United News of Bangladesh

Earth could be thrown off its orbit and flung into another planet or even the Sun due to gravitational disturbances caused by passing stars, a new scientific study has warned. The research, published in the journal “Icarus”, suggests that passing field stars — those appearing near the same sky region as other celestial objects — may have a much greater influence on the Solar System’s stability than previously believed. Based on thousands of computer simulations, the study found that if a star with mass similar to our Sun were to pass within 10,000 astronomical units (AU) of our Solar System, it could significantly disrupt the Oort Cloud — the distant spherical shell of icy objects that marks the outer boundary of the Solar System, far beyond Pluto, as reported by NDTV. "Passing stars are the most probable instability trigger during the next four billion years," the study highlighted, adding that not only are the planets in the Solar System less stable than previously thought, but Pluto is also at significant risk. “Our simulations indicate that isolated models of the solar system can underestimate the degree of our giant planets' future secular orbital changes by over an order of magnitude. In addition, our planets and Pluto are significantly less stable than previously thought,” the study’s authors, astronomers Nathan Kaib and Sean Raymond, wrote in May. Astronomers unveil stunning multi-colour map of nearby galaxy The study further reveals that the gravitational tug from such passing stars could increase the risk of orbital instability for Mercury by 50-80 percent. Over the next five billion years, there is also a five percent chance of chaotic gravitational interactions affecting Pluto. “We also find an approximately 0.3 percent chance that Mars will be lost through collision or ejection and an approximately 0.2 percent probability that Earth will be involved in a planetary collision or ejected,” the researchers stated. One scenario explored in the study suggests that if Mercury's orbit is altered, it could create a chain reaction leading Venus or Mars to collide with Earth. In other cases, Earth might crash into the Sun, or gravitational shifts could lead to Venus and Mars hurling Earth toward Jupiter, whose immense gravity could then eject Earth from the Solar System entirely. While these possibilities remain statistically low, the findings emphasize that cosmic events far from Earth may still pose existential risks to planetary stability in the very long term.  

A recent study has found that emotions such as grief, sadness, and hope are motivating divers to take part in restoration efforts on the Great Barrier Reef, which is increasingly at risk due to climate change. According to a statement released by the University of Adelaide on Friday, the study investigated how active participation in reef conservation diving can foster strong emotional and sensory bonds between people and marine ecosystems. It challenges the concept of human exceptionalism — the idea that humans are distinct from or superior to nature. Based on interviews and field observations, the study highlighted that direct interaction with the underwater environment — such as touching coral and feeling water pressure — evokes deep empathy and a sense of responsibility among divers, the release stated. The findings suggest that emotional responses like grief over environmental degradation can motivate individuals to take action for marine conservation, especially as climate uncertainty grows. Video captures Dolphin Calf’s birth and first breath at Chicago Zoo—with help from a fellow mom "Grief can incorporate a cautious but active hope... It reveals how emotional pain can move people toward protecting what is left," said Ella Vallelonga, an anthropologist at the University of Adelaide and the study’s lead author. The research, which appears in the Journal of Anthropology, is based on 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork — an immersive approach to studying communities and cultural practices — conducted in Far North Queensland between 2022 and 2023. Vallelonga noted that when restoration divers engage in hands-on coral care within marine nurseries, their altered sensory experience and vulnerability lead to a stronger emotional connection and a protective attitude toward the corals. The Great Barrier Reef continues to face mounting threats from heatwaves, coral bleaching, pollution, and marine predators. Although interventions by divers and scientists can enhance reef resilience, Vallelonga stressed that these efforts alone are not enough and emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive global climate action.

China successfully launched a new satellite, Chinasat-9C, into space on Friday night from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center located in Sichuan Province in the southwest of the country. The satellite was lifted off at 8:37 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket and successfully reached its designated orbit. Chinese researchers develop cocktail hydrogel for brain injury therapy   This mission marks the 582nd flight of the Long March rocket series. A Long March-3B rocket carrying the Chinasat-9C satellite was seen blasting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on June 20, 2025, continuing China’s steady progress in space technology and satellite deployment.    

