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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
March 16, 2025
Venus and the Triply Ultraviolet Sun
This was a very unusual type of solar eclipse. Typically, it is the Earth's Moon that eclipses the Sun. In 2012, though, the planet Venus took a turn. Like a solar eclipse by the Moon, the phase of Venus became a continually thinner crescent as Venus became increasingly better aligned with the Sun. Eventually the alignment became perfect and the phase of Venus dropped to zero. The dark spot of Venus crossed our parent star. The situation could technically be labeled a Venusian annular eclipse with an extraordinarily large ring of fire. Pictured here during the occultation, the Sun was imaged in three colors of ultraviolet light by the Earth-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, with the dark region toward the right corresponding to a coronal hole. Hours later, as Venus continued in its orbit, a slight crescent phase appeared again. The next Venusian transit across the Sun will occur in 2117.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
SpaceX Dragon Docks to Station With Four Crew-10 Members
March 16, 2025
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the orbiting complex at 12:04 a.m. EDT, while the station was roughly 260 statute miles over the Atlantic Ocean.
Following Dragon’s link up to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, the crew members aboard Dragon and the space station will begin conducting standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft and the station in preparation for hatch opening scheduled for approximately 1:45 a.m. on Sunday.
Crew-10 will join the Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Don Petitt, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner.
The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 people before Crew-9 members Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov return to Earth following the crew handover period.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/03/16/dragon-crew-enters-station-and-joins-expedition-72-crew/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/03/16/spacex-dragon-docks-to-station-with-four-crew-10-members/
'Alien' encounter: NASA astronaut plays joke as SpaceX team arrives
March 16, 2025 9:04am EDT
Even astronauts have a sense of humor, as shown during NASA's Crew-10 docking on the International Space Station (ISS), when they were met by an "alien" early Sunday morning.
Crew-9 commander Nick Hague wore an alien mask while welcoming four newcomers after their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked to the station at 12:04 a.m., about 29 hours after launching at 7:03 p.m. on Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
While ISS crew members were preparing the capsule for deboarding, Hague could be seen floating around while wearing a mask, a hoodie, pants and socks.
"NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov entered the International Space Station shortly after opening the hatches between the space station and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at 1:35 a.m. EDT," NASA said in a statement.
Following the hatch opening by Suni Williams, the ship's bell was rung as the new arrivals floated in, shook hands and hugged the Expedition 72 crew after Hague's practical joke.
"It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive," Williams told Mission Control.
Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected to show the new arrivals the ins and outs of the space station before they finally return home after nine months.
Their mission was only scheduled to last one week after a launch of Boeing's first astronaut flight, but they were stuck in space after issues forced NASA to bring the Boeing Starliner back empty.
Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are scheduled to depart the station on Wednesday as early as 4 a.m. before splashing down off Florida's coast.
https://www.foxnews.com/science/alien-encounter-nasa-astronaut-plays-joke-spacex-team-arrives
https://nypost.com/2025/03/16/us-news/nasa-alien-greets-spacex-crew-aboard-iss-as-stranded-astronauts-gear-up-for-return-to-earth/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/33877122/space-x-stranded-astronauts-alien/
Scientists develop space-age building material that could revolutionize future cities: 'Requires no energy or electricity'
Sun, March 16, 2025 at 3:30 AM PDT
A breakthrough material may revolutionize sustainable construction going forward. To do so, it will reimagine the way that buildings are cooled.
The most energy-draining aspect of the average building is its cooling system.
Keeping a building at a comfortable temperature can take a ton of electricity, and it requires refrigerants that are harmful to the environment.
Any cooling method that might reduce energy and refrigerant needs can therefore reduce a building's environmental impact.
An international team of scientists has developed a new material that may be the answer to this problem, according to Tech Xplore.
It's a porous plastic sheet about 1/12 of an inch thick that can deflect 96% of light, thereby providing a radiative cooling effect. The sheet is made from powdered polymethyl methacrylate.
There are radiative cooling materials out there, but co-lead researcher Akhlesh Lakhtakia said this one offers something that they do not.
"While other passive radiators reflect short-wave infrared light back into space, our passive radiator reflects both visible light and short-wave infrared light, which results in high daytime cooling," Lakhtakia said.
Lakhtakia also said that these sheets should be an inexpensive way to provide supplemental cooling to residential homes. The research team's recently published study revealed just how effective that supplemental cooling should be.
Researchers placed a box made of powdered polymethyl methacrylate sheets with a thermometer inside it in the sun on an 80-degree Fahrenheit day.
The thermometer remained at 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with the 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit of the thermometer placed in a plain cardboard box.
This amazing development is not the only potentially revolutionary building material. Some scientists are turning to recycled garbage or lemons and coconuts to reimagine construction.
