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Sun Releases Strong Flare
March 28, 2025
The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 11:21 a.m. ET on Friday, March 28. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.
This flare is classified as an X1.1 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.
To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts.
NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/solarcycle25/2025/03/28/sun-releases-strong-flare-6/
https://www.spaceweather.gov/news/r3-strong-solar-flare-occurred-28-march-2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L59Qg3hEAoM
Visiting Mars on the Way to the Outer Solar System
Mar 28, 2025
Recently Mars has had a few Earthly visitors. On March 1, NASA’s Europa Clipper flew within 550 miles (884 kilometers) of the Red Planet’s surface on its way out to Jupiter.
On March 12, the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft flew within about 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) of Mars, and only 300 kilometers from its moon, Deimos.
Hera is on its way to study the binary asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos. Next year, in May 2026, NASA’s Psyche mission is scheduled to buzz the Red Planet on its way to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche, coming within a few thousand kilometers.
Why all these visits to Mars? You might at first think that they’re using Mars as an object of opportunity for their cameras, and you would be partially right.
But Mars has more to give these missions than that. The main reason for these flybys is the extra speed that Mars’ velocity around the Sun can give them.
The idea that visiting a planet can speed up a spacecraft is not all that obvious, because the same gravity that attracts the spacecraft on its way towards the planet will exert a backwards force as the spacecraft leaves the planet.
The key is in the direction that it approaches and leaves the planet. If the spacecraft leaves Mars heading in the direction that Mars is traveling around the Sun, it will gain speed in that direction, slingshotting it farther into the outer solar system.
A spacecraft can typically gain several percent of its speed by performing such a slingshot flyby. The closer it gets to the planet, the bigger the effect.
However, no mission wants to be slowed by the upper atmosphere, so several hundred kilometers is the closest that a mission should go.
And the proximity to the planet is also affected by the exact direction the spacecraft needs to go when it leaves Mars.
Clipper’s Mars flyby was a slight exception, slowing down the craft — by about 1.2 miles per second (2 kilometers per second) — to steer it toward Earth for a second gravity assist in December 2026.
That will push the spacecraft the rest of the way to Jupiter, for its 2030 arrival.
While observing Mars is not the main reason for their visits, many of the visiting spacecraft take the opportunity to use their cameras either to perform calibrations or to study the Red Planet and its moons.
During Clipper’s flyby over sols 1431-1432, Mastcam-Z was directed to watch the skies for signs of the interplanetary visitor.
Clipper’s relatively large solar panels could have reflected enough sunlight for it to be seen in the Mars night sky, much as we can see satellites overhead from Earth.
Unfortunately, the spacecraft entered the shadow of Mars just before it came into potential view above the horizon from Perseverance’s vantage point, so the sighting did not happen. But it was worth a try.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, Perseverance is performing something of a cliff-hanger. “Sally’s Cove” is a relatively steep rock outcrop in the outer portion of Jezero crater’s rim just north of “Broom Hill.”
Perseverance made an approach during March 19-23, and has been exploring some dark-colored rocks along this outcrop, leaving the spherules behind for the moment. Who knows what Perseverance will find next?
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/visiting-mars-on-the-way-to-the-outer-solar-system/
NASA Astronaut's Daughter Addresses 'Misinformation' That Has Spread as She Gives Update on His Return
March 28, 2025 12:41PM EDT
After nine months in outer space, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore has finally returned to Earth, marking the end of an extended mission that was originally planned to last only ten days.
The journey, filled with delays, became a personal test of patience and strength not just for Butch, but for his family.
His daughter, Daryn Wilmore, shared her emotions and real-time updates with thousands of TikTok followers over the course of the mission.
This time, however, her update was different — they were finally together.
On March 18, Daryn posted a heartfelt update on TikTok, captioning it, “Tuesday March 18th 2025 will be forever an amazing day as the Lord brought us back together.
Praise Him for the best reentry and splashdown anyone could’ve hoped for.” With a series of fun family selfies full of smiles and a welcome home balloon in the background, Daryn shared the relief of being reunited with her father.
Still, amid the celebration of having her dad back on Earth, she also took a moment to address the misinformation that had circulated throughout her father’s mission.
“I hate how all this has been so overly in the public eye and the amount of misinformation that has been spread,” Daryn wrote.
