TZAR PUTIN'S

Russia puts Navalny's ally Lyubov Sobol on wanted list

Lyubov Sobol is the latest opposition figure associated with Alexei Navalny to have been placed on the police's wanted list. She and several other allies of the Kremlin critic have fled Russia.

Lyubov Sobol was one of the most well-known faces of Alexei Navalny's entourage

Lyubov Sobol, a prominent ally of Kremlin critic and opposition politician Alexie Navalny, has been placed on a wanted list in Russia, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old lawyer, who left the country earlier this year, appeared on the list on the website of Russia's Interior Ministry on Wednesday night.

She commented on the reports of her being placed on the list, saying authorities seemed to have used a photo of her from when she was on a hunger strike.

The entry in the ministry's database stated that she was "wanted under an article of the criminal code," but did not provide further details, according to news website Meduza.

Who is Lyubov Sobol?

Sobol, a key figure in Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, rose to prominence in 2019 when she went on a hunger strike to protest being barred from participating in local elections.

The opposition politician was one of the most well-known faces of Navalny's entourage.

She reportedly fled Russia in August, days after she was sentenced to parole-like restriction amid a crackdown on the opposition.

Sobol was sentenced to a year and half of restricted movement for flouting COVID-19 regulations on protest — a charge she had called political-motivated.
Who else is on the list?

Other people critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin also feature on the most wanted list.

This includes Ivan Zhdanov, the head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, and Leonid Volkov, the opposition politician's right-hand man, both of whom are on a wanted list.

Most of Navalny's allies have left the country amid what is seen as an unprecedented crackdown on dissent in post-Soviet Russia.

Navalny was arrested in January after he returned from receiving medical treatment in Germany following a poisoning attack that nearly killed him.

The 45-year-old politician is currently serving a two-and-half-year prison sentence on embezzlement charges in a penal colony outside Moscow.

adi/sms (AFP, Reuters)

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny wins 2021 Sakharov Prize

The jailed Russian opposition leader has been awarded the European Parliament's rights prize for his efforts to challenge President Vladimir Putin's grip on power.


Navalny has been detained since January

The European Parliament on Wednesday announced it awarded the European Union's top human rights prize to the imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

"He has fought tirelessly against the corruption of Vladimir Putin's regime. This cost him his liberty and nearly his life. Today's prize recognises his immense bravery and we reiterate our call for his immediate release," European Parliament President David Sassoli said on Twitter.

Kremlin critic unlikely to take part in awards ceremony

Navalny is unlikely to be able to travel to receive the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on December 15 at the award ceremony in Strasbourg.

The prize, named after a Soviet dissident, is awarded by the European Parliament every year. Since 1988, the €50,000 ($58,156) prize has been awarded to individuals and rights organizations for their work toward promoting and defending human rights and freedoms.

Also among the nominees for this year's award were UK-based environmental and rights group Global Witness, jailed former Bolivian President Jeanine Anez, Sahrawi activist Sultana Khaya and 11 Afghan women.

'Mr. Putin, free Alexei Navalny'

The parliament's EPP Christian Democrat group announced Wednesday's decision in a tweet. "Mr. Putin, free Alexei Navalny. Europe calls for his — and all other political prisoners' — freedom,'' it said.

"Navalny is the only person on this planet, who deserves the Sakharov prize. He has been fighting for the freedom of speech, liberty, democracy, transparency and against corruption for decades and he has paid a big price himself. He was put in jail, fined, his organization was demolished. He was poisoned," said Peter van Dalen, a European lawmaker and member of the EPP, in a DW interview.

"This is the strongest signal that we from Europe can give to support Navalny. We give hope to the Russian opposition. We say: 'We hear you. We do not forget you.' And this message of hope we send now to Navalny and to the Russian opposition," he added.

VIDEO Navalny wins Sakharov Prize - AI's Katharina Masoud speaks to DW

In January, Navalny was detained after flying back to Russia from Germany. The 45-year-old dissident was sentenced to 2.5 years in a penal colony for violating parole from a previous conviction he says is politically motivated.