Then there's hempcrete, which is a remarkable material made by combining hemp fiber and lime binder. Hempcrete is strong, durable, and breathable. It's also carbon-negative.
The sheets developed by Lakhtakia's team are expected to last for a few years. However, Lakhtakia said that they are easy to recycle and reuse, adding yet another exciting aspect of this potentially game-changing material.
"The passive daytime cooling requires no energy or electricity and can be applied to buildings in communities experiencing increased daytime temperatures year over year due to climate change," Lakhtakia said.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/scientists-develop-space-age-building-103005645.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-porous-plastic-sheets-cool-space.html
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/admt.202400713
https://theferret.scot/space-agency-130-meetings-mod/
Star wars: alarm at space agency’s 130 meetings with MoD
March 16, 2025
Senior officials from the UK Space Agency held over 130 meetings with the Ministry of Defence in 2024, prompting renewed concerns about the “weaponisation” of space.
The meetings discussed the spaceport being built at SaxaVord on Shetland, using nuclear reactors in space and collaboration with the US, NATO and arms companies. Two members of the agency’s advisory board also work for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The subject of one meeting was kept secret because it was about a project that was “highly confidential and not in the public domain”. Releasing its title risked “compromising our nation’s security”, said the agency.
The meetings, revealed in response to a freedom of information request, have been criticised by campaigners. Though Scotland’s bid to build spaceports is marketed as scientific research, it is driven by the defence industry, they say.
They warn that space could become a “new frontier of conflict” that would put humanity at risk. They fear that spaceports could be “a trojan horse for the arms industry” and demand transparency.
The Space Agency and the MoD both stressed it was necessary to work together “to protect critical national infrastructure from space-based threats”.
SaxaVord, on the northern tip of the most northerly inhabited Shetland isle, Unst, is leading the race to open a spaceport in Scotland. It told MPs in February that it would be ready for its first launch in July.
The Shetland News also reported in February that Scotland’s richest man and biggest private landowner, Anders Holch Povlsen, had increased his stake in SaxaVord from 25 per cent to over 50 per cent, making him the majority shareholder.
The Ferret reported in 2021 that Povlsen secretly lobbied the Scottish Government against building another spaceport on the A’ Mhoine peninsula in north Sutherland, near one of his estates.
In December 2024 work on the Sutherland spaceport was put on hold, with initial launches planned from SaxaVord instead. There are also spaceports planned for Machrihanish on the Kintyre peninsula, Prestwick in South Ayrshire and North Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
The UK Space Agency was asked to list all meetings by six of its senior staff with the MoD in 2024. The agency responded under freedom of information law with a six-page list taken from calendar records, showing over 130 meetings. Some were attended by more than one agency official.
Nine meetings of the agency’s advisory board and its audit and risk assurance committee in 2024 also involved people who work for the MoD. According to the agency’s register of interests, two of its non-executive board members, Kevin Shaw and Peter Watkins, are paid advisors for the MoD.
Most of the 130 meetings were given a title, summarising their purpose. On 15 January 2024 the Space Agency’s chief executive, Dr Paul Bate, met the MoD for a “discussion on SaxaVord and next steps for His Majesty’s Government”.
Earlier the same month, agency director, Matt Archer, discussed SaxaVord with the government’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund, which invests in defence.
On 27 March 2024 Archer met the MoD with Orbex, the Scottish space company that switched its planned launches from Sutherland to SaxaVord.
Archer attended four meetings in 2024 with the MoD to discuss NATO space plans. Along with the MoD, he also met with the US Space Force and at the US Embassy.
Chief executive Bate met four times with Major General Paul Tedman, for “catch-ups”, lunch and a discussion on the MoD’s strategic defence review.
Tedman was appointed as the UK’s military space commander in May 2024, having previously been a deputy director at US Space Command.
The Space Agency’s two deputy chief executives, Annelies Look and Chris White-Horne, also had lunch with Tedman on 22 October 2024.
In addition, Look and Bate had meetings with the MoD about the use of nuclear power in space, and White-Horne discussed “space defence civil alignment”.
Alongside the MoD, Bate met with three big arms companies in 2024. They were the British arms multinational, BAE Systems; the European aerospace and defence company, Airbus; and the joint French and Italian venture, Thales Alenia Space.
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Naming space project would ‘compromise national security’
The name of one company involved in a meeting was kept secret to protect its “commercial interests”. The title of another meeting was redacted “for the purposes of safeguarding national security”, the Space Agency said.
It added: “This meeting title references an area of work which is highly confidential and not in the public domain.
Releasing this information into the public domain would undermine our position with defence colleagues and any damage to these relationships with our partner departments could compromise our nation’s security.”
The freedom of information request was made by the campaign group, Space Watch UK. “Although the space industry presents itself as being about science, discovery, and inspiration, the reality is that much of the work in the sector is military related,” said the group’s Peter Burt.