She expressed how surreal it had been to see her family’s story twisted and distorted by people who don't fully understand the situation.
"Seeing my dad’s (and my) face everywhere has been so strange and sometimes the stories have gone overboard as people say things they do not fully understand or have never done any research on," she continued, acknowledging the constant media attention surrounding her family.
In her post, Daryn also made it clear that while the family reunion was deeply personal, she was grateful to share a glimpse of their joy with the public.
"There’s no reunion video as that was private and many moments after this will stay that way, but enjoy these sweet family photos," she shared.
As a final note of humor and authenticity, she added, "Also, he won’t make a TikTok with me, that’s not his thing."
After this lengthy and intense journey to and from the International Space Station (ISS), Butch’s return marked the end of a challenging chapter for the Wilmore family.
“He’s been adjusting to gravity well, and I feel so blessed for these past few days that we’ve been able to spend as a family,” Daryn noted with gratitude.
"I don’t know what’s next but I know whatever it is will be wonderful and to God’s glory," she wrote.
As for what the future holds, Daryn lightheartedly added, "Maybe one day he’ll get to go to the Oval Office or some little silly movie is made, but until then, welcome home Dad."
https://people.com/nasa-astronauts-daughter-gives-update-on-dad-return-11705015
https://www.tiktok.com/@darynthepuff.cos/photo/7485162320642182446
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-scientists-method-quantum-space.html
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.080801
Scientists develop method to speed up quantum measurements using space-time trade-off
March 29, 2025
In an attempt to speed up quantum measurements, a new Physical Review Letters study proposes a space-time trade-off scheme that could be highly beneficial for quantum computing applications.
Quantum computing has several challenges, including error rates, qubit stability, and scalability beyond a few qubits. However, one of the lesser-known challenges quantum computing faces is the fidelity and speed of quantum measurements.
The researchers of the study address this challenge by using additional or ancillary qubits to significantly reduce measurement time while maintaining or improving the quality of measurements.
Led by Christopher Corlett, Professor Noah Linden, and Dr. Paul Skrzypczyk from the University of Bristol, the work was a collaborative effort, including members from the University of Oxford, University of Strathclyde, and Sorbonne Université.
Phys.org spoke to Corlett, Professor Linden, and Dr. Skrzypczyk about their work.
"The measurement process in quantum mechanics is one of its most important and fascinating features. It is also vital for future quantum technologies," explained Corlett.
"Accurate and fast quantum measurements are crucial for the development of emerging quantum technologies.
Recent seminal results in quantum error correction demonstrate the need for fast and accurate measurements in order to facilitate error decoding, without which fault tolerance would be impossible," added Dr. Skrzypczyk.
The measurement challenge
There are infinitely many measurements that can be performed on a qubit. A particularly important one is probing whether it is one of two natural states: 0 or 1. To perform this measurement accurately typically involves probing the qubit for a long time.
These longer measurements typically yield higher accuracy but introduce significant overhead and delay, particularly problematic for mid-circuit measurements required in quantum error correction.
Additionally, longer measurements introduce noise and decoherence that can accumulate during this time.
The researchers explain this with an analogy.
"Imagine you're shown a picture of two glasses of water, one glass with 100 ml and the other with 90 ml, and you have to determine, by sight, which glass has more water.
"If you're only shown the picture for one second you might struggle to tell which glass is more full. However, if you're shown the picture for two seconds, you can be more confident about which glass is more full," explained Corlett.
The researchers used an ancillary qubit to amplify the amount of information the measurement can gather about the qubit state in a fixed amount of time.
It is like doubling the volume of each glass; a difference of 20 ml would be easier to observe than a difference of 10 ml. It gives more confidence in the answer.
If this process is continued and the amount of information continuously increases, the time taken to answer reduces.
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"Continuing with the analogy, adding a second auxiliary qubit would triple the volumes to 300 ml and 270 ml, which you would be able to distinguish, with confidence, in 0.66 seconds.
In this way, you can achieve a linear increase in readout speed with the number of qubits," explained Professor Corlett.
Trading time for space
The researchers' scheme builds on previous protocols that use repetition codes for error correction. This method entangles the target qubit (on which measurement is to be conducted) with ancillary qubits.
