Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 2000, scientists spotted a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whats-inside-a-firefly-bioluminescence-science-light-cells-2020-8">bioluminescent</a> mollusk in the deep sea.</li><li>The animal was so unique that they had no idea what it was until they did genetic testing.</li></ul>It's been over 20 years since researchers were first dazzled by a strange, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/glow-in-the-dark-places-world-travel-photos-2019-5">glowing creature</a> with vibrant organs and a fringed tail floating in the waters near Monterey Bay, California. They had no idea what it was."It looks like it's something made up of a bunch of spare parts left over from other animals," Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute senior scientist Bruce Robison, who led the research, told Business Insider.It has a hood like a jellyfish and a "foot" like a snail, and it hunts prey like some anemones. But after genetic testing, scientists discovered that it wasn't any of these animals.It belongs to a new family of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-rainbow-sea-slug-found-uk-rock-pool-2023-5">sea slugs</a>. Researchers from the MBARI dubbed it Bathydevius caudactylus and recently published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967063724001845?via%3Dihub">Deep Sea Research Part I</a>.Bathydevius is unlike any sea slug the scientists <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/underwater-photos-show-sea-creatures-fish-garbage-2020-1">had ever seen</a>.<h2 id="ad8232be-923d-42da-a5d7-54974a5945ce">A unique new species of sea slug</h2>Bathydevius typically lives thousands of feet below the surface, far from the coastal <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-tide-pools-in-hawaii-are-surrounded-by-lava-rocks-2016-8">tide pools</a> or kelp forests that many sea slugs prefer.It also captures its prey in an entirely different way. Usually, sea slugs use their rough tongues to scrape food off the seafloor. But this mysterious, bioluminescent mollusk uses its hood to snatch its food mid-swim. Researchers still aren't sure how these slow-moving sea slugs catch the speedy crustaceans they devour.These unusual features and behaviors are likely the result of its unique environment, deep below the surface in what's called the ocean's "midnight zone.""Almost every aspect of Bathydevius reflects an adaptation to this habitat: anatomy, physiology, reproduction, feeding, behavior; it's unique," Robison <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/science/mystery-mollusk-glowing-sea-slug/index.html">told CNN</a>.Since first spotting it in February 2000, scientists exploring the oceans with MBARI's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deep-sea-coral-secret-garden-found-scientists-2018-5">remotely operated vehicles</a> have come across it over 150 times. It just kept popping up from Oregon to Southern California.At first, no one knew how to classify the strange sea slug. Recent improvements in underwater cameras allowed scientists to film its vibrant bioluminescent colors, and genetic analysis showed how distant it is from other sea slugs on the family tree."It is radically different" from its relatives, Robison said, both in how it looks and its genetic makeup.<h2 id="eb63ce1e-6463-423e-847b-6bafe49f8098">A sea slug in the midnight zone</h2><div type="image" title="A bioluminescence display of the sea slug Bathydevius caudactylus glowing green in dark water" height="1078" width="1603" msid="115345245" hostid="261" sizebytes="26452"></div>In addition to trapping prey, the slug's hood can snap shut and propel the animal away from danger. Predators might overlook the sea slug's transparent body or be startled <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/9-bioluminescent-beaches-around-the-world-2016-7">by its bioluminescence</a>."It kind of acts as a burglar alarm," Robison said.MBARI has been using ROVs since the late 1980s. It now uses cameras that can film bioluminescence in high resolution, allowing researchers to see how these and other luminescent creatures glow in the deep ocean.Every year, researchers uncover <a target="_blank" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.929989/full">thousands</a> of new marine species, and ROVs have often given them a front-row seat to these <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seamount-new-species-schmidt-ocean-institute-expedition-marine-chile-2024-2">unknown creatures</a>.Scientists are only beginning to understand how marine life in the deep ocean affects everything from salmon to swordfish to seals, all the fish and mammals we consume or care about, Robison said."If we're going to live in harmony with the rest of this planet, we at least need to know fundamentally how it's put together and how it works," he said.

Scientists discovered the strangest sea slug in the ocean

A team of environmental scientists and physical limnologists has published a fascinating study that may provide a scientific explanation for one of the most famous stories in the Bible: Jesus’ miraculous “multiplication” of fish. This research investigates natural events that may have created an abundance of fish in <keyword id="23812630" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lake-kinneret" source="keywords">Lake Kinneret</keyword>, also known as the Sea of Galilee, without any need for divine intervention. <h2>The story behind the miracle</h2>The New Testament recounts two instances where Jesus multiplied a small amount of food to feed the hungry. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells Simon Peter to cast his nets in the Sea of Galilee, leading to an overwhelming catch of fish. In the Gospel of John, Jesus supposedly turned a few loaves of bread and a handful of fish into a meal for thousands of followers. For nearly two millennia, Christians have interpreted these events as miracles, showcasing Jesus’ divine power. But could there have been a natural phenomenon behind these "miraculous" catches? The new study doesn’t aim to discredit these ancient accounts but rather to explore what might have been happening in the lake at the time. Using a range of modern scientific techniques, the research team examined Lake Kinneret’s unique conditions to see if there might be another reason for these “miraculous” catches of fish. <h2>What happens in Lake Kinneret</h2>The researchers found that Lake Kinneret is naturally stratified, with two distinct layers of water: a warmer, oxygen-rich upper layer, where most fish reside, and a colder, oxygen-poor lower layer. Normally, these two layers remain separate, but every once in a while, a unique combination of environmental conditions causes them to mix. This phenomenon, known as “thermal stratification,” results in a sudden and dangerous depletion of oxygen throughout the lake, leaving fish unable to breathe at any level of the water. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114938626" title="&amp;quot;Sugar early in life is the new tobacco&amp;quot;: Scientists urge food companies to reformulate baby foods and tax sugary options" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>When this mixing happens, the fish die off en masse and float to the surface. To someone on the shore, this could look like an abundance of fish suddenly appearing, ready for easy collection. Imagine standing by the lake as hundreds or even thousands of fish rise to the surface — the scene could easily inspire stories of miraculous bounty. <h2>A coincidence or a miracle?</h2>To investigate the phenomenon, the research team deployed temperature sensors, oxygen metres, and even tested wind speed and direction in the lake. These instruments confirmed that Lake Kinneret experiences regular die-offs of fish due to stratification, followed by these mass appearances of fish near the surface. According to their findings, similar environmental conditions existed around the time of Jesus, making it possible that such a die-off event occurred then, too. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114885489" title="A 14-year-old took home $10,000 for his award-winning investigation into train derailments. Here&amp;#39;s what he found." mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The team’s research also indicated that strong winds across the lake could drive oxygen-poor waters to the surface, killing off fish in greater numbers. They observed that specific types of fish in Lake Kinneret are especially prone to this kind of die-off and tend to end up along the shore, where they could be easily collected by a hungry populace. While the study’s findings don’t rule out the possibility of miracles, they suggest that at least some of the stories of miraculous catches might be explained by natural processes. If Jesus and his disciples happened to be fishing in Lake Kinneret during one of these die-offs, the sudden appearance of fish may have seemed miraculous. From a modern perspective, it’s a reminder that ancient people often attributed unusual natural events to divine intervention simply because they lacked the scientific knowledge we have today. Rather than taking away from the significance of these stories, the scientific findings highlight the powerful ways in which natural events can intersect with human experience, shaping beliefs and narratives that endure through millennia. The findings of this research have been published in Water Resources Research and can be accessed <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037894">here</a>.

