United News of Bangladesh

For the first time in three decades, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued vaccine recommendations that significantly diverge from U.S. government guidance — this time on COVID-19 shots for children. The AAP on Tuesday said it is strongly recommending vaccinations for children ages 6 months to 2 years, and advising shots for older children if parents want them vaccinated. By contrast, guidance issued under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does not recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children of any age, though it allows shots in consultation with physicians. “It is going to be somewhat confusing,” acknowledged Dr. James Campbell, vice chair of the AAP infectious disease committee. “But our opinion is we need to make the right choices for children to protect them.” The group emphasized that children under age 2 face the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and must remain a priority for vaccination. It also recommends shots for older children with chronic lung disease or other high-risk conditions. The Illinois-based AAP has been issuing pediatric vaccine guidance since the 1930s and has largely aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 1995. Small differences have emerged before — such as AAP encouraging HPV shots starting at age 9, two years earlier than CDC emphasis — but Campbell said this is the first major split in 30 years. Global Polio Eradication Setback Blamed on Falsified Records, Vaccine Challenges and Strategic Missteps Until this spring, the CDC recommended annual COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 6 months and older. But in May, Kennedy announced the shots were no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women, later dismissing the CDC’s 17-member vaccine advisory panel and replacing it with a smaller group that includes vaccine skeptics. The new panel has yet to vote on COVID-19 shot recommendations, but has already set another point of departure from the AAP: restricting flu shots to single-dose, thimerosal-free versions. The AAP, citing no evidence of harm from the preservative, continues to recommend any licensed flu vaccine appropriate for a patient. Source: Agency 

Early human ancestors during the Old Stone Age were more selective and strategic in choosing rocks for making tools than previously understood, according to a study published Friday. Researchers found that these early people not only crafted tools but also had a mental map of where suitable raw materials could be found, traveling long distances to acquire them. By around 2.6 million years ago, they developed a method of pounding rocks to produce sharp flakes used as blades for butchering large animals like hippos near a freshwater spring at the Nyayanga archaeological site in Kenya. “Hippo skin is really tough, and not all rocks could produce blades sharp enough,” said co-author Thomas Plummer, a paleoanthropologist at Queens College, CUNY. Emma Finestone of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History added, “Not every rock is equal in terms of the quality of tools.” At Nyayanga, researchers discovered durable quartzite blades traced to streambeds and other sources about 8 miles (13 kilometers) away, suggesting early humans planned ahead and sought the best materials. Rick Potts of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program said this indicates a mental map of resource distribution across the landscape. Scientists uncover ancient whale with Pokémon-like face and sharp teeth Previously, it was thought stones were collected within a mile of the site. Eric Delson of the American Museum of Natural History, not involved in the study, said, “This is probably the earliest evidence of forward-thinking behavior in the archaeological record.” It remains unclear which species made these tools — members of Homo or a related extinct genus such as Paranthropus. Homo sapiens emerged much later, around 300,000 years ago. The research highlights that the practice of sourcing the best materials for tool-making, a hallmark of technology-dependent species like humans, dates back nearly 3 million years.   Source: Agency

Humanoid robots danced hip-hop, performed martial arts, and played musical instruments at the opening ceremony of the first World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Thursday evening. The three-day competition, which begins Friday, features more than 500 humanoid robots in 280 teams from 16 countries, including the U.S., Germany, and Japan. Robots will compete in sports such as soccer, running, and boxing, reflecting China’s growing focus on developing artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robots. During the opening ceremony, robots demonstrated their skills in soccer and boxing, with some cheering and backflipping as if participating in a real sports event. One robot soccer player scored a goal after a few attempts, causing the robot goalkeeper to fall, while another fell but recovered without assistance. Scientists uncover ancient whale with Pokémon-like face and sharp teeth In addition to sports, robots modeled fashionable hats and clothes alongside human models. In one mishap, a robot model fell and had to be carried off stage by two humans. Teams from robotics companies, Chinese universities including Tsinghua University and Peking University, and three middle schools are taking part in the games. The event highlights both competition and innovation in robotics and artificial intelligence. China’s official newspaper People’s Daily quoted a government officer in Beijing saying that every participating robot “is creating history.” The World Humanoid Robot Games will conclude on Sunday. Tickets sold to the public range from 180 yuan ($25) to 580 yuan ($80).