More specifically, the target qubit is entangled with N-1 ancillary qubits. The information from the target qubit is then copied to all the ancillary qubits using so-called CNOT gates.
Here is where the innovation lies. Instead of measuring the target qubit for time t, all N qubits (target and ancillary) are measured simultaneously for t/N time.
All the measurements are then added for a combined result, which gives the same statistical confidence as a longer single measurement.
The space (the number of qubits used) is being traded for time. The measurement of a single qubit for five seconds is the same as measuring five qubits simultaneously for one second.
"Remarkably, this allows the quality of a measurement to be maintained, or enhanced, even as it is sped up. The scheme is widely applicable to a broad range of leading quantum hardware platforms, including cold atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting qubits," said Corlett.
Robust against noise
The researchers investigated their scheme first in ideal conditions with no noise and then with realistic noise models. They found that the ideal case showed a perfectly linear speedup with the number of qubits.
The noise models also showed significant speedup and sometimes had better than linear improvement. The researchers showed that their approach can achieve higher maximum measurement quality than previously possible.
"Making sure our scheme is robust to this noise is incredibly important as it ensures it is useful for real-world implementation where noise is unavoidable," said Professor Linden.
The researchers are eager to see the experimental implementation of their scheme and are working to develop it in more detail for specific systems like superconducting qubits.
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An Engineer Says He’s Found a Way to Overcome Earth’s Gravity
Mar 29, 2025 8:40 AM EDT
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Discovering a machine that could somehow produce thrust without releasing propellant would be a game-changer for human space travel. There’s just one problem—such a device would defy the laws of physics.
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This limitation has not stopped people from investigating the possibility, and the latest addition to the propellant-less club is an electrostatic design developed by a former NASA engineer.
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While the company behind the drive, Exodus Propulsion Technologies, says that the drive can achieve a thrust to counteract Earth’s gravity, such a claim still needs independent verification and a healthy dose of skepticism.
In 2001, British Electrical Engineer Roger Shawyer first introduced the “impossible drive,” known as the EmDrive.
It was called “impossible” because its creator purported that the drive was reactionless, meaning no propellant required—in other words, it defied the known laws of physics (specifically, the conservation of momentum).
As with anything that appears to thumb its nose at Newton and Einstein, scientists raised more than a few eyebrows, and two decades of testing eventually boiled down to an inevitable (and somewhat predictable) conclusion in 2021: the EmDrive was bunk.
But that’s the nature of the scientific method—take a seemingly impossible idea, put it through rigorous testing, and hopefully get to an unassailable conclusion (or new discoveries that lead in other directions).
The not-based-in-physics dream of a propellant-less machine, however, didn’t die with the EmDrive. Instead, a new challenger approaches, and this one has a former NASA scientist backing it up.
While at NASA, Charles Buhler helped establish the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center in Florida—a very important lab that basically ensures rockets don’t explode.
Now, as co-founder of the space company Exodus Propulsion Technologies, Buhler told the website The Debrief that they’ve created a drive powered by a “New Force” outside our current known laws of physics, giving the propellant-less drive enough boost to overcome gravity.
“The most important message to convey to the public is that a major discovery occurred,” Buhler told The Debrief.
“This discovery of a New Force is fundamental in that electric fields alone can generate a sustainable force onto an object and allow center-of-mass translation of said object without expelling mass.”
Buhler stressed that this work is unaffiliated with NASA, and that he recently presented his findings at the Alternative Propulsion Energy Conference (APEC), which is a club of engineers and enthusiasts eager to find ways to overcome the limitations of gravity and physics—and not always with the most scientifically sound methods.
In an interview with APEC’s co-founder Tim Ventura, Buhler explained how his background in electrostatics led to the discovery.
He says his team—made up of people from NASA, Blue Origin, and the Air Force—investigated propellant-less drives for decades before arriving at electrostatics.
For years, their devices produced negligible thrust, but saw increases with each new iteration. This culminated in 2023, when this “New Force”-powered drive generated enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity.
“Essentially, what we’ve discovered is that systems that contain an asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field can give a system of a center of mass a non-zero force component,” Buhler told The Debrief.
“So, what that basically means is that there’s some underlying physics that can essentially place force on an object should those two constraints be met.”
