Ozzone 1-27 > Are your earthly concerns interfering with your relationship with Jesus Christ?

 

What Denisovans may have looked like

 

Good to see you after all this time. Chinese scientists put a face to the Denisovans

Scientists use fossil fragments found in northern China to reconstruct the features of the ancient hominids

Holly Chik  South China Morning Post

Published: 7:09pm, 23 Oct 2026Updated: 7:25pm, 23 Oct 2026

Chinese scientists have finally put a face to the Denisovans, a mysterious species of ancient humans who were previously known only through the evidence of their DNA and fossil fragments.

The hominids were thought to have lived in parts of Siberia and East and Southeast Asia thousands of years ago.

The work of reconstructing their face was based on fossils excavated from Xujiayao, a major archaeological site in northern China’s Nihewan Basin, between 1976 and 1979.

Scientists also confirmed that the collection of ancient human remains belonged to the Denisovan lineage, allowing them to reconstruct what they looked like.

The remains, dated between 138,000 and 199,000 years old, included skull bones and teeth that had long puzzled palaeontologists trying to classify where they fit on the ancient human family tree.

Without any complete skulls to work with, the team, led by Fu Qiaomei, a palaeontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, had to reconstruct their features from fragments.

They concluded that their skulls were low and wide, with fairly thick bones. The sides of the braincase were relatively flat rather than rounded, while the back section of the lower jaw was quite wide, according to the official newspaper Science and Technology Daily.

“This analysis provides a comprehensive view of Denisovan features, showing both traits reminiscent of Homo erectus (such as a thick cranial vault) and those characteristic of modern humans (for example, a strongly arched temporal squama),” the scientists wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Wednesday.

The researchers were also able to confirm that the fossils were Denisovans through the discovery of a key protein marker that was not found in Neanderthals and modern humans.

While the extraction of ancient DNA is almost impossible, proteins can survive longer than DNA without fully degrading.

“The palaeoproteomic results revealed Xujiayao hominins as Denisovans,” the researchers said, adding that their “similarities with other East Asian late Middle Pleistocene archaic Homo (such as Jinniushan, Dali and Hualongdong) indicate that they all belong to the Denisovan lineage”.

The study also showed that “Denisovans could have lived in East Asia from at least [300,000 to 45,000 years ago], paralleling the temporal range of Siberian Denisovans”.

“[It was] a broadly distributed homo lineage that adapted to diverse ecological zones, including the high-altitude plateau, subtropical forest and insular environments, across Siberia, East Asia and Southeast Asia.”

Terrorism Around the World > Manhattan Lunatic stabs Rabbi with needle; Apparent anti-Islam sub-machine gun attack in France; Muslim arrested after assaults on Jewish women in London

 

Maniac busted for stabbing rabbi with syringe in NYC — as cops reveal she attacked another Jewish victim minutes later

By

Sofia Poznansky,

Steven Vago and

David DeTurris

Published Oct. 25, 2026

Updated Oct. 25, 2026, 7:06 p.m. ET

The hateful lunatic who stabbed a rabbi with a syringe in the Diamond District was nabbed Saturday — as officials revealed she attacked another Jewish man just minutes later. 

Anna Mochalova, 32, was arrested and slapped with a slew of charges, including assault as a hate crime, for the terrifying spree that began with the jabbing of a young rabbi in Midtown Manhattan, prosecutors said at her arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sunday.

The alleged bigot began to stalk Yosef, a 26-year-old rabbi, who is seen in surveillance video wearing traditional Orthodox garb, before stabbing him in the back with a needle near West 47th Street and Fifth Avenue on Wednesday at 5:50 p.m., according to prosecutors. 

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Anna Mochalova, 32, was arrested and slapped with a slew of charges, including assault as a hate crime, for stalking and jabbing Yosef, a 26-year-old rabbi, in the back with a needle last week.

Shomrim Manhattan

Yosef, the young rabbi stabbed with a syringe, previously told The Post he believes he was targeted because he is “visibly Jewish.”

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“I never met that person before,” he said. “She passes by other people. I’m visibly Jewish.”

Possible Anti-Islam terrorist attack in France

According to Grok:

France: Trappes and La Verrière shootings (23 October 2026)

A 39-year-old man (identified in French media as Kévin T. or Kevin T.) carried out a drive-by shooting spree in the Paris suburbs of Trappes and La Verrière (Yvelines). He fired from a car (using a Sten-type submachine gun) at multiple locations including a petrol station, medical centre area, and near a playground, in a roughly 15–20 minute rampage involving an estimated 128 rounds across about eight scenes.⁠Wikipedia

• One person was killed: Pengo Bassio/Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old of Congolese origin described as an amateur MMA prospect.
• Several others were injured (reports range from 5 to 7, with multiple seriously or critically hurt), including a 12-year-old girl of North African descent who was shot eight times. Other victims were reported as having African or Maghrebi/North African origins; some women wore headscarves.