Paleontologists have identified a rare, previously unknown species of ancient whale after discovering a 25-million-year-old fossil on an Australian beach. The new species, named Janjucetus dullardi, sheds light on early whale evolution. The juvenile fossil, small enough to fit in a single bed, had bulging eyes the size of tennis balls, a shark-like snout, and sharp teeth, suggesting it was a fierce predator despite its deceptively “cute” appearance, researchers said. The partial skull, including ear bones and teeth, was uncovered in 2019 at Jan Juc Beach in Victoria, a hotspot for studying early whales. Janjucetus dullardi belongs to the mammalodontid group of early whales from the Oligocene Epoch (34–23 million years ago) and is only the fourth species identified in this group. Experts abandon hope for 157 stranded false killer whales in Australia Amateur fossil hunter Ross Dullard discovered the skull and had been searching the site for years. The find, the first mammalodontid identified in Australia since 2006, provides valuable insight into how prehistoric whales lived and evolved. Researchers said such discoveries could help understand ancient cetaceans’ adaptations to warmer oceans and inform studies on modern marine life amid climate change.   Source: Agency

Once abundant in the waters off Galicia, octopus has become so scarce that factories in Spain’s “octopus capital” have not sourced locally in a decade, relying entirely on imports from Mauritania and Morocco. “Here in Galicia, octopus has become really, really variable and scarce,” said Carlos Arcos, export manager at Frigorificos Arcos SL. Surging global demand and dwindling wild stocks have forced Spain’s fishery to close for three months this summer — an unusually long pause aimed at recovery. Fishermen warn that once the season reopens, catches could quickly deplete the population again. Scientists say long-term declines are compounded by climate change, which disrupts nutrient-rich ocean upwelling essential for octopus growth. Astronauts splash down with SpaceX after five-month mission at ISS To secure supply, some Spanish companies are developing octopus farming projects. Seafood giant Nueva Pescanova plans an industrial facility capable of producing up to one million animals annually, while Grupo Profand is focusing on hatchery research. Animal welfare groups strongly oppose farming, calling it inhumane due to the solitary, intelligent nature of octopuses and the high-density conditions proposed. Critics also warn of environmental impacts, including waste pollution and pressure on wild fish used for feed. International pushback is growing. Washington state and California have already banned octopus farming, with other U.S. states and Congress considering similar restrictions. Campaigners cite ethical concerns and the influence of documentaries like My Octopus Teacher, which highlighted the species’ cognitive abilities. Supporters in Spain argue farming could help meet demand and ease pressure on wild populations. “Octopuses grow extremely fast and efficiently,” said Javier Ojeda of aquaculture association APROMAR, stressing the need to develop best practices. Despite the debate, industry representatives believe commercial octopus farming is inevitable as global consumption continues to rise.

More than 70 million Americans have endured the muggiest start to summer on record east of the Rockies, according to an Associated Press analysis of climate data. Rising humidity levels, driven by climate change, have made nights uncomfortably warm and potentially hazardous across many Eastern cities. Data from the Copernicus Climate Service shows that 27 states and Washington, D.C., experienced record numbers of days in June and July with average daily dew points of 65°F or higher—a level meteorologists classify as uncomfortable. During some hours, dew points soared even higher, reaching near-tropical levels. Cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore saw multiple days with peak dew points at or above 75°F, conditions deemed oppressive by the National Weather Service. Dew point, a key measure of atmospheric moisture, averaged at least 6°F above the 1951–2020 norms this summer in cities including Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Columbus, and St. Louis. Overall, the average June–July humidity east of the Rockies hit more than 66°F, the highest since records began in 1950. “This has been a very muggy summer with humidity much higher than usual,” said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central. Kent State University climate scientist Cameron Lee noted extreme dew points near 82°F this summer in Ohio, a reading off the charts for typical measures. He added that both average and extreme humidity days are increasing in frequency and extent. High humidity limits nighttime cooling, contributing to multiple overnight temperature records from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and coastal states, said Zack Taylor of the National Weather Service. Cities including Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, Virginia Beach, and Wilmington set records for hottest overnight lows, while others like New York City and Atlanta came close. How to protect yourself from wildfire-related air pollution “When nights don’t cool down, the body can’t recover from daytime heat, which can be dangerous—especially for those without air conditioning,” Taylor explained. This unusually hot and wet summer pattern compounds climate change effects caused by burning fossil fuels, Woods Placky noted. Since 1950, summer dew points east of the Rockies have risen about 2.5°F on average. Whereas mid-century summers averaged dew points in the low 60s°F—considered noticeable but manageable—recent years often exceed the uncomfortable 65°F threshold. Lee said this long-term rise means that ultra-sticky days, once rare, now occur multiple times each summer, greatly impacting public comfort and health. As warmer air holds more moisture—about 4% more per degree Fahrenheit rise—the East has been trapped under persistent heat or heavy rains, with few cool fronts to break the pattern until relief arrived in August. Humidity remains lower in the West, but experts like University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd warn that oppressive humidity is expanding northward, affecting regions unaccustomed to such conditions. “Summers now are not your grandparents’ summers,” Shepherd said. Source: Agency 