A team of Chinese scientists has developed a new cocktail hydrogel capable of promoting neurovascular unit regeneration and repairing damaged brain tissue, offering a significant theoretical foundation and innovative approach for cell replacement therapies targeting cortical brain injuries. While transplanting human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) shows promising potential in treating traumatic brain injuries, it still faces several obstacles, including poor cell survival, uncertain differentiation pathways, and limited functional integration. ‘Gas Station Heroin’ is illegal but easy to find — What you need to know To address these challenges, researchers from the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have engineered a novel hydrogel with a three-dimensional scaffold and biomimetic properties. As detailed in a recent study published in the Journal of Advanced Research, the hydrogel mimics the biochemical and mechanical characteristics of the body’s natural extracellular matrix, significantly boosting the adhesion, viability, and targeted differentiation of human NPCs. The hydrogel’s biomimetic structure, in combination with a bioactive microenvironment, delivers continuous neurogenic induction signals that emulate brain tissue conditions. This process efficiently guides NPCs to become functional interneurons—crucial neurons responsible for facilitating complex human cognitive and motor functions. Additionally, the study found that the hydrogel plays a vital role in reconstructing the microstructure of the neurovascular unit. It notably enhances the immune and metabolic environment at the injury site, improves the survival of NPCs, and supports their differentiation into cortical interneurons. This, in turn, helps rebuild damaged brain tissue and partially restores neural signaling functions.  

Astronomers have revealed a nearby spiral galaxy in all its brilliant glory, shining in thousands of colours. The dazzling panoramic shot released Wednesday of the Sculptor galaxy by a telescope in Chile is so detailed that it's already serving as a star-packed map, reports AP. Scientists used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to observe the galaxy for some 50 hours, stitching together more than 100 exposures to create the picture. The image spans 65,000 light-years, almost the entire galaxy. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. Sculptor — officially labeled NGC 253 — is considered a starburst galaxy, one heavy with stellar action. It's located 11 million light-years away in the Southern Hemisphere's constellation Sculptor, and easy to view with binoculars or small telescopes. “The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot,” the observatory's Enrico Congiu, who led the research, said in a statement. “It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.” Japanese private lunar lander heads for Moon’s remote northern region The more shades of colour from stars, gas and dust in a galaxy, the more clues to their age, composition and motion, according to the scientists. Sculptor's latest snapshot contains thousands of colours — a glowing montage of purples, pinks and yellows — compared with just a handful for traditional pictures. The team has already discovered 500 planetary nebulae, clouds of gas and dust from dying stars that can serve as cosmic mile markers. Their research has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia erupted again on Wednesday, releasing massive plumes of ash and smoke that forced evacuations and led to widespread flight cancelations, including those to and from the tourist hub of Bali. The volcano erupted multiple times from Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon, with ash columns reaching up to 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). One of Tuesday's eruptions sent ash as high as 10,000 meters (32,800 feet), forming a mushroom-shaped cloud that was visible from nearly 150 kilometers (93 miles) away. Authorities raised the alert level to the highest on Tuesday and extended the exclusion zone to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. Personnel were evacuated from the nearby monitoring station located 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the volcano due to falling debris. No casualties have been reported so far. Ashfall was reported beyond the designated danger zone, affecting villages including Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku. Residents from Nurabelen village in the Ile Bura subdistrict were relocated to safer areas such as Konga and Nileknoheng, which lies about 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the volcano, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The eruption disrupted air travel, with dozens of flights canceled on Wednesday. Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport suspended services to several destinations in Australia, Malaysia, India, and China due to volcanic ash hazards. Flights were also grounded at Labuan Bajo’s airport on Flores Island, though it remains operational. Jetstar, an Australian airline, canceled flights but said services may resume once the ash cloud clears. Air New Zealand also canceled a round-trip to Auckland, and flights to New Delhi, Singapore, and Pudong (China) were disrupted, according to Bali’s Denpasar airport. Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet), is part of a twin volcano system with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in Flores Timur district. The volcano has experienced multiple eruptions in recent months, with varying alert levels. A previous eruption in November claimed nine lives and injured many others. Indonesia, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is prone to seismic activity and hosts around 120 active volcanoes across its archipelago of 270 million people.  

