Tuesday, October 13, 2026

The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced that the current El Niño set an all-time temperature record in a key Pacific Ocean monitoring zone in September, with sea surface temperatures reaching 29.70°C — exceeding peak temperatures from previous strong El Niño events in 1982/1983, 1997/1998, and 2015/2016.^[1]

Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery on Tuesday at Rome's Gemelli Hospital to remove an early-stage lung nodule discovered during routine medical checks, in the first major health event of his 17-month papacy, with Vatican officials estimating about a week of recovery.^[2]

Researchers at Xiamen University found that declining levels of a brain protein called Menin may help drive aging, and restoring it in older mice reversed several age-related changes including memory problems, bone loss, and thinning skin in just 30 days, while supplementation with the amino acid D-serine also improved learning and memory.^[3]

A multinational study of nearly 2,000 people presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress found that GLP-1 weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to unexpectedly high rates of nail detachment — affecting 39% of users compared to 9% of non-users — as well as hair loss and scalp inflammation.^[4]

Scientists at Tel Aviv University identified and described a new insect species, Cretodorus noonoo, from a 99-million-year-old amber fossil dating to the dinosaur age, with a unique long, flexible feeding organ that has almost no modern equivalent.^[5]

Researchers at Monash University in Australia developed a new lithium-alloying electrode that significantly reduces the energy required to convert nitrogen gas into ammonia, a breakthrough that could advance cleaner production of one of the world's most important industrial chemicals.^[6]

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, described a new species of giant water lily discovered in Colombia after it was spotted on Instagram — Victoria colombiana — with pads measuring up to 2 meters across, making it only the fourth species in its genus known to science.^[7]

University of Limerick researchers developed a water-based process to convert lignosulfonate, a wood industry byproduct, into carbon nanofibers for sodium-ion batteries without synthetic binders or additives, demonstrating a path to battery materials from renewable industrial waste.^[8]

Major French supermarket chains Intermarché and Coopérative U reported being hit by a cyberattack that targeted their refrigeration systems, forcing the shutdown of cooling units at approximately 250-300 stores and resulting in the disposal of fresh and frozen products.^[9]

South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine returned home after being recalled in protest of Kyiv's public disclosure of the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, marking a diplomatic dispute between the two nations.^[10]