https://www.sott.net Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events. en-us Original content Copyright 2026 by Signs of the Times/Sott.net. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net. Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:00:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net https://www.sott.net https://www.sott.net/article/509195-Pandoras-Box In Greek mythology, Pandora's Box (it was actually a jar) is the story of how suffering entered the human world. After the Titan Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, Zeus determined to afflict mankind with trials and tribulations. He ordered the craftsman god Hephaestus to fashion the first woman. The other gods endowed her with gifts: Athena taught her various practical skills, Aphrodite gave her beauty, Hermes instilled cunning. They named her Pandora, "all-gifted." Zeus sent Pandora to Earth as a gift for Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus. Despite Prometheus' warning never to accept anything from Zeus, Epimetheus welcomed her. Along with Pandora came a sealed jar that Zeus had filled with every kind of evil — sickness, old age, unrequited toil, war, and all manner of other miseries. Zeus commanded that the jar must never be opened. But curiosity overcame Pandora. She lifted the lid, and the evils flew out into the world, forever afflicting humanity. When... https://www.sott.net/article/509195-Pandoras-Box Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:00:01 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509194-Spiders-spin-silk-dope-into-natures-toughest-material By probing its molecular structure, biologists are uncovering how a tangle of unstructured proteins turns into a strong, flexible fiber. Introduction A spider, when knocked off a wall, doesn't fall for long. Within milliseconds, it spins a soup of proteins into sturdy climbing gear. Using a thin, shimmering strand of silk, the spider hauls itself back up. The strand is tougher than Kevlar, the synthetic fiber in bike tires and bulletproof vests, and stronger than steel. It's flexible and biocompatible with human bodies. Scientists dream of making spider silk into high-performing materials for seat belts, helmets, naval materials, and even scaffolds to help repair brain cells. But attempts to make spider silk in the lab have fallen short because researchers don't know enough about how a spider spins "silk dope," a liquid blend of proteins, water, and salt, from its silk glands into a remarkable solid. Mapping out the molecular mechanisms behind the process is "really the holy grail"... https://www.sott.net/article/509194-Spiders-spin-silk-dope-into-natures-toughest-material Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:59:02 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509193-Bhutan-glacial-lake-outburst-triggers-flood-no-injuries-reported A flood caused by the Shintaphu glacial lake bursting its banks has washed ​away infrastructure at the Gasa Tshachu natural hot ‌springs in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, media reports said on Friday. No injuries or loss of life have been reported, state ​broadcaster BBS said. The hot springs at Gasa ​Tshachu are a major tourist attraction in the ⁠northern part of the country that is nestled between ​India and China. BBS reported the extent of damage from ​the late night flash flood was not known because of "darkness and the strong flow" of floodwaters. Two bailey bridges — bridges built ​in portable, pre-fabricated sections — may have been washed away, ​the broadcaster reported. https://www.sott.net/article/509193-Bhutan-glacial-lake-outburst-triggers-flood-no-injuries-reported Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:34:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509192-Japans-Sakurajima-volcano-erupts-twice-sending-ash-1200-meters-above-crater Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupted twice today at its Minamidake summit crater, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The eruptions sent ash plumes 1,000 metres and 1,200 metres above the crater. Both drifted northeast. The volcanic alert level remains at 3. https://www.sott.net/article/509192-Japans-Sakurajima-volcano-erupts-twice-sending-ash-1200-meters-above-crater Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:01:52 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509191-Philippines-Mayon-volcano-erupts-sends-3000-meter-ash-column-into-sky One of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, Mayon, fired a dark column of ash over thousands of metres into the sky in a "moderately explosive eruption" on Friday (October 30). The eruption lasted nearly six minutes, sending alert status up to Level 3 in Albay, according to the state seismology office. Following the eruption, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in towns and in the vicinity of Mount Mayon. In response, the country's volcano institute raised the alert level from 2 to 3 on its 0-5 scale, calling for evacuations within six kilometres (3.7 miles) of the crater. https://www.sott.net/article/509191-Philippines-Mayon-volcano-erupts-sends-3000-meter-ash-column-into-sky Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:41:04 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509190-Rock-spire-collapse-triggered-by-heavy-rain-kills-3-in-Turkeys-Cappadocia A landslide triggered by heavy rain brought down a rock spire in Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cappadocia region on Thursday, killing three people and injuring five, officials said. "According to initial findings, two people were killed and five others injured in the incident," Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on X. Rescue teams later pulled another body from the rubble, bringing the death toll to three, Nevsehir Governor Huseyin Kok said. The nationalities of the dead were not immediately known. The collapse happened at 3:15 pm local time (1215 GMT), when a landslide caused a rockfall in the town of Goreme near the open-air museum, Kok said. Witnesses described hearing a loud noise as the spire near a car park collapsed, sending up a huge cloud of dust. Excavators and rescue workers worked into the night under floodlights to search for anyone trapped under the debris, and the area was closed to the public, according to reports. https://www.sott.net/article/509190-Rock-spire-collapse-triggered-by-heavy-rain-kills-3-in-Turkeys-Cappadocia Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:21:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509189-6-2-magnitude-earthquake-off-Sanma-Vanuatu-7th-of-such-intensity-in-10-days 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake 0.0 km from Hog Harbour, Sanma, Vanuatu UTC time: Thursday, October 29, 2026 21:46 PM Your time: Thursday, 29 October 2026 at 