Ahead of his return to Moscow, Navalny was in Germany for five months for medical treatment after being poisoned in Siberia in August 2020 with a military nerve agent. Russia has denied its involvement and has accused the West of a smear campaign against it.

A Moscow court in June labeled Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption and its network of regional offices extremist groups, a ruling that exposed Navalny's allies to prosecution.

Last month, Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes in Russia, launched another probe targeting Navalny. The committee said that by 2014 Navalny had "created an extremist network and directed it" with the aim of "changing the foundations of the constitutional system in the Russian Federation."

Still, Navalny's allies have continued to criticize the Kremlin. During last month's Russian election, they launched a tactical voting app in a bid to challenge the country's ruling party.

VIDEO  Russian opposition a year after Navalny poisoning

 

A flashpoint in EU-Russian tensions

Navalny's recognition with the human rights prize will likely heighten tensions between the 27-nation bloc and Russia.

The EU has been calling for Navalny's release since he was first arrested, and it views his imprisonment as politically motivated.

Last year, the bloc imposed sanctions on six Russian officials for their alleged involvement in the poison attack on Navalny.

The European Parliament had awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize to the Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya — also amid tensions with Minsk and sanctions against top Belarusian officials.

Renata Alt, a member of the Bundestag with the Free Democrats (FDP) told DW that the announcement was an "important sign that he will not be forgotten behind bars." She then criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who she said had never taken enough action against Putin's government.

fb,es/wd (AP, Reuters)

1929 REDUX

China's Evergrande shares plunge after major trade deal collapses

A view of the Evergrande Center building in Shanghai on September 24, 2021. 

© Hector Retamal, AFP

Text by: NEWS WIRES

Issued on: 21/10/2021 

Chinese property giant Evergrande's shares plunged Thursday after resuming trading in Hong Kong, with the failure of a unit sale deal deepening fears the indebted firm will collapse and send shockwaves through the world's second-largest economy.

Evergrande had suspended trading on October 4 pending an announcement on a "major transaction" as it struggled with some $300 billion of debt - with investors worried about the potential fallout from its predicament.

On Thursday, shares dropped more than ten percent as it ended its two-week suspension.

A deal worth HK$20.04 billion (US$2.58 billion) to sell a 50.1 percent stake in its property services arm had fallen through, it said in a statement Wednesday, when it announced it would resume trading.

The buyer in talks with Evergrande was a unit under Hong Kong real estate firm Hopson Development Holdings, which said in a stock market filing it "regrets to announce that the vendor has failed to complete the sale".

Hopson shares rose five percent on Thursday as Evergrande Property Services tumbled.

Evergrande said it would continue to implement measures to ease its liquidity issues, cautioning that "there is no guarantee that the group will be able to meet its financial obligations".

In a stark assessment of its current state of trading, Evergrande said it had sold only 405,000 square metres of real estate throughout September and October so far - normally a peak period for sales.

Contracted property sales totalled just 3.65 billion yuan ($571 million) - a near collapse on the 142 billion yuan it recorded in a similar period last year.

There has been no further progress on asset sales, said the group, following the sale of a $1.5 billion stake in a regional Chinese bank in September.

The Shenzhen-based company has missed several payments on dollar-denominated bonds, and a 30-day grace period on an offshore note is up on Saturday.

'Contagion'

Fears that Evergrande could collapse and send shockwaves through the Chinese economy have rattled buyers and markets - though Beijing has insisted any fallout would be containable.

Data this week showed China's economic growth slowed more than expected in the third quarter as the crackdown on the property sector and an energy crisis began to bite.

In a sign of the ongoing weakness, home sales by value slumped 16.9 percent year-on-year in September, following a 19.7 percent fall in August, AFP calculations based on official data showed.

China's new-home prices also fell for the first time in six years last month.

Several domestic property rivals have in recent weeks already defaulted on debts and have seen their ratings downgraded.