How did Jesus 'multiply' his fish? A new study provides an answer that is more science than miracle

Electric vehicles (EVs) are all the rage these days. With their promise of lower emissions and smooth, quiet rides, it’s no wonder that the global demand for EVs has been soaring. However, if you live near the coast — or anywhere prone to flooding — there’s a less-talked-about risk that could make you rethink that shiny new electric car parked in your driveway: saltwater-induced fires from flooded EV batteries. <h2>Saltwater and EV batteries</h2>When it comes to EVs, the heart of the vehicle’s power lies in its battery, usually a lithium-ion (Li-ion) pack. These batteries are highly efficient, but they’re also sensitive to water, especially the salty kind. In September and October 2024, the Southeast U.S. was hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused catastrophic flooding. Thousands of homes were damaged, and in a particularly frightening twist, 11 electric cars and 48 lithium-ion batteries caught fire after being exposed to salty floodwaters. Saltwater is a conductor of electricity, which means it can get into the EV battery packs, triggering a dangerous reaction. When water seeps into the battery, it can cause a short-circuit between the battery's terminals, which may lead to overheating, violent fires, and even explosions. In many cases, the fire doesn’t start right away — it can take hours or even days after the exposure before a thermal runaway event occurs, causing a dangerous blaze. Once the fire starts, it’s nearly impossible to put out with regular fire-fighting methods. Firefighters often have no choice but to let the battery burn itself out. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113906136" title="Planning to purchase an EV? Here&amp;#39;s how to ensure it never catches on fire" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In 2022, during Hurricane Ian in Florida, 36 EVs that had been flooded reportedly caught fire, even some that were being towed on flatbed trucks. The problem lies in how lithium-ion batteries react to saltwater. The metal terminals in these batteries, when exposed to salty water, can corrode and build short-circuiting paths that lead to fires days later. The fire hazard remains even in fully discharged batteries, meaning even seemingly "safe" vehicles after flooding could still pose a serious threat. <h2>The risk to coastal cities</h2>This issue is especially concerning for coastal cities where rising sea levels and hurricanes are becoming more frequent. According to a 2023 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), <keyword id="381751" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicle" source="Orion">electric vehicle</keyword> adoption is growing rapidly in many parts of the world, including India, where EV sales increased by around 50% in the first quarter of 2024 alone. Cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and Kochi are embracing EVs due to their environmental benefits and growing infrastructure support. However, these coastal cities are also at higher risk for flooding, making the combination of increased EV adoption and rising sea levels a perfect storm for potential disaster. In fact, areas prone to heavy rains and floods, like India’s coastal cities, are facing unique challenges. The combination of frequent monsoon floods and rising sea levels presents a scenario where more and more EVs could end up submerged in salty floodwaters, increasing the risk of battery fires in the region. <h2>What does this mean for you?</h2>While electric cars are generally safe under normal conditions, the growing risk of battery fires due to flooding is an important factor to consider if you live in flood-prone areas, especially near the sea. The key takeaway here is that EV owners should take extra precautions when natural disasters loom, particularly hurricanes and floods. Here's what you can do to protect your EV: <ul><li>Move your EV to higher ground: If you're in a flood zone, take your EV to higher ground or evacuate it if possible. This will help prevent it from being submerged in salty water.</li><li>Evacuate early: Be proactive and evacuate before the floodwaters hit. Don't wait for the last minute to move your vehicle to safety.</li><li>After the flood, treat submerged EVs with caution: If your EV has been submerged in water, especially saltwater, it’s essential to avoid using it, charging it, or even moving it until it’s been inspected by professionals. Contact the manufacturer for a thorough inspection of the battery.</li><li>Do not attempt DIY fixes: If your vehicle has been exposed to saltwater, do not try to start it, charge it, or fix the battery yourself. The risks of fire are too high, and professionals are trained to handle such situations safely.</li></ul>