“The information released by the Space Agency shows that it works hand-in-hand with the MoD over virtually the whole remit of the agency’s work – launch programmes, satellite communication, earth observation, and international co-operation.”
Burt pointed out that space technologies were born out of weaponry developed by the Nazis in World War Two. “Nowadays these technologies are still being developed, not for the collective benefit of humankind, but largely for their military applications,” he told The Ferret.
“When space programmes become indistinguishable from military agendas we accelerate a new frontier of conflict. Space should be a realm of shared scientific endeavour, not a battleground for geopolitical dominance.”
He added: “Military space projects divert resources from humanitarian needs and normalise the weaponisation of the cosmos – increasing the risks we all face from warfare. We need to see more transparency from the UK Space Agency about co-operation with the MoD.”
Concern that space could be ‘hijacked by the military’
The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which has also been monitoring spaceports, argued that space should be kept for peace.
“Secrecy about launches whose purpose if declared would ‘compromise our nation’s security’ does not sound like a civil communications satellite or scientific experiment,” said the campaign’s David Kelly.
“We do not expect to be told the details of the UK’s defence strategy. But the truth about what these spaceports are really for, instead of the fluff about civilian use, would be appropriate.”
According to the Scottish Greens, spaceports could be “amazing” for scientific research. “We would be very concerned if it is being hijacked by the military or used as a trojan horse for the arms industry and the further militarisation of space,” said the Green MSP, Ariane Burgess.
“This data raises a lot of questions, but we need answers from the MoD and others, particularly when the United States is acting so recklessly and irresponsibly on the world stage.”
The UK Space Agency highlighted the formation of the UK Government’s National Space Operations Centre to bring together “civil and military” capabilities.
“We work closely with a range of government departments to deliver our shared ambitions for the UK space sector and to protect critical national infrastructure from space-based threats,” said an agency spokesperson.
The Ministry of Defence made the same point. “The MoD and UK Space Command have a number of routine engagements with allies and partners,” said a spokesperson.
“Collaboration between departments and partners is essential for the continued success of the UK space sector and to protect critical national infrastructure from space-based threats.”
SaxaVord did not respond to requests to comment.
The Ferret reported in 2020 that the arms industry was preparing to use Scottish spaceports to launch military spy satellites. At that time, multinational arms companies were manoeuvring to take advantage of the spaceports.
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You can buy Chewbacca's Bowcaster or Luke's medal at a 'Star Wars' auction, but it could cost you half a million dollars
March 16, 2025
Poor Chewbacca never got his golden bravery medal for helping to destroy the Death Star during "Star Wars"' climactic Battle of Yavin, but you might be lucky enough to score Luke's if you’re the high bidder in Propstore's Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction that returns to Los Angeles on March 26–28, 2025.
London-based Propstore is one of the world’s premier entertainment memorabilia auction houses and this spring they’re presenting a remarkable selection of priceless film-used "Star Wars" collectibles.
Two of the showcase lots that should have fans and collectors salivating are Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) Medal of Yavin from "Star Wars: A New Hope" (1977) and Chewbacca’s (Peter Mayhew) lethal Bowcaster, seen in all three films of the "Star Wars Original Trilogy."
These authentic artifacts are each estimated to be pre-auction valued at between $250,000 and $600,000. And no, credits will not do fine!
Luke's gleaming medal is a supremely sought-after prize and one of only two known to exist.
Here's the official catalog description:
"An incredibly significant 'Star Wars' hero prop, Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) screen-matched Medal of Yavin from 'A New Hope' (1977) is a symbol of the Rebel Alliance's victory over the Empire.
Presented by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in the film’s iconic finale, this medal appears in one of cinema’s most memorable moments, set to John Williams' 'The Throne Room' march.
"Only two medals are believed to have been made for the film; this medal was seen worn by Hamill in the film itself, but was also worn by Harrison Ford in behind-the-scenes photos taken during rehearsals.
The first and only medal to be offered for public sale, it originates from the collection of Gerard Bourke, who worked on the original 'Star Wars' films."
Propstore COO Brandon Alinger recognizes the importance of these Hollywood gems.
"Luke Skywalker's Medal of Yavin and Chewbacca's Bowcaster rank among the most culturally and cinematically significant 'Star Wars' props ever offered at auction," he tells Space.com.
"With only two medals believed to have been produced for the film—and this being the first-ever available for public sale—it presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a truly rare and iconic piece of the 'Star Wars' universe."
Next, Chewie’s signature weapon is an exceedingly rare relic and the only one used throughout the entire "Star Wars" trilogy with no back-up produced. This accessory remains one of the most distinctive weapons in all of sci-fi history.
Here's its detailed catalog description:
“The Bowcaster was built around a real-world Horton crossbow, modified with custom components and detailed dressing to give it a futuristic yet battle-worn look.