21:46 GMT Depth: 142.0 km No tsunami statement issued Magnitude Type: mww USGS page: M 6.2 - 43 km ESE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist Reports from the public: 4 persons https://www.sott.net/article/509189-6-2-magnitude-earthquake-off-Sanma-Vanuatu-7th-of-such-intensity-in-10-days Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:10:18 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509188-Communication-isnt-enough If anyone here is in a romantic relationship, or at one time in their life has been, you have probably been told that if you are having issues in your partnership, it is due to a lack of communication. That's a no-brainer, eh? Well, of course it is. But that statement leaves us with a belief that if we could only communicate better, then all would be fine. Think again. First of all, what does "communicate better" even mean? "Better?" What's that? Communication is just passing words back and forth, isn't it? I mean, if we speak the same language, isn't that all there is to communicating? In a certain sense, that is true. So, it really isn't "communicating" that is the problem; it is being able to understand what is being communicated — not just understanding the words in a shared language, but really understanding what those words mean. At least most of us don't truly understand another person's perspective. And I would venture to say this stands true, most of the time, not only for... https://www.sott.net/article/509188-Communication-isnt-enough Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:52:30 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509187-Minnesota-charges-James-O-Keefe-and-Cam-Higby-with-felonies-over-polling-place-undercover-investigation Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Wednesday charged conservative provocateur James O'Keefe and influencer Cam Higby with felony unlawful voting and identity theft, over undercover videos they shot at Minneapolis polling places during the Aug. 11 primary, according to MPR News. The complaints allege the pair visited four Hennepin County precincts and impersonated four different voters, Fox 9 reports. Prosecutors say the names they gave were real: some belonged to residents who had died, and at least one to a person who had already voted, MPR reports. At one school precinct, a team member gave the first and last name of an actual registered voter before asking how the state's vouching law works, KSTP reports. https://www.sott.net/article/509187-Minnesota-charges-James-O-Keefe-and-Cam-Higby-with-felonies-over-polling-place-undercover-investigation Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:16:54 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509186-Traction-A-world-with-friction-is-a-world-without-progress Tribologists study friction: what happens when things rub together. It's indispensable, from the wheel to the paths of stars In conversations, few words catch my attention faster than 'friction' - and especially talk of making things frictionless. From the workplace to grocery shopping, our societies seem to be striving to remove friction from everything. The motivation appears to be that decreasing resistance makes life easier and smoother. Having spent a career as a tribologist, studying friction, wear and lubrication scientifically, I have some opinions on this. I'll confess that, in most of my career, I too have sought to reduce friction, developing new materials, designs or even instrumentation in order to lower friction in a jet engine or reduce emissions from your car. However, I've also found myself trying to figure out how to increase friction to remove plaque on teeth. https://www.sott.net/article/509186-Traction-A-world-with-friction-is-a-world-without-progress Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:42:02 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509185-Parts-of-Tibetan-Plateaus-frozen-ground-are-gaining-ice-despite-warming High on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the ground stays frozen, with only the top few meters melting each summer. Although the region is warming about twice as fast as the global average, a new study finds that more than a third of its permafrost, mainly in the central plateau, has gained ice since 2000. Stronger westerly winds bring more rain and snow, which seeps into the ground in summer and freezes again in winter. The work was led by Li Dongfeng at Peking University's College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, with colleagues from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, Nanjing Normal University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others. It was published in Science Advances. https://www.sott.net/article/509185-Parts-of-Tibetan-Plateaus-frozen-ground-are-gaining-ice-despite-warming Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:35:29 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509184-2024-solar-storm-triggered-ultra-relativistic-electrons-inside-Earths-impenetrable-barrier The Earth is surrounded by an invisible barrier that was thought to prevent highly energetic electrons from reaching closer to our planet. But in 2024, Japan's Arase space probe detected these electrons well inside the barrier. Now, research led by Nagoya University has found evidence that the electrons were accelerated locally rather than infiltrating from outer radiation belts. The Earth's magnetic field traps energetic charged particles, namely protons and electrons, in two donut-shaped belts called the Van Allen radiation belts. These particles can potentially damage hardware and electronics in spacecraft flying through the belts. At the inner edge of the second Van Allen belt, at roughly 3 Earth-radii away from Earth's center, electrons with extremely high energies seem to hit an invisible, impenetrable wall. First discovered in 2014,the source of this barrier is not completely understood. One possibility is a phenomenon known as "plasmaspheric hiss": low frequency radio waves... https://www.sott.net/article/509184-2024-solar-storm-triggered-ultra-relativistic-electrons-inside-Earths-impenetrable-barrier Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:14:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509183-Dominican-Republic-becomes-latest-Latin-American-country-to-adopt-IHRA-antisemitism-definition-amid-regional-shift-to-the-right Adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism has become a marker of Latin America's rightward shift, as governments across the region align with Israeli foreign policy and move to criminalize solidarity with Palestine. On August 24, the Dominican government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, infamous for equating opposition to Israeli apartheid and Zionist colonialism with antisemitism. President Luis Abinader made the announcement in