The U.S. logged fewer than 30 measles cases last week as Ohio health officials confirmed three outbreaks in two counties were over. There have been 1,197 confirmed measles cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Health officials in Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak raged during the late winter and spring, confirmed two cases in the last week. There are three other major outbreaks in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 2,083 cases from mid-October through June 10. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions. Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened 868 as of Thursday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 2,179 measles cases and four deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry. Other U.S. states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma. In the U.S., two elementary school-aged children in the epicenter in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. How many measles cases are there in Texas? There are a total of 744 cases across 35 counties, most of them in West Texas, state health officials said Tuesday. Throughout the outbreak, 96 people have been hospitalized. State health officials estimated less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-five percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 411 cases since late January — just under 2% of the county’s residents. The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6. How many measles cases are there in New Mexico? New Mexico held steady Friday with a total of 81 cases. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Sandoval County near Albuquerque has six cases, Eddy County has three, Doña Ana County has two. Chaves, Curry and San Juan counties have one each. An unvaccinated adult died of measles-related illness March 6. The person did not seek medical care. How many cases are there in Oklahoma? Oklahoma stayed steady Friday with a total of 16 confirmed and three probable cases.   The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases. How many cases are there in Arizona? Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. They are linked to a single source, the county health department said June 9. All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel. How many cases are there in Colorado? Colorado has seen a total of 15 measles cases in 2025, which includes one outbreak of eight related cases. The outbreak is linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport in mid-May, and includes four cases in Arapahoe County, three in El Paso County and one in Denver, plus a person who doesn't live in Colorado. Health officials confirmed an unrelated case Friday in a Boulder County resident. The person was fully vaccinated but had "recently traveled to Europe, where there are a large number of measles cases,” the state health department said. Officials are monitoring exposures sites in Boulder and Denver. Other counties that have seen measles this year include Archuleta and Pueblo. How many cases are there in Illinois? Illinois health officials confirmed a four-case outbreak on May 5 in the far southern part of the state. It grew to eight cases as of June 6, but no new cases were reported in the following week, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The state's other two cases so far this year were in Cook County, and are unrelated to the southern Illinois outbreak. How many cases are there in Kansas? Kansas has a total of 76 cases across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. All but two of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County. How many cases are there in Montana? Montana had 20 measles cases as of Tuesday. Twelve were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana’s first in 35 years. Flathead and Yellowstone counties had two cases each, and Hill County had four cases. There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. How many cases are there in North Dakota? North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of June 6, but has held steady since. Two of the people have been hospitalized, and all of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated. There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case. Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.? Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania were declared over by health officials after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee’s outbreak also appears to be over. Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year, and most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine? The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity." Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. What are the symptoms of measles? Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. How can you treat measles? There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

Health experts are urging the public to be cautious about small, colorful bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops. These products, sometimes nicknamed “gas station heroin,” are typically marketed as energy boosters or brain supplements, but they actually contain tianeptine — a drug not approved for use in the U.S. that can be addictive and pose serious health risks. Poison control centers across the country have been receiving more and more calls about tianeptine for over a decade. Just last month, the FDA issued a warning to healthcare professionals, highlighting the serious dangers associated with these products. What Are These Products?Tianeptine is approved in several countries as a prescription antidepressant, usually taken in small doses multiple times a day. However, the FDA has never approved it for any medical use in the U.S. It is also illegal to include tianeptine in foods or dietary supplements — something the FDA has warned companies about repeatedly. Despite this, some companies continue to sell tianeptine-based products under brand names like Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus, and TD Red. These products often fly under the radar due to the lack of strict pre-approval regulations for supplements. “These supplements exist in a legal gray zone,” said Dr. Diane Calello of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System. “They’re not tested or regulated like real medications.” Dr. Calello and her team studied a cluster of emergency room cases in New Jersey linked to a product called Neptune’s Fix. Patients who used it experienced symptoms such as anxiety, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, and seizures — with most needing intensive care. Why Do People Use It?Tianeptine products often claim — without scientific backing or FDA approval — to help treat addiction, pain, depression, and anxiety. Back in 2018, the FDA sent a warning letter to the maker of Tianna, a product that advertised itself as a solution for opioid cravings. While tianeptine isn’t technically an opioid, it interacts with some of the same brain receptors and can mimic effects similar to oxycodone. Like opioids, it can also cause dangerous side effects such as slowed breathing. “This is how people get into trouble,” said Dr. Hannah Hays of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “They use it to cope with withdrawal or pain, but it can suppress breathing and lead to serious complications.” Dr. Hays advises anyone struggling with addiction or mental health issues to consult a medical provider and pursue FDA-approved treatment options. Is Tianeptine Use Increasing?Although exact numbers are hard to pin down, emergency calls related to tianeptine have risen sharply. Between 2018 and 2023, poison control centers reported a 525% increase in tianeptine-related calls. Nearly 40% of those cases required medical attention, and over half of those patients needed critical care. This spike is partly due to more people using these products, but experts also point to increasing potency and the presence of other drugs in these products. The team that analyzed Neptune’s Fix found it also contained synthetic cannabinoids and other harmful substances. “You never really know what’s in the bottle,” said Dr. Calello. “Even if someone used it before without issues, the next bottle could be dangerously different.” What’s Being Done?Tianeptine isn’t listed under the federal Controlled Substances Act, which governs drugs like heroin and LSD. However, around a dozen states — including Alabama, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, and Tennessee — have passed laws banning or restricting it. While these bans have triggered withdrawal symptoms in some users, states like Alabama have seen a reduction in health emergencies tied to the drug. For example, after Alabama restricted tianeptine in 2021, the number of related poison control calls began to decline — even as calls continued rising in nearby states.

