A “mesmerizing” electric blue tarantula species has been discovered in Thailand, according to new research.

A group of Thai researchers found the spider during an expedition to Phang-Nga province in southern Thailand to research the diversity and distribution of tarantulas in the country.

The study detailing the discovery was published in the research journal ZooKeys on September 18.

The team that found the species living in a mangrove forest also included Thai wildlife YouTuber JoCho Sippawat, who is also an author on the paper published last week. Some of the same team also discovered a previously unknown type of tarantula – now named Taksinus bambus – that lived in the hollowed stems of bamboo plants in Thailand last year.

The team auctioned off the right to name the new species to publicize the find and raise awareness and funds for the indigenous Lahu people of northern Thailand, a group that Sippawat is part of. Chilobrachys natanicharum is derived from the names of two executives from the company that won the naming campaign.

“Blue is one of the rarest colors to appear in nature, which makes blue coloration in animals particularly fascinating,” Chomphuphuang said.

The researchers said this coloring comes from the arrangement of “biological photonic nanostructures, rather than pigments.”

This means that the electric blue coloring does not come from the presence of blue pigmentation, but rather in “the unique structure of their hair, which incorporates nanostructures that manipulate light to create this striking blue appearance,” Chomphuphuang explained.

The scarcity of blue in nature can be attributed to difficulties in the absorption and reflection of specific wavelengths of light. “To appear blue, an object needs to absorb very small amounts of energy while reflecting high-energy blue light,” which is challenging, he said.

According to the research paper, the tarantula’s unique coloring comes from two types of hairs, “metallic-blue and violet ones,” which are present on different parts of the body including the legs, the chelicera (pincer-like appendages in front of the mouth) and the carapace (upper shell).

The spiders’ coloring and other characteristics varied by sex and age. Females and young males have more violet colored hairs than metallic blue on parts of their body, the study added.

The newly discovered tarantula lives in tree hollows, making it difficult to capture, with the researchers having to climb trees to lure it out, Chomphuphuang said.

“During our expedition, we walked in the evening and at night during low tide, managing to collect only two of them,” he added.

According to the research paper, Chilobrachys natanicharum had previously been spotted in the commercial tarantula trade market, known only as “Chilobrachys sp. Electric Blue Tarantula,” but without any information on its characteristics or natural habitats.

Typically, tarantulas are either terrestrial or arboreal, but the Chilobrachys natanicharum can live in both enivronments, the researchers said, demonstrating its adaptability.

However, with the decline of mangrove forests – largely caused by deforestation – Chomphuphuang says the electric blue tarantula is also one of the world’s rarest tarantulas.

A Mafia boss who spent nearly three decades evading law enforcement before he was arrested in January has died while receiving medical treatment, according to Italian media reports.

Matteo Messina Denaro, who is thought to have ordered dozens of Mafia-related murders for the Cosa Nostra crime group, died at the San Salvatore hospital in L’Aquila, central Italy, where he had been treated for colon cancer, public broadcaster Rai reported Monday.

Messina Denaro was moved to the prison hospital last week and was in a medically induced coma at the time of his death, according to the hospital.

Messina Denaro was given several life sentences in absentia for his many crimes, most notably in 1992 for his involvement in the murders of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

He received his most recent life sentence in 2020 for fatal bombings in Milan, Florence and Rome in the late 1990s, and for the murder and torture of the 11-year-old son of an enemy who gave evidence against the Cosa Nostra.

Before he died, cases for the murders of Falcone and Borsellino, and for the murder of 11-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo were in the process of being brought before higher courts.

Messina Denaro continued to deny any involvement in the Cosa Nostra, despite the convictions.

Having been a wanted man for nearly 30 years, he was the Cosa Nostra’s longest-hiding fugitive.

The January police raid at the Maddalena clinic that ended in his capture involved more than 100 agents with the anti-Mafia Carabinieri.

Messina Denaro – known as Diabolik – is regarded as one of the successors of Bernardo Provenzano, who was famously arrested while in hiding in a farmhouse outside Corleone, Sicily, in April 2006.

Crime was a family affair for Messina Denaro, born to a known Mafia boss in Sicily on April 26, 1962. Among those arrested in the 2009-2010 crackdown was his brother, Salvatore Messina Denaro, who refused to testify about his whereabouts.

In 2013, his sister, Patrizia Messina Denaro, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, a term she is still serving, for being a member of the Mafia.