Santo Domingo, while speaking at an event organized by the U.S. Zionist organization Combat Antisemitism Movement. Subsequently, a statement from the Dominican Foreign Ministry justified the decision by invoking a supposed official policy against hate and discrimination dating back to 1938 when, according to the text, "the Dominican State was the only one to offer asylum in Sosúa to a significant number of Jewish refugees fleeing the war crimes perpetrated by the Nazi regime". https://www.sott.net/article/509183-Dominican-Republic-becomes-latest-Latin-American-country-to-adopt-IHRA-antisemitism-definition-amid-regional-shift-to-the-right Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:47:25 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509182-Trump-says-Brazil-election-looked-rigged-defeated-Bolsonaros-party-recognizes-Lula-win Bolsonaro's party acknowledges election results Bolsonaro had called for annulment over two-hour voting extension Senator trails Lula by more than four million votes Lula to confront Congress packed with Bolsonaro allies Global leaders recognize Lula's win US ​President Donald Trump said on Monday that leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's surprise win in Brazil's presidential vote "looked like another rigged election," although the party of defeated right-winger Flavio Bolsonaro later acknowledged the result. The son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat in Sunday's presidential election, saying he would seek the annulment of Lula's victory after the Supreme Court extended voting by two hours. Later on Monday, however, Bolsonaro's Liberal Party said it acknowledged the runoff result in a statement signed by ​the party's head Valdemar Costa Neto."We recognize the presidential election results," Costa Neto said. "But we believe... https://www.sott.net/article/509182-Trump-says-Brazil-election-looked-rigged-defeated-Bolsonaros-party-recognizes-Lula-win Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:46:06 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509181-NATO-in-quiet-panic-as-Russi-increases-lead-in-economy-of-war Actual military and security experts in the political West are evidently in a quiet panic mode, because they finally realize that they not only failed to defeat Russia, but also made it stronger. This explains Moscow's rather relaxed demeanor when dealing with NATO, as it's perfectly aware that its military found the near-perfect balance between quality and quantity, just like it did during WWII. The history of warfare shows that the right balance of quality and quantity wins wars. Having more of "good enough" is almost always better than having "the best" of quality with small production runs. A notable example of this is WWII. For instance, the Soviet Union produced around 6-7 PPSh-41 submachine guns for the price of one German MP 40. Despite different qualities, both guns had a similar impact, but the fact that Moscow found a way to churn out so many more of these guns for the price tag of one German weapon demonstrates the vast superiority of the "good enough" model. As a... https://www.sott.net/article/509181-NATO-in-quiet-panic-as-Russi-increases-lead-in-economy-of-war Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:45:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509180-Netanyahus-Likud-accuses-Qatar-Turkiye-of-election-interference-aimed-at-Islamizing-Israel Palestinian-Israeli factions won the most seats in an Israeli election ever, despite settler harassment and sabotage at the polls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Qatar and Turkiye of financing the unprecedented success achieved by Palestinian-Israeli parties in the election this week, with his Likud party warning of an "Islamization of Israel" on 29 October. An election interference probe has reportedly concluded. Likud said: "After it was revealed that foreign entities tried to take over the Knesset, it is clear that no Zionist party should cooperate with Raam and the Joint List, replace the Knesset speaker through votes bought for cash, and form a government that is dangerous to Israel." "Attempts by Qatar and Turkiye to 'influence' the vote are an attack on democracy whose purpose is to lead to a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel, and the overthrow of right-wing rule in order to lead to retreat and defeat of the [Israeli army] in all... https://www.sott.net/article/509180-Netanyahus-Likud-accuses-Qatar-Turkiye-of-election-interference-aimed-at-Islamizing-Israel Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:44:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509179-Sound-levitated-particles-reveal-how-static-charge-builds-up When two objects touch and then separate, they can swap tiny amounts of electric charge, even if they are made from exactly the same material. This 'triboelectric effect' is the source of everyday static electricity, but it is still poorly understood in large samples of powder, where vast numbers of particles are constantly colliding with each other. Through new research published in Physical Review E, Tom O'Hara and colleagues at the University of Bristol have investigated the effect using acoustic levitation: using sound waves to trigger repeated collisions between pairs of particles. Their experiment shows for the first time how charge builds up on repeatedly colliding particles, before leveling off at a set limit. https://www.sott.net/article/509179-Sound-levitated-particles-reveal-how-static-charge-builds-up Thu, 29 Oct 2026 20:42:10 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509178-Heavy-early-snowfall-in-the-highlands-of-central-Greece-7-8-inches-deep Heavy snowfall in the highlands of central Greece Wednesday led authorities to instruct car drivers to use snow chains on several mountain roads. A police statement said that chains would be necessary in many parts of the Evritania and Fthiotida regions, mostly on local roads around the town of Karpenissi and on the national road from Lamia to Karpenissi. Snow ploughs were also enlisted to clear the roads where necessary. Local media reported up to 20 centimeters of snow in the mountains of southwestern Thessaly. https://www.sott.net/article/509178-Heavy-early-snowfall-in-the-highlands-of-central-Greece-7-8-inches-deep Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:53:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509177-Early-snow-blankets-Japan-as-Winter-arrives-ahead-of-November-up-to-7-4-inches-deep Japan's first significant snowfall of the season has brought winter conditions to Hokkaido and northern Honshu, with snow depths exceeding 10 centimeters in several mountain and inland locations on October 28, while a fresh wave of cold air is expected to bring further snowfall over the weekend of October 31 and November 1. As of 11 a.m. on