A groundbreaking clinical trial in Shanghai has enabled a Chinese man, who lost all four limbs in an electrical accident 13 years ago, to play chess and racing games using only his thoughts. This became possible after researchers implanted a brain-computer interface (BCI) directly into his brain — marking China's first human trial of such invasive technology. The trial is being conducted by scientists from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Huashan Hospital of Fudan University. With this development, China becomes the second country after the United States to push invasive BCI into the clinical stage. Implanted in March 2025, the device has so far worked without complications such as infections or electrode malfunctions, researchers confirmed. They hope the technology could gain regulatory approval by 2028 and significantly improve life quality for individuals with spinal cord injuries, double-arm amputations, or neurodegenerative conditions like ALS. Japan trials ‘Universal Artificial Blood’ that could revolutionise emergency care Brain-computer interfaces link the brain directly to external systems, enabling new forms of communication and control. CEBSIT Deputy Director Shi Yongyong said this technology not only helps decode how the brain processes information but also opens up new methods for treating neurological disorders and advancing human-machine interaction. Historically, BCI research involved bulky machines. But shrinking these systems while maintaining precision has proven difficult, said Pu Muming, an academician with the CAS. The current breakthrough uses ultra-thin, flexible electrodes — just 1% the diameter of a human hair — which cause minimal disruption to brain tissue, explained Zhao Zhengtuo, the lead researcher. These electrodes can capture detailed and stable neural signals over long periods and have already been tested in rodents, monkeys, and now humans. The entire BCI implant is coin-sized — just 26 mm wide and under 6 mm thick — roughly half the size of a similar device from Elon Musk’s Neuralink, Zhao noted. According to Li Xue, another lead researcher, the system can decode brain signals and convert them into control commands in mere milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye. Safety and performance were first confirmed in macaque monkeys, with stable operation and even successful device replacement during tests. The surgical method used for implantation is minimally invasive, ensuring low risk and quick recovery. Neurosurgeon Lu Junfeng, who led the operation, said precision was critical. His team used advanced navigation to place the electrodes accurately within the motor cortex, down to the millimeter. There are three main types of BCI: non-invasive (external), semi-invasive (partially internal), and invasive (fully implanted). Lu used a football game analogy to explain the differences: non-invasive devices are like microphones outside a stadium — you can hear the crowd but not the match clearly. Semi-invasive devices offer a better view, like hanging mics inside the stadium. Invasive ones, like the one used here, are like having mics on players — giving precise, real-time information. Arizona confirms measles outbreak in Navajo County Looking ahead, the team plans to enable the patient to operate a robotic arm for daily tasks like holding a cup. They also aim to expand capabilities by integrating more complex tools like robotic pets and smart robots to enhance mobility and independence.

Japan has commenced clinical trials of a universal artificial blood that could transform emergency and chronic healthcare by addressing critical global shortages. The initiative, led by Professor Hiromi Sakai’s laboratory at Nara Medical University, began in March with initial doses administered to human volunteers, according to Newsweek. The experimental blood, capable of being used across all blood types and stored for up to two years, is designed to overcome long-standing limitations of traditional blood transfusion systems—namely blood type mismatches, infection risks, short shelf life, and inadequate stockpiling for emergencies. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates more than 118 million blood donations are collected annually, with 40 per cent coming from high-income countries that represent just 16 per cent of the global population. This imbalance leaves many lower-income regions struggling with limited access to life-saving transfusions, especially in surgical, trauma, and maternal care settings. Universal artificial blood could significantly reduce preventable deaths in such scenarios. In the current phase of the trial, 100 to 400 millilitres of the artificial blood were administered to 16 healthy adult volunteers. The research team will proceed to assess the efficacy and safety of the treatment, provided no severe side effects are reported. A long-running experiment finds tiny particle still acting weird Sakai’s lab stated on its website that the artificial blood could eliminate several risks inherent in traditional transfusions, including “possibility of infection, blood type mismatching, immunological response, and short shelf life which is insufficient for stockpiling for emergency situations.” The synthetic blood, termed haemoglobin vesicles, is manufactured by extracting haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component, from expired donor blood and encasing it in a lipid shell. These vesicles emulate the function of red blood cells, efficiently transporting oxygen without carrying any blood type markers, making them universally compatible and virus-free. This development builds upon a 2022 Japanese trial that confirmed haemoglobin vesicles could effectively carry oxygen like natural red blood cells. While minor side effects such as fever and rash were observed in some participants during that trial, they resolved quickly.