Latest News

Middle East Crisis  Iran War
Sources: Attacks on Iran planned for the day after the election

The US may launch a new attack on Iran as early as the day after the midterm elections on November 4. This is according to three high-ranking, anonymous officials from the Gulf states, who spoke to MS Now.

The US administration has reportedly informed representatives of the Gulf states to prepare for a short but intense strike against Iran in the middle of next week.

The US has not attacked Iran since September 1, and Donald Trump has promised that hostilities would not resume until after the midterm elections.

On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly warned the US against launching new attacks, according to AFP.

“If the enemy once again initiates military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation who will determine the timing and the terms for bringing them to an end,” reads the statement attributed to Khamenei.

Protests in France
French authorities concerned ahead of the evening following new protests in Paris

Tens of thousands of Parisians took to the streets again on Saturday—the third consecutive weekend of protests against deteriorating living conditions—reports *Le Monde*.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez fears further violence this evening and has therefore banned demonstrations in specific areas of central Paris. Meanwhile, shops have been barricaded, and 70,000 police officers have been deployed to handle any potential rioting.

Further protests are also expected in the coming week. The student organizations participating in the protests have stated that they will block upper secondary schools and universities in the capital during the coming week.

The Climate Threat  Threats to Biodiversity
200 countries pledge to do more to preserve biodiversity

Following a difficult process, the 200 nations participating in a UN meeting on biodiversity have reached an agreement that includes a commitment to "accelerate" efforts to preserve nature and the Earth's biodiversity, reports AFP.

The meeting, held in Yerevan—the capital of Armenia—concluded in overtime, much like many UN climate summits. As is often the case in such contexts, critics argued that the agreements reached were far from sufficient.

"Nature will not wait for our negotiations," says Monique Barbut, France’s Minister for Ecological Transition.

The next global summit on biodiversity will be held in Ecuador in 2028.

Global Public Health
Study: Meat better than plant-based food for human gut microbiome

A new Danish study has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, reports *Berlingske*. According to Professor Oluf Borbye Pedersen, those who consume meat have a health advantage over vegans: a more diverse gut microbiome.

"A huge surprise," Borbye Pedersen told the newspaper.

"At first, I thought there might be a systematic error."

The prevailing recommendation, by contrast, is to eat less meat and more plant-based foods. Research has shown that such a recommendation leads to lower blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and reduced inflammation—but there is one benefit that vegans miss out on: a greater diversity of bacteria in their gut flora.

To support his findings, Oluf Borbye Pedersen compared samples from 150 individuals. His theory is that the difference stems from the subjects' protein intake.