October 29, the Japan Meteorological Agency had confirmed the season's first snow cover on numerous mountains extending from Hokkaido through Tohoku and into the Japanese Alps, marking a significant advance of winter weather across the country. Hokkaido experienced some of the heaviest snowfall on October 28 as a strong winter pressure pattern carried cold air southward from the Asian continent. Snow was recorded in Sapporo, Hakodate, Muroran, Obihiro, Kushiro and Abashiri, with several cities experiencing their first snowfall earlier than the seasonal average. Sapporo's first snow arrived on October 28, matching the average date but five days... https://www.sott.net/article/509177-Early-snow-blankets-Japan-as-Winter-arrives-ahead-of-November-up-to-7-4-inches-deep Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:43:27 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509176-Baby-survives-as-lightning-kills-mother-and-four-year-old-child-in-Zimbabwe The incident happened at approximately 1.30 pm as the group left Headman Macebo's homestead in Ward Eight. The young mother had reportedly been working at a nearby homestead before the group prepared to leave. She was carrying her two-year-old child on her back when lightning struck. Local councillor Mqondisi Zikhali confirmed the incident, describing the tragedy as a shocking development for residents. "The incident happened as they left Headman Macebo's homestead. The lightning bolt killed two people on the spot, while a two-year-old child who was on her mother's back survived. Another four-year-old was rushed to hospital after surviving the strike," he said. Zikhali said the incident had stunned residents, particularly because the area had experienced little rainfall. https://www.sott.net/article/509176-Baby-survives-as-lightning-kills-mother-and-four-year-old-child-in-Zimbabwe Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:14:44 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509175-Meteor-fireball-caught-on-camera-over-upstate-New-York-on-October-25 Cameras were rolling across Upstate, New York over the October 23rd, 2026, weekend. What would we do without cameras? Probably miss rare fall fireballs shooting across the sky. Upstate New York Meteorologist Bill Kardas shared 2 videos of a fireball flying across the sky in Oneonta on Sunday October 25th, 2026: Kardas shared this video from one of his social media followers in Oneonta: https://www.sott.net/article/509175-Meteor-fireball-caught-on-camera-over-upstate-New-York-on-October-25 Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:05:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509174-Heavy-rain-triggers-flood-alert-in-Sharjah-United-Arab-Emirates The UAE National Centre of Meteorology issued a flash flood alert on Wednesday after heavy downpours lashed Shees and Wadi Al Helo in Sharjah. Valid from 3 pm to 8 pm on October 28, the warning urged residents and drivers to avoid flood-prone mountainous spots where water accumulates rapidly in valleys. Footage shared by Storm Centre on X revealed heavy rain in Fujairah. Meanwhile, video clips from Shees displayed wet roads, moving vehicles, and reduced visibility against mountains and palm trees. https://www.sott.net/article/509174-Heavy-rain-triggers-flood-alert-in-Sharjah-United-Arab-Emirates Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:08:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509173-One-man-dead-another-missing-as-flash-floods-sweep-away-cement-mixer-truck-in-Egypt One person was killed, another went missing and a third was injured after flash floods swept away a cement mixer truck carrying three people in Egypt's South Sinai governorate, authorities said. The incident occurred in Wadi Watir, near the coastal city of Nuweiba, after heavy rainfall triggered powerful torrents through the mountainous valley on Tuesday evening. South Sinai Governor Ismail Kamal said search and rescue teams were continuing efforts to locate the missing person, while the injured victim was receiving treatment in hospital. The flooding disrupted traffic and forced authorities to close affected roads as emergency teams worked to clear mud, rocks and debris deposited by the torrents. https://www.sott.net/article/509173-One-man-dead-another-missing-as-flash-floods-sweep-away-cement-mixer-truck-in-Egypt Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:42:29 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509172-Woman-and-niece-killed-as-flash-floods-sweep-away-car-in-Jordan A 37-year-old woman and her 27-year-old niece died after flash floods swept their vehicle off a bridge in Jordan's Madaba governorate, carrying it more than 100 metres into a valley, local media reported. The tragedy occurred near the Sayagha Bridge as the vehicle was travelling towards Madaba when torrents of water surged from higher ground following rainfall. According to local media reports, the rain had initially been light around sunset before floodwaters intensified rapidly, trapping the vehicle and sweeping it off the bridge into the valley below. The driver, who was the woman's brother and the younger victim's uncle, managed to escape by jumping from the vehicle and reaching a nearby rock. Civil Defence teams and local residents subsequently rescued him. https://www.sott.net/article/509172-Woman-and-niece-killed-as-flash-floods-sweep-away-car-in-Jordan Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:27:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509171-Floods-in-Syria-kill-2-people-put-7-bridges-roads-out-of-service At least two people have died as heavy rains and floods swept across large parts of Syria, with search operations continuing for missing people. Seven bridges, culverts and dirt roads have collapsed or been put out of service, cutting major routes between governorates, including Aleppo - Raqqa, Raqqa - Deir ez-Zor and Homs - Farqlus, while displaced families have also suffered damage to their shelters. https://www.sott.net/article/509171-Floods-in-Syria-kill-2-people-put-7-bridges-roads-out-of-service Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:56:20 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509170-Floods-maroon-300-villages-in-Odisha-India-after-Cyclone-Arnab-dumps-up-to-21-4-inches-of-rain-in-24-hours The Odisha government is coordinating with the Union Home Ministry to airlift people stranded in Ganjam district, where heavy rain and flash floods triggered by Cyclone Arnab have marooned around 300 villages, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said on Thursday, reported PTI. Tthe state has deployed 54 teams from various disaster response agencies for rescue operations as washed-out highways and disrupted train services hamper connectivity. However, low cloud cover and continued rainfall could delay air evacuations, Garg said. According