Buying an EV may be a somewhat dangerous move if you live near the sea

What's actually happening in the South China Sea? 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In his first term, Donald Trump ramped up military actions to counter China in the South China Sea.</li><li>Four years later, China has grown more confrontational, leaving less margin for error.</li></ul>As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to office, one of his biggest challenges could be an issue that hardly came up on the campaign trail.The South China Sea — contested waters that China says are its own and the US says belong to no single nation — has only grown as a risk factor in the years Trump was out of government.During his first term, Trump's administration took a hard line against China, stepping up its patrols and exercises in the region, and rejecting Chinese territorial claims.Since then, China has expanded its presence in the region, growing more willing to confront other countries there, including the Philippines, an ally the US is treaty-bound to defend."The margin for error has shrunk since 2016-2020," said Hunter Marston, an Asia-Pacific researcher at the Australian National University."It would now take less of a spark for a skirmish or collision to trigger a conflict involving all parties," he said.<h2 id="26704ad2-dec7-4144-a34a-9f5597d2ab7e">A vital ally</h2>Trump hasn't said how he would handle the region in his second term as president.South China Sea observers expect continuity with the Biden administration, which tried to ramp up diplomatic efforts and strengthen US alliances and security partnerships.Gregory Poling, director of Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that Trump "introduces a level of personal unpredictability compared to Biden.""But there is no reason to expect any major changes to US policies on this front."<h2 id="fef0cfd6-98da-4aac-a5b1-2e1ac4fe2670">A delicate balance to strike</h2>Trump, like President Joe Biden before him, has a delicate balance to navigate.Recent months have seen clashes between Chinese and Filipino coast guard vessels, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-soldiers-bare-hands-fight-armed-china-coast-guard-swords-2024-6">including one</a> where swords and knives were brandished.<div type="image" title="Chinese Coast Guard holding knives and machetes as they approach Philippine troops in the Second Thomas Shoal at the disputed South China Sea" height="2374" width="3165" msid="115257414" hostid="261" sizebytes="149654"></div>Under a treaty from 1951, the US is obliged to aid the Philippines against armed attack — something China has avoided through so-called <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-taking-over-south-sea-us-not-stopping-experts-philippines-2024-9">gray-zone operations</a> that are not technically "armed."The Filipino secretary of national defense told CBS News' <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-expects-us-to-intervene-if-china-takes-rusted-warship-2024-9">"60 Minutes"</a> in September that there were ongoing discussions about exactly what would prompt US intervention.Though Trump hasn't outlined a specific South China Sea plan, he could pursue his broader foreign policy mantra of "peace through strength."That brings its own risks."Unrestrained US militarization is precisely what drives Beijing's insecurity and will continue to exacerbate tensions in the South China Sea," Marston said.<h2 id="96ada877-488a-45fb-9d45-6c143317081e">An alliance at stake</h2>Sari Arho Havrén, an associate fellow at the UK's Royal United Services Institute specializing in China, said Trump would need to decide how much to commit to the region."To be globally influential, the US needs its allies," she said.Trump has often adopted a skeptical posture toward alliances he deemed unfair to the US — including its roles in helping the defense of Europe, its support for Ukraine, and its military commitments in South Korea.<div type="image" title="President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024" height="4000" width="6000" msid="115257416" hostid="261" sizebytes="444246"></div>Zeno Leoni, a lecturer at King's College London's Defense Studies Department, believes US economic interests in the South China Sea make the region an exception.A yearlong conflict in East Asia, which covers the South China Sea, could result in a 5-10% loss of US GDP, according to a 2016 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1140.html">research report</a> by the Rand Corporation, a prominent think tank.Leoni believes the Trump administration will try to achieve balance."Both Trump's and Biden's National Security Strategy prioritized tackling the rise of China, and this is unlikely to change in the context of a more isolationist foreign policy," he said.