Hong Kong-listed Sinic Holdings became the latest to miss a payment, while mid-sized competitor Fantasia also failed to meet obligations in recent weeks.

Evergrande first listed in Hong Kong in 2009, raising HK$70.5 billion in its initial public offering - making it China's largest private real estate company and founder Xu Jiayin the mainland's richest man at the time.

In an expansion spree, Xu - also known as Hui Ka Yan in Cantonese - bought the then-embattled Guangzhou football team in 2010, renaming it Guangzhou Evergrande and pouring money into world-class players and coaches.

The group diversified into various sectors, including bottled water and electric vehicles.

But Evergrande started to falter under the new "three red lines" imposed on developers in a state crackdown in August 2020 - forcing the group to offload properties at increasingly steep discounts.

"Contagion has surfaced across parts of China's homebuilding sector, triggered by the distress of Evergrande and aggravated by subsequent credit events involving other developers," warned analysts at Fitch Ratings in a note on Thursday.

"Market volatility has weakened near-term refinancing prospects and exacerbated liquidity strains for developers with weaker credit profiles."

They predicted that the "mounting pressure will lead the authorities to take further measures to accelerate credit growth before the year-end."

(AFP)

THEY NEED A CONFEDERATION OF REGIONS
Ethiopia launches new round of air strikes in Tigray

Issued on: 21/10/2021 

A damaged tank stands on a road north of Mekele, the capital of Tigray, February 26, 2021

 © Eduardo Soteras, AFP
Text by:NEWS WIRES

Ethiopia's military launched new air strikes on Tigray Wednesday, the second round of bombardments this week against rebel targets in the war-battered region.

The raids mark a sharp escalation in the brutal year-long conflict pitting government forces and their allies against the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the region's once dominant ruling party.

The international community has voiced alarm about the new attacks in the north, where fighting since November has killed thousands of people and left millions in need of emergency aid.

The government said it bombed TPLF weapons caches in the regional capital Mekele and the town of Agbe which lies about 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the west, after two raids on Mekele on Monday.

"It targeted at the facilities that TPLF have turned into arms construction and repair armaments sites," government spokesman Legesse Tulu said of the latest Mekele strike.

Dr Hayelom Kebede, research director at Mekele's Ayder Referral Hospital, said eight people had been wounded, including a pregnant woman.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters that initial information indicated some civilians including women and children were injured.

"It was heavy and the jet was so close," one local resident told AFP, with witnesses reporting thick clouds of smoke rising up over the city.

The United States, which has threatened sanctions if the warring parties do not reach a negotiated settlement, issued a strong statement denouncing the violence.

"We have seen the credible reports of attacks in and around Mekele. The United States condemns the continuing escalation of violence, putting civilians in harm's way," State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted.

The conflict has created a deep humanitarian crisis with the United Nations saying around two million people have been displaced and hundreds of thousands plunged into famine-like conditions.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, barely two weeks into its new term, seems to be waging a new offensive against the TPLF, which dominated national politics for almost three decades before he took power in 2018.

William Davison, the International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Ethiopia, said the strikes "appear to be part of efforts to weaken Tigray's armed resistance," as the TPLF makes gains in the neighbouring Amhara region.

"Along with superior manpower, control of the skies is one of the few remaining areas of military advantage for the federal government."

'Surgical operations'  NO SUCH THING

TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda said Wednesday's raid on Mekele hit a residential area "causing injury to civilians and harm to property".

"Abiy's reaction to his losses in the ongoing fighting is to target civilians hundreds of kms away from the battlefield," he said on Twitter.

He later claimed TPLF fighters had taken control of at least two towns in Amhara, putting the cities of Kombolcha and nearby Dessie -- where tens of thousands have sought refuge from the rebel advance since July -- "within artillery range".

Much of northern Ethiopia is under a communications blackout and access for journalists is restricted, making battlefield claims difficult to independently verify.

Tigray remains under a de facto blockade, with the warring parties each accusing the other of hampering the delivery of desperately needed aid.

