United News of Bangladesh

A Florida chimpanzee sanctuary delivered food by drone to an ape stranded by floodwaters after heavy rain swamped its 150-acre property near Fort Pierce. Save the Chimps care houses remained safe on high ground for its 200 apes following Sunday-Tuesday rainstorms across southeast and central Florida, CEO Ana Paula Tavares said. However, overflowing canals submerged internal roads, disrupting golf cart deliveries of 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of daily food, while a high-clearance swamp buggy broke down, facilities director Mark Yohannan said. Staff used an emergency drone to drop bananas and blankets to Kaleb, a 38-year-old chimp cut off by water, until he crossed a rope bridge to safety. Trucks and a tractor delivered food and medicine to the rest, while a small alligator appeared near the kitchen Friday. Water levels dropped significantly by Saturday, clearing 20% of roads. Although staff relief remains difficult, workers remain in high spirits. Founded in 1997, the sanctuary-which has cared for nearly 350 chimps from research labs, pet trade, and entertainment-appealed for repair funds, with a donor matching contributions.

A Pakistani astronaut is set to join the crew of China's Shenzhou 24 spacecraft, becoming the first foreign national to visit the country's space station, Chinese state media reported Saturday. According to the China Manned Space Agency, the Pakistani astronaut will undertake a short-duration mission aboard the space station before returning to Earth on the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. However, it did not disclose the launch date. The mission will be the first joint spaceflight involving Chinese and foreign astronauts since China launched its human spaceflight programme, Xinhua said. Earlier this year, Xinhua reported that two Pakistani candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, had begun training alongside Chinese astronauts. One of them was expected to be selected as a payload specialist for the short-term mission. The training programme includes practical operational exercises and intensive Chinese language lessons to prepare the candidates for the mission. The planned flight is part of an agreement signed between China and Pakistan in February 2025. China is currently working towards its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the United States, considered its main competitor in space exploration, aims to send astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028 under NASA's programme.

For decades, people have been advised to choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products to protect heart health and control body weight. However, growing scientific evidence suggests that full-fat dairy may not pose the health risks traditionally associated with it. A new Canadian study led by University of Toronto professor Harvey Anderson has added to this evidence, finding that consuming three servings of full-fat dairy daily for 12 weeks did not cause harmful changes in body weight, body composition, energy metabolism or blood cholesterol levels. The findings also showed that participants who consumed more dairy experienced improvements in blood pressure and obtained higher amounts of several essential nutrients. Published in The Journal of Nutrition, the study raises questions about long-standing dietary recommendations and suggests that the health effects of dairy may involve more than its saturated fat content alone. Why full-fat dairy has been discouraged For decades, nutrition guidelines in Canada and several other countries have recommended low-fat or fat-free milk, yoghurt and other dairy products. The primary concern has been saturated fat, which can increase levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly known as "bad" cholesterol. High LDL levels can contribute to fatty deposits in arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases over time. As full-fat dairy contains more saturated fat than reduced-fat alternatives, health authorities have traditionally advised limiting its consumption. However, studies examining the actual health effects of full-fat dairy have produced mixed findings. Anderson, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, noted that numerous human studies have found no clear link between full-fat dairy consumption and adverse health outcomes. Some research has even suggested potential protective effects. A recent study led by Temerty Medicine professor Kozeta Milliku, for example, found an association between whole-fat milk consumption and a lower risk of childhood obesity. Such findings have encouraged researchers to investigate whether dairy products affect the body differently from what might be expected based on their individual nutrients. What happened when adults consumed full-fat dairy daily? To examine the issue, Anderson and his colleagues conducted a 12-week study involving 74 adults with overweight or obesity. Participants were randomly divided into three groups, each following a different dietary approach. The first group followed a calorie-restricted diet containing little dairy. The second consumed three servings of dairy daily while maintaining an energy-neutral diet, meaning their calorie intake was intended to match the energy they expended. The third group also consumed three daily servings of dairy but had no specific restrictions on their overall calorie intake. All participants received dietary guidance based on Canada's food guide, while the researchers provided full-fat dairy products throughout the study. After 12 weeks, the researchers assessed several indicators of metabolic health, including body weight, body composition and cholesterol levels. Source: Science Daily

US prosecutors have dropped all criminal charges against a Russian scientist who spent four months in immigration detention after arriving at a Boston airport with frog embryos intended for cancer research at Harvard Medical School. Kseniia Petrova, 31, was arrested in early 2025 while returning from a holiday in France, where she had visited a laboratory specialising in preparing extremely thin sections of frog embryos and collected samples for her research. Customs officers questioned her about the samples at Boston's Logan International Airport before she was charged with smuggling, concealing information and making false statements to government officials. On Wednesday, a federal judge approved prosecutors' request to dismiss all charges. Petrova told The Associated Press that she had not realised the samples needed to be declared to customs and had no intention of bringing them into the country illegally. The case weakened in April when a federal judge ruled that a customs officer had improperly revoked her visa over the incident. Petrova had feared deportation to Russia, where she could face imprisonment. Her lawyers also argued that the prosecution was vindictive and unusual, claiming criminal charges were filed only after the government appeared likely to lose her immigration case. On Tuesday night, US Attorney Leah Foley requested the dismissal, citing developments in the case and her office's priorities and resources. She argued that the cost of continuing the prosecution outweighed the public interest, although she rejected Petrova's allegations of selective and vindictive prosecution. US District Judge Leo Sorokin, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, dismissed the charges on Wednesday without holding a hearing. Petrova's lawyer, Daniel Marx, welcomed the decision, saying the prosecution should never have been brought against the Harvard scientist. He said Petrova was conducting medical research into ageing that could benefit society and that the samples were inert, non-living and non-toxic, posing no danger to anyone. Earlier, the Department of Homeland Security had defended her detention, accusing her of misleading federal officers about the embryos. In her court filing, Foley also referred to an April ruling that could have allowed Petrova's lawyers broad access to government records to support their claim of selective prosecution. The ruling would have required prosecutors to provide information about comparable cases involving passengers carrying undeclared items, regardless of how the items were transported or whether there was evidence of deliberate deception.

Scientists are using miniature tracking devices to learn more about the long-distance migration of monarch butterflies across North America, hoping to identify important resting and feeding sites before habitat loss threatens them further. Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón, a senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, has been fascinated since childhood by where monarch butterflies stop to feed and rest during their seasonal journeys. She is now working with other researchers to attach tiny tracking devices to hundreds of butterflies to identify these critical locations. Every year, large groups of orange-and-black monarch butterflies travel approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometres), from areas as far north as southern Canada to central Mexico. They spend the winter in forests of oyamel fir trees within a protected biosphere reserve that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Despite decades of research, scientists have struggled to determine the butterflies' exact migration routes, daily travel distances and overnight resting places. Solar-powered radio transmitters attached to nearly 1,750 monarchs this year are helping researchers gain new insights. The findings could support conservation efforts as monarch populations face growing threats from habitat destruction, pesticide use and climate change. Quiñonez-Piñón said the well-known butterfly provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the wider threats facing insects and their essential contribution to plant life and ecosystems. She stressed that protecting pollinators is necessary to maintain healthy ecosystems and ensure the availability of food sources for humans. People can also follow individual butterflies' journeys through a free mobile application called Project Monarch Science. Tracking butterflies through Texas and beyond Quiñonez-Piñón is leading a research project that combines real-time migration tracking with community-based scientific contributions to identify important stopover locations in Texas. The National Wildlife Federation recently joined an international research team involving scientists from three countries. Although not all monarch butterflies migrate, a significant portion of those living east of the Rocky Mountains travel through a narrow passage known as the "Texas funnel" during their autumn and spring migrations. In autumn, they head south towards Mexico. During spring, they travel north to reproduce and lay eggs before completing their life cycle. Their routes across Texas can change from year to year depending on the availability of water, nectar and suitable trees for overnight shelter. Since tracking began last year, researchers have recorded several previously undocumented migration connections. One butterfly from Utah, west of the Rocky Mountains, was found joining eastern monarchs in central Mexico. Other butterflies travelled south along the Eastern Seaboard before crossing the Gulf of Mexico and continuing through Mexico, revealing migration connections that scientists had not previously documented on such a scale. Emma Pelton, senior conservation biologist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, said the findings were revealing migration patterns and connections between butterfly populations that researchers had previously only suspected. She said the research team was encouraged by the progress made during its first year, particularly because earlier tracking devices were considered too large or heavy for the insects. Since this year's migration began, approximately 175 tagged butterflies have been detected in Mexico. Only selected butterflies receive tracking devices The newly developed tracking devices cost around $200 each and weigh approximately as much as a drop of water. They were developed by Cellular Tracking Technologies. According to Quiñonez-Piñón, properly trained researchers can attach the devices without harming the butterflies when the procedure is carried out correctly. However, not every monarch is suitable for tracking. To avoid placing excessive weight on the insects, researchers generally select butterflies weighing more than 400 milligrams, roughly the weight of a standard pill. David La Puma, vice president of global market development at Cellular Tracking Technologies and coordinator of the Project Monarch Collaboration, said researchers and community scientists also consider wing length when selecting butterflies for the devices. The tagging process requires careful handling. Researchers typically catch butterflies using nets and place them in cool conditions to calm them before attaching the transmitters. Each butterfly is positioned on a specially designed board, with its legs and antennae protected. Researchers then apply adhesive to its abdomen using a cotton swab before gently attaching the tracking device. Once the procedure is complete, the butterfly is released. New tracking technology offers opportunities but has limitations Louie Yang, an insect ecologist at the University of California, Davis, who was not involved in the research, described the technology as remarkable because it allows scientists to observe migration routes and estimate how quickly butterflies travel across different regions. However, he cautioned that the system does not provide the exact location of an individual butterfly. Instead, it records the location of a receiver that detects its signal. A detection also does not necessarily confirm that the butterfly is still alive. Yang said additional research would be necessary to determine whether the tracking devices influence the insects' natural behaviour. Climate change and pesticides threaten monarch populations Monarch butterflies generally live between two and six weeks. However, those that migrate to Mexico can survive for up to nine months, travelling south, spending the winter there and returning north to reproduce during spring. Their extraordinary migration has also made them a symbol of international migration and the challenges faced by migrants. Since the mid-1990s, eastern monarch populations have declined by more than 80%, while western populations have fallen by approximately 95%. Pesticides pose a significant threat to milkweed, the plant on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs and the only food source for their caterpillars. Human-driven climate change, largely caused by burning coal, oil and gas, is another major threat throughout the year, said Tierra Curry, senior scientist and endangered species codirector at the Center for Biological Diversity. She explained that prolonged high temperatures in northern regions can disrupt the environmental signals that trigger migration. If temperatures suddenly fall below freezing, butterflies may struggle to complete their journey to Mexico. Curry also warned that delayed migration reduces the likelihood of butterflies reaching their wintering grounds safely. Extended droughts can further reduce the availability of water and nectar-producing flowers. Collisions with cars and trucks also kill large numbers of butterflies. In California, forests used by western monarchs as winter habitats are also being cleared for development. Late last year, the Trump administration postponed a decision on granting federal protection to monarch butterflies. Several conservation organisations subsequently filed a lawsuit, prompting a court to order the government to make a final decision by 2030. Despite these challenges, conservationists are continuing efforts to protect the declining populations. In Texas, protective nets installed along some highways are encouraging butterflies to fly higher and reducing the risk of vehicle collisions, particularly at night when they descend to rest in trees. Other initiatives include large-scale planting of milkweed and other pollinator-friendly plants in gardens, along roadsides and near transport corridors. According to Curry, several studies have found that these conservation measures are helping increase local butterfly populations. 

China will adopt a "two launches, lunar orbit rendezvous" architecture for its manned lunar exploration program, senior engineer Wang Xiang on Saturday announced at the 7th Manned Space Symposium in Beijing. Under the scheme, separate rockets will launch the Mengzhou crewed spaceship and Lanyue lunar lander into Earth-moon transfer orbit. The spacecraft will dock in lunar orbit, allowing astronauts to transfer to Lanyue for surface descent and scientific work. Wang, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program, said the approach aligns with existing capabilities, standardizes production, and supports a long-term vehicle family. Nationwide resource mobilization, unified standards, and integrated subsystem verification are addressing development challenges. Development of the Long March-10 rocket, Mengzhou spaceship, and Lanyue lander is progressing smoothly. Key completed tests include Mengzhou's zero-height abort and escape tests, Lanyue's landing-takeoff test, and Long March-10's low-altitude validation. Wang emphasized building knowledge before resource utilization through step-by-step surveys, noting shared technology, personnel, and Chang'e program achievements will support the manned landing effort.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have discovered an unexpected role of a vitamin A derivative in the development of human vision, offering new insights into how the eye forms the specialised cells responsible for sharp central sight. The study reveals that retinoic acid, a molecule produced from vitamin A, works alongside thyroid hormones to shape the development of the retina, challenging a scientific theory that has remained influential for nearly three decades. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research suggests that certain cells initially sensitive to blue light can transform into cells that detect red and green light during fetal development. The findings could improve scientists' understanding of human eye development and potentially support future treatments for macular degeneration, glaucoma and other vision-related diseases. "This is a key step toward understanding the inner workings of the center of the retina, a critical part of the eye and the first to fail in people with macular degeneration," said Robert J. Johnston Jr., an associate professor of biology at Johns Hopkins University who led the study. To investigate the process, Johnston and his colleagues developed miniature human retinal tissues, known as organoids, in laboratory conditions. These structures allowed researchers to observe how retinal cells develop over several months, providing insights into changes that are difficult to examine during pregnancy. The study focused on the foveola, a small region at the centre of the retina responsible for detailed central vision. It enables people to read, recognise faces and distinguish fine details. Although it occupies only a tiny portion of the retina, researchers estimate that it contributes to around half of human visual perception. The foveola contains specialised light-sensitive cells called cones. Humans have three types of cones, which respond primarily to blue, green and red wavelengths of light. Unlike other parts of the retina, however, the foveola contains red and green cones but no blue cones. Researchers found that this arrangement develops through two coordinated biological processes. During the 10th to 12th weeks of fetal development, a small number of blue-sensitive cones initially appear in the foveola. By the 14th week, some of these cells appear to have transformed into red- and green-sensitive cones. The researchers identified retinoic acid and thyroid hormones as key factors behind this transformation. Retinoic acid helps regulate cell development and limits the formation of blue cones in the central retina. Meanwhile, thyroid hormones appear to encourage the remaining blue cones to develop into red and green cones. "First, retinoic acid helps set the pattern. Then, thyroid hormone plays a role in converting the leftover cells," Johnston said. The discovery challenges a long-standing scientific explanation that blue cones in the developing foveola simply migrate to other parts of the retina while retaining their original identity. Instead, the researchers' observations suggest that some of these cells change their identity as the eye develops. Although the possibility of cell migration has not been completely ruled out, the findings support a different explanation of how the retina acquires its specialised structure. The researchers stressed that the discovery concerns vitamin A signalling during fetal development and does not mean that taking vitamin A supplements can improve vision in adults. Potential for future vision restoration Beyond explaining the development of human vision, the research could open new possibilities for treating diseases that damage retinal cells. One potential application is macular degeneration, a condition that damages the central region of the retina and can seriously affect reading, driving and facial recognition. Although some treatments can slow the disease, there is currently no cure. Johnston's team is working to improve laboratory-grown retinal organoids so they more closely resemble the structure and function of the human eye. The long-term objective is to produce specialised light-detecting cells, known as photoreceptors, that could potentially be transplanted into damaged retinas to restore lost vision. Katarzyna Hussey, a co-author of the study and former doctoral student in Johnston's laboratory, said the technology could eventually support cell replacement therapy. She is now a molecular and cell biologist at CiRC Biosciences, a Chicago-based cell therapy company. Hussey said researchers hope to develop customised populations of healthy photoreceptors that could integrate into existing retinal tissue and help restore vision. However, she cautioned that the technology remains at an early stage and requires extensive development, safety assessments and effectiveness testing before it can be considered for clinical use. The researchers believe their findings provide a better understanding of how the human eye develops its ability to distinguish colours and see fine details, potentially bringing scientists closer to developing new approaches to treating vision loss. Source: Science Daily

A giant crocodile with its jaws wide open greets visitors entering Amsterdam's newly opened Art Zoo museum, staring down from above as if ready to attack. The 12-foot-long preserved reptile is among hundreds of taxidermied animals displayed throughout the museum, alongside carefully arranged bone collections, illuminated tulips in glass jars and cabinets filled with unusual fish. Although the museum is not designed around Halloween, its unusual and somewhat eerie displays make it an attraction for visitors seeking something different during the spooky season. "It was a little creepy," said Tomáš Vaško, a Slovak resident of Amsterdam, after visiting the museum on a gloomy October day. The museum was established by Dutch artists Jaap Sinke and Ferry van Tongeren, who took inspiration from the historical "wunderkammer" tradition. These curiosity cabinets were assembled by wealthy Europeans during the 16th and 17th centuries to exhibit unusual objects from nature. "We enjoy telling stories through animals," van Tongeren told The Associated Press. "We like to create drama and give the animals an attitude, unlike traditional taxidermists, who mainly try to reproduce nature." Inside the museum, a cheetah appears to lounge in an alcove while a cassowary stands nearby. Elsewhere, a Japanese giant spider crab spreads its six-foot-long legs above a doorway, beside the skeletal remains of a mastodon reaching almost to the ceiling. Unlike traditional natural history museums, where animals are displayed in lifelike poses, Art Zoo presents them in dramatic and imaginative arrangements. The artists gained international recognition in 2015 when British artist Damien Hirst, known for his work involving preserved animals, purchased their entire exhibition at an art show in London. The museum is housed in a 17th-century canal-side building, where visitors move through exhibition rooms surrounded by dark metal cages. Interestingly, it is the human visitors who are kept behind bars, while the preserved animals appear to roam freely. "We really like the concept of having all the people in a cage and then all the animals free," van Tongeren said. "In that way, the whole building becomes one artwork." The artists said none of the animals in their collection were captured from the wild. According to Sinke, all the specimens came from zoos where the animals died of natural causes. He added that obtaining the necessary documentation can be complicated, which is why they mainly source specimens from Europe, allowing them to trace their backgrounds. Sinke and van Tongeren also describe their artistic collaboration as a trio, considering naturalist Charles Darwin their third contributor. They developed the museum around the idea of bringing back Darwin's sense of wonder. A wall display featuring a series of sideways-facing busts of Darwin pays tribute to the scientist who developed the first scientific theory of evolution. The artists also find irony in celebrating Darwin inside a building that previously housed a Biblical Museum. Not every creature on display is genuine. Beneath the suspended crocodile, visitors can see a collection of Jenny Hanivers — modified ray carcasses that 16th-century sailors transformed into bizarre-looking creatures and falsely presented as sea monsters to deceive collectors. With their distorted faces and staring eyes, the strange figures appear to watch visitors as they move through the museum's cage-like exhibition rooms.

A fire at a national laboratory in South Carolina, located within a former nuclear weapons production complex, prompted an emergency declaration Wednesday, restricting incoming traffic and disrupting air and rail services in the surrounding area. The fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory, located within the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, was extinguished by Wednesday night. Operations at the site subsequently returned to normal, with no detectable contamination reported, according to a statement from the Savannah River Site. The sprawling complex was once used by the federal government to produce materials for nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239. The laboratory is situated in the northwestern part of the site, near its boundary. Opened in the early 1950s during the Cold War, the facility now focuses on environmental protection, cleanup, nuclear waste management and the handling of nuclear materials, according to the US Department of Energy. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the laboratory conducts experiments involving nuclear materials and processes radioactive substances. Its activities include recovering radioisotopes from spent nuclear fuel. Lyman said the reported absence of off-site contamination was reassuring, noting that buffer zones separate most facilities from public areas. However, he stressed that fires involving radioactive materials require strict safety measures because they can disperse hazardous substances, potentially contaminate surrounding areas and expose members of the public to radiation. According to the site's community preparedness information, Wednesday's declaration represented the second-highest of three emergency levels, indicating that a relatively serious incident had occurred. The emergency was lifted Wednesday night after firefighters extinguished the blaze.

A rare dinosaur skeleton resembling a miniature Tyrannosaurus rex has sold for $47.3 million at an auction in New York, making it one of the most expensive dinosaur fossils ever sold. The skeleton, nicknamed “Jodi,” belongs to a Nanotyrannus, which scientists recently confirmed was a distinct dinosaur genus and a distant relative of T. rex, rather than a juvenile specimen of the larger dinosaur. Sotheby's said the fossil was sold to an unidentified buyer on Tuesday after a roughly 12-minute auction. The winning bidder outcompeted five other prospective buyers participating online and by phone. The auction house had estimated the skeleton would sell for between $6 million and $9 million. The sale makes “Jodi” the second-most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold. Earlier this summer, a T. rex skeleton known as “Gus” fetched a record $50.1 million at Sotheby's. Nanotyrannus was about half the length of an adult T. rex. Both dinosaurs lived during the Cretaceous period around 67 million years ago. Nanotyrannus had relatively longer forelimbs, larger hand claws and narrower, blade-like teeth. “Jodi” is one of only three known Nanotyrannus skeletons. Standing 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 metres) tall and measuring nearly 20 feet (6 metres) long, the specimen is estimated to be almost 70% complete. It has been displayed at Sotheby's headquarters in upper Manhattan since earlier this month. The fossil was discovered in 2019 on a Montana ranch owned by Jodi Pierson, after whom the dinosaur was named. Sotheby's praised the professional fossil hunters who discovered and excavated the specimen, whose work was featured in the Discovery Channel documentary series “Dino Hunters” in 2020. Cassandra Hatton, the auction house's head of science and natural history, said their dedication to studying and preserving the fossil demonstrated how individuals could contribute significantly to scientific knowledge. However, some scientists have criticised the private sale of important fossils, arguing that such specimens should be kept in museums or research institutions, where scientists can study them and the public can view them. For decades, researchers debated whether Nanotyrannus was a distinct dinosaur or simply a young T. rex. Research published last year concluded that it represented a separate genus.