Though Messina Denaro had been in hiding for nearly 20 years, whispers of his failing health had been circulating in Sicily for months before his arrest earlier this year. There were hints of a “deal” to bring him back to the surface in exchange for better cancer care.

While on the run, Messina Denaro worked closely under Provenzano until the latter’s death in 2016, leading the way for Messina Denaro to be considered the top boss.

Felia Allum, professor of comparative organized crime and corruption at the UK’s University of Bath, said in January that Messina Denaro was the last of an old generation of Mafia bosses.

“He represents the final link between the belligerent and overt Cosa Nostra of the early 1990s and the silent, business-like Mafia of the 21st century,” she said at the time.

Messina Denaro is survived by his 27-year-old daughter, Lorenza Alagna, whose mother was one of Messina Denaro’s many lovers. All of his reported romantic partners have been questioned by police and are under investigation for harboring a fugitive.

Alagna initially refused to visit her father behind bars, but on May 10 went to see Messina Denaro to introduce him to her baby – the convicted mafioso’s only known grandchild, the prison spokesperson said at the time.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it has launched an investigation into allegations of “non-recent” sexual offenses in the United Kingdom, after a joint investigation by British media outlets revealed the comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape and sexual assault.

“Following an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, the Met has received a number of allegations of sexual offences in London,” the force said in a statement Monday.

“We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offences committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these. The offences are all non-recent,” it added.

Brand has publicly denied the allegations and accused the UK government of trying to censor him.

Detectives from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Command, led by Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, will carry out the investigation, according to the Met’s statement.

“We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us,” it said.

“We understand it can feel like a difficult step to take and I want to reassure that we have a team of specialist officers available to advise and support.”

Brand became famous as a comedian and actor, but in recent years has built a YouTube channel which has been accused of promoting conspiracy theories including Covid denialism.

Since the allegations broke YouTube has demonetized Brand’s channel and his live tour has been postponed.

The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches published an investigation in which four women alleged Brand of sexually assaulting them in separate instances between 2006 and 2013. One of the women said she was 16 and Brand was 31 at the time of the alleged assault in London.

At least two of the alleged assaults took place in Los Angeles. One woman was treated at a rape treatment center the same day as the alleged assault, according to the report.

Police were contacted by the center, the story stated, but the woman chose not to file a report because she “didn’t think my words would mean anything up against his,” according to notes from the rape center the woman shared with The Times.

Downing Street described the allegations made in the documentary as “very serious and concerning.”

“The Met Police has asked anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual assault to come forward to speak to officers,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said in a statement after the documentary aired.

The Met announced last week that they were investigating an allegation of sexual assault in 2003.

Without naming Brand, a Met spokesperson said: “We are aware of reporting by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches about allegations of sexual offenses.

“On Sunday, 17 September, the Met received a report of a sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003. Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support.”

This weekend may have marked the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, but it felt like the peak of summer across several countries in South America, where temperatures pushed above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil have all experienced record September temperatures, with some all-time records at risk of falling as the heat continues into the week.

The very high temperatures are the result of a heat dome, which occurs when a ridge of high pressure builds over an area and stays for days or even weeks, trapping hot air. El Niño, a natural climate pattern that originates in the tropical Pacific Ocean, has also increased the heat, as has the underlying trend of human-caused global warming.

Peru has experienced some of the most extreme temperatures in September, which is usually a temperate month.

The town of Puerto Esperanza saw temperatures climb above 40 degrees Celsius, an extreme rarity for the country, and only 1 degree Celsius shy of the its all-time highest temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit).

Towns and cities across several other South American countries also saw September heat records topple on Sunday, including:

Heat was particularly widespread in Brazil, where temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in 11 states on Sunday, according to weather company MetSul Meteorologia.

São Paulo reached 36.5 degrees Celsius (98 Fahrenheit), the city’s highest September temperature since 1943, according to INMET, the national meteorological service. These scorching temperatures capped off the city’s warmest winter in more than six decades.

Abnormally high temperatures have also increased the fire risk in the country, with wildfires breaking out last week in Bahia state.

The extreme heat is expected to continue across parts of South America well into this week, with the potential for more records to be broken.

“More of the same – or worse – is unavoidable,” said Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and weather historian who tracks extreme temperatures.

Other parts of the Southern Hemisphere are also experiencing an exceptionally hot spring, including Australia, which is grappling with unusually high temperatures and dozens of bushfires. The country is experiencing “a September like none before, after the warmest winter on record,” Herrera said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Between June and August, 98% of humanity experienced climate change-fueled temperatures, according to a recent analysis from climate research group Climate Central.