Four astronauts safely returned to Earth on Saturday after a five-month mission at the International Space Station (ISS), where they replaced the astronauts stranded by Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft. Their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California a day after departing the orbiting laboratory. The returning crew included NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were delayed at the ISS due to Starliner’s technical issues. Starliner’s malfunction forced Wilmore and Williams to remain in space for over nine months instead of the planned week. NASA ordered Boeing’s capsule to return empty and reassigned the two astronauts to SpaceX, with Wilmore retiring shortly after. SpaceX swiftly delivers four astronauts to International Space Station within 15 hours of launch Before leaving the ISS, McClain reflected on the challenges faced on Earth, saying, “We want this mission to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together.” Back on Earth in Houston, McClain looked forward to “doing nothing for a couple of days,” while her crewmates eagerly anticipated hot showers and juicy burgers. This marked SpaceX’s third Pacific splashdown with crew on board, and the first NASA crew to return to the Pacific in 50 years. Earlier this year, SpaceX shifted its capsule landings from Florida to California’s coast to minimize risks from falling debris. The last NASA astronauts to return via Pacific splashdown were during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a historic joint flight between the US and the Soviet Union.   Source: Agency

James Lovell, the Apollo 13 commander who turned a near-disaster into one of NASA’s greatest rescue missions, has died at the age of 97. NASA confirmed Lovell’s death on Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, in a statement on Friday, praising his “character and steadfast courage” that helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of problem-solving. Lovell, one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts in its first decade, flew four space missions — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13. He was immortalized in the 1995 film “Apollo 13,” in which actor Tom Hanks portrayed him and delivered the now-famous line, “Houston, we have a problem.” In 1968, Lovell, along with Frank Borman and William Anders, became part of the Apollo 8 crew — the first humans to leave Earth’s orbit and circle the moon, putting the U.S. ahead in the space race. Their iconic photo of Earth from the moon and their Christmas Eve reading from Genesis became moments of hope during a turbulent year. A micromoon will grace the night skies this weekend Lovell’s most famous mission came in April 1970, when Apollo 13 suffered an oxygen tank explosion en route to the moon. With survival at stake, Lovell and crewmates Fred Haise and Jack Swigert used the lunar module as a lifeboat, enduring four cold days while NASA engineers worked to bring them home safely. The mission, although unable to land on the moon, became a textbook example of leadership under pressure. Across his four missions, Lovell spent more than 715 hours in space, a record at the time. He later reflected that surviving Apollo 13 changed his perspective, saying he no longer worried about crises: “I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here.” Born on March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Lovell attended the University of Wisconsin before graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 — marrying his wife, Marilyn, the same day. He joined NASA in 1962 and retired from both the Navy and space program in 1973, later co-authoring the book “Lost Moon,” which inspired the Apollo 13 film. Lovell’s wife died in 2023. He is survived by four children. His family remembered him as “our hero,” praising his optimism, humor, and ability to inspire others to believe they could achieve the impossible.   Source: Agency