This particular prop is believed to be the only Bowcaster used throughout the trilogy, with no evidence of a backup version, making it one of the rarest 'Star Wars' hero props in existence.
The piece had some of its dressing components removed after filming but retains key original elements, including its unique shoulder stock extension, which was custom-fabricated for Peter Mayhew during the filming of 'Return of the Jedi' (1983).
The piece also photo-matches to production stills from each of the original trilogy films. It has been sympathetically restored to its 'Return of the Jedi' (1983) configuration, with the missing dressing components faithfully recreated."
"As a lifelong 'Star Wars' fan and collector myself, it's truly remarkable to see these legendary pieces surface after so many years – and both at the same time!
'Star Wars' has profoundly impacted generations of fans, and the appearance of these props at auction offers a rare chance not only to see them up close but also to appreciate the craftsmanship and legacy behind them," Alinger adds.
"These headline pieces are just a glimpse of the extraordinary collection of over 1,300 iconic film and television memorabilia pieces featured in this year's Propstore Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction – a golden opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike to own a piece of cinematic history.
With content from over 350 films and starting at all price points—from $100 to $100,000—there's truly something for every collector in this auction."
https://www.space.com/entertainment/you-can-buy-chewbaccas-bowcaster-or-lukes-medal-at-a-star-wars-auction-but-it-could-cost-you-half-a-million-dollars
https://propstoreauction.com/auctions/info/id/449
New map of landscape beneath Antarctica unveiled
March 13, 2025
The most detailed map yet of the landscape beneath Antarctica's ice sheet has been assembled by a team of international scientists led from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
Known as Bedmap3, it incorporates more than six decades of survey data acquired by planes, satellites, ships and even dog-drawn sleds. The results are published this week in the journal Scientific Data.
The map gives us a clear view of the white continent as if its 27 million cubic km of ice have been removed, revealing the hidden locations of the tallest mountains and the deepest canyons.
One notable revision to the map is the place understood to have the thickest overlying ice. Earlier surveys put this in the Astrolabe Basin, in Adélie Land.
However, data reinterpretation reveals it is in an unnamed canyon at 76.052°S, 118.378°E in Wilkes Land. The ice here is 4,757 m thick, or more than 15 times the height of the Shard, the U.K.'s tallest skyscraper.
Bedmap3 is now set to become an essential tool in the quest to understand how Antarctica might respond to a warming climate, because it enables scientists to study interactions between the ice sheet and the bed.
Dr. Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist at BAS and lead author on the study detailing the new map, says, "This is the fundamental information that underpins the computer models we use to investigate how the ice will flow across the continent as temperatures rise. Imagine pouring syrup over a rock cake—all the lumps, all the bumps, will determine where the syrup goes and how fast.
And so it is with Antarctica: some ridges will hold up the flowing ice; the hollows and smooth bits are where that ice could accelerate."
Bedmap3, as the name suggests, is the third attempt to draw a picture of Antarctica's rock bed that began in 2001, but this new effort represents a dramatic refinement.
It includes more than double the number of previous data points (82 million), rendered on a 500 m grid spacing.
Big knowledge gaps have been filled by recent surveys in East Antarctica, including around the South Pole, along the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctic coastlines, and in the Transantarctic Mountains.
The outline of deep valleys is better represented. So too are those places where rocky mountains stick up through the ice.
The latest satellite data have also more accurately recorded the height and shape of the ice sheet and the thickness of the floating ice shelves that push out over the ocean at the continent's margin.
The map also records a comprehensive new, continent-wide view of grounding lines—the places where ice at the edge of the continent meets the ocean and begins to float.
The landscape of the rock bed under Antarctica's ice is sensed by a variety of techniques, including radar, seismic reflection (sound waves) and gravity measurements.
Subtracting this topography from the shape and elevation of the ice above provides some fascinating statistics on the polar south.
Total volume of Antarctic ice, including ice shelves: 27.17 million cu km
Total area of Antarctic ice, including ice shelves: 13.63 million sq km
Mean thickness of Antarctic ice, including ice shelves: 1,948 m. (Excluding ice shelves: 2,148 m)
Potential global sea-level rise if all ice melted: 58 m
Peter Fretwell, mapping specialist and co-author at BAS, says, "In general, it's become clear the Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker than we originally realized and has a larger volume of ice that is grounded on a rock bed sitting below sea-level.
This puts the ice at greater risk of melting due to the incursion of warm ocean water that's occurring at the fringes of the continent. What Bedmap3 is showing us is that we have got a slightly more vulnerable Antarctica than we previously thought."
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-landscape-beneath-antarctica-unveiled.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-025-04672-y
Drone Dropped to the Bottom of the Great Blue Hole Gets Violently Attacked by a Deep-Sea Predator
March 16, 2025
A YouTuber’s deep-sea experiment in the famous Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize took a terrifying turn when his drone was suddenly attacked by a shark.