The suspect was arrested shortly afterward, had cannabis and cocaine in his system, and was placed under psychiatric observation. Items including a copy of Mein Kampf were reported found at his home (along with a Bible and Quran in some accounts). The case remains under investigation; political leaders across the spectrum condemned the attack.⁠BBC

United Kingdom: Assaults on Jewish women in London (around 19–20 October 2026)

In the Stamford Hill/Clapton Common area of Hackney (north-east London), three Orthodox Jewish women were assaulted in a series of incidents treated by the Metropolitan Police as a suspected antisemitic hate crime. One victim was punched while pushing a baby in a pram; others were slapped or punched in the face. Injuries were described as minor (with at least one case of significant bruising).⁠BBC

A 33-year-old man (Abdisamad Siad) was arrested after being detained by Jewish volunteer security group Shomrim volunteers. He was charged with three counts of assault by beating (racially/religiously aggravated aspects noted). Police increased patrols in the area. The suspect was also linked to a separate unrelated assault allegation.⁠Timesofisrael

Latin America Rising > Argentina's exports hit record high; Lula triggers global market sell-off

 

Argentina's exports hit record high in September

By Banyeliz Muñoz

An aerial photograph taken with a drone shows a cargo ship belonging to Chinese automaker BYD docked at the Port of Zarate, Argentina, in January. Argentina posted a $2.98 billion trade surplus in September as exports exceeded $10 billion for the first time, File Photo by EPA

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Argentina posted a $2.98 billion trade surplus in September as exports exceeded $10 billion for the first time, driven by rising energy sales, according to official data.

The surplus was $2.04 billion higher than in September 2025, according to the foreign trade report released Monday by the National Institute of Statistics and Census, known as INDEC, Argentina's official statistics agency.

The result marked Argentina's 34th consecutive month of trade surpluses.

From January through September, Argentine exports totaled $77.27 billion, up 21.6% from a year earlier, while imports fell 2.5% to $56.07 billion. The cumulative trade surplus reached $21.2 billion, compared with $6.05 billion during the same period in 2025.

Fuel and energy exports reached $1.78 billion in September, an 89.1% increase from the same month in 2025. During the first nine months of 2026, exports from the sector rose 53.6% year over year, according to the official report.

Argentine President Javier Milei attributed the energy sector's performance to deregulation measures introduced by his administration and increased oil and gas production at Vaca Muerta, a geological formation in Patagonia that holds substantial hydrocarbon reserves and accounts for much of the country's energy expansion.

"For a decade, Vaca Muerta operated at half capacity, with suppressed prices, currency controls and fear of investing. When we changed the rules, in less than three years, we began exporting like never before," Milei said during the Argentina Oil & Gas Patagonia 2026 exhibition.

According to figures presented by Milei, oil production at Vaca Muerta rose from an average of about 310,000 barrels per day in 2023 to more than 670,000 barrels per day in August 2026. Nationwide, production increased from about 635,000 barrels per day in 2023 to 932,000 barrels per day in August.

"Today, for the first time in history, we are just steps away from producing 1 million barrels per day," Milei said.

The president also highlighted growth in oil exports. He said Argentina exported an average of 128,000 barrels per day in 2023, a volume that doubled in 2026.

Milei defended the removal of domestic crude oil price controls as one of his administration's first measures to stimulate energy production.

Juan José Carbajales, a lawyer and former undersecretary of hydrocarbons, told UPI that the main factor behind the increase in energy export revenue was the international price of oil, which remained above $100 per barrel for six months.

"Crude oil prices explain much of this result. There has not yet been a significant increase in export volumes because transportation capacity still needs to be expanded," Carbajales said.

He said the Vaca Muerta Sur oil pipeline, scheduled to begin operations by the end of this year, would allow Argentina to increase oil shipments abroad.

He estimated that the impact would become apparent in February or March, when the new infrastructure would make it easier to transport larger volumes of crude oil from production fields to export terminals.

Carbajales said the results also benefited from increased sales of petroleum products, including liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, and natural gas shipments to neighboring countries through pipelines.

However, he emphasized that international crude oil prices were the main factor behind the increase in energy export revenue.

Regarding liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which allows natural gas to be transported by ship after being cooled into liquid form, Carbajales estimated that its impact on Argentine exports would begin to emerge toward the end of 2027.

Outside the energy sector, exports of manufactured industrial goods rose 23% from January through September. Exports of primary products increased 14.5%, while agricultural manufactured goods rose 14.3%.

In trade by country, China overtook Brazil in September as Argentina's largest trading partner.

Argentine exports to China totaled $986 million, up 23.8% from a year earlier, while imports from China reached $1.82 billion, resulting in a bilateral trade deficit of $831 million.