to PTI, the rescue teams comprise three units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 27 of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 24 Fire Service teams. The state government plans to airlift 120 people in the first phase, Garg said, adding that the Indian Coast Guard would provide a helicopter and make the necessary arrangements. "The state government is in contact with the Ministry of Home Affairs, and arrangements are being made to... https://www.sott.net/article/509170-Floods-maroon-300-villages-in-Odisha-India-after-Cyclone-Arnab-dumps-up-to-21-4-inches-of-rain-in-24-hours Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:35:28 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509169-Shallow-6-4-magnitude-earthquake-hits-southeast-of-Easter-Island-USGS An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 jolted southeast of Easter Island at 0749 GMT on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 36.41 degrees south latitude and 98.05 degrees west longitude. https://www.sott.net/article/509169-Shallow-6-4-magnitude-earthquake-hits-southeast-of-Easter-Island-USGS Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:34:35 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509168-Putin-Musk-a-real-genius Russia is coordinating with him on satellites Russian President Vladimir Putin called Elon Musk "a real genius" on Wednesday and said Moscow is in touch with him about satellites, days after Ukraine said speed limits that hobbled its drones had been lifted. Putin said Russia is in "close contact" with its "American partners, including Mr. Musk," because in orbit it is important "not to interfere with each other." He spoke at an exhibition on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, as Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev presented Rassvet, Russia's answer to Starlink, Reuters reported. Shadayev said Russia has launched more than 30 satellites, against more than 5,000 working Starlink satellites. Independent tracker Orbital Radar puts SpaceX's fleet at close to 10,000. Putin called Rassvet a first step and said Russia started the work on its own. https://www.sott.net/article/509168-Putin-Musk-a-real-genius Wed, 28 Oct 2026 21:40:42 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509167-Trumps-war-overreach-The-straw-that-breaks-the-back-of-the-Wests-financialised-architecture From the streets of Paris to the Strait of Hormuz, Western liberal economies are caught in a trap of their own making Almost everywhere there is a deepening sense that the western Liberal economic project is on the verge of collapsing in very fundamental ways — most obviously, this has been on display on the streets of Paris. But it can be seen too in the US where President Trump's embrace of the Iran war seemingly has prejudiced the Republican chances in next month's midterms. No one can guess how Trump will choose to govern, should voters turn against him personally; however an angry, frustrated and erratic Presidency is most likely for the next 2 years. Perhaps key to understanding today's European turmoil occurred in 2024: The French electoral cycle had begun with an European Parliament vote, where the Right-leaning, National Rally (RN), led by Le Pen had won a decisive victory. The RN won 30 seats (31.37% of the vote) with the Ensemble (President Macron's coalition) winning... https://www.sott.net/article/509167-Trumps-war-overreach-The-straw-that-breaks-the-back-of-the-Wests-financialised-architecture Wed, 28 Oct 2026 21:28:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509166-Israel-demolishes-home-of-Lebanese-journalist-whose-viral-film-exposed-pager-attack The occupying Israeli army targeted a prominent Lebanese journalist when they pillaged and demolished his painstakingly-constructed family home located outside Israel's so-called "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon. Was it retaliation for his widely-viewed documentary on Israel's notorious pager attacks? Israeli soldiers have looted and demolished the family home of Radwan Mortada, a prominent Lebanese investigative journalist who directed the recent viral Al Jazeera 360 documentary The Trap. The film exposes the surreptitious network and planning behind Israel's notorious pager attack, which left hundreds of Lebanese citizens wounded and maimed, and has become one of the channel's most-watched in recent history. Israel's destruction of Mortada family home on October 17 has drawn condemnation from at least one international press freedom group, the Committee to Protect Journalists. On October 21, the organization issued a statement declaring that it "strongly condemns the Israeli... https://www.sott.net/article/509166-Israel-demolishes-home-of-Lebanese-journalist-whose-viral-film-exposed-pager-attack Wed, 28 Oct 2026 21:18:13 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509165-The-Hegemonic-Echo-The-CIAs-command-of-Project-Ukraine-the-Starlink-Proxy-Rift-and-the-False-Dichotomy-of-Neo-cons-and-Globalists The internal machinery directing Western involvement in Ukraine has entered a phase of open bureaucratic warfare, stripped of diplomatic ambiguity. A high-profile feature in The Atlantic alongside a cascade of revelations from SpaceX founder Elon Musk has brought into the light what seasoned observers have documented for years: the Central Intelligence Agency, under Director John Ratcliffe, is running Project Ukraine as its primary operational instrument against the Russian Federation. While Donald Trump continues to market himself to his base as an anti-interventionist mediator seeking a fast resolution, the administrative reality within his own national security cabinet tells the opposite story. The White House has greenlit an expanded targeting envelope inside sovereign Russian territory, backed covert sabotage and targeted strikes, and permitted the national security apparatus to run full speed ahead. This dynamic exposes the central deception of modern American statecraft.... https://www.sott.net/article/509165-The-Hegemonic-Echo-The-CIAs-command-of-Project-Ukraine-the-Starlink-Proxy-Rift-and-the-False-Dichotomy-of-Neo-cons-and-Globalists Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:20:33 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509164-Iran-the-midterms-and-the-myth-of-Government-by-the-People With the Israeli election this week and America's midterms next Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly spent weeks debating not whether to restart their war with Iran, but when they should do it. Netanyahu reportedly wanted to renew the bombing before Israeli or American voters went to the polls. He has officially denied that, but it fits his well-documented strategy of using an ongoing war to shield himself from political and legal accountability. Trump, meanwhile, has