The dramatic footage, captured by a GoPro, offers a rare and unsettling glimpse into what lurks in the dark depths of this massive marine sinkhole.
The Great Blue Hole: A Legendary Underwater Mystery
Located in the Lighthouse Reef of Belize, the Great Blue Hole is a 124-meter-deep and 318-meter-wide sinkhole that has long fascinated divers and scientists.
Made famous by Jacques Cousteau, who declared it one of the world’s top five scuba diving sites, it attracts adventurers eager to explore its shadowy depths.
Despite numerous dives and expeditions, parts of the Great Blue Hole remain shrouded in mystery. Past explorations have uncovered human remains, abandoned diving equipment, and even plastic waste, hinting at the dangers hidden below.
Youtuber’s Daring Mission to the Bottom
Driven by curiosity, YouTuber Will Mitchell decided to send a homemade contraption—equipped with dive weights, lights, and a GoPro—down into the abyss.
His goal: to uncover what lies beneath the murky hydrogen sulfide layer that cuts off oxygen and light around the 90-meter mark.
Previous deep-sea missions have shown that life nearly vanishes beyond this toxic layer. In 2018, a pair of submarines reached the bottom, revealing a barren environment where only the remains of sea creatures and unlucky divers remained.
A Sudden Shark Attack Caught on Camera
As the GoPro-rigged drone descended, the footage initially showed the teeming marine life in the upper layers of the hole.
But as it sank deeper, visibility faded, and the scene became eerily still. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in the distance—then disappeared just as quickly.
Before Mitchell and his team could react, the shark charged at full speed, violently smashing into the drone.
The force of the impact sent the camera into a chaotic spin, disorienting the team watching from above. “The shark just blitzed us!” Mitchell exclaimed, visibly shaken by the encounter.
For a moment, there were fears that the drone might be destroyed, but the shark seemed uninterested in a metal intruder and vanished back into the darkness.
A Graveyard Hidden Beneath the Waves
Beyond the shark attack, the footage revealed an unsettling transformation in the Great Blue Hole’s environment.
Above the hydrogen sulfide layer, life thrived, with fish and marine creatures visible in the dim light. But once the drone crossed below, it entered a dead zone—a grim underwater graveyard.
This barren landscape, completely void of light and movement, was littered with the remains of sea creatures that had fallen in and never escaped. The contrast was stark: a vibrant marine ecosystem above and a lifeless abyss below.
https://indiandefencereview.com/drone-dropped-to-the-bottom-of-the-great-blue-hole-gets-violently-attacked-by-a-deep-sea-predator/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG5yTKRddhk
Mystery solved: Lions and monkeys discovered in Israel smuggled in via drones from Egypt, Jordan
MARCH 16, 2025 15:23
The lion cubs and monkeys that have been discovered in Israel have reportedly been smuggled into the country via drones from Egypt and Jordan, Army Radio reported.
The report by Army Radio said that the suspected gang responsible for the smuggling had been arrested. In addition to the animals, weapons and drugs were also smuggled into the country.
Since the beginning of the month, numerous incidences of lions and monkeys being discovered throughout the country have been reported.
Israel Police had reportedly been struggling to keep up with the gangs responsible for the drone smuggling.
Drones used by the gangs are inexpensive and can carry up to 60-70 kilograms - which allows for frequent use, according to reports.
Police managed to capture and arrest a drone gang that was planning another smuggling over the weekend, in an incident that included gunfire, according to Maariv.
Where were the animals located?
Nearly two weeks ago, Israel Police officers located a monkey being held illegally in the Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj.
Three days later, police another two monkeys and a lion cub that were held illegally in Bedouin communities in the Negev.
The animals were transferred to inspectors from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority for further care.
Last Wednesday, police recovered another monkey that was found in an open area near Rahat.
The same day, another lion cub stranded in the Negev was rescued by police officers from the Segev Shalom police station and Border Police forces.
Last Friday, another monkey was discovered in an improvised cage in an open area near Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh.
The animal was transferred to Israel Nature and Parks Authority inspectors. Saturday then saw another lion cub found near Kafr Kassem and a monkey recovered in Lod.
Finally, on Sunday, another monkey was found in a cage in an apartment in Ramat Gan.
https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-846272
Drone 'intercepted' delivering 'large quantity' of drugs and mobile phones to Irish prison
16 Mar 2025 10:25 AM
A drone delivering "a large quantity of contraband" was intercepted while making a delivery to an Irish prison on Saturday.
In a post on social media, the Irish Prison Service shared photos of the bust with a drone and a haul of drugs and mobile phones pictured.
“Earlier today staff at Wheatfield Prison intercepted a drone delivery into the prison that resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of contraband," the post began.