Trump's first term avoided a fight in the South China Sea. It's only getting harder.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US has played a key role in countering China in the South China Sea.</li><li>But any intensified US efforts could trigger a confrontation, experts told BI.</li></ul>The US has played an active security role in the South China Sea in recent years, but with China increasingly confrontational in the region, things could come to a head.US ships and aircraft have repeatedly operated within the wide expanse claimed by China to assert international rights to navigation, carried out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/US7thFleet/status/1834396679216181394">military</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/indopacom/status/1836389721502568770?s=46&amp;t=o-gfid_uWzVLqbUuvoCCsg">exercises</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/INDOPACOM/status/1834577777598894323">with</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/INDOPACOM/status/1836163226528350500">regional</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/INDOPACOM/status/1835438447907295450">allies</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/01/joint-statement-of-the-leaders-of-the-united-states-and-the-philippines/">reaffirmed</a> its <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/3836245/track-record-and-trajectory-us-philippine-defense-ties-since-2021-remarks-by-as/">commitments</a> to regional partners.It has also <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/INDOPACOM/status/1836525608056033674">helped</a> Southeast Asian countries to <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://x.com/TeamAFP/status/1828775660015522069">modernize</a> their militaries and <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://x.com/TeamAFP/status/1828653505885938023">deepen</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/INDOPACOM/status/1836666038475489463">ties</a> with countries pursuing similar security goals.However, some Asia regional analysts warn that any further attempt to intensify US efforts in the contested waters could agitate regional partners, trigger China's ire, and backfire on the US and its partners."The last thing that any Southeast Asian country wants is for this to spill over into an active conflict," Bill Hayton, an associate fellow with Chatham House's Asia-Pacific program, told Business Insider.On the other hand, a US pullback would enable China to bully its smaller neighbors in ways that could also trigger a military clash.They "want a Goldilocks situation in the South China Sea — not too hot, not too cold," he added.<div type="image" title="A China Coast Guard ship (R) sailed past the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Cape Engaño (L) during a supply mission to Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea on August 26, 2024." height="2000" width="3000" msid="114167295" hostid="261" sizebytes="189602"></div><h2 id="9deb4483-b117-443f-9cc5-4db4f72459bc">Keeping a balance</h2>Southeast Asian leaders have tried to keep a balance between the US and China through ASEAN, a political and economic union of 10 countries with the stated <a target="_blank" href="https://asean.org/what-we-do#asean-aims">goal</a> of "promoting regional peace and stability."ASEAN held its annual summit in Laos this week, in part to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/asean-summit-laos-myanmar-south-china-sea-254fe0f7f8b484df5bdb05c0557fccd6">discuss</a> territorial tensions in the South China Sea. China has made expansive and legally dubious claims to nearly all of the sea, which is a major shipping route and boasts natural resources like fish and oil fields.Recent months have seen clashes between Chinese coast guard vessels and ones from the Philippines, including one <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-soldiers-bare-hands-fight-armed-china-coast-guard-swords-2024-6">encounter</a> where swords and knives were brandished and a Filipino soldier reportedly lost a thumb.Speaking at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-the-asean-summit-with-the-united-states/">ASEAN summit</a>, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders that the US was concerned about China's "increasingly dangerous and unlawful" activities in the disputed waters."The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific," he added.The US is the only military with the size and sophistication to push back on China's forces, however, any US attempt to step up its role in the region could affect the delicate balance.Hunter Marston, a Ph.D. candidate in international relations at the Australian National University in the Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs, said all 10 ASEAN countries have their own security interests and different views about the US' role in the region.While countries that keep close ties to the US, like Singapore, the Philippines, and to some extent Vietnam, would be "very" supportive of increased US security in the region, other countries that fear a larger US military presence in the South China Sea, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and perhaps Cambodia, would be "more vocally" opposed to it, he said.Another aspect is that China's wide claims don't directly affect Indonesia and Cambodia, meaning they have less to lose.<div type="image" title="An infographic of the disputed South China Sea on January 06, 2023." height="4138" width="5697" msid="114167294" hostid="261" sizebytes="390018"></div><h2 id="1c59d1ef-370d-4010-a9b6-a8ba1510690f">A bipartisan issue</h2>Ramping up the US security role in the South China Sea without upsetting the balance of power is "a challenge that dates back to at least the Bush administration," Marston said, referring to the administration of George W. Bush.Following 9/11, the Bush administration <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41311-023-00486-0#Fn5">stepped up</a> its security involvement in the region by strengthening the US military presence there and increasing diplomatic ties with key ASEAN nations.The Obama administration then pursued a policy of strategic "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/16/fact-sheet-advancing-rebalance-asia-and-pacific">rebalancing</a>," with the underlying <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pafo.12115">goal</a> of preventing China from becoming the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific region.The Trump administration took a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/08/from-pivot-to-defiance-american-policy-shift-in-the-south-china-sea/">harder line</a>, stepping up its freedom of navigation patrols, conducting naval exercises in the region, and at one point <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csp.navy.mil/Media/News-Admin/Article/2186392/pacific-fleet-submarines-lethal-agile-underway/">deploying</a> all of its forward-deployed nuclear attack submarines into the Western Pacific.Marston said the Biden administration has adopted elements of Obama's policy and tried to ramp up diplomatic efforts and strengthen US alliances and security partnerships.Yet, China has remained undeterred in its efforts to dominate the contested islands, and has grown more aggressive in encounters with regional claimants, notably the Philippines."It's really plagued multiple administrations," Martson said.<h2 id="5c410507-89c1-4bdb-b90b-5027be104561">A polarized region</h2>Gregory B. Poling, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, told BI that the South China Sea has served as a "wedge" within ASEAN because only four out of 10 countries have a direct stake in it."Frankly, a lot of them would rather the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia just give up their rights in order to make this issue go away so they can get back to trading and investing with China," he said.According to Chatham House's Hayton, increased US intervention could further split the alliance and also potentially drag the US into a conflict with China that jeopardizes Southeast Asian countries' economies.The US might be called in to help enforce <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ssi.armywarcollege.edu/SSI-Media/Recent-Publications/Display/Article/3738629/war-with-china-a-view-from-early-2024/">freedom of navigation</a> or defend its partners in the event of a military confrontation between China and its neighbors.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-warships-could-protect-pacific-allys-ships-from-china-admiral-2024-8">Adm. Samuel Paparo</a>, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, hinted at this last August, saying the US could send ships to escort Philippine vessels in the South China Sea following clashes with China in recent months.Even without a boosted US presence, the US could be dragged into a regional confrontation via its partners.At a minimum, Hayton said a conflict would trigger disruptions to shipping, supply lines, and supply chains and hurt the region's economic growth, "even before we start to think about military actions."A conflict in the South China Sea — a critical trade route <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2016_en.pdf">estimated</a> to carry one-third of global shipping — could result in a 10-33% loss in GDP for Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, according to a 2020 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28048/w28048.pdf">working paper</a> by the US National Bureau of Economic Research.<h2 id="aba6b3de-fedf-479e-9f6f-ff50a1a9a19a">Escalating tensions</h2>Tensions in the region have been escalating over the past few months, especially between China and the Philippines.A month after the armed encounter, China's largest coastguard vessel <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beijings-monster-coastguard-ship-ramps-up-tensions-south-china-sea-2024-7">dropped anchor</a> in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, and in August, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://x.com/jaytaryela/status/1828077854539874574">said</a> China had deployed 40 vessels to block the delivery of supplies to its soldiers stationed in the contested Sabina Shoal.Earlier this week, the Philippines <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph/2024/10/09/da-bfar-statement-on-the-recent-ccg-water-cannon-incident-in-bajo-de-masinloc/">said</a> three Chinese Coast Guard vessels and a navy ship fired water cannons toward two civilian vessels while they were on a routine resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea.<div type="image" title="A Philippine coast guard vessel and a Chinese coast guard vessel during an incident in&#xa0;the South&#xa0;China&#xa0;Sea on August 19, 2024." height="1125" width="2000" msid="114167292" hostid="261" sizebytes="36066"></div>Poling described these as "the most violent months in the South China Sea since 1988," and added that the Philippines' "natural" response would be to seek help from its treaty ally, the US.Under a Mutual Defense <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20177/volume-177-I-2315-English.pdf">Treaty</a> signed in 1951, the US must come to the Philippines' aid in the event of an armed attack — something China has carefully avoided by conducting <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-taking-over-south-sea-us-not-stopping-experts-philippines-2024-9">gray-zone operations</a>.In an interview with CBS News <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-expects-us-to-intervene-if-china-takes-rusted-warship-2024-9">60 Minutes</a> last month, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro said that there were ongoing discussions about what scenarios would prompt the US to get involved.Meanwhile, according to Poling, China's official position is that everything the Philippines does is because the US made it do it."That's one of the things that makes this so hard to deescalate," he said.A war with China in the South China Sea is a prospect the US would likely want to avoid at all costs, given the ongoing conflicts raging in Ukraine and the Middle East."But there's no world in which the US can sit on the sidelines, watch China potentially kill Filipinos in Philippine waters, and do nothing," Poling added.

