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For the First Time in 130 Years, Mount Fuji Stands Snowless
International Desk
02 Nov 2024, 09:59
Photo: Collected
As October has ended, Japan’s tallest peak, Mount Fuji, which usually sees snow by early October, remains snow-free due to unusually warm weather this season.
This year, Japan’s temperature between June and August was 1.76 degrees Celsius above normal, and temperatures remained high through September, reaching nearly 35 degrees Celsius, making it significantly warmer than usual. While October was slightly cooler, temperatures have stayed above average, and now into November, Mount Fuji’s summit is still without snow.
A Kofu local weather official mentioned that similar occurrences happened once in 1955 and again in 2016, noting that a single event does not necessarily prove climate change. However, environmentalists are concerned. Mount Fuji, located southwest of Tokyo and rising to 12,460 feet, is Japan's highest peak and can be seen from Tokyo on clear days. The iconic volcano last erupted over 300 years ago.
From July to September last year, over 220,000 people climbed Mount Fuji, which remains snow-covered for most of the year. During the July-September climbing season, hikers can ascend the rocky slopes, and many climb overnight to witness sunrise from the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) summit.
This year, the number of climbers was lower after Japanese authorities introduced entry fees and restrictions to manage the influx of tourists. Mount Fuji, featured in numerous artworks, including Hokusai's The Great Wave, continues to be a major tourist attraction.
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Kim Jong Un Threatens South Korea with Nuclear Weapons
North Korea's Kim said any attempt by the South to encroach on its sovereignty would bring forth a nuclear response. Earlier, Seoul had warned any use of nuclear weapons would be "the end of the North Korean regime."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to use nuclear weapons against South Korea "without hesitation" if his country's sovereignty were threatened, state media KCNA reported on Friday.
During a visit to a special forces training base on Wednesday, Kim said any attempt by South Korea to encroach on the North's sovereignty would bring forth "without hesitation all the offensive forces it possesses, including nuclear weapons."
"If such a situation comes, the permanent existence of Seoul and the Republic of Korea would be impossible," Kim said, using South Korea's official name.
Harsh words between two Koreas
Kim's comments came in response to comments from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who warned on Tuesday that any use of nuclear weapons by the North would lead to "the end of the North Korean regime" and threatened Pyongyang with "a resolute, overwhelming response" from South Korea and its US allies.
Yoon's speech, which came on South Korea's Armed Forces Day, followed the unveiling of Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile.
Kim criticized Yoon's threats calling him "an abnormal man."
On Thursday, Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, mocked Seoul's military capabilities, claiming South Korea would not be capable of countering North Korea's nuclear forces with conventional weapons.
Relations at a low point
Current relations between the two Koreas are at a low point, with the North engaging in provocative missile tests, while the South intensifying military exercises with the United States.
Next week, the North Korean parliament is expected to declare a "two-state" system on the Korean Peninsula, formally rejecting reconciliation with South Korea. The rubber-stamp parliament is also expected to codify new national borders.
Diplomatic communication between the countries has been stalled since 2019.
Last month, Pyongyang released images of a uranium enrichment facility, as Kim expressed his desire to "exponentially" expand the country's nuclear weapons arsenal. North Korea's last known nuclear test took place in 2017.
Meanwhile, South Korea, under the US nuclear umbrella for protection, recently resumed anti-Pyongyang broadcasts in response to North Korea sending thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border.
DR Congo: Dozens Dead after Lake Kivu Boat Capsizes
A vessel carrying hundreds of passengers sank in Lake Kivu with reports that at least 78 people have died.
A boat capsized in Lake Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday, with well over 200 people on board.
The governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi, was quoted by both the Reuters news agency and the Associated Press (AP) as saying that 78 people were dead, after a vessel carrying 278 passengers capsized and sank.
"We do not yet have [the full picture of] the whole situation but we will have it by tomorrow," Purusi told AP.
Vessel overloaded according to reports
The heavily loaded vessel had been traveling from Minova in South Kivu province to Goma in North Kivu, a relatively short journey on the lake. AP reported that the vessel sank while trying to dock near the port of Kituku in the west of Goma and cited witnesses as saying that the boat was visibly overcrowded.
"I was at the port of Kituku when I saw the boat arriving from Minova, full of passengers," Francine Munyi told the AP. "It started to lose its balance and sank into the lake. Some people threw themselves into the water."