“The Irish Prison Service continues to have high level engagement and the sharing of intelligence with An Garda Síochána on a regular basis which is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests and significant disruption to organised crime involved in smuggling contraband into Irish Prisons.
“An Garda Síochána continues to support the Irish Prison Service operationally with ongoing operations in each relevant Garda Division, including Operation Throwover which is supporting the Irish Prison Service at Prisons nationwide.
“Operations such as Operation Throwover are intended to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons.
“Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis.
Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons."
Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence to the confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) or text line (086 180 2449).
https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/national-news/1754884/drone-intercepted-delivering-large-quantity-of-drugs-and-mobile-phones-to-irish-prison.html
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/33570918/indonesia-west-papua-drones-ai/
Inside paradise island plagued by tribal wars where warriors fight drones with bows & arrows… & why it’s a ‘time bomb’
Updated: 11:11, 16 Mar 2025
RAGTAG tribal warriors are using bows and arrows to fight AI drones and elite special forces in a brutal conflict that is set to erupt into all out war, an exiled leader has warned.
The simmering brawl between the Indonesian army and jungle guerrillas in West Papua has now become a "time bomb" that's going to explode.
Independence leader Benny Wenda has told The Sun that Indonesia's new president Prabowo Subianto wants Papuan people gone from their half of the tropical island.
The exiled independence fighter has lived in Oxford for two decades after he was forced to flee and Indonesia slapped an Interpol Red Notice on him.
Now Wenda has accused Subianto of trying to ethnically cleanse and "Indonesize" his people.
He said: "President Subianto is a war criminal in West Papua and his gun is full of blood."
But the hardy villagers are not going to give in and have been fighting against Indonesia's soldiers since the 1960s - even using only bows and arrows.
Not much is known about what goes on inside West Papua as Jakarta has banned journalists from visiting.
But, activists groups claim Indonesian soldiers have carried out extrajudicial killings and torture.
In response, independence fighters have protested, rioted, and even kidnapped pilots who they think could be spies, like New Zealander Philip Mehrtens.
Wenda said Indonesia wants to control West Papua as it is rich with natural resources like timber and has the world's largest copper and gold mine.
Subianto also wants Indonesia to achieve food self-sufficiency and sees West Papua as potentially being the country's rice basket.
Wenda is worried Subianto - an autocratic former general who came to power at the end of 2024 - is now acting even more aggressively in controlling the remote province.
He said: "Indonesia has stolen our sovereign state, and we are right to defend ourselves, our people, our land, our forests, our mountains, our rivers.
"They [Indonesia] want to wipe out entire population, so that the Indonesian population increases in West Papua."
Indonesia has a population of some 278million people and it is expected to grow to 355million in 2055.
Subianto has revived a colonial Dutch programme to encourage Indonesians from to move to West Papua and work on farms - known as transmigration.
There are well over a million transmigrants thought to live in West Papua, but official numbers are a state secret.
Wenda says the policy will displace Indigenous Papuans, destroy the environment, and ultimately increase bloodshed.
Indonesia sends some of its best troops to guard its settlers and suppress any protests by the natives.
They're now backed by AI-powered mini helicopter drones which are able to automatically swarm together and bomb a target.
Wenda claims one such crafted dropped mortar bombs on villagers deep in the jungle mountains in 2021.
"Home guard" guerrillas in the remote and mountainous jungle are also now more aggressive in fighting back as Indonesia encroaches on their land, Wend said.
Wenda declared: "We are defending [our land], we are guardians, the military.
"They [guerrillas] call themselves military even if they have a bow and arrow - but they are proud of themselves for defending the land."
Wenda said that West Papuans were not scared of Indonesia and a new generation were willing to be more combative.
"We are already fighting almost 60 years. Indonesia never defeated our guerrilla movement, [we use] just bow and arrow."
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West Papuans have rioted, protested, and fought against their Indonesian overlords for years - with innocents being caught up in the fighting.
Guerrillas kidnapped Kiwi pilot Mehrtens when he flew a helicopter in February 2023 into the isolated highlands.
He was held at gunpoint for 19 months until he was released in September.
That band of guerrillas had gone rogue when they kidnapped Mehrtens - who they thought had come to spy on them, Wenda said.
Wenda said he represents all the independence fighters, but he doesn't have control over the rag-tag fighters.
He doesn't even know how many soldiers he has under his command.
That's because, separated by dense bush and living in mud huts, the disparate tribes of West Papua speak wildly different languages and have their own governance systems.
But Wenda thinks his troops can win any fight as they can live as part of the jungle.
"We are part of nature, the Indonesians are only just on the road but when they come to the bush, I don't think they can survive.
Wenda's first option for independence is for a diplomatic solution as it would be "very difficult" to fight win a war with "bows and arrows", he said.