Legesse, the government spokesman, charged that the TPLF was using ordinary people as human shields.

"We confirm and assure these surgical operations have not any intended harm to civilians," he said.

On Monday, there were two aerial assaults in and around Mekele, the city held by the TPLF since it was recaptured from government forces in June.

The United Nations said those attacks had killed three children and wounded nine people.

'Strengthening Tigrayan resolve'

"The bombing of urban areas... reinforces the impression that Addis Ababa is willing to risk civilian lives in Tigray as part of its military efforts, something also demonstrated by the continued federal constraints on aid flows and refusal to provide electricity, banking, and telecommunications services to the region," the ICG's Davison said.

"As such, the air raids may have the effect of strengthening the Tigrayan resolve to resist, rather than weaken it."

Fighting first erupted in Africa's second most populous country last November when Abiy sent troops to Tigray to topple the TPLF after months of rising tensions.

The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner said the move came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps and promised a swift victory.

But in a dramatic turnaround, the TPLF retook most of the region including Mekele by late June and has since pushed south into Amhara and Afar.

The UN says up to seven million people in the three regions are now in need of food assistance and other emergency support.

(AFP)

Amazon, Ikea, seven others commit to zero-emission shipping by 2040


Nine major companies on Tuesday announced an initiative called Cargo Owners for Zero Emissions Vessels, in which they pledged to employ only ocean shippers that use zero-carbon fuel by 2040.

 File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo



Oct. 19 (UPI) -- A group of nine major companies including Amazon, Ikea and Unilever on Tuesday pledged to only use ocean shippers that run on zero-carbon fuel by 2040.

The initiative known as Cargo Owners for Zero Emissions Vessels, or coZEV, was organized by the nonprofit Aspen Institute, which listed Amazon, Brooks Running, Frog Bikes, Ikea, Inditex, Michelin, Patagonia, Tchibo and Unilever as partners.

"By setting this target and signaling our dedication to decarbonize this part of our supply chains, we hope to inspire a surge in investment by ocean freight carriers and producers of zero-carbon shipping fuels," the companies said in a joint announcement.

The companies said they will work to track their maritime transportation emissions, seek opportunities to expand the group of cargo owners engaged in maritime decarbonization and unify their collective freight demand to help accelerate the transition.

They also called for lawmakers to act in their "domestic, regional and international capacities" to align the shipping industry with the goals of the Paris climate agreement by implementing regulations and market-based measures to promote rapid production of new fuels and technology, thus allowing zero-carbon shipping fuels to "become competitive with fossil fuels as soon as possible."

Environmental groups praised the companies for committing to zero-carbon shipping but said the 2040 goal date was not soon enough.

"We're asking Big Retail to be first movers in shipping's clean energy transition -- not just float along -- which means a 2040 target date is not sufficient," Madeline Rose, climate campaign director of Pacific Environment, said in a statement.

Rose also noted that several big-name retailers were absent from the agreement.

"We're shocked to see that Walmart, the single-largest maritime importer to the United States, did not join today's commitment," she said. "Where are Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes and many leading maritime importers as documented in our Shady Ships report?"

Tuesday's announcement comes amid an increased focus on the supply chain, which is beset by increased congestion and shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Joe Biden last week ordered major ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., to run for 24 hours a day and couriers such as FedEx and retailers such as Walmart, Target and Home Depot to expand their hours to relieve the slowdowns.

Zero-emission, crewless cargo ship to launch by year-end

The fully electric, autonomous cargo ship Yara Birkeland is on track for its first voyage between two Norwegian cities by the end of the year. 

Photo courtesy of Yara International

Aug. 25, 2021

 (UPI) -- The Yara Birkeland, the first zero-emissions, crewless cargo ship, built by Norwegian company Yara International, is set to make its first journey by the end of the year.

The ship will be monitored from three onshore data control centers when it makes its voyage between two Norwegian towns, CNN reported Wednesday.

