World

Five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs found in South East Asia

Published

6 months ago

December 22, 2023

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Five new species of hedgehogs have been discovered by scientists in South East Asia.

They are all types of spineless soft-furred hedgehogs, which are furry rather than spiky.

Two of the species found by researchers are entirely new and the other three are subspecies upgraded to the level of species.

The team, from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, used DNA to identify different genetic lineages, which it later confirmed as distinct species by comparing them with museum specimens.

One of the entirely new species, the Hylomys vorax, is found in a tropical rainforest on the slopes of Mount Leuser in Northern Sumatra.

They are around 12cm (4.7in) long, have dark brown fur, very narrow snouts, and completely black tails.

H. macarong hedgehogs, the other entirely new species, also have dark brown fur – but are larger than Hylomys vorax hedgehogs, at around 14cm (5.5in) in length.

They are found in tropical rainforests in South Vietnam and were named after the Vietnamese word for vampire (Ma cà rồng) because males of the species possess long, fang-like incisors.

The research team said more studies would be required to decipher what purpose the fangs serve.

Lead author Dr Arlo Hinckley said the findings “highlight that even in well-studied animal groups like mammals, there are still discoveries waiting to be made”.

The other three new species – which were formerly considered to be subspecies of Hylomys suillus but have now been elevated to species in their own right – are named H. dorsalis, H. Maxi, and H. peguensis.

H. dorsalis hedgehogs are found in the mountains of Northern Borneo while H. maxi hedgehogs are found in the mountains of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.

Both are around 14cm long, but H. dorsalis have a conspicuous dark strike that begins on their heads and reaches the middle of their bodies.

The H. peguensis species is smaller, typically measuring around 13cm (5in) in length, and has slightly more yellow fur than the other species.

It is found in numerous countries in South East Asia, especially Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

Each of the five species are active during the day and night and like all other species of hedgehogs, are omnivores – probably eating a mixture of insects and other invertebrates as well as some fruits, as and when they can.

Dr Hinckley said: “Based on field observations and the lifestyles of their close relatives, these hedgehogs likely nest in hollows and take cover while foraging among tree roots, fallen logs, rocks, grassy areas, undergrowth, and leaf litter.

“But, because they are so understudied, we are limited to speculate about the details of their natural history.”

World

Julian Assange formally admits spying charge as part of a plea deal with US authorities

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2024

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Julian Assange formally admits spying charge as part of a plea deal with US authorities

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to one count of espionage as part of a plea deal with US authorities.

His court appearance took place on the US territory of Saipan. He left the UK on Monday after being released on bail from Belmarsh high security jail.

Addressing the court, Assange said that he broke US law by encouraging classified leaks, but said he believed the Espionage Act violates free speech.

As per the deal, the judge sentenced Assange to time already served in a British prison and told him he would be able to leave court a free man.

The US request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on spying charges has been dropped and he is now on his way to his home country of Australia to be reunited with his wife Stella and their two children, Gabriel and Max.

Mrs Assange posted on X after her husband walked out of court: “Julian walks out of Saipan federal court a free man. I can’t stop crying.”

WikiLeaks said Assange is expected to arrive in the Australian capital of Canberra at 6.41pm local time (9.41am GMT).

The 52-year-old arrived at court in a dark suit, with a loosened tie, after flying from Stansted Airport in London on a charter plane and stopping to refuel in Bangkok.

The flight cost him $500,000 (£394,000) with Mrs Assange calling for “emergency” donations to cover the “massive debt” for the jet.

She said her husband was “not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia” and any contribution would be “much appreciated”.

Inside court, Assange answered basic questions from judge Ms Manglona and appeared to listen intently as terms of the deal were discussed.

As a condition of his plea, he will be required to destroy information that was provided to WikiLeaks.

Assange left court in a white SUV without speaking to reporters, but his lawyer Jennifer Robinson said it was because of support around the globe that “today’s outcome is possible”.

She said: “Julian has suffered for more than 14 years because of risk of extradition to the US… today he pleaded guilty to an offence for having published information in the public interest… this sets a dangerous precedent, this prosecution sets a dangerous precedent.”

Thanking Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ms Robinson said he “did what he needed to do to ensure Julian’s freedom”.