He said: "We are, in a kind of traditional way, defending our land, defending our rights. And it's very difficult."
During the 2024 election campaign, Subianto labelled Papuan rebels as “terrorists” who “burn schools and kill civilians” in an interview with Al Jazeera.
He said: "This is our national territory. We are not guided by NGOs. We will be guided by our national interests."
Prabowo rose through the ranks in Indonesia's Army before becoming president and spent time in West Papua in the 1990s crushing the independence movement.
Indonesian forces have been regularly accused of human rights abuses in their decades-long battle against the Papuan independence movement.
In November, Subianto visited sugarcane plantations which activists claimed had destroyed millions of hectares of virgin rainforest and brought more ethnic Javans onto the island.
The Sun has contacted the Indonesia foreign ministry and President's office for comment.
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Satellite Images of the Oil Refinery in russia’s Tuapse Emerge After Ukrainian Drone Attack
March 16, 2025
The relevant footage is published by the Schemes project of the Radio Liberty.
It was noted that the fire at the oil refinery in Tuapse, following the strike on March 14, continued into March 15.
In addition, the governor of Krasnodar Krai of the russian federation,Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed that the fire was caused by an attack from Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine did not comment on the attack on the refinery.
It is known that this oil refinery processes 12 million tons of oil per year, more than 90% of which is exported and used to supply the russian army.
https://en.defence-ua.com/news/satellite_images_of_the_oil_refinery_in_russias_tuapse_emerge_after_ukrainian_drone_attack-13853.html
https://t.me/svoboda_radio/34943
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-fpv-drone-machine-gun-infantry-weapons-2025-3
The century-long reign of the machine gun is over, a Russian strategist argues
Mar 16, 2025, 12:06 AM PT
Infantry troops today typically carry machine guns, an automatic grenade launcher, mortars and anti-tank missiles.
Yet everything but their assault rifles is about to be functionally obsolete as infantry small units get lighter and faster, a Russian military strategist argues.
First-person view, or FPV, drones "will essentially displace all group infantry weapons, all anti-tank weapons, and will take on most of the tasks of artillery," argued Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies think tank, in an essay for the Russian state-run newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Pukhov believes that combat will be waged by squad-sized units comprising FPV attack drone operators and infantry, backed by reconnaissance UAVs and electronic jammers.
"Accordingly, the most important area of military affairs will also be the fight against enemy FPV drones," he warned in a provocative reassessment of land warfare.
What the drones can't reach, such as targets deep in the enemy rear, will be targeted by long-range guided missiles.
Since the First World War, when riflemen were decimated assaulting enemy trenches and machine gun nests, the infantry have been armed with their own portable heavy weapons to reduce their dependence on artillery and other external fire support.
Starting with light machine guns around 1915, grunts have been equipped with light mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, grenade launchers, guided anti-tank missiles, and most recently drones.
Light machine guns such as the US M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) made by FN Manufacturing LLC or the World War II German MG42 are the centerpieces of infantry squads.
With their high rate of fire, they form a base of firepower for riflemen to maneuver. However, these are typically direct-fire weapons that require a line of sight to the target.
The problem is that if you can see the enemy, they can see you, which invites counterfire.
However, tactical drones can be launched and operated from miles behind the front line, out of sight of the enemy. In Ukraine, troops don't maneuver much in the open anymore, especially in large groups.
Instead, the combatants stay under the protection of their entrenchments, while launching thousands of drones every day to patrol the front lines for targets, and what they spot is targeted with exploding drones and artillery.
"For centuries, line-of-sight fire was the basis for destruction in combat, and the foundations of tactics were built around ensuring the effectiveness of such fire," Pukhov wrote. "Now there is no need to see the enemy directly in front of you."
"They can theoretically be seen from any distance and destroyed with the same high accuracy. The survivability of remote dispersed platforms for destruction from closed positions and their crews is much higher than any weapon for conducting line-of-sight fire."
The thought of infantry giving up their machine guns and mortars — and relying exclusively on drones — leaves American defense experts aghast.
"If someone had told me, 'Hey, we'll give you all these drones, and you've got to give up your .50-caliber and M240 machine guns,' I would have told them they're crazy," Gian Gentile, a RAND Corp. researcher and a retired US Army colonel who commanded armored cavalry in Iraq, told Business Insider.
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Drones are vulnerable to jamming and aerial attack, and are hampered by bad weather or smoke. An infantry squad whose only heavy weapons were drones would be putting all its eggs in one basket.
But those eggs are expendable: Ukraine reported losing 10,000 drones per month in 2023, mostly to Russian jamming.
A heavy machine gun that fires more than 100 rounds a minute, by contrast, makes two soldiers able to create a killing zone within 2,000 feet of their position.
Pukhov also believes that drones and other indirect fire weapons have made tanks obsolete.
