November 11, 2024, 11:25 am

Harris Evades Question on Israel’s Netanyahu as ‘Close Ally’

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  • Update Time : Monday, October 7, 2024

Russian ‘Merchant of Death’ Now Supplying Weapons to Houthis

The Telegraph,

Viktor Bout, the notorious arms dealer who was returned to Russia in a prisoner swap arranged by U.S. President Joe Biden, is reportedly supplying weapons to the Houthis. Bout, dubbed the “merchant of death,” is attempting to broker the sale of arms to the Iran-backed group, which has been launching attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and firing missiles and drones at Israel. According to The Wall Street Journal, the arms deal involves $10 million worth of automatic weapons.

Sources told the WSJ that Bout met with Houthi emissaries in Moscow in August to negotiate the sale. The arms transfers are reportedly still pending delivery and do not include the sale of advanced Russian anti-ship or anti-air missiles, which could pose a major threat to U.S. military efforts in the region. The Kremlin and Russia’s defense ministry have not yet commented on these reports. Bout, who was imprisoned in the U.S. for arms trafficking, was freed in a prisoner exchange two years ago in return for the release of American basketball player Brittney Griner.

SpaceX to Launch Europe’s Hera Asteroid Probe 

Space.com

SpaceX is set to launch Europe’s Hera spacecraft on Monday, October 7, aiming to study the aftermath of NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The Hera mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), will examine the crater left by the impact and analyze the asteroid’s surface and internal structure in greater detail.

Hera will be accompanied by two smaller spacecraft, called cubesats, named Milani and Juventas, which will assist in gathering data about the asteroid’s physical properties. If the mission proceeds as planned, the spacecraft will arrive at Dimorphos in late 2026. The goal is to further understand the dynamics of planetary defense strategies, which could be critical in the future for diverting potentially dangerous asteroids away from Earth.

Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to American Biologists for microRNA Discovery

CNN,

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their pioneering work on microRNA, a discovery that has reshaped our understanding of gene regulation. MicroRNA is a family of small RNA molecules that play a crucial role in controlling which proteins cells produce, influencing cell differentiation and development.

Ambros, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Ruvkun, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, made the groundbreaking discovery that microRNA is essential to gene activity, controlling the behavior of genes across a wide range of organisms. Their work revealed an entirely new dimension to biology, one that has been operational for hundreds of millions of years. The Nobel Committee praised their findings for uncovering an “entirely new dimension” of how genes are regulated, calling their work a milestone in modern science. Both researchers conducted their prize-winning work while at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, respectively.

Harris Evades Question on Israel’s Netanyahu as ‘Close Ally’

Al Jazeera ,

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris sidestepped a direct question regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s status as a “close ally” of the United States during an interview with CBS News’s 60 Minutes. The question arose amidst ongoing concerns about Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, which critics argue have undermined U.S. efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. Harris reiterated that the U.S. continues to press for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza while working to bring regional Arab leaders to the negotiating table.

In response to a question about Netanyahu’s relationship with the U.S., Harris replied that the U.S. has an important alliance with the Israeli people rather than focusing solely on Netanyahu himself. The Biden administration has faced criticism for its unwavering support of Netanyahu’s government, even as the Israeli military escalates its bombardment of Gaza. Harris, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, emphasized that the U.S. remains committed to pushing for a peaceful resolution in the region, but she did not directly address whether Netanyahu remains a “close ally” of the U.S.

China-Focused Hedge Funds Report Explosive Gains in September

Reuters,

Several China-focused hedge funds posted remarkable returns in September, driven by a sharp rebound in Chinese stocks following aggressive stimulus measures implemented by Beijing. The surge in stock prices, including a record 25% jump in China’s blue-chip CSI 300 Index over five days, propelled Asian equity hedge funds to the top of global performance charts for 2024.


Hong Kong-based Triata Capital reported a 44% gain in September, driven by long-term investments in sectors such as data centers, internet giants, e-commerce, and travel. This brought the fund’s year-to-date performance to 56%. Yunqi Capital’s China Fund posted a 26% gain, driven by bets on beaten-down U.S.-listed Chinese fintech and internet firms, such as Lufax Holdings and Qifu Technology. These funds benefitted from increased buybacks and dividend payouts by Chinese firms.

China’s stimulus package, which includes interest rate cuts and a $114 billion fund to boost stock prices, has reversed a three-year downturn in Chinese equities. The MSCI China Index saw a 24% jump in September, its largest monthly gain since 2022, with analysts predicting further gains if the economic recovery continues.

Chinese Hackers Breach U.S. Telecom Firms in Espionage Operation

The Washington Post,

Chinese hackers have reportedly breached the networks of at least three major U.S. telecommunications companies, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, in what officials are calling a sophisticated espionage operation. According to U.S. officials, the group responsible for the hack, dubbed Salt Typhoon, appears to be targeting information on Chinese individuals being surveilled by U.S. intelligence agencies. The hackers have reportedly been inside the telecom companies’ systems for months.

The breach is being investigated by the FBI, U.S. intelligence agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security. Officials have yet to determine the full scope of the hack or the potential damage, but they have confirmed that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation. The incident comes at a time when tensions between the U.S. and China are already high, with the two nations jockeying for dominance in areas including military capability, economic influence, and technological innovation.

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