Chinese researchers have successfully synthesized a rare form of diamond, known as hexagonal diamond or lonsdaleite, previously found only in meteorites, marking a major breakthrough in the development of super hard materials. According to Chinese media reports, the achievement was detailed in a study published Wednesday in Nature by scientists from the Centre for High-Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research. They transformed high-purity natural graphite single crystals into hexagonal diamonds under precisely controlled high-temperature, high-pressure, and quasi-hydrostatic conditions. Hexagonal diamonds are believed to be harder than conventional cubic diamonds found on Earth, which have structural weaknesses due to slippage along certain planes. Lonsdaleites possess a more robust atomic arrangement, but past laboratory attempts often yielded ordinary diamonds instead. The breakthrough was achieved using in-situ X-ray monitoring to observe structural changes during synthesis, enabling the creation of highly ordered, micrometer-sized hexagonal diamond samples. Science and local sleuthing uncover 250-year-old Shipwreck on Scottish Island Lead researcher Yang Liuxiang said the method overcomes long-standing challenges in diamond synthesis and lays a foundation for future innovation in material science. Ho-kwang Mao, a renowned high-pressure science expert and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described it as a “new pathway” for developing next-generation super hard materials and advanced electronic devices. The lab-grown hexagonal diamonds, currently produced at a hundred-micron scale, could redefine industrial applications requiring extreme durability and potentially outperform traditional diamonds in both mechanical and electronic uses. Source: NDTV

The Trump administration is working to shut down two key NASA missions that monitor carbon dioxide emissions and plant health — a move that could cut off crucial data for scientists, policymakers, and farmers. In the proposed 2026 federal budget, President Trump has requested no funding for the Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO), which provide detailed information on where carbon dioxide is being emitted or absorbed and how well crops are performing. NASA confirmed the cuts in a statement Wednesday, saying the missions were “beyond their prime mission” and being discontinued to “align with the President’s agenda and budget priorities.” However, experts say the OCO missions — one a satellite launched in 2014 and the other an instrument installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2019 — are still among the most accurate systems in the world for monitoring greenhouse gases and plant life. Both systems include components developed from the Hubble Space Telescope. “These are a national asset,” said David Crisp, a retired NASA scientist who led the missions’ development. He noted that the instruments were critical in discovering that the Amazon rainforest emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs, while boreal forests in Canada, Russia, and thawing permafrost regions absorb more carbon than they release. The missions also track the faint “glow” of plant photosynthesis, offering early warning signs of drought and helping to predict food shortages that could lead to famine or civil unrest. “This work is vital,” Crisp said. “We’re learning so much about our fast-changing planet.” NASA releases first close-up image of Peanut-Shaped Asteroid Scientists Slam the DecisionClimate scientists and researchers widely criticized the decision. University of Michigan climate expert Jonathan Overpeck called the move “extremely shortsighted,” warning that the data from the satellites is essential for addressing the growing impact of climate change, both globally and within the U.S. Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, echoed that sentiment, calling the funding cuts part of a broader pattern of undermining climate science. “The principle seems to be that if we stop measuring climate change, it will just disappear from the American consciousness,” he said. Congress May Step InSome scientists and lawmakers are urging Congress to restore funding, as the missions are currently funded through the fiscal year ending September 30. The House version of the federal budget mirrors Trump’s proposal and would eliminate the missions, while the Senate version preserves them. With Congress in recess, the outlook remains uncertain. If a new budget isn’t passed before October 1, lawmakers could pass a continuing resolution to maintain current funding temporarily. However, some fear the Trump administration could still delay or withhold funds. Last month, congressional Democrats warned NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy that terminating missions or blocking allocated funds would be illegal. Looking for AlternativesAs a fallback, Crisp and other advocates are trying to form a coalition of international partners — including from Japan and Europe — to fund and operate the ISS-based instrument. NASA said it will accept outside proposals until August 29. New interstellar comet to make a distant flyby of Earth, NASA says But the fate of the free-flying satellite remains grim. It’s at risk of being de-orbited, which would cause it to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. According to a report by NPR, NASA employees have already begun planning to shut it down. Crisp said he and others hope NASA will allow a third party to take over control of the satellite, but legal issues remain, especially since that may involve transferring control of a U.S. satellite to foreign entities. “We’re reaching out to billionaires, to foundations,” Crisp said. “But trying to pass this off to private donors or industry is a really bad idea. It’s just not sustainable.” Source: Agency