The fully electric container ship is designed to reduce emissions in the shipping industry, which currently accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The crewless cargo ship was conceptualized in 2017 and can carry 103 containers at speeds up to 13 knots.

The COVID-19 pandemic and logistical challenges delayed the launch of the Yara Birkeland, which originally was scheduled for 2020.

"[I]nnovation projects come with uncertainties and challenges," Yara International said in a news release in November. "In particular, the autonomous logistics on land that have proven to be a challenge for the project.

"The construction of the ship has been done according to plan with slight delays, including the fitting of the battery, control and navigation systems, For the autonomous logistics on land the project team continues to look for simplified solutions to this."

The crewless ship follows an autonomous ferry launched in Finland in 2018.

US MILITARY BUDGET IS OVER $700M ANNUALLY

Report finds USS Bonhomme Richard crew lacked training to combat 2020 fire


The U.S. Navy on Wednesday released a report finding that the crew of the USS Bonhomme Richard was not adequately trained to combat the blaze that destroyed the ship in 2020. 

Photo by Lt. John J. Mike/U.S. Navy | License Photo

Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A report detailing the 2020 fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard released by the U.S. Navy on Wednesday showed that the sailors on board were not adequately prepared to combat the blaze.

The 400-page report found that 36 individuals, including the commander of the ship and five admirals, were responsible for errors that allowed the fire to severely damage the amphibious warship as it was in port in San Diego last year.

ASBESTOS, PFAS, UNKOWN TOXIC CHEMICALS, ETC 

MEANS; CHRONIC ILLNESS, DEATH
A total of 63 people -- 40 sailors and 23 civilians -- were treated for injuries related to the fire that burned for five days and the ship, the third to bear the name Bonhomme Richard, was officially decommissioned in April.

"The loss of this ship was completely preventable," Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Lescher said in a statement. "And the Navy is executing a deliberative process that includes taking appropriate accountability actions with respect to personnel assigned to Bonhomme Richard and the shore commands designed to support the ship while moored at Naval Base San Diego."

A sailor who was part of the Bonhomme Richard's crew at the time of the fire was charged last month in connection with the blaze on the ship, which has been identified as an act of arson.

The report, however, identified four factors that led to ineffective response to the fire including the condition of the ship, a lack of training and preparedness among crew members, poor integration between the ship and shore-based fire crews, and insufficient oversight by commanders "across multiple organizations."

"Although the fire was started by an act of arson, the ship was lost due to an inability to extinguish the fire," the report stated, noting that "a lack of familiarity with requirements and procedural non-compliance at multiple levels of command" contributed to the loss of the ship.

At 8:10 a.m on the morning of the fire, a junior sailor noticed a "hazy, white fog" but did not report it "because she did not smell smoke," and although several others eventually noticed and reported the smoke, they failed to properly establish command and control of the situation, according to the report.

A pair of firefighting teams struggled to find a usable fire hose but many were missing or cut and had not been repaired or replaced during routine maintenance, forcing the teams to deploy flame retardant until they retreated about an hour after the blaze began.

Firefighters did not douse the flames with water for 2 hours after the blaze started and senior officers didn't make efforts to integrate civilian firefighters with its crews for 3 hours.

The report cited Capt. Gregory Thoroman for creating "an environment of poor training maintenance and operational standards that led directly to the loss of the ship" second-in-command, Capt. Michael Ray also failed to properly drill the crew to maintain their readiness.

It found the crew's fire preparedness was "marked by a pattern of failed drills, minimal crew participation, an absence of basic knowledge on firefighting in an industrial environment and unfamiliarity on how to integrate supporting civilian firefighters."

Investigators noted that the crew had failed to administer flame-fighting chemicals on time in 14 consecutive drills leading up to the blaze.

"The response effort was placed in the hands of inadequately trained and drilled personnel from a disparate set of uncoordinated organizations that had not fully exercised together and were unfamiliar with basic issues to include the roles and responsibilities of the various responding entities," the report stated.

Crew members failed to report the fire in a timely fashion and also struggled to coordinate with civilian fire crews. 