Obviously Buhler’s claims are pretty “woah, if true,” but the history of propellant-less drives is filled with seemingly positive results that are eventually dashed upon the rocks of scientific reality.
For the EmDrive, hopes for the device skyrocketed after NASA’s Eagleworks team, which is dedicated to investigating new forms of propulsion (i.e. warp drives), claimed to measure thrust from the “impossible” drive in 2016.
However, subsequent studies—including an exhaustive (no pun intended) one at the Dresden University of Technology—found zero thrust.
Before any alternative propulsion enthusiasts should start popping corks, rigorous, third-party research will have to verify the results again and again.
While it’s not impossible that Buhler et. al stumbled across some unknown quirk of physics, it’s an extremely unlikely outcome.
For now, let’s call it an “improbable engine.”
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a64323665/overcoming-earths-gravity/
Watch 1st-ever orbital rocket launch from European soil early on March 30
March 29, 2025
The first orbital rocket to launch from continental Europe is nearing its debut.
Germany-based Isar Aerospace has scrubbed another launch attempt of its brand new Spectrum rocket due to weather conditions at Europe's Andøya Spaceport.
"After a second launch attempt today, the first test flight of Spectrum is scrubbed due to weather restrictions," Isar Aerospace wrote in a post on X today (March 29).
Isar Aerospace is now aiming for 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT) on Sunday (March 30) for Spectrum's first launch. Watch it here courtesy of Isar Aerospace and NASASpaceflight.
As Spectrum's first test flight, Isar has opted not to fly any customer payloads onboard the rocket, and instead is focusing on collecting as much data from the flight as possible, according to the company's website.
This will also be the first launch from Andøya Spaceport, which opened in 2023, and whose initial ground infrastructure and facilities were built to specifically accommodate Isar and the Spectrum rocket.
Spectrum stands 95 feet (28 meters) tall, a modest middle-ground between Rocket Lab's Electron rocket and SpaceX's Falcon 9, which measure 56 feet (17 meters) and 230 feet (70 meters), respectively.
Once in operation, Isar is billing Spectrum as a small to medium-lift launch vehicle, capable of delivering up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit.
Over the course of the past seven years, two-stage Spectrum has been designed and developed by Isar completely in-house.
The launch vehicle includes 9 turbopump liquid oxygen/propane-fueled engines powering its main booster, and a singular Aquila multi-ignition engine for orbital insertions and maneuvers once in space.
Even before Spectrum's first test launch, Isar has already secured a launch contract to fly the new rocket's first commercial missions.
The company announced a deal with the Norwegian Space Agency on March 12 for Isar to launch the Arctic Ocean Surveillance (AOS) program satellites by 2028.
"The launch of the AOS satellites from Andøya Spaceport will be a true milestone for Norwegian space activities.
We look forward to a robust partnership with Isar Aerospace and seeing 'Spectrum' in action," said Norwegian Space Agency Director General Christian Hauglie-Hanssen in an Isar press release.
"Subject to weather, safety and range infrastructure, the first launch window for Spectrum's first test flight opens NET 24 Mar," Isar posted on social media Friday, March 21.
Isar said Monday morning the company is working with the spaceport to determine a new launch window.
Few rockets have reached orbit on their first flights, and Isar appears to be approaching Spectrum's first test flight with realistic expectations.
The company outlines a list of six mission milestones from liftoff to orbit, but has stated its only goal for the launch is to collect as much as possible.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/1st-ever-orbital-rocket-launch-from-european-soil-targeted-for-march-24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLQxe2MvpQ
https://twitter.com/isaraerospace/status/1904148400813048050
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/494081/fly-fight-win-4th-fw-personnel-recognized-rapid-response-during-iranian-drone-attack
Fly, Fight, Win: 4th FW personnel recognized for rapid response during Iranian drone attack
03.28.2025
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. —
Airmen from the 4th Fighter Wing were awarded high-level decorations by Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command, during a ceremony at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, March 28, 2025.
The Airmen were recognized for their rapid response and performance in the largest air-to-air engagement in over 50 years.
“We’re here today to recognize some American heroes and highlight their accomplishments,” Wilsbach said.
“These Airmen were agile, mobile and hostile, generating overwhelming combat power in a short period of time to defeat a threat.”
In April 2024, Airmen from the 335th Fighter Squadron and 335th Fighter Generation Squadron deployed in support of U.S. Central Command.
Less than 24 hours after their arrival, multiple one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles were launched at Israel from Iran and Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen.
The 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and 335th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron, along with coalition forces, worked rapidly to defend Israel and counter the aerial attack.
As drones and missiles soared through skies, airmen worked to reconfigure F-15E Strike Eagles for combat.
“Once the aircraft arrived, we had to completely reconfigure them from no munitions to battle-ready,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Madison Gilbert, 335th EFGS commander.
Within hours, the 335th EFGS reconfigured six F-15Es. These expeditionary aircrews had been in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility for only a day before their response to the attack.
“It was a whole enterprise effort that day, getting us ready to fight and win was not as simple as taking the travel pods off and getting back in the air.” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Murphy, 335th EFS commander.
“Our maintainer teammates need to take large 10-foot sections of the plane off and get them in the precise configuration to add more munitions.
Time was not on our side, and they made it happen. I don’t know any other group of people who could have made it all work in time.”
With the pilots and weapons system officers now in flight, it was time to engage.
At the front of his formation, U.S. Air Force Capt. Greg Liquori, 335th EFS pilot, shot the first missile at a locked-on target.
“Let it ride,” said Liquori. “Yep, there goes the missile,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Murphy, 335th EFS commander. “All right, here we go, boys.”
According to Murphy, approximately 45 minutes into the engagement, their formation of F-15Es had fired all their munitions. They landed, were quickly re-armed by 335th EFGS weapons personnel and returned to the fight.
“Everyone did exactly what they were trained to do.” expressed Murphy. “This was a shining example of why we exercise.”
From the evening of April 12 into the morning of April 13, 2024, the Airmen successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles.
In total, Iran launched more than 300 UAVs, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. Coalition forces and Israel destroyed nearly 99% of all inbound weapons.
"It is a privilege to witness these Airmen receive these well-deserved awards." said Col. Morgan P. Lohse, 4th FW commander.
"Whether you're a pilot, weapon systems officer, a part of maintenance or weapons, or in intelligence, it was the seamless teamwork across all career fields that made this operation a success.
The limited time for preparation had no impact on them. Their sole focus was completing the mission and saving lives."
Almost a year later, they received the honors they earned for their heroism, surrounded by Air Force leadership, 4th FW peers and their families.
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The following individuals received the Distinguished Flying Cross with, the fourth-highest military award for heroism and the highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement:
Lt. Col. Kevin Murphy, 335th Fighter Squadron
Lt. Col. Brian Leitzke, 333rd Fighter Squadron
Maj. Steven Cripe II, 335th Fighter Squadron
Maj. Sebastian Kaiser, 335th Fighter Squadron
Maj. Andrew Munoz, 335th Fighter Squadron
Capt. Dimosthenis Doulamis, 335th Fighter Squadron
Capt. Gregory Liquori, 335th Fighter Squadron
Capt. George Welton, 335th Fighter Squadron
The following individual received a Bronze Star Medal:
Master Sgt. Luke Howell, 4th Operations Support Squadron
The following individuals received a Commendation Medal:
1st. Lt. Michael Duhaime, 4th Operations Support Squadron
Master Sgt. Christopher Oles, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Master Sgt. Joey Roberts, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
Technical Sgt. Joshua Spillman, 4th Operations Support Squadron
Technical Sgt. Mitchell Klocke, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Technical Sgt. Drew Metzger, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Technical Sgt. Nathaniel Manley, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Technical Sgt. Dylan Zamminer, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Technical Sgt. Jashaunn Jasper, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Staff Sgt. Alexander Norwood, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
Senior Airman Trevor Varney, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
Senior Airman Lance Manzon, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
The following individuals received an Air and Space Achievement Medal:
Staff Sgt. Jaquante Grimes, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Staff Sgt. Michael Zeno, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Kobe Montgomery, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Tristan Long, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Tyanna Edgerson, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Christopher Carey, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Justin Roblee, 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Alexander Ripolio , 335th Fighter Generation Squadron
Senior Airman Senghtoi Waje, 4th Logistics Readiness Squadron
Airman 1st Class Frankie Perez, 4th Logistics Readiness Squadron
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11 dead in drone strikes against Taliban in Pakistan
March 29, 2025 07:50 pm IST
Eleven people were killed in drone strikes in northern Pakistan on Saturday (March 29, 2025) launched by the army against the Taliban, who had killed seven soldiers a day earlier, police told AFP.
Three drone strikes were carried out on Friday night in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity, targeting "Pakistani Taliban hideouts" in the region bordering Afghanistan where violence has erupted in recent months.
"It was only this morning that we learned that two women and three children were among the victims," he said.
"In protest, local residents placed the bodies of the victims on the road", saying that they were "innocent civilians" killed in the strikes, he added.
Another police source said that "an investigation is under way to establish whether Taliban fighters were indeed present at the sites at the time of the attack".
"It is too early to say whether the places affected were civilian areas or whether they were sheltering Taliban," he added.
The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — announced in mid-March a "spring campaign" against security forces, threatening "ambushes, targeted attacks, suicide attacks and strikes".
The TTP has since claimed responsibility for around 100 attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
In the same province, "armed Taliban" fighters hiding in a house shot and killed seven soldiers who were carrying out an operation against them, a police source said on Saturday.
During the shoot-out, which lasted several hours, the army deployed helicopter gunships, killing eight Taliban, while six other soldiers were wounded, according to the source.
Since January 1, more than 190 people, mostly members of the security forces, have been killed in violence carried out by armed groups fighting against the government both in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and in Baluchistan provinces, according to an AFP count.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a blast from a bomb planted by separatists on a motorbike also killed a soldier and a civilian further south in Balochistan, police officer Mohsin Ali told AFP.
The area was the scene of a spectacular attack last month when militants held hundreds of train passengers hostage and killed dozens of off-duty soldiers.
Increasing number of attacks
Attacks are reported every day in Pakistan's western regions bordering Afghanistan, where the army regularly says it is killing "terrorists" during sweep operations, without, however, curbing the violence.
Attacks have increased in Pakistan in particular since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban government in Kabul of failing to eliminate militants who take refuge on Afghan soil to prepare attacks against Pakistan.
The Taliban government denies these accusations and in return accuses Pakistan of harbouring "terrorist" cells on its soil, pointing the finger in particular at the regional branch of the Islamic State group, EI-K.
"Pakistan expects the Afghan government to assume its responsibilities", the army said at the beginning of March, reserving "the right to take the necessary measures to respond to these threats coming from across the border".
Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks — nearly half of them security forces personnel — according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/several-dead-in-drone-strikes-against-taliban-in-pakistan-updates/article69390513.ece
UAE employs AI-driven drones for Shawwal moon sighting
March 29, 2025
The UAE Council for Fatwa is using AI-powered drones to sight the Shawwal crescent moon for the year 1446 AH, underscoring the country's leadership in adopting innovative technological solutions for monitoring and observation.
The council is the first in the world to utilise this advanced technology for moon sighting, having employed it earlier this year to observe the Ramadan crescent.
In a significant technological advancement, several drones will be deployed from Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory, which are equipped with high-precision lenses that will rise more than 300 metres above ground, directed toward the location of the moon based on precise astronomical calculations.
This approach, which the council will deploy for the second consecutive time, aims to overcome challenges that may obstruct visual sighting and ensure the atmospheric clarity needed for accurate observation.
Additionally, innovative AI-powered technologies will be used to analyse images, process data, and determine the location of the crescent's birth and the possibility of its visibility with precision.
The use of AI-powered drones extends the concept of direct visual observation, which remains the primary method for confirming the sighting of the crescent moon, following the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) saying, "Do not fast unless you see the crescent (of Ramadan), and do not give up fasting till you see the crescent (of Shawwal), but if the sky is overcast (if you cannot see it), then act on estimation."
https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2025/03/29/uae-employs-ai-driven-drones-for-shawwal-moon-sighting
Putin Calls for Zelensky’s Removal, ‘Finish Off’ Ukrainian Troops
March 28, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Friday for a "transitional administration" to be installed in Ukraine, vowing that his army would "finish off" Ukrainian troops, in hardline remarks as US President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire.
A rapprochement between Washington and Moscow since Trump's return to office and the U.S. leader's threats to stop supporting Kyiv have bolstered Putin's confidence more than three years into the war.
The renewed call to essentially topple Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was the latest demonstration of the Kremlin leader's long-standing desire to install a more Moscow-friendly regime in Kyiv.
Zelensky dismissed Putin's call for a UN-run administration as the Russian leader's latest ploy to delay a peace deal.
Speaking on the sidelines of an Arctic forum in the early hours of Friday, Putin said Russia could discuss with the United States, Europe and Moscow's allies, "under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of establishing a transitional administration in Ukraine."
"What for? To organise a democratic presidential election that would result in the coming to power of a competent government that would have the confidence of the people, and then begin negotiations with these authorities on a peace agreement and sign legitimate documents," Putin added.
When launching its offensive in 2022, Moscow aimed to take Kyiv in a matter of days, but was repelled by Ukraine's smaller army.
Putin also issued a public call for Ukraine's generals to topple Zelensky, whom Putin has repeatedly denigrated, without providing any evidence, as a neo-Nazi and drug addict.
Moscow has also questioned Zelensky's "legitimacy" as Ukrainian president, after his initial five-year mandate ended in May 2024.
Under Ukrainian law, elections are suspended during times of major military conflict, and Zelensky's domestic opponents have all said no ballots should be held until after the conflict.
Putin, in power for 25 years and repeatedly elected in votes with no competition, has throughout the conflict accused Ukraine of not being a democracy.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/29/putin-calls-for-zelenskys-removal-finish-off-ukrainian-troops-a88531
Russian Drone Attack Kills 4, Wounds 21 In Ukraine
March 29, 2025
A Russian drone attack killed at least four people and wounded 21 in the Eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, damaging high-rise buildings and triggering fires in a hotel, service stations and homes, an official said Saturday.
Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up their aerial attacks even as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes the Kremlin and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire after more than three years of costly fighting.
Late Friday, Russia sent "more than two dozen drones" to Dnipro, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region Sergiy Lysak wrote on his official Telegram social network account.
Lysak said four people were killed, and by Saturday morning he sent an updated statement that said the number of wounded had risen to 21.
"The massive attack caused large-scale destruction and fires. A hotel and restaurant complex, 11 private houses, garages, and a service station were on fire," he said, adding that high-rises and cars were also damaged.
The fires were extinguished, Lysak said, offering condolences to the families of the victims.
On Friday Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a "transitional administration" to be put in place in Ukraine and vowed his army would "finish off" Ukrainian troops.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin's call for a UN-run administration as the Russian leader's latest ploy to delay a peace deal.
Russia and Ukraine have also each accused each other of breaching commitments to not strike energy facilities, throwing yet more jeopardy on the prospects of even a temporary and partial halt in the three-year war.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has pushed for a ceasefire, with navigation on the Black Sea forming an early part of negotiations.
But the UN rights chief on Friday said that in parallel with these talks, "fighting in Ukraine has intensified, and is killing and injuring even more civilians".
"Casualty figures in the first three months of this year were 30 percent higher than the same period last year," Volker Turk told the United Nations Human Rights Council.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-map-trump-putin-ceasefire-minerals-deal-b2723113.html
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/29/russian-drone-attack-kills-4-wounds-21-in-ukraine-a88533
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-map-trump-putin-ceasefire-minerals-deal-b2723113.html
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/49817
Russia Says Captured 2 More Ukrainian Villages
March 29, 2025
Russia on Saturday claimed the capture of two villages in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, pressing ahead with its advance amid stumbling efforts for a ceasefire by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The defence ministry said Moscow's forces captured the village of Shchebraki in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Panteleimonivka in the eastern Donetsk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile said Russia had launched more than 170 drones into Ukraine overnight, striking targets in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi regions.
He said four people were killed in Dnipro, where the strike hit a hotel complex, and 21 others were injured, including a pregnant woman.
"Russia is making a mockery of peacekeeping efforts around the world. It is dragging out the war and sowing terror because it still feels no real pressure," Zelensky said.
For several weeks, the United States has been trying to negotiate a ceasefire in the Black Sea and in strikes targeting energy infrastructure in both nations with both Moscow and Kyiv.
While both countries have agreed to these truces in principle, their implementation remains unclear and Kyiv and Moscow accuse each other of seeking to derail them.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the idea of a "transitional administration" for Ukraine, under the auspices of the UN, an option that would imply Zelensky's