publicly ruled out another US attack until after November 3. But, according to several recent reports, the two governments are genuinely preparing for another major round of strikes once the American election is over. Already, this episode has made the narrative put forward by both leaders even more ridiculous. After all, if renewed attacks on Iran are as necessary to protect the American people, as both have claimed, why would that necessity depend on whether... https://www.sott.net/article/509164-Iran-the-midterms-and-the-myth-of-Government-by-the-People Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:06:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509163-The-Iran-war-and-the-terrible-power-of-the-purse Netanyahu is telling Trump that he needs now to finish the job of destroying Iran The 'Grand Design' to "maintain [western civilisation's] place at the head of the world" (as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it) requires the tools for ensuring compliance are two-fold: The creating of destructive revolutionary fervour from below (now termed 'regime change'); and secondly, the use of what Theodore Herzl in a now famous phrase termed "the terrible power of the purse to exert irresistible pressure on international politics" in order to co-opt the ruling strata into a power network that would advance the 'Grand Design project'. This is what we are observing with Trump's war on Iran. The June 2025 Israeli-American attack was primarily a decapitation attack designed to disable both Iran's political and military leadership, whilst armed Mossad trained elements, the MEK and Baluchi separatists inter alia would be inserted into Iran to foment revolution from the street below. At that... https://www.sott.net/article/509163-The-Iran-war-and-the-terrible-power-of-the-purse Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:05:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509162-European-leaders-are-political-masochists-Lavrov The Russian foreign minister has accused Western politicians of sacrificing their citizens' welfare in pursuit of defeating Moscow in Ukraine Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has branded European leaders "political masochists," accusing them of sacrificing their own citizens' welfare in pursuit of Russia's defeat in Ukraine. Speaking to editors-in-chief of African media outlets in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov accused Western governments of pressuring their populations to accept declining living standards to secure Ukraine's victory in conflict with Russia. He said: "They are trying to keep public opinion in a position where people must sacrifice everything: salaries, jobs, healthcare services and social benefits in general, so that Ukraine defeats Russia. People can feel how their situation is deteriorating in European countries." He singled out German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as one of the politicians advocating such an approach. "These are masochists, political masochists, if... https://www.sott.net/article/509162-European-leaders-are-political-masochists-Lavrov Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:04:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509161-Wired-for-War-Israeli-spy-tech-firm-targeted-Starlink-users-researchers Discover-Tech operated a surveillance and tracking network disguised as a commercial advertising business, according to Reuters An Israeli online advertising company implicated in spyware attacks targeting internet users was heavily active on SpaceX's Starlink service, Japanese researchers have found, bolstering claims that the firm was running a "targeting and tracking" operation masquerading as a commercial advertising business. Earlier this month, Canadian cybersecurity watchdog Citizen Lab and New York-based ad security firm Confiant published extensive investigations identifying Discover-Tech, an Israeli advertising technology company, as a middleman helping spyware firms, including Candiru and Intelos, as well as a little-known US-linked operator known as Dark Cartographer, track internet users and potentially infect their devices without their knowledge. Discover-Tech's operation involved purchasing advertising space on hundreds of thousands of websites and apps, using ads... https://www.sott.net/article/509161-Wired-for-War-Israeli-spy-tech-firm-targeted-Starlink-users-researchers Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:50:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509160-Justice-Department-charges-James-Comey-with-sharing-classified-information The case involves allegations that the former FBI director authorized a disclosure of classified information to The New York Times. The Justice Department has brought a third criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, charging him with leaking classified information about government surveillance techniques to The New York Times in 2016. Court records unsealed Monday show federal prosecutors filed two felony charges against Comey earlier this month in connection with the alleged leak. The charges stem from a Times article about Yahoo adapting its spam filter to accommodate surveillance requests from the FBI, prosecutors said in a recent court filing. The case, which has been pending in secret for weeks, involves allegations that Comey authorized then FBI General Counsel James Baker to disclose classified information to the outlet. https://www.sott.net/article/509160-Justice-Department-charges-James-Comey-with-sharing-classified-information Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:49:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509159-At-least-68-killed-in-Spanish-high-speed-train-crash At least 68 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a Spanish high-speed train collided with another train south of the capital Madrid The updated death toll makes this crash the country's worst rail disaster since 2013 Spain's transport minister says an "inexplicable" decision by the control centre led to the collision after a computer failure initially caused trains to halt The rail operator Iryo says its train was "struck from behind" by a Renfe train. More than 500 passengers were travelling on the two trains Speaking at the crash site, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says Spain is "grieving" - most major parties have suspended general election campaigning Sánchez also vows to find out "why this tragedy occurred" - here's what we know so far about the cause Witnesses have described "terrible" scenes, while Roberto Gómez, a Spanish journalist travelling on one of the trains, says it was "extremely chaotic and very distressing" https://www.sott.net/article/509159-At-least-68-killed-in-Spanish-high-speed-train-crash Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:25:29 