In the news: Update on ISIS and a new NASA Spacecraft 

Rory Plewman | Co-online and Assistant Opinions Editor

ISIS and Japan

ISIS threatened two Japanese hostages in a video released this week. They demanded a 200 million dollar ransom from the Japanese government. Japan has 72 hours to meet the demands or the two freelance journalists face execution. Over 23 foreign journalists and aid workers have been captured by ISIS over the past 3 years.

The two hostages and their captor
Photo from Islamic State via Associated Press

NASA spacecraft approaching Ceres and Pluto

The New Horizon probe, which launched in 2006, and came out of hibernation in December and is only 135 million miles from its destination, Pluto. On the way the probe will pass by Ceres, the largest interstellar object between Pluto and the Sun as yet unexplored by spacecraft and is 38% the size of the mainland United States. In 2008 the Herschel Telescope Identified geysers, which could suggest ice volcanism, integral in finding water in our solar system.

 
  
New Horizon taking off in 2006
Photo from Gary A. Rothsein / European Photo agency