“In every country we could analyze, including the Southern Hemisphere where this is the coolest time of year, we saw temperatures that would be difficult — and in some cases nearly impossible — without human-caused climate change,” Andrew Pershing, vice president of science for Climate Central, said in a statement earlier this month.

Extreme heat is one of the clearest signs of climate change, as humans continue to burn planet-heating fossil fuels. The Northern Hemisphere experienced its hottest summer on record this year, with June, July and August all breaking global monthly heat records.

As the abnormal heat continues, the signs are pointing to September also being the hottest such month on record.

There is now a more than a 93% chance that this year will be the warmest on record, according to the United States’ National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration.

Sixteen officials in Libya have been detained amid an investigation into the deadly collapse of two dams after heavy rain in the coastal city Derna earlier this month, according to a statement by the Libyan attorney general’s office. Thousands of people died in ensuing floods.

“The investigating authority initiates a criminal case against sixteen officials responsible for managing the country’s dam facilities,” the attorney general’s statement reads.

The coastal city’s mayor and several present and former water infrastructure authorities were among those detained.

Torrential rainfall and the bursting of the dams sent a huge wave of water through Derna on September 10, sweeping entire neighborhoods into the sea. Close to 4,000 people died in Libya’s floods and 9,000 more remain unaccounted for, according to the World Health Organization.

Protests erupted in Derna last week over the catastrophe, with locals demanding the removal of those in power.

The attorney general said Monday that it placed the 16 officials under pre-trial detention after interrogations. Prosecutors are also investigating others connected to the floods, especially any who may have benefitted unlawfully from the city’s reconstruction project.

“A request of an expanded investigation has been issued into the rest of those responsible for the Derna flood incident and others who mismanaged the reconstruction project and obtained illegal revenues because of this misuse,” the statement added.

Warnings about the dams

Derna is prone to flooding, and its dam reservoirs have caused at least five deadly floods since 1942, the latest of which was in 2011, according to a research paper published by Libya’s Sebha University last year.

The two dams that burst on Monday were built around half a century ago, between 1973 and 1977, by a Yugoslav construction company. The Derna dam is 75 meters (246 feet) high with a storage capacity of 18 million cubic meters (4.76 billion gallons). The second dam, Mansour, is 45 meters (148 feet) high with a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters (396 million gallons).

Those dams haven’t undergone maintenance since 2002, the city’s deputy mayor Ahmed Madroud told Al Jazeera.

But the problems with the dams were known. The Sebha University paper warned that the dams in Derna had a “high potential for flood risk” and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid “catastrophic” flooding.

“The current situation in the Wadi Derna reservoir requires officials to take immediate measures to carry out periodic maintenance of existing dams,” the paper recommended last year. “Because in the event of a huge flood, the result will be catastrophic on the residents of the valley and the city.”

After successfully delivering NASA’s first asteroid sample collected in space, the OSIRIS-REx mission, now renamed OSIRIS-APEX, is embarking on a new journey — this time to study an asteroid that will closely approach Earth in just a few years.

Apophis, a space rock roughly 1,200 feet (366 meters) across, will come within 20,000 miles (32,187 kilometers) of Earth in about 5 ½ years, which is closer than satellites that orbit our planet and 10 times nearer than the moon. The asteroid was named for the Egyptian god of chaos and darkness and is believed to be shaped like a peanut.

One hour after Apophis makes its close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, OSIRIS-APEX — which is short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-APophis Explorer — will use Earth’s gravity to enter an orbit around the asteroid and closely study it for 18 months.

It’s an extensive new chapter for a spacecraft that has already been on quite the journey. As OSIRIS-REx, it spent seven years on a round trip to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, which included time spent surveying, touching down on and collecting a sample from the space rock.

Now, the sample is at its new home in NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where an analysis of the rocks and soil collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu could reveal insights into the origin of our solar system and the composition of asteroids that could collide with Earth in the future.

The spacecraft won’t be able to collect a sample from Apophis, because the sample collection head was included in the capsule with the Bennu sample delivered to Earth. But OSIRIS-APEX will use its gas thrusters in an attempt to kick up dust and small rocks both on and below Apophis’ surface to study them about 15 months after orbiting the asteroid.

What Apophis could reveal

Apophis is of interest because it’s an S-type, or stony, asteroid, in contrast to Bennu, which is a C-type, or carbonaceous, asteroid.

C-type asteroids are made of clay and silicate rocks, while S-types are comprised of silicate materials and nickel-iron.