File Photo by MC2 Austin Haist/U.S. Navy | License Photo

It took two hours for fire crews to spray the fire with water and three hours for senior officers efforts to make efforts to integrate civilian firefighters with its crews. 

File Photo by MC3 Christina Ross/U.S. Navy | License Photo

The report found that the condition of the ship, a lack of training and preparedness among crewmembers, poor integration between the ship and shore-based fire crews and insufficient oversight by commanders "across multiple organizations" led to the destruction of the ship. 

File Photo by MC2 Austin Haist/U.S. Navy | License Photo

MORE PHOTOS 

Report finds USS Bonhomme Richard crew lacked training to combat 2020 fire - UPI.com

FROM SPACE RACE TO SPACE WARS

U.S. needs nuclear spacecraft to compete with China, NASA official says


An illustration depicts a nuclear-powered, crewed Mars spacecraft. Image courtesy of NASA

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20 (UPI) -- NASA and U.S. aerospace experts urged Congress on Wednesday to invest more quickly and heavily in development of nuclear-powered spacecraft Wednesday to stay ahead of such competitors as China.

The space agency believes spacecraft powered by a nuclear thermal rocket reach Mars in just three to four months, which is about half the time required by traditional, liquid propellant rockets.

"Strategic competitors including China are aggressively investing in a wide range of space technologies, including nuclear power and propulsion," Bhavya Lal, NASA's senior advisor for budget and finance, said during a congressional committee hearing Wednesday morning.

"The United States needs to move at a fast pace to stay competitive and to remain a leader in the global space community," Lal said.

The hearing occurred before the U.S. House of Representatives Science Space and Technology Committee. Experts delivered testimony even as reports emerged that China had tested an orbital rocket to deliver potential nuclear weapons at supersonic speeds.

China acknowledged it tested a spacecraft in August, but said it did not contain nuclear weapons.

The committee took no action as it gathered information for upcoming federal budget proposals.

"If the United States is serious about leading in a human mission to Mars, we have no time to lose," said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who chairs the committee.

"Congress has prioritized development of nuclear space propulsion over the past several years, directing about $100 million annually for NASA to advance nuclear thermal propulsion capabilities with the goal of conducting a future in-space flight test," Beyer said.

NASA and the Department of Energy awarded $5 million to three companies in July to produce a nuclear-powered spacecraft reactor design. NASA officials said much more funding is needed, although agency officials didn't discuss dollar amounts Wednesday.

The key to developing such nuclear engines is to identify or develop materials that can withstand the heat and exposure involved, said Roger M. Myers, who chairs a committee on space nuclear engines for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.





"The risks associated with [nuclear propulsion] are a fundamental materials challenge that we think is quite likely solvable," Myers testified during the hearing.

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., asked if any "fundamental scientific limitations" exist for a crewed Mars trip by 2033, or if it was just a matter of Congress appropriating the needed funds for technology development.

NASA can overcome challenges for a human mission to Mars given the resources, but the propulsion method for such a spacecraft is only one issue NASA much confront, Lal said.

"Deep space transport is just one piece of getting to Mars. ... We've landed small rovers there but a spacecraft carrying humans would be much bigger," Lal said. "We also need to make sure that the environmental control and life support systems can keep [astronauts] alive for two to three years."

Dispatches from Mars: Perseverance rover sends images

NASA offers new website to look at Mars rover images

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance captured images of Kodiak Butte, a rock outcrop in Jezero Crater that scientists said shows evidence of sediment and regular flood episodes from an ancient river and lake system. Photo courtesy of NASA

NASA looks beyond SpaceX, Boeing contracts for space station commutes


A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the Crew-2 mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 23.

 File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20 (UPI) -- NASA posted a formal request on a government website Wednesday, seeking companies that could provide astronaut transportation vehicles to the International Space Station by 2027.

SpaceX has provided such transport services with the Crew Dragon capsule since May 2020, while Boeing also holds a contract. But Boeing is four years behind schedule in delivering on its contract, as the company struggles to fix problems with its Starliner capsule.

"Depending on mission requirements, NASA may purchase single seats, multiple seats within one mission, or an entire mission," NASA said in a statement about the new request.

SpaceX and Boeing received multibillion-dollar contracts in 2014 to provide 12 trips to the space station, while a third provider, Sierra Nevada Corp., received funding to continue developing its proposed Dream Chaser space plane.

Nothing in the new request would prevent Boeing or SpaceX from continuing as contractors with NASA for its Commercial Crew Program, but NASA might include new providers.

When SpaceX delivered on its contract in 2020, the company helped NASA end a nine-year drought of astronaut launches from American soil. Before then, NASA spent years purchasing seats on Russian Soyuz capsules to reach the space station following the space shuttle's retirement in 2011.

Boeing's woes in the NASA program became when Starliner failed to reach the space station in a 2019 test flight.

The company blamed software errors for that failure. It was scheduled to launch its capsule again in August, but sticky valves inside the spacecraft delayed a new test flight. Boeing believes humidity contributed to the stuck valves, but the company said Tuesday it still was investigating the problem.

NASA, SpaceX complete historic first mission to space station

Support teams work around the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard in the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City, Fla. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

EARTH IS LIFE SPACE IS DEATH

Spaceflight caused DNA to leak out of astronauts' cell 'powerhouse'

By HealthDay News

Spaceflight may cause DNA to leak out of cell mitochondria, otherwise known as the "powerhouse" of a cell as it is responsible for turning sugars into energy.

 File Photo courtesy of NASA

Scientists already knew radiation exposure and a lack of gravity stress the bodies of astronauts. But new research may offer a better idea of what's driving some of that.

It's a clue that could help them measure the physical impact of space travel to detect problems earlier, and it involves mitochondria, known as the powerhouse of the cell because these tiny structures inside cells produce energy.

Mitochondria have their own DNA, and when they undergo stress or other damage, that DNA is released and causes cellular damage and other problems elsewhere in the body.

Previous research shows increased levels of this circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA can help predict how people with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases will fare.

RELATED NASA simulates realistic galactic cosmic rays to study effects on astronaut health

And a breakdown in the normal activity of mitochondria has been linked to the development and progression of heart failure.

In the new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers examined blood samples of 14 NASA astronauts who took five- to 13-day missions to the International Space Station between 1998 and 2001.

Blood samples were taken three times: 10 days before the launch, the day of their return and three days after the landing.

All 14 astronauts had increased levels of free-floating mitochondrial DNA in the blood on the day of landing and three days after, ranging from two to 355 times higher than pre-space travel.

That huge range makes it hard to draw any conclusions, said the study's senior author Dr. David Goukassian. Still, he said, the increased levels are possibly harmful because mitochondrial DNA drives inflammation when it leaks into the rest of the body.

The researchers, funded in part by NASA and the American Heart Association, also looked at astronauts' white blood cells.

They found a significant increase in markers of inflammation, DNA damage and oxidative stress, which is a disruption in the balance of molecules that harm healthy tissue in the body and antioxidant defenses that neutralize them.

"It's a vicious circle: Radiation may induce DNA damage, which may induce oxidative stress, which leads to inflammation, which can lead to DNA damage," said Goukassian, a professor of cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

As NASA plans to send astronauts back to the moon and to Mars, scientists need a better understanding of how people are affected by radiation, the relative lack of gravity in space, and issues like confinement and erratic cycles, Goukassian said.

"Deep space exploration is dangerous for many reasons, but we need to know as much as possible about the adverse health effects so we can protect humans from stressors before, during and after exploration-type space missions."

Jamila Siamwala, a researcher on NASA's Twins Study, said the new study was limited by its small size, short length and lack of information about the astronauts' health.

Still, the findings are another key part of a growing body of evidence about the risks of human spaceflight, said Siamwala, an assistant professor of molecular pharmacology, physiology and biotechnology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She was not involved in the new research.