Efforts by the US to counter China in the South China Sea could backfire

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NATO scrambled jets to respond to Russian aircraft "not adhering to international norms" this week.</li><li>Italy's air force intercepted a Russian Coot-A aircraft over the Baltic Sea, NATO Air Command said.</li></ul>Norwegian F-35s were called into action on Tuesday as NATO scrambled jets in response to Russian aircraft "not adhering to international norms," NATO's Air Command said in a post on X.Italy's air force intercepted a Russian Coot-A plane flying over the Baltic Sea, while the Norwegian F-35s identified multiple Russian aircraft off the coast of Norway, NATO Air Command said.Henrik Omtvedt Jenssen, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces, told Norway's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/russiske-jagerfly-og-bombefly-identifisert-av-f-35-1.17123648">NRK</a> media outlet that the Russian aircraft included two Tu-95 strategic bombers and two Su-33 fighter jets.Jenssen said that the Russian planes "showed safe and professional behavior," per NRK.<div type="image" title="An image of a Russian plane shared by NATO Air Command." height="1531" width="2415" msid="115342499" hostid="261" sizebytes="33296"></div>Such incidents have occurred on multiple occasions in recent months, with both Russia and the West scrambling fighters to intercept aircraft.The UK's Royal Air Force scrambled two Typhoon fighter jets on Thursday after a Russian military aircraft was detected near UK airspace, the British Ministry of Defence said, per the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2nldyg3y6o">BBC</a>.The Typhoons monitored a Russian Bear-F bomber as it passed over the North Sea, the report said.In July, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-says-it-scrambled-fighter-jets-intercept-b-52h-bombers-2024-7">Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept two US Air Force B-52H bombers</a> approaching Russia's border, the Russian Ministry of Defense said at the time.The department said the bombers turned away as the Russian jets approached and that there was "no violation of the State border."<h2 id="1fc7ec63-9a5a-4f9a-90d5-7bc42ad49abd">Norway and the F-35</h2>Norway, which received its first F-35s in 2017, has played an important role in the development and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://news.lockheedmartin.com/norwayf35">production</a> of the jet, with local companies manufacturing parts and providing services for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.In 2023, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.kongsberg.com/kda/news/news-archive/2023/kongsberg-secures-nok-1.2-billion-order-for-deliveries-to-f-35-joint-strike-fighters">Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg Defence &amp; Aerospace</a> won a contract worth 1.2 billion Norwegian Krone (around $110 million) to supply parts for the program.Kongsberg said the deal covered production lots 18-19 for rudders, vertical leading edges, and main landing gear closeout panels for three versions of the F-35, totaling over 300 aircraft.Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2025 and will extend through 2027, the company said.

Norwegian F-35s called into action after Russian aircraft spotted off Norway and over Baltic Sea

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine carried out a drone attack on Russian warships in the Caspian Sea for the first time.</li><li>The Wednesday attack hit the Russian port city of Kaspiysk, hundreds of miles from the front lines.</li></ul>Ukrainian forces attacked Russian navy vessels in the Caspian Sea for the first time Wednesday, the latest demonstration of Kyiv's long-range strike capabilities.The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/StratcomCentre/status/1854112080007156110">published the attack footage</a> on social media. It said that Kyiv's forces had expanded the "zone of strikes" by "hitting Russia's Caspian Sea Fleet in Kaspiysk," a port city hundreds of miles from the front lines.The videos shared by the Ukrainian government appear to capture the moment one of the attacking unmanned aircraft dives to strike its target. Anti-aircraft fire can be heard in the background in some of the footage, suggesting that the Russians attempted to defend against the attack. Andriy Kovalenko, the head of countering disinformation at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, shared additional footage of the strikes and confirmed the attack at Kaspiysk in a message on the Telegram messaging platform.Business Insider could not immediately verify the footage.Sergey Melikov, the governor of Russia's Dagestan region, wrote on Telegram that air defenses destroyed one drone over Kaspiysk. He said the incident is under investigation and asked that locals do not share photos or videos "that could assist the enemy."Kyiv's armed forces have not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ukrainian media <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3924072-port-in-russias-kaspiysk-attacked-by-hur-drone-source.html">reported</a> it was an operation on behalf of the country's military intelligence agency, known as the HUR. The attack reportedly damaged two missile ships at the port. The Wednesday attack marks the latest blow to the Russian Navy, which has taken heavy losses in the Black Sea. Ukraine has regularly used domestically produced missiles and naval drones to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-picked-black-sea-naval-fight-losing-ukraine-without-fleet-2023-9">wreak havoc on Moscow's warships</a>.Ukraine doesn't have a traditional navy with a fleet of warships, but through this campaign of asymmetrical warfare, Kyiv, over the past two years, has effectively forced Moscow to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-emptied-warships-from-black-sea-fleet-base-returned-them-2024-11">relocate the Black Sea Fleet</a> away from its headquarters in the occupied Crimean peninsula and closer to Russian territory.While driving the enemy's naval forces away from Crimea, Ukraine has sunk, destroyed, or damaged at least 32 medium and large Russian naval vessels, a senior US defense official said last month.Beyond the the fighting at sea, Ukraine has increasingly developed its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-struck-russian-ammo-depot-right-after-iranian-missiles-arrived-2024-9">long-range strike capabilities</a> to attack land targets deep inside Russia. Kyiv has used homemade drones to strike several key military facilities in recent weeks, including ammunition depots and airfields.