"Many died, and few were saved," she added. "I couldn't help them because I don't know how to swim."
Local officials earlier reported that as many as 50 were rescued as search and rescue efforts continued.
Fatal ferry incidents in DRC
Road infrastructure is relatively underdeveloped in the DRC and travelers in remote areas have few options available, meaning boats and ferries are the only choice for some.
Overloaded boats sinking are not uncommon, despite warnings from local officials that those violating safety measures will be punished.
In June, 80 people lost their lives when a boat sank near the capital Kinshasa while in January, 22 people died when their boat capsized in Lake Mai-Ndombe.
Antonio Guterres Favorite to Win Nobel Peace Prize: UN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) are among the favorites to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Reuters reported on Thursday. The winner will be announced on October 11.
A former Portugal's prime minister, Antonio Guterres, is a strong contender for the prize among 286 candidates nominated this year.
Israel declared the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres as persona non grata last week after being banned from the country after he criticized Israel’s actions in the region.
The announcement came after he condemned Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel and his broader statements regarding the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, criticized Guterres as an "anti-Israel Secretary-General who supports terrorists."
Israel should reconsider its decision to declare the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres "persona non grata" Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Thursday.
Guterres, a former Portuguese Prime Minister (1995-2002) and long-time member of the Socialist Party, has had a notable career in international diplomacy. He also served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
Throughout his tenure as UN Secretary-General, Guterres has often expressed concerns over Israeli actions, particularly relating to international humanitarian law violations in Gaza. However, he has also condemned actions by Hamas and Iran. Despite these concerns, he was awarded the Theodor Herzl Award by the World Jewish Congress in 2020 for his support of Israel.
Israel Preparing for Large-Scale Attack on Iran
The Israeli military is preparing for a large-scale attack on Iran in response to a missile strike. Not only is Israel gearing up for an assault on Iran, but it is also planning significant strikes on Lebanon, Gaza, and other fronts. This news was reported by multiple Israeli media outlets on Saturday (October 5).
The missile strike from Iran occurred on Tuesday (October 1), in retaliation for ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, as well as the assassinations of several key figures, including former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and multiple commanders from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israel has warned that it will respond "at the appropriate time and place" to the missile strike. According to reports, the Israeli military is making extensive preparations for this response. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon continue, with further casualties reported on Saturday.
Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation reported, "The military is planning a strong response to Iran’s missile strike, even though the missile did not cause significant damage. But a response is necessary."
The report also mentioned that Israel is seeking support from the United States and other countries for its attack on Iran. U.S. Central Command Commander General Michael Kurilla is expected to visit Israel this week to finalize plans for the strike.
In a separate report, the Hebrew-language newspaper Haaretz revealed that Israel is considering Iran’s potential counterattack in its strike plans, anticipating that Iran may launch further missile strikes.
Additionally, as part of its preparations for the attack on Iran, Israel has increased its military operations in Gaza. Another Israeli media outlet, Yedioth, reported that defense officials from several European countries have met with Israeli defense officials in Tel Aviv to discuss plans for the attack on Iran.
Journalists Expose 'Pro-Israel Bias' in CNN, BBC Coverage
Ten journalists who have covered the 'War on Gaza' for CNN and the BBC revealed the inner workings of those outlets' newsrooms from October 7 onward, documenting "pro-Israel bias in coverage, systematic double standards and frequent violations of journalistic principles," Al-Jazeera reported.
In an article titled "Failing Gaza: Pro-Israel bias uncovered behind the Lens of Western Media", Al-Jazeera quotes the journalists who accused senior newsroom figures of "failing to hold Israeli officials to account and of interfering in reporting to downplay Israeli atrocities."
"In one instance at CNN, false Israeli propaganda was put on air despite warnings from staff members," the report reads. One journalist, referred to as Adam in the article, said there was a period when CNN journalists “couldn’t call air strikes in Gaza air strikes unless we had confirmation from the Israelis." "We would not be doing this in any other place. We would not tolerate the need to ask, say, the Russians whether they bombed a hospital in Kyiv," he said.
Recently, when health officials in Gaza announced that Israeli attacks had killed more than 40,000 people, CNN Managing Editor Mike McCarthy ordered his team to "contextualize and hold Hamas accountable," Adam said.
In the article, a former BBC journalist, Sara, accused the British broadcaster of a double standard in interviewing guests. "It was overwhelmingly guests on the Palestinian side of things who were being looked into," she said. "Palestinians being flagged up for using the word Zionist, which isn't something to flag necessarily." "But there was no balance in what was going on. Israeli spokespeople who we did have on were given a lot of free rein to say whatever they wanted with very little pushback," she said.
The BBC and CNN denied allegations of bias against them.
Nobel Prize: / Baker, Hassabis, Jumper Win Award for Chemistry
David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research into computational protein design and protein structure prediction.
"This research is a landmark moment, as it was considered impossible for years to predict the structures of proteins," said the Chair for the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, Heiner Linke, who also explained how proteins serve as building blocks of all bodily functions.
"I was sleeping when the phone rang. And my wife began screaming very loudly," Baker told reporters. "I stood on the shoulders of giants," he said, as he gave credit to his fellow researchers. "I love all the proteins, I cannot pick a favorite," he added.
Proteins and their structures — simply explained
Proteins are made-up of strings of amino acid molecules, which then form complex sequences. These sequences help read, copy and repair DNA. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule that contains the genetic code that is unique to every individual.
"These proteins consist of hundreds of thousands of atoms that are responsible for every biochemical function in the body," Linke said.
AI helped crack the code
Avancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, for which the 2024 Physics Nobel Prizes were awarded, also helped Baker, Hassabis and Jumper with their research. Baker and his fellow laureates cracked the code of what protein structures may look like with the help of AI.
"They used neural networks and deep learning to train a database that then showed how close two amino acid structures were to each other in space," said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
From predicting protein structures to designing new ones
David Baker created computational tools to predict protein structures, building on the 1972 Chemistry Nobel Prize discoveries. Those findings revealed the link between amino acid sequences and the way they fold into biologically active 3D protein structures. Efforts to identify protein structures began in 2003 when Baker and his team created a computer program called Rosetta.
Combined with X-ray crystallography, a technique focused on uncovering atomic-level structures, Baker successfully predicted a protein structure that matched its actual form. Before Baker could design new proteins, their real structures had to be predicted with high accuracy, which remained low until 2018.
This changed with AlphaFold, an AI tool developed by Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper from DeepMind, a subsidiary of Alphabet. AlphaFold, a deep learning system, demonstrated that neural networks can model the complex process of protein folding.
AlphaFold 2 further improved accuracy by enhancing its internal representation and incorporating key structural knowledge into the model. Thanks to the works of Hassabis and Jumper, protein structure predictions can now reach an accuracy of 90%, enabling Baker to design new protein structures.
A nasal spray that prevents viruses
His work, thanks to advancements in AI, is being used to engineer medications. Baker and his team have come up with a nasal spray which contains proteins designed specially to ward off most pandemic viruses, like the coronavirus.
Predicting and designing protein structures can aid in identifying enzymes that contribute to antibiotic resistance, while also helping to develop new vaccines and treatments.
Ratan Tata Dies at 86, His Legacy Endures
Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86 in a Mumbai hospital after battling age-related issues. He is survived by his younger brothers, Jimmy and Noel Tata, and stepmother Simone Tata.
In a heartfelt tribute, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressed deep sorrow, calling Ratan Tata "a mentor, guide, and friend." He praised Tata for his commitment to excellence, integrity, and innovation, noting that under Tata's leadership, the Tata Group expanded globally while maintaining strong ethical values.
Tata’s contributions to philanthropy, especially in education and healthcare, have touched millions and will continue benefiting future generations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among many others, paid tribute, describing Tata as a "visionary business leader" and "compassionate soul." Tributes from across India and the world have poured in, honoring him as a hero, a rare soul, and the “Kohinoor of India.”
Born in 1937, Ratan Tata studied architecture at Cornell University before joining Tata Industries in 1962. He trained at a Tata plant in Jamshedpur before working at Tata Steel, TCS, and Nelco. In 1991, he succeeded JRD Tata as the head of the Tata Group, and in 2008, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor.
Tata's leadership was marked by a commitment to ethics and trust. He was instrumental in shaping a corporate culture centered on fair wages, sustainable technologies like the Tata Nano, and philanthropy through the Tata Trusts. His vision of "Leadership with Trust" became the guiding principle for the Tata Group's success, influencing the lives of millions at a grassroots level.