She said even as scientists look for ways to put astronauts into artificial hibernation to travel deeper into space, they still don't fully understand how space disrupts blood flow in a species that's so accustomed to gravity.

"I cannot tell you how important these studies are," Siamwala said. "Before we start thinking about commercial spaceflight or establishing factories in space, we need to understand how the body responds to these drastic conditions in such a hostile place."

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Survey: Women doctors face higher levels of harassment, frustration

By HealthDay News

Many female family doctors face sexual harassment, but most remain satisfied with their careers, a new study finds.

Researchers surveyed 315 women physicians in family practices from 49 countries and found that 75% said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their work conditions and their career.

"Despite all obstacles in the work environment, especially regarding the pay and administrative burden and lack of personal time, women family physicians are satisfied with their careers," said study author Jumana Antoun, an associate professor/clinical specialty in the family medicine department at American University of Beirut.

However, 56% said it was difficult or very difficult to advance in their careers, and only 39% said their work conditions and career satisfaction was similar to their male colleagues.

Nearly three-quarters -- 74% -- of the female doctors said they experienced general sexist remarks and behaviors in their training or work, 45% reported inappropriate sexual advances, and 22% reported coercive advances.

There were no country- or income-related differences in the overall satisfaction of the women physicians, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal Family Practice.

"It is possible that they pursued this specialty for intrinsic qualities of the family medicine specialty and connection with patients rather than reasons of money and status," Antoun said in a journal news release.

"Nevertheless, this does not mean that employers should not work on improving their work environment and make it safer and equitable with men doctors," Antoun said.

The proportion of women in family medicine is increasing -- they accounted for about 54% of U.S. family medicine residents in 2019 -- so their well-being and job satisfaction is important, particularity given the scarcity of family medicine physicians, according to the researchers.

It noted that female primary care doctors earn 18% less than their male counterparts, and that women have higher burnout rates and more obstacles to promotion, leadership opportunities, sponsorships and mentorships.

The Association of American Medical Colleges outlines how the nation's physician workforce is changing.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Health benefits of nuts may boost survival, limit recurrence in breast cancer


A new study suggests eating nuts could help boost survival in people with breast cancer. Photo courtesy of Max Pixel

Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Regular consumption of peanuts, walnuts and other tree nuts boosts survival and reduces risk for disease recurrence in people with breast cancer, a study published Wednesday by the International Journal of Cancer found.

Breast cancer survivors who ate more than one-half ounce of nuts per week had five-year survival rates of up to 95% among people in the study -- higher than those without nuts in their diet -- the data showed.

In addition, 94% of those who consumed nuts regularly did not experience a recurrence, or return, of their breast cancer within five years of recovery from their initial illness, the researchers said.

"Nut consumption is associated with improved survival, particularly disease-free survival, among long-term breast cancer survivors," Dr. Xiao-Ou Shu, study co-author, told UPI in an email.

"Nuts are rich in several nutrients, including unsaturated fatty acids, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other bioactive constituents, such as phytosterols and phenolic compounds, that have known health benefits," said Shu, a professor of cancer research at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Previous studies have linked diet with breast cancer risk and survival, and earlier research has documented the health benefits of nutrient-dense foods such as nuts, including in people with breast cancer.

For this study, the researchers compared five-year survival and disease-free survival rates in more than 3,100 people who regularly consumed about a half-ounce of nuts per week to those of roughly 300 who did not eat nuts.

Disease-free survival refers to the time between cancer diagnosis to any recurrence of the tumor or death, the researchers said.

Study participants who consumed nuts regularly had five-year survival and disease-free survival rates of 94%, the data showed.

Those who did not eat nuts had a five-year survival rate of 89% and and disease-free survival rate of 86%, the data showed.

"Many mechanisms of cancer development, such as excessive oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, are shared across cancers," Shu said.

"Thus, we speculate that benefits of nut consumption that we observed for breast cancer survivors can be extended to survivors of other cancer, though direct evidence on this is needed," she said.