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509158-Astronomers-found-a-mysterious-object-beyond-Neptune The powerful Vera Rubin Observatory has spotted what seems to be a dwarf planet circling the sun in the frigid depths beyond Neptune. The icy object, known as 2026 ED138, is likely between 600 and 1500 kilometers (373 to 972 miles) wide, scientists say. It's therefore probably big enough to be sculpted into a sphere by its own gravity — a key characteristic that separates dwarf planets from asteroids and other small space rocks. And if 2026 ED138 is indeed a dwarf planet, that's a pretty big deal, as astronomers have confirmed just five of them to date: Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake. https://www.sott.net/article/509158-Astronomers-found-a-mysterious-object-beyond-Neptune Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:01:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509157-German-special-forces-preparing-for-war-with-Russia-commander Germany's elite special forces are preparing for a potential large-scale war with Russia, the unit's commander told Bild. The remarks come amid tensions between Moscow and NATO over the Ukraine conflict, with German officials warning that the armed forces must be ready for a confrontation by the end of the decade. The highly secretive unit, known as Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK), is comparable to Britain's SAS or the US Green Berets. According to a report from its base in southwestern Germany published on Monday, the commandos are adjusting their training to counter Russian forces equipped with tanks, artillery, drones, and electronic warfare capabilities, including in extreme cold. "We are orienting ourselves very specifically toward the adversary Russia," KSK Commander Brigadier General Andreas Kuhne said, adding that his soldiers would have to be prepared to "remain in the field much longer," potentially "with no end in sight," if war broke out. https://www.sott.net/article/509157-German-special-forces-preparing-for-war-with-Russia-commander Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:26:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509156-Top-womens-podcast-promotes-divorce-because-theres-always-something-better If you want to know why 60% of men in the US (35-years-old or younger) have never been married and say they don't plan on getting married, study the behavior of modern women and you will find your answers in abundance. In other words, women are the problem. Around 43% of first-time marriages in the US end in divorce. But that's just the beginning - 67% of second marriages end in divorce and 75% of third marriages end in divorce. In 1960, the national divorce rate was less than 1%. What happened? The cancer of feminism happened. Women are psychologically far more likely to embrace group cooperation, group compliance and communal orientation. Feminism taps into these inherent collectivist tendencies and uses female group-think to encourage destructive and morally reprehensible behavior in individuals. Many women follow along; some fear being ostracized from the group, and others simply love the feeling of power that the mob gives them. (This is how we get millions of women showing... https://www.sott.net/article/509156-Top-womens-podcast-promotes-divorce-because-theres-always-something-better Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:20:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509155-We-should-not-have-done-it-Thiel-breaks-with-Trump-over-Iran-war-warns-America-may-not-have-the-hard-power One day after we reported that Donald Trump Jr. has privately broken with his father over the Iran war, Peter Thiel, the PayPal and Palantir (PLTR) co-founder who was the first big tech investor to back Trump in 2016 and the biggest funder of super PACs behind JD Vance's 2022 Senate run, has also drawn a line in the sand over Trump's defining foreign-policy gamble. In audio from an Oct. 12 private lecture in Nashville obtained by Decoded by POLITICO (Calder McHugh), Thiel told the room: "I'm skeptical of [the war], I think we should not have done it. There were a lot of mistakes that were made." "Maybe we don't have the hard power. Maybe we're going to lose the soft power war." https://www.sott.net/article/509155-We-should-not-have-done-it-Thiel-breaks-with-Trump-over-Iran-war-warns-America-may-not-have-the-hard-power Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:14:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509154-1971-a-pivotal-year-and-the-true-Turning-Point-USA Nixon Shock and Powell Memo shaped "capitalism" and "democracy" in the US as we know today 1971 was a watershed year that split US history into before and after. Two seminal events happened in the year, reinforcing each other and redefining capitalism and democracy in the US. Most people have heard of the famous "Nixon Shock" in 1971, when Richard Nixon announced on August 15 that the US dollar would be unpegged from gold "temporarily". The "temporary" delink, which was a breach of US sovereign promise to the rest of the world, became permanent and shattered the post-war global economic order. Few are aware of an equally momentous event that happened 8 days later. https://www.sott.net/article/509154-1971-a-pivotal-year-and-the-true-Turning-Point-USA Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:20:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509153-Inside-the-narcissistic-brain-fMRI-research-sheds-light-on-the-narcissists-struggle-with-empathy Many people have narcissistic traits to some degree, for example, confidence in one's own superiority, a sense of entitlement and a desire to be the centre of attention. However, some people present with notably higher narcissistic traits than others, and the neural basis of so-called 'grandiose narcissism' has rarely been studied in socially complex situations. Interested in the relationship between empathy and grandiose narcissism, neuroscience researchers from Aalto University used functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate how narcissistic traits influence brain activation in a situation mirroring everyday life. The findings showed that narcissistic brains were less in sync with​ one another​ during moments where people usually experience a sense of shared embarrassment. https://www.sott.net/article/509153-Inside-the-narcissistic-brain-fMRI-research-sheds-light-on-the-narcissists-struggle-with-empathy Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:55:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509152-The-Neuroscience-of-Sensory-Perception CMU researchers uncover how the brain decides what deserves attention A haunted house puts the brain on edge. During Halloween, revelers may interpret every creak, whisper or unexpected touch as a sign of something