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Mr Albanese has publicly supported Assange as leader of the Australian Labour Party and as prime minister. He said in a statement earlier on Wednesday: “Regardless of what your views about Mr Assange’s activities, his case has dragged on for too long.

“There is nothing to be gained from his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.”

The hearing took place in Saipan – the US Commonwealth territory – because of Assange’s opposition to travelling to one of the 50 US states and the court’s proximity to Australia.

The US department of justice said following his sentencing, Assange will leave the US and will be “prohibited from returning” without permission.

American prosecutors had alleged Assange put lives at risk when he helped former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files WikiLeaks put online in 2010.

He had been locked in a legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which included him entering the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 prior to his detention in Belmarsh – where he had been since May 2019.

World

North Korea fires potential hypersonic missile towards sea, South Korea says

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2024

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North Korea fires potential hypersonic missile towards sea, South Korea says

South Korea has said North Korea may have launched a hypersonic missile towards the North’s east coast.

South Korea‘s joint chief of staffs said the launch on Wednesday morning originated from Pyongyang and appeared to fail before landing in the sea.

The country initially thought North Korea had launched a ballistic missile.

Japan’s defence ministry said the missile had reached an altitude of about 100km (62 miles) and covered a range of more than 200km (124 miles) before falling outside the country’s exclusive economic zone – an area of sea that a country claims the rights over to conduct economic activities.

No damage has been reported.

Earlier this week, North Korea criticised the deployment of US aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, to take part in joint military drills with the South and Japan.

It warned of an “overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence” as a result.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol boarded the US aircraft carrier – the first sitting president to do so since 1994 – and claimed the countries alliance is the world’s greatest, and can defeat any enemy.

Hypersonic weapons are considered the next generation of arms that aim to rob adversaries of reaction time and traditional defeat mechanisms.

What is a hypersonic missile?

Unlike ballistic missiles that fly into outer space before returning on steep trajectories, hypersonic weapons fly towards targets at lower altitudes and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound – or 3,850mph.

They are currently being developed by several countries and have reportedly been deployed by Russia and China, according to the UK Parliament website.

Uses for hypersonic missiles vary, but can include: rapidly striking high-value, time-sensitive or mobile assets, long-range precision strikes and enhancing nuclear deterrents.

Defence analysts disagree about the potential implications of hypersonic missiles for global peace and stability.

Some suggest they could increase the risk of escalating conflict, while others say that they will not alter the strategic balance between nuclear powers.

North Korea has launched various missiles that it claims are hypersonic over the few years. In April, Kim Jong Un watched over a test of what the country said was a new hypersonic-intermediate range missile using solid fuel.

The missile launch came hours after South Korea said the North floated flying balloons – believed to be carrying rubbish – across the border for a second day in a row.

The balloons caused a three-hour delay at the country’s Incheon international airport after one landed on the tarmac near one of the passenger terminals. Runways have since reopened.

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Pyongyang has also deployed a large squad of soldiers to build new fortifications within the heavily armed border between the two countries, according to the South’s military.

Occasional warning shots have been fired from South Korean counterparts.

World

Evan Gershkovich: US journalist seen ahead of trial in Russia

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2024

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Evan Gershkovich: US journalist seen ahead of trial in Russia

Evan Gershkovich has been seen before the start of his behind-closed-doors trial in Russia.

Reporters were allowed to briefly film the US journalist on Wednesday before the start of his trial in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that he denies.

Gershkovich was seen standing in a glass box, with a shaved head.

The Wall Street Journal report was first arrested on espionage charges in March 2023 after Russia claimed he had been “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA.

Mr Gershkovich faces 20 years in prison if convicted and he has spent over a year in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.

Last week, the first details of the allegations against Gershkovich emerged as it was claimed that he was seeking information about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, the prosecutor general’s office said.

The trial is due to take place behind closed doors – something Russia says is normal in espionage cases.

Mr Gershkovich, his employer and the US government all firmly deny the allegations and Washington designated him wrongfully detained.

“Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week.

He added: “The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that they’re false. He should be released immediately.”

The Biden administration has sought to negotiate Mr Gershkovich’s release, but Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow would consider a prisoner swap only after a trial verdict.

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