After bludgeoning Russia's navy in the Black Sea, Ukraine is now going after a new batch of warships

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's navy conducted its first dual-carrier drills this month in the South China Sea.</li><li>Photos show its two operational aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, sailing together.</li></ul>China's People's Liberation Army Navy conducted its first-ever dual carrier operation this month, flexing new muscles as it builds a fleet of aircraft carriers and an ever-larger naval force.Photos from the recent exercise showed China's two operational aircraft carriers, escort ships, and fighter jets in the South China Sea.China announced the drills on Thursday, releasing photos showing the Liaoning and Shandong carrier groups.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-image-chinese-aircraft-carriers-hainan-base-south-china-sea-2024-10">two carriers were spotted</a> in early October sitting pier-side together in the South China Sea after several weeks of separate drills and activities, and earlier this month, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-sent-warplanes-ships-first-aircraft-carrier-to-surround-taiwan-2024-10">Liaoning participated in massive military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan</a>.<div type="image" title="Two Chinese aircraft carriers and various warships sail in dark blue water. Above them, two formations of fighter jets fly against a cloudy sky." height="3827" width="5740" msid="114824176" hostid="261" sizebytes="494550"></div>Recent training occurred in the Yellow Sea and East and South China Seas. The two carriers and the other warships worked to enhance combat-ready forces and readiness, China's navy said.In the photos, the carriers are accompanied by almost a dozen vessels and fighter jets conducting flight operations. The aircraft are Shenyang J-15s, China's current carrier-based fighters.In the images, there appear to be different variants of the jet on display. Beyond efforts to improve the J-15 fighter, which is a Flanker-style aircraft, China is also working on a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tested-next-gen-j-35-fighter-jet-aircraft-carrier-2024-9">next-generation carrier-based fighter jet</a> as it moves on from the Soviet-style carrier design to more modern flattops.The Liaoning and Shandong, China's first two aircraft carriers, feature ski jumps for launching aircraft. The Liaoning was built from the stripped hulk of an unfinished Soviet-era Kuznetsov-class carrier that China purchased in the late 1990s. While it officially entered service in 2012, it wasn't deemed combat-ready until 2016.<div type="image" title="Chinese aircraft carriers, warships, and fighter jets are located in the blue waters of the South China Sea." height="2907" width="4948" msid="114824174" hostid="261" sizebytes="1496818"></div>The Shandong is China's first domestically produced aircraft carrier, although it's still based on Liaoning's design. The Shandong, however, features the ability to carry a larger air wing than Liaoning, specifically more of China's carrier-based J-15 fighter jets. It was commissioned into the PLAN in 2019.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-more-to-learn-to-match-us-2024-5">China's newest aircraft carrier</a> and the second domestically produced carrier<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-more-to-learn-to-match-us-2024-5">, the Fujian</a>, is a marked improvement over its two predecessors, featuring an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system for aircraft, similar to the kind used on the US Navy's new Ford-class carriers. This new vessel hasn't entered active duty yet and has been undergoing sea trials.Per the PLAN, the Liaoning and Shandong's dual carrier drills included training for multiple real-combat scenarios involving their warship groups, including generating sorties.<div type="image" title="A Chinese aircraft carrier sails forward in blue water with other vessels in the background." height="3840" width="5760" msid="114823988" hostid="261" sizebytes="1213274"></div>In concert with its efforts to build a world-class military, China has aggressively pursued naval modernization efforts, bolstering its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-shipbuilding-power-players-making-warships-at-a-rapid-pace-2024-9">domestic shipbuilding capabilities and capacity for both commercial and military vessels</a>.Its naval buildup, characterized by notable increases in both quantity and quality, has been noted by the US as a point of concern as the Pentagon attempts to shift its focus towards <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-training-to-counter-aggressive-insidious-china-top-general-2024-2">deterring and countering growing Chinese military power in the Indo-Pacific region</a>.By 2030, the US Department of Defense expects the PLAN to have an overall battle force of 435 ships, with a substantial increase in "major surface combatants."

China's navy flexed new muscles in the South China Sea with its first dual aircraft carrier drills

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia this week launched large-scale naval and air drills with China.</li><li>Military cooperation between the two powers is growing.</li></ul>China and Russia have long railed against what they claim is the malign influence of US power. Now, they're sending a signal to the West that they have the combined military strength to challenge <keyword id="22115694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-dominance" source="keywords">US dominance</keyword>. On Tuesday, the Russian military launched large-scale naval and air drills in the <keyword id="21182587" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sea-of-Japan" source="keywords">Sea of Japan</keyword> alongside China. Taking place in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic Seas, the "Ocean-24" exercise is massive in scale. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, it involves more than 400 warships, submarines, and support vessels, more than 120 planes and helicopters, and more than 90,000 troops. "This exercise aims to deepen the <keyword id="20275236" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="strategic-cooperation" source="keywords">strategic cooperation</keyword> level between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly deal with security threats," China's Defense Ministry said Monday, reported <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/09/09/china-to-hold-military-drills-with-russia-this-month-a86302">the AFP newswire.</a> It's the second time in only three months that the powers have held joint <keyword id="20252562" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="military-exercises" source="keywords">military exercises</keyword>, with drills held near the southern Chinese port of Guangdong in July. It's a sign of the growing military alignment of the powers, with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/ChinaPowerCSIS/status/1821607307702108546">China Power Project finding</a> that of the 102 joint exercises held by the militaries since 2003, more than half took place in the last seven years. Graeme Thompson, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider that Russia and China were sending a message. "Russia's naval exercises are intended to signal that Moscow is still a global power that can operate in a range of blue-water theaters around the world," he said. "China's participation is part of a long-running trend of deeper Sino-Russian strategic cooperation and military integration." <h2>An <keyword id="23230129" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anti-US" source="keywords">anti-US</keyword> axis</h2> <div type="image" title="Putin and Xi walking past a row of Chinese soldiers in full dress uniforms holding rifles and standing to attention" height="632" width="1024" msid="113295564" hostid="261"></div>On the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin declared a "no limits" partnership as part of their shared mission to challenge US global dominance. In the three years since, China has provided Russia with crucial diplomatic and economic support as it faced isolation over the Ukraine invasion, and, according to the US, is providing the Kremlin with increasing support for its weapons industry. In defiance of the West, both nations are flexing their power and showcasing their capacity to project military strength. The Pacific, where the US and its allies, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-aircraft-carrier-south-korea-north-korea-russia-putin-kim-2024-6">South Korea and Japan, have a major</a> naval presence, is a potential flash point. The joint exercises are taking place in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. China and Russia both have territorial disputes with Japan, while China is menacing Taiwan with invasion, a move that could trigger conflict with the US. "There's clearly an intention on the part of Beijing and Moscow to show that they can jointly project power in the Indo-Pacific," Thompson said. China's continuing to strengthen its partnership with Russia despite increasingly stark criticism<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-accused-china-supplying-russia-arms-components-ukraine-war-2024-7"> from the West.</a> The July military exercises came after NATO accused China of being a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war in Ukraine. <h2>Great power competition intensifies</h2> <div type="image" title="A large explosion behind two US military armoured vehicles during a military show in Alaska" height="683" width="1024" msid="113295563" hostid="261"></div>Some experts are warning that joint Russian and Chinese military strength poses a serious challenge to the West. It's a potential threat on a scale the US hasn't faced in decades, with its military focused on fighting militant groups in the face of chaos in the Middle East. "A full-scale China-Russia alliance would present the United States with a threat unlike any it has confronted since the end of the Cold War," analyst Chels Michta wrote in an <a target="_blank" href="https://cepa.org/author/chels-michta/">article for the Center for European Policy Analysis last November.</a> The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ida.org/-/media/feature/publications/A/Am/Americas%20Strategic%20Posture/Strategic-Posture-Commission-Report.pdf"> States last October </a>urged the Pentagon to urgently revise its strategy so it could potentially fight both powers at the same time. Some analysts, though, are pointing to tensions between Russia and China that could weaken the alliance. Russia has become a junior partner to Xi's China, and it is increasingly reliant on it to keep its war machine and economy running. And China is likely using the war in Ukraine for its own purposes, to weaken and distract the West as it plans a possible attack on Taiwan, analysts at the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/russia-and-china-true-nature-their-cooperation">Royal United Services Institute in the UK wrote in July.</a> But for now, the alliance is growing closer, and Thompson said that the US would be watching the latest military exercises between Russia and China closely. "This is yet another signal that the geopolitical environment continues to deteriorate amid ongoing great power competition," he said. Correction: September 12, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the surname of an analyst with the Eurasia Group. It's Thompson, not Thomson.