Read More

• Report: Latin American exports to rise 20% as Asia trade increases
• Can Taiwan's Latin America strategy deliver?
• Chile rises to 20th in economic freedom ranking, leads Latin America

Lula's re-election in Brazil triggers global market sell-off

By Macarena Hermosilla

President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva re-election to a fourth term marked a sell-off in the markets. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

BRASILIA, Brazil, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- The re-election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to an unprecedented fourth term as Brazil's president triggered a sharp sell-off in Brazilian and international financial markets Monday.

Brazilian assets plunged as investors reacted to an unexpected election outcome after betting on a victory by conservative candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who had promised strict fiscal austerity measures.

Brazil's benchmark Ibovespa stock index fell 10% at the start of trading, forcing the São Paulo stock exchange to halt operations for 30 minutes. It was the first such suspension since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Hours later, after trading resumed, the index was down about 15.81%.

Lula's victory upended market expectations. Most polls published in recent weeks had shown Bolsonaro leading ahead of the runoff election following his surprise first-round victory.

Historical precedent also favored Bolsonaro. No candidate who finished second in the first round had previously managed to reverse the result in a runoff.

Lula's comeback victory, with 51.4% of the vote, surprised investors, who are now assessing the potential effects of his new term on interest rates, exchange rates, stocks and public finances, Brazilian news outlet G1 reported.

The reaction was equally severe in currency markets.

The U.S. dollar climbed above 5.60 Brazilian reais, gaining more than 12% from Friday's close. The Brazilian currency, which had benefited from expectations of a Bolsonaro victory, depreciated sharply.

The sell-off extended to Wall Street, where major Brazilian companies trade through American depositary receipts, or ADRs.

Before Brazil's stock market opened, the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, known as EWZ, which tracks shares of major Brazilian companies and trades in the United States, plunged as much as 26.74%. Meanwhile, the real lost more than 10% in futures contracts traded in Chicago. Similar signs of market panic appeared on Japanese exchanges hours earlier.

Economic analysts at institutions including JPMorgan and ING said investors were reacting to the lack of clarity surrounding Lula's fiscal proposals during the campaign, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported.

Public finances remain the "Achilles' heel" of Brazil's economy because of structural budget constraints. About 80% of government spending is allocated to mandatory expenditures, including pensions and social security, leaving authorities with extremely limited fiscal flexibility.

Lula da Silva's new government faces the difficult challenge of balancing increased spending on social programs with public debt at a historic high of 82.9% of gross domestic product. Debt has resumed its upward trajectory following the introduction of extensive subsidy and financial assistance packages by the government during the election campaign.

The administration will also face immediate pressure to address public discontent over high food prices and declining purchasing power amid a sharp economic slowdown and elevated interest rates that are restricting private-sector lending.

To advance potential economic reforms and implement new tax measures, the leftist president will have to negotiate with a predominantly conservative Congress closely aligned with Bolsonaro.

Read More

• Lula wins 4th term, besting Flavio Bolsonaro in runoff
• BTS tour brings millions in tourism revenue to Latin America
• U.S. firm plans AI data centers powered by Paraguay's Itaipu dam
  
  
  
  
  

Terrorism Around the World > Politician loses both legs in vehicular attack in Melbourne

 

Australian MP Helen Haines loses both legs after ramming attack

By Darryl Coote

Tributes and flowers are seen for independent federal Member of Parliament Helen Haines at her electoral office in Wangaratta, Australia, on Tuesday. File Photo by James Ross/EPA

Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Australian independent Member of Parliament Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after she was struck by an SUV outside her office earlier this week, her husband said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, Phil Haines said Helen Haines' left leg was amputated on Monday and that they had hoped to save her right leg, but surgeons were forced to amputate it Wednesday.

"But the good news in all of this is Helen is alive and she's stable," he said during the press conference. "That is the most important thing for our family. And I think when we reflect and talk about and think about Helen, the two most important parts of Helen for us as a family are her heart and her mind."

He said "her heart is huge" and she has "the sharpest intellect."

"We are grateful and thankful that at this stage both her heart and her mind are in good shape," he said.

He said her road to recovery will be difficult, while calling her "a fighter."

"She is a determined person who will do her best with our support and love to recover, and that is what we hope for."

Helen Haines, 65, was struck Monday at about 3:35 p.m. local time by a Toyota LandCruiser near her Wangaratta, Victoria, office. She was transported to a hospital in critical condition before being airlifted to Melbourne, where she underwent emergency surgery.

A 43-year-old Tarrawingee man was restrained by a member of the public at the scene and then taken into police custody. Victoria Police announced in a statement Tuesday night that the suspect was charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. Australian news organizations, including public broadcaster ABC News, identified him as Brendan Nugent.

Authorities allege the incident, which remains under investigation, was targeted.

Nugent appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates' Court earlier Wednesday. He did not request bail and will remain in custody until a Feb. 4 committal mention hearing, The Guardian reported.

According to Grok:

Nugent has been described in reporting as a local environmental/anti-logging activist; his family stated he had known Haines for over 20 years and called the events devastating and incomprehensible.⁠Aapnews.aap