At least 35 people were killed and 42 were injured during a New Year’s celebration on the Bund in Shanghai due to a stampede caused by a massive crowd. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed 7,890 people out of 20,171 recorded cases. The majority of the deaths and cases have been recorded in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. Ebola is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms such as fever or vomiting. The WHO reported that a total of 678 healthcare workers were known to have contracted the virus, with 382 of them having died.
Scientists Find Water Reserves on the Moon, Boosting Prospects for Future Exploration
Scientists have made a significant discovery of new water reserves on the moon that could enable astronauts to establish a base for exploratory missions. The samples were collected by the Chang’e 5 mission, a Chinese lunar mission that brought back dirt samples from the moon in 2020. According to the Independent, the samples contained water reserves in multicolour glass beads that were as tiny as hair.
The discovery of these new water reserves could be a major breakthrough, as it would allow astronauts to use the moon as a base to conduct exploratory missions and meet their water requirements. The findings were published in a research paper called “A solar wind-derived water reservoir on the Moon hosted by impact glass beads,” which appeared in the journal Nature Geoscience.
While it is believed that the moon has a vast frozen water reservoir, it is much smaller than what is found on Earth. The multicolour glass beads, however, are plentiful and could contain significant quantities of water. However, scientists still need to study the behaviour of water once it is in space.
The glass beads are created when meteoroids strike the moon, causing the formation of solid beads that fuse with the moon soil and collect water like a sponge, initiating a water cycle on the moon’s surface. Some of the water even escapes to space, according to the scientists.
The findings are crucial for astronauts who intend to live on the moon to extensively study other objects and characteristics of space and celestial bodies. However, further research is needed to determine whether the extracted water is drinkable.
NASA has planned a lunar mission by 2025 to study nearby planets, and these new water reserves on the moon could help future space exploration efforts.
Stampede at New Year’s Celebration in Shanghai Leaves 35 Dead
At least 35 people were killed and 42 were injured in a stampede that occurred during a New Year’s celebration on the Bund, a popular waterfront area in central Shanghai. According to official Chinese government television CCTV America, the stampede was caused by a massive crowd that had gathered at Chen Yi Square on the Bund. The authorities are currently working to rescue and provide aid to the wounded.
Ebola Outbreak Death Toll Rises to 7,890
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to 7,890 out of 20,171 recorded cases. The majority of the deaths and cases have been recorded in the three countries worst hit by the outbreak: Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.
As of December 28, Sierra Leone counted 9,446 cases and 2,758 deaths, while Liberia had recorded 8,018 cases and 3,423 deaths. Guinea, where the outbreak began a year ago, had 2,707 Ebola cases and 1,708 deaths. Additionally, a total of 678 healthcare workers were known to have contracted the virus, with 382 of them having died.
Since the previous toll published on Monday, the first confirmed case of Ebola has been diagnosed in Britain. The United States and Nigeria have recorded one death each, while six people have died in Mali. Nigeria, which was declared Ebola-free in October, had eight deaths. Spain and Senegal, which have both been declared free of Ebola, had one case each but no deaths.
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