Russia and China's anti-US alliance is growing even more threatening

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Houthi rebels used Russian satellite tracking data to hit ships in the Red Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported.</li><li>The data was supplied through Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps members embedded in Yemen, the report said.</li></ul>Houthi rebels in Yemen used satellite data provided by Russia to target and attack commercial ships in the Red Sea, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-provided-targeting-data-for-houthi-assault-on-global-shipping-eabc2c2b?mod=e2tw">The Wall Street Journal reported.</a>The outlet cited three unnamed sources, including two European defense officials.One of the Journal's sources said that the satellite data was transferred to the Houthis via members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps embedded with the rebels in Yemen.The Journal's new findings, published on Thursday, are yet another sign that Russia is supporting the Houthis behind the scenes after the October 7 attacks in Israel triggered a renewed wave of violence in the Middle East.According to Western intelligence, the Kremlin earlier this year <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-helping-houthis-try-secure-russia-ship-missiles-red-sea-2024-9">considered sending anti-ship missiles to the Houthis</a>. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-brokering-talks-send-advanced-russian-missiles-yemens-houthis-sources-say-2024-09-24/">Reuters</a> reported on the matter in September, citing three regional and Western sources who said the arrangement was expected to be facilitated through Iran.The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.As its tensions with the West rise, Moscow has made it clear that it opposes Washington's involvement in the Middle East, where the US Navy has bolstered its presence significantly to defend commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and hedge against the risk of an all-out regional war.When the US and UK <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/videos-american-british-strikes-on-houthis-vowing-revenge-2024-1">launched dozens of strikes on Houthi targets in January</a>, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.ru/politika/19716449">condemned the attacks</a> as "illegitimate" in the eyes of international law.The Houthis have for months <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-getting-smarter-red-sea-attacks-ships-paying-the-price-2024-6">harassed commercial ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles</a>, for what they say is retaliation against Israel for its bombardment of Gaza. Health officials in Gaza say that over 41,000 people there have been killed by Israeli strikes.Yet many ships under attack from the Yemeni rebels have often borne no clear association with Israel.As the Red Sea grew riskier to navigate and ships began diverting to the Cape route, world freight rates doubled to nearly $4,000 per container in January and then jumped to over $5,900 in July, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.drewry.co.uk/supply-chain-advisors/supply-chain-expertise/world-container-index-assessed-by-drewry">maritime research consultancy Drewry.</a>Rates as of press time were about $3,090, per Drewry's index, still far higher than the typical $1,300 per trip in October last year.Meanwhile, the US military has rotated multiple aircraft carrier groups to fend off Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, last week striking <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-stealth-bombers-join-red-sea-fight-bomb-houthis-2024-10">several targets in Yemen with B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.</a>

