injured since Saturday, while three people are still unaccounted for, state-run Antara news agency reported, citing Wahyuni Pancasilawati, head of emergency response, equipment and logistics at the North Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). Multiple landslides and flash floods were reported across the province in recent days, Wahyuni said. Heavy rainfall and flooding also damaged 330 houses and displaced 2,244 people in several areas, according to the agency. In neighboring Malaysia, authorities said 21,834 people have been displaced by ongoing flooding in several northern states.

'Decapitated' seals wash up on Cornish beach in the UK

A couple walking along a beach in Cornwall stumbled across the awful sight of dead seals surrounded by a flock of seagulls. Faith Hannon, who was walking along the coast with her boyfriend near Hayle yesterday at 11am, says a total of six seals could be seen washed up far from the shoreline. Faith said that of the seals she saw on Gwithian beach, three of them were headless and all of them were dead. While she suggested killer whales could be the cause, a marine conservation officer has offered another explanation.

6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes northwest of Anchorage, Alaska: USGS

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Alaska early Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake struck at 8:11 a.m. local time near Susitna, which is about 30 miles from Anchorage, according to the USGS. A tsunami is not expected to form as a result of the quake, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center. There have been no reports of damage or fatalities, Alaska State Troopers communication director Austin McDaniel confirmed to ABC News. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities is currently conducting inspections of highways, bridges, airports and tunnels, the agency said.

The EU's Ukraine 'counter-plan' is a loser's manifesto

The EU/NATO combo cannot but play the role of pathetic yapping chihuahuas. That's the price you pay for a matryoshka of supreme stupidity. No one ever lost money betting on the politically suicidal instincts of post-Orwellian EU - that acronym for a virtual Europe. Call them juvenile bipolar psychos or a bunch of yapping chihuahuas: no Jupiterian or Mercurial voice of reason has been capable to impart to the "leadership" in Brussels and their vassals in most European capitals - yes, there are healthy exceptions - that losers in wars do not dictate terms. And still those War Council luminaries - with a special starring role for the toxic Pfizer Medusa and her Estonian sidekick unable to even manage a herring stall in the Baltics - insist that essentially the mega-corrupt gang in Kiev must prevail, to the last Ukrainian dead, and on top of it dictate the final terms of their non-surrender. Reality begs to differ. Plan A was never to talk, much less negotiate with Russia. And still...

Zelensky sent aide to US talks to 'protect' him from corruption probe - media

Andrey Yermak was reportedly put in charge of the Ukrainian delegation as anti-graft agents prepared a suspicion notice. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky appointed his chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, to head Kiev's negotiating delegation in Geneva last weekend after learning that anti-corruption investigators were preparing a suspicion notice against the aide, the newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli (ZN) claimed on Wednesday, citing sources. The report comes amid fallout from a massive $100 million graft scheme involving the Ukrainian leader's inner circle, including long-time associate Timur Mindich, who has been charged with running a kickback scheme in the energy sector and fled before the authorities could detain him. Surveillance of the Mindich case by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reportedly captured conversations involving Zelensky and Yermak, potentially implicating both. The NABU probe has led to the dismissal of two cabinet ministers and implicated additional...

Gaza in worst economic collapse on record - UN

Around 70% of structures in the Palestinian enclave have been destroyed as a result of the two-year Israel-Hamas war, according to a report. Gaza is suffering the worst economic collapse on record after two years of war between Israel and Hamas have left the Palestinian enclave devastated, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report. The UN trade body said this week that GDP in 2024 crashed by 83% from the previous year, while GDP per capita fell to $161 for the year - less than 50 cents a day - among the lowest levels in the world. UNCTAD estimates the economy has shrunk to just 13% of its 2022 size, with inflation at 238%, unemployment near 80%, and all 2.3 million residents pushed below the poverty line. "The post-October 2023 military operations have destroyed the economic foundations of Gaza and propelled it from de-development to utter ruin. The crisis has erased 69 years of progress and plunged the enclave's economy into "the most severe crisis...

Eroticism, espionage, blackmail and banking: the Epstein/Rothschild bank/Israeli cyber-weaponry axis

The Epstein affair is not what it seems. Certainly, it was known that the businessman had created a child prostitution ring and that he blackmailed his wealthy clients for the benefit of his Israeli friends. Documents published by Drop Site News attest to Epstein's political ties with former Israeli Prime Minister, General Ehud Barak, who manipulated the Epstein network to sell Israeli cyber weapons. Behind the sex scandal, a political affair is shaking numerous countries, from Mongolia to Ivory Coast, and including Russia. The fetid "Epstein affair" turned out to be a matter of intrusion at the highest level of cyber strategy. The case of the Khazar pedophile Jeffrey Epstein represents the operational core of a true policy of the greatest lethality, a new incarnation of the eternal triad of total power: sex/money/power. The website Dropsitenews.com [ 1 ] — based in Washington, founded by former Intercept staffers who expose abuses of power and disinformation — following the...

West gearing up for war - key Russian ally

Rising foreign military budgets and hostile rhetoric make Belarus feel like a "besieged fortress," its president has said. Western governments are creating mounting military threats along Belarus' border, President Alexander Lukashenko warned on Thursday, addressing fellow leaders of a regional alliance in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Lukashenko said Belarus increasingly feels like a "besieged fortress" due to burgeoning military expenditures across Europe, particularly in Germany and Poland, coupled with what he described as hostile rhetoric. "Western politicians are deliberately preparing for war," he cautioned. The Belarusian leader also criticized steps taken by Western countries to isolate Minsk, including border and airspace restrictions, as well as their continued weapons shipments to Ukraine. These arms, Lukashenko argued, are now "spreading all over the world," fueling instability beyond the immediate conflict zone.