"All fire missions performed by a tank in combat can now be assigned to much cheaper, more effective and covert means of high-precision destruction from closed positions — from FPV drones to guided artillery shells and tactical over-the-horizon missile systems," wrote Pukhov, citing weapons such as Israel's non-line-of-sight Spike tactical missile.
Drones will also replace artillery, Pukhov argues. "They are already capable of operating at the full range of artillery."
Indeed, FPV drones controlled by fiber-optic cables — which can't be electronically jammed — have been hitting targets 10 miles behind the front lines, which historically has been a zone covered by artillery.
In theory, this creates a devastating double punch. Massive numbers of cheap FPV drones can flood the front lines.
Longer-range weapons, such as the American-made ATACMS ballistic missile (200 mile range) and HIMARS guided artillery rockets (50 mile range) can hit targets farther in the rear.
However, Gentile is dubious that small drones dropping small bombs or grenades are equivalent to the firepower of howitzers and multiple rocket launchers.
"The kind of mass effects that you can create with artillery" is what enables the attacker to create decisive penetrations of enemy defenses, said Gentile, who also believes that tanks can still be effective if properly supported by air defenses and jammers.
Still, most experts would agree that drones are transforming warfare. Pukhov predicts that operations will devolve to "the use of troops in small groups, subdivisions, and individual vehicles, dispersing them as much as possible.
The impossibility of concentrating forces overturns all the foundations of military affairs."
This has grave implications. The concentration of force is considered one of the basic principles of war. Great commanders like Napoleon achieved stunning victories because they massed their troops where the enemy was weak.
If Pukhov is right, and the future is highly dispersed operations by small units, then armies may have difficulty achieving decisive results. Yet the history of military affairs suggest the dominance of drones may be fleeting.
The longbow, the armored knight, and the tank all seemed ascendant for a time until some other weapon or tactic ended their reign of terror. Drones have revolutionized warfare, but they won't be the last revolution.
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Two Hezbollah operatives eliminated in drone strike in southern Lebanon
Updated: MARCH 16, 2025 09:34
Two Hezbollah operatives were eliminated in a drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning, the IDF said.
The two were responsible for directing terrorist operations in the southern Lebanese cities of Yatar and Mais al-Jabal.
The report came shortly after the Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al-Manar reported that one person was killed in an Israeli strike in the Lebanese city of Mais al-Jabal.
"The activities of these terrorists constitute a violation of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon," the IDF statement said.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-846214
https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/articles/1310512/overnight-israeli-attacks-kill-two-hezbollah-members
Russians attack Semenivka in Chernihiv region: drone hits town council, power partially out
16.03.2025 12:50
On Sunday, Russian forces launched missile and drone strikes on Chernihiv region, hitting the Semenivka Town Council building.
This was reported by Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration Viacheslav Chaus on Telegram, as cited by Ukrinform.
"Today, during an air raid alert, an enemy ballistic missile, presumably an 'Iskander,' fell outside Semenivka community. Currently, an FPV drone attack on Semenivka is ongoing.
Just a few minutes ago, there was a hit on the town council building," Chaus wrote.
According to him, the attack caused partial power outages in Semenivka.
"Energy workers are already on site. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties," Chaus informed.
The regional head also noted that for two consecutive nights, Russians had been attacking Chernihiv with Shahed drones.
Yesterday, two enemy drones struck the city, directly hitting an apartment building. Two apartments were destroyed, and 12 others were damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
Experts are inspecting heating, gas, and water supply networks to reconnect the building to utilities as quickly as possible. A resilience center has been set up on-site.
As previously reported, a Russian attack drone struck a five-story residential building in Chernihiv, partially destroying two floors.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3971176-russians-attack-semenivka-in-chernihiv-region-drone-hits-town-council-power-partially-out.html
Drone video shows complete devastation after Mississippi tornado
March 15, 2025 8:03pm EDT
TYLERTOWN, Miss. – Tornadoes have ravaged several states since Friday, decimating homes, snapping trees and leaving towns like Tylertown, Mississippi, leveled.
Drone video shot just after a tornado moved through shows the devastation caused by the twister.
As the drone surveyed the town, the video showed trees were debarked, homes were wiped from their slabs and nothing but rubble is left.
Three people were killed in a nearby town after the storm moved through, according to officials.
Saturday marked the second day of a multiday severe weather outbreak, with Mississippi seeing tornadoes both days.
https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/video-devastation-mississippi-tornado
UFO insider goes on the record
March 15, 2025 11:00pm MST
It’s been nearly 50 years since Travis Walton vanished in the forest near Heber, Arizona.
Seven days later, Walton reappeared with an incredible story. He was taken by beings not from this world.
Travis Walton goes on the record with FOX 10’s John Hook.
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/1609020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PrmvXyXVLk