The spacecraft’s ability to closely orbit the asteroid can reveal the surface strength of stony asteroids and how much weathering the asteroid endures in the space environment.

But planning to defend Earth is another key motivation for the extended mission. Stony asteroids are part of the most common class of potentially hazardous asteroids that pose a threat to our planet. Understanding their composition and other details that can only be obtained from a close orbit could help agencies such as NASA and its partners determine how best to deflect such asteroids if they are predicted to be on a collision course with Earth.

“Apophis is one of the most infamous asteroids,” said Dani DellaGiustina, principal investigator of OSIRIS-APEX. “When it was first discovered in 2004, there was concern that it would impact the Earth in 2029 during its close approach. That risk was dismissed after subsequent observations, but it will be the closest an asteroid of this size has gotten in the 50 or so years asteroids have been closely tracked, or for the next 100 years of asteroids we have discovered so far.

“It gets within one-tenth the distance between the Earth and moon during the 2029 encounter,” added DellaGiustina, an assistant professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona. “People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it with the naked eye, that’s how close it will get. We were stoked to find out the mission was extended.”

Observations of Apophis’ orbit around the sun in 2021 ruled out the risk of the space rock impacting Earth in 2068, according to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies.

The center maintains a risk list, tracking asteroids with orbits that bring them close to Earth — close enough to cause concern over a potential impact. Scientists at the center use radar and telescopes to study near-Earth objects and understand the dangers they may pose to the planet.

Keeping an eye on Apophis during and after its close approach to Earth will enable scientists to see whether there are any shifts in its orbit that could affect the likelihood of it hitting Earth in the future, as well as any changes in the asteroid’s surface or rotation rate.

DellaGiustina has a long history with the spacecraft and also currently works as the deputy principal investigator for the analysis of the Bennu sample. As a freshman at the University of Arizona in 2004, she took an asteroids seminar taught by Dante Lauretta, regents professor of planetary sciences and principal investigator of the OSIRIS-REx mission.

“(DellaGiustina) led a student experiment design for a discovery version of what we called Osiris back then,” Lauretta recalled. “Now, she takes the spacecraft on to the next adventure.”

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has apologized after celebrating a Ukrainian veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit in World War II.

Speaker Anthony Rota recognized 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka in a speech given Friday during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the Canadian parliament on Friday and lauded Hunka as a Ukrainian and Canadian veteran.

The speaker hailed Hunka as a war hero who served in the First Ukranian Division and “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russian aggressors then, and continues to support the troops today.”

“I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so,” Rota said in a statement shared by his office Sunday. He added, “I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.”

Several human rights and Jewish organizations have condemned the recognition, saying Hunka served in a Nazi military unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.

“Hunka, who immigrated to Canada after serving in the 14th Waffen SS – a Nazi unit whose members swore allegiance to Adolf Hitler during WWII – received a standing ovation from members of Parliament and senators in attendance,” Jewish human rights organization B’nai Brith Canada said in a statement.

B’nai Brith Canada’s CEO, Michael Mostyn, said in a statement that the parliment’s recognition of Hunka is “beyond outrageous.”

“We cannot allow the whitewashing of history. … Canadian soldiers fought and died to free the world from the evils of Nazi brutality,” Mostyn said.

The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division was part of the Nazi SS organization that was declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, which determined the Nazi group had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

B’nai Brith in its statement condemned the Ukrainian volunteers who served in the military unit as “ultra-nationalist ideologues” who “dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.”

The human rights organization says it expects an apology from parliament.

Rota said he takes full responsibly for the acknowledgment of Hunka, who he said is from his electoral district.

“I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them,” Rota said. “This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention.”

Brian May has once again proven why he is rock royalty. Not only is he the Queen guitarist, but he is also an astrophysicist who recently helped NASA return its first ever asteroid sample to Earth.

May said he was “immensely proud” to be part of the team that collected the sample from the asteroid Bennu.

“Hello NASA folks, space fans, asteroid aficionados. This is Brian May of Queen as you know probably, but also immensely proud to be a team member of OSIRIS-REx,” the 76-year-old musician said in a clip aired on NASA TV Sunday.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft flew by Earth on Sunday, seven years after it was launched to space to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. It collected the sample from the more than 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid in 2020 before setting off on its return journey to Earth, specifically Utah, in 2021.

May played a crucial role in the mission, creating stereoscopic images from the spacecraft’s data that allowed the leader of the mission, Dante Lauretta, and the team to locate a safe site to land and collect a sample.