Russia gave Yemen's Houthi rebels satellite data so they could attack Red Sea shipping lanes: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Indonesia said it drove a Chinese coast guard ship out of its waters in the South China Sea.</li><li>It said the Chinese ship disrupted an Indonesian oil and gas company surveying the waters.</li></ul>Indonesia said it deployed two vessels and an aircraft to expel a Chinese ship from contested waters in the South China Sea.The Indonesian National Armed Forces said its Maritime Security Agency's command and control center detected China's coast guard ship at the southern edge of the South China Sea, on Monday.It said the Chinese ship disrupted survey work — often used to help locate oil and gas reserves beneath the seabed — by Indonesia's state-owned oil and natural gas company PT Pertamina.The interaction is another turn in a yearslong dispute over who owns the South China Sea, and gets to exploit its resources.China has staked out an aggressive claim to almost the whole sea, which its neighbors and most Western countries reject.The rival claims have been playing out in often-violent encounters between Chinese and other ships.In Monday's run-in, Indonesia said it dispatched a patrol ship dispatched to warn the Chinese ship away via radio.It said the ship insisted the waters were Chinese, prompting Indonesia to send a navy ship and an aircraft to the area."Together, the two Indonesian patrol ships carried out shadowing and succeeded in driving the CCG 5402 ship out of Indonesia's jurisdiction," it said.Shadowing means following another ship from a distance, a way of pressuring a rival vessel without direct confrontation.Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency shared <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4xRVvvgv58">aerial footage</a> of the operation on Wednesday, which it said showed the incident.Neither side immediately responded to requests for comment from Business Insider. As of early Thursday, China had yet to issue any public statement on the encounter.The incident escalates the dispute over the South China Sea, and highlights the richness of its resources.It is home to an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.eia.gov/international/content/analysis/regions_of_interest/South_China_Sea/south_china_sea.pdf">estimated</a> 3.6 billion barrels of oil and other liquids and 40.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.China's claims overlap with neighboring countries, including Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.An <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-soldiers-bare-hands-fight-armed-china-coast-guard-swords-2024-6">encounter in June</a> between the Philippines and China turned violent, escalating into a physical fight involving bare fists, knives, and swords.The US Navy <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-attempt-counter-china-south-china-sea-could-backfire-experts-2024-10">has made a point of operating in the South China Sea,</a> sailing in areas it regards as international waters.Malaysia and Vietnam are also pursuing oil-and-gas projects in the South China Sea, and running into Chinese opposition.The Center for Strategic and International Studies' Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://amti.csis.org/control-by-patrol-the-china-coast-guard-in-2023/">assessed</a> in March that the China Coast Guard in 2023 patrolled near Vietnam's Vanguard Bank oil and gas operations for 221 days and near a major cluster of Malaysian oil and gas operations for 338 days.The encounters so far have stopped short of a true naval confrontation, which risks escalating into a devastating war.A conflict in the South China Sea — a critical trade route <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2016_en.pdf">estimated</a> to carry one-third of global shipping — could result in a 10-33% loss in GDP for Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, according to a 2020 <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28048/w28048.pdf">working paper</a> by the US National Bureau of Economic Research.

Indonesia sent a Chinese ship packing, escalating a fight over oil and gas in the South China Sea

In an extraordinary breakthrough, scientists have recently uncovered a phenomenon that might reshape our understanding of life on <keyword id="19912640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth" source="keywords">Earth</keyword> — and beyond. Dubbed "<keyword id="22522490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dark-oxygen" source="keywords">dark oxygen</keyword>," this newly discovered form of <keyword id="20075793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oxygen" source="keywords">oxygen</keyword> is produced deep <keyword id="20372239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="underwater" source="keywords">underwater</keyword>, far below the sunlit zones where <keyword id="22965692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="photosynthesis" source="keywords">photosynthesis</keyword> has long been thought to be the sole producer of oxygen on our planet. This finding, announced in late July 2024, has not only challenged long-standing beliefs about the origins of aerobic life but has also sparked renewed interest in the search for <keyword id="21077288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extraterrestrial-life" source="keywords">extraterrestrial life</keyword>. <h3 style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">The <keyword id="20313609" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="discovery" source="keywords">discovery</keyword> and how it works</h3>The discovery took place in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, within the mysterious <keyword id="22522492" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Clarion-Clipperton-Zone" source="keywords">Clarion-Clipperton Zone</keyword>, a vast underwater region renowned for its polymetallic nodules — metal-rich deposits scattered across the seafloor. For over a decade, researchers led by Andrew Sweetman of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) encountered perplexing data indicating the presence of oxygen in this lightless environment. Initially dismissing these findings as sensor errors, the team eventually confirmed that the oxygen was indeed real and originating from the nodules themselves. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112655642" title="&amp;#39;Alien: Romulus&amp;#39; director Fede Álvarez said he had to fight Disney to keep its extreme ending" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The key to this process lies in the electrochemical properties of the polymetallic nodules. These nodules, composed of metals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese, act like "geobatteries" capable of generating small electrical currents through a process called seawater electrolysis. This reaction splits water molecules, producing both hydrogen and oxygen. The voltage required is minimal — comparable to that of a standard AA battery — but when nodules are clustered together, their collective energy is sufficient to produce significant amounts of oxygen. <h3 style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">Implications for <keyword id="20144488" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="alien-life" source="keywords">alien life</keyword></h3>This discovery has profound implications for the search for extraterrestrial life. Previously, the existence of oxygen was considered a strong indicator of photosynthetic life forms. However, if oxygen can be produced in such an unconventional and lightless environment on Earth, it opens the door to the possibility that similar processes might occur on other celestial bodies with comparable conditions. This raises the tantalising prospect that life — or at least oxygen production — could exist on planets or moons without the need for sunlight. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112860594" title="Space startup Reflect Orbital plans to sell &amp;quot;sunlight on demand&amp;quot; — how will it work?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>While the discovery is thrilling, it also presents challenges, particularly in the context of deep-sea mining. As industries look to exploit the mineral wealth of the ocean floor, there's now a pressing need to consider the environmental impact of such activities. The destruction of these oxygen-producing nodules could have severe consequences for <keyword id="22965693" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deep-sea-ecosystems" source="keywords">deep-sea ecosystems</keyword>, potentially creating more "dead zones" where life struggles to recover.

You Searched For "sea" and got 13 results

Scientists discovered the strangest sea slug in the ocean

Jenny McGrath

How did Jesus 'multiply' his fish? A new study provides an answer that is more science than miracle

BI India Bureau

Buying an EV may be a somewhat dangerous move if you live near the sea

BI India Bureau

What's actually happening in the South China Sea?

Business Insider

Trump's first term avoided a fight in the South China Sea. It's only getting harder.

Thibault Spirlet

Efforts by the US to counter China in the South China Sea could backfire

Thibault Spirlet

Norwegian F-35s called into action after Russian aircraft spotted off Norway and over Baltic Sea

Rebecca Rommen

After bludgeoning Russia's navy in the Black Sea, Ukraine is now going after a new batch of warships

Jake Epstein

China's navy flexed new muscles in the South China Sea with its first dual aircraft carrier drills

Chris Panella

Russia and China's anti-US alliance is growing even more threatening

Tom Porter

Russia gave Yemen's Houthi rebels satellite data so they could attack Red Sea shipping lanes: report

Matthew Loh

Indonesia sent a Chinese ship packing, escalating a fight over oil and gas in the South China Sea

Thibault Spirlet

Dark oxygen: How the discovery of new oxygen deep underwater has reignited the search for alien life

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides