News Headlines - 22 August 2015

▽Pentagon chief: Russia is a 'very significant threat' | TheHill

Defense Secretary Ash Carter is calling Russia a "very, very significant threat," agreeing with an assessment made by top military officials.
A chorus of top military officials have said recently that Russia is the top threat to the U.S.'s national security in comparison to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

▽3 Who Stopped Train Attack Were Boyhood Friends - The New York Times

They were on a high-speed train bound for Paris when, after a stop in Brussels, they heard what sounded like gunfire, according to Mr. Sadler’s sister, Arissa. After seeing the gunman struggling with another passenger, the three friends rushed to subdue him. No one was critically hurt or killed in the attack.

▽Europe - Briton who helped stop French train attack says ‘no hero’ - France 24

Chris Norman, a 62-year-old British businessman, rushed to help subdue the gunman after he was tackled by three holidaying Americans: student Anthony Sadler, Air Force serviceman Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos, a National Guardsman.

▽Scientists grow almost fully formed human brain in a lab for the first time - The Independent

Scientists have succeeded in growing an almost fully formed human brain in a lab for the first time ever... It contains 99 per cent of the genes present in the human foetal brain and has an identifiable structure.

▽Scientists reject claims of lab-grown mini human brain - New Scientist

But not everyone is convinced, especially as Anand hasn’t published his results. Scientists we sent Anand’s poster presentation to said that although the team has indeed grown some kind of miniature collection of cells, or “organoid”, in a dish, the structure isn’t much like a fetal brain.