frightening. Safe at home, those same sensations might barely register. Research from Carnegie Mellon University's Kate Hong, published in Nature Communications, suggests that the brain does more than receive sensory information: it interprets it, shaping how we experience the world around us. That may be especially apparent during spooky season, when a faint sound or an unexpected touch can seem more noticeable during a horror-movie marathon on a dark and stormy night. The stimulus is real, but the interpretation changes. https://www.sott.net/article/509152-The-Neuroscience-of-Sensory-Perception Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:49:26 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509151-Analyst-Karlyn-Borysenko-says-she-infiltrated-teachers-union-members-call-urging-violent-revolution "US government must fall" Karlyn Borysenko, a self-described anti-communist analyst who monitors the far left, published an alarming video highlighting what she characterizes as calls for a violent communist revolution to topple America from within. Among those featured is a man identified as a Chicago Public Schools employee advocating revolutionary politics. The footage raises serious questions about the Chicago School nurse's potential overlap between far-left activism and taxpayer-funded educational institutions. Borysenko writes: I just infiltrated and recorded a call hosted by the Chicago Teachers Union in the United States with leftist students activists and the teachers helping them in France. The teachers in the USA are actively coordinating with the unions in France. And they're calling explicitly for the fall of the United States government. Borysenko cited a far-left student activist on the Zoom video call who said, "The United States Government must fall." https://www.sott.net/article/509151-Analyst-Karlyn-Borysenko-says-she-infiltrated-teachers-union-members-call-urging-violent-revolution Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:47:18 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509150-Plastic-tea-bags-are-releasing-BPA-plasticizers-and-up-to-2500-microplastic-particles-into-your-cup-of-tea Microplastics are now impossible to avoid. They have made their way into everything from agricultural soils to freshwater systems. So, it is unsurprising that they end up in most foods and drinks. However, some methods of packaging or serving these items can increase microplastic exposure even more. One such example is the plastic tea bag. While many tea bags are still made of a cellulose material, some brands use a plastic mesh, despite the well-established fact that plastics can break down in hot water. https://www.sott.net/article/509150-Plastic-tea-bags-are-releasing-BPA-plasticizers-and-up-to-2500-microplastic-particles-into-your-cup-of-tea Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:35:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509149-Technician-cracks-1600-year-old-mystery-to-replicate-Roman-masterpiece The remarkable colour-changing effect observed in a famous Roman masterpiece has been successfully reproduced in quantity for the first time in 1,600 years by a University of Sheffield technician. For the first time, University of Sheffield experts in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering have successfully reproduced the 'dichroic' glass used to make the 1,600-year-old Roman masterpiece, the Lycurgus CupUsing a recipe derived from a fragment of the original glass, the team recreated its remarkable optical behaviour - a colour shift from jade green in reflected light to ruby red in transmitted lightGlass artist and winner of Netflix's Blown Away series 2, Elliot Walker, has brought this effect to life in a contemporary glass sculpture paying homage to its intricate ancient twin using glass made in the Sheffield melting shopThe extraordinary piece will debut at the University's Festival of the Mind from 6-15 November 2026, before permanent display in the... https://www.sott.net/article/509149-Technician-cracks-1600-year-old-mystery-to-replicate-Roman-masterpiece Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:32:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509148-Cooperating-partners-show-similar-brain-activity-patterns-in-region-involved-in-processing-emotions When people are collaborating on a common task, they often need to decide the extent to which they trust and rely on each other. While many past psychology and neuroscience studies have explored the neural underpinnings of human cooperation, much about what happens across the brains of people as they work toward a common goal remains unclear. Researchers at Beijing Normal University and other institutions set out to further investigate what happens in the brains of pairs of cooperating individuals. The results of their study, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest that cooperation is associated with similar patterns of activity in the amygdala, a brain structure known to support the processing of emotions and some socially relevant information. https://www.sott.net/article/509148-Cooperating-partners-show-similar-brain-activity-patterns-in-region-involved-in-processing-emotions Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:20:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509147-Scientists-demonstrate-first-evidence-of-helicon-current-drive-bringing-continuous-fusion-power-closer-to-reality In a significant breakthrough, researchers in the United States have demonstrated a novel method of sustaining electrical currents in nuclear fusion experiments with the successful use of a "helicon current drive." The advancement could help overcome a major obstacle in the quest to develop reactors that can operate continuously, according to new findings that appeared in the journal Physical Review Letters. Achieved by a team of scientists at General Atomics in San Diego, the achievement relies on the use of powerful radio waves to drive electrical currents through extremely hot plasma, the electrically charged gas in which fusion reactions take place. https://www.sott.net/article/509147-Scientists-demonstrate-first-evidence-of-helicon-current-drive-bringing-continuous-fusion-power-closer-to-reality Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:16:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/509125-Heavy-rains-trigger-massive-flooding-in-Ecuadors-largest-city-Guayaquil-2-5-inches-of-rain-falls-in-just-an-hour-UPDATE Parts of Ecuador's largest city are underwater after severe rains battered the coast. It's the latest storm to hit the country amid a strengthening El Nino. https://www.sott.net/article/509125-Heavy-rains-trigger-massive-flooding-in-Ecuadors-largest-city-Guayaquil-2-5-inches-of-rain-falls-in-just-an-hour-UPDATE Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:04:36 +0000