In the clip, May apologized for not being with the team on the momentous occasion.

“I’m rehearsing for a Queen tour but my heart stays with you as this precious sample is recovered,” he explained.

“Happy sample return day, and congratulations to all who work so incredibly hard on this mission, especially my dear friend Dante.”

“God bless you all,” he added.

After dropping off the sample capsule in Utah, OSIRIS-REx is continuing its travels to study a different asteroid, named Apophis, the space agency said.

The sole survivor of a poisoning involving suspected death cap mushrooms that killed three others in Australia has been released from hospital following a remarkable recovery that could now help police piece together what happened.

Ian Wilkinson, a 68-year-old reverend, was left critically ill in late July after eating a beef wellington meal in the rural town of Leongatha that had been cooked and served by Erin Patterson, according to Victoria Police.

Within days, Gail Patterson, 70, and her sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died in hospital, followed by Gail’s 70-year-old husband, Don, a day later.

Watkins clung on, critically ill and reportedly in need of a liver transplant but made enough of a recovery to leave Melbourne’s Austin hospital last Friday.

“We are pleased to announce that Ian Wilkinson has made significant progress in his recovery,” according to a statement shared by a spokesperson for his family that also thanked medical staff for his care. “This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family.”

Patterson, who has not been charged, has denied any wrongdoing, telling local media she had no idea the mushrooms she used in the recipe were dangerous.

Those attending the meal were Patterson’s former parents-in-law and her mother-in-law’s sister and husband.

“I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones. I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved,” Patterson said in statement she gave to police, cited by public broadcaster ABC.

In the same statement she claimed she bought the mushrooms used in the meal from two separate stores.

Victoria Police said Monday the investigation into the deaths is ongoing.

When news of the investigation emerged in early August, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas with the Victoria Police homicide squad said Patterson was a suspect because she cooked the meal, and was the only adult at the lunch who didn’t fall ill.

The symptoms suffered by Patterson’s guests were consistent with poisoning by death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides), Thomas said in August, though no toxicology reports to show exactly what they consumed have yet been made public.

He said Patterson had separated from her husband, Simon, whose parents died after the meal, but described their relationship as “amicable.”

“We have to keep an open mind in relation to this. It could be very innocent,” Thomas said at the time. “But again, we just don’t know at this point … four people turn up and three of them pass away, with another one critical, so we have to work through this.”

As the lone survivor, Wilkinson – a reverend at Korumburra Baptist Church – will be a key witness as to what might have happened that evening.

In their statement, his family expressed gratitude for the support of their community but asked for privacy despite the public interest in the case.

“This collective kindness has been a pillar of strength for Ian and the family, reinforcing the sense of unity and compassion that defines our community. As Ian continues his journey towards full recovery, the Wilkinson family kindly requests that their privacy be respected,” the statement said.

“We understand the public interest in Ian’s recovery, but we urge everyone, including the media, to act with consideration and respect the family’s wishes.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Ian Wilkinson’s surname.

The first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia, days after Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive and said it had taken back full control of the breakaway region.

Around 4,850 people had arrived in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh by midday Monday, according to a statement from the Armenian government quoted by state news outlet Armenpress.

Azerbaijan’s brief but bloody offensive last week killed more than 200 people and injured many more, before Karabakh officials agreed to a Russia-brokered ceasefire in which they agreed to dissolve their armed forces. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Baku had restored its sovereignty over the enclave “with an iron fist.”

Azerbaijan has insisted that ethnic Armenians who choose to remain in Nagorno-Karabakh will have to apply for Azerbaijani citizenship.

The Karabakh presidency told Reuters that the majority of the 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in the enclave did not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and that they would leave for Armenia because they feared persecution and ethnic cleansing.

Images shared on social media showed residents of Stepanakert, the region’s capital, packing their belongings into cars and vans, and searching for gas. The region had been blockaded by Azerbaijan-backed activists for nine months, causing chronic shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

Most of those fleeing Karabakh were women, children and the elderly, the deputy mayor of the Armenian town of Goris, Irina Yolyan, told Armenpress Monday. Goris lies close to the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, near the Lachin corridor – the only road connecting the enclave to Armenia.

The Armenian government said it was providing accommodation to all those who did not have a place to stay, according to Armenpress.

Refugees who reached Armenia told Reuters they believed the history of their breakaway state was finished.

“No one is going back – that’s it,” Anna Agopyan, who reached Goris, a border town in Armenia, told the agency. “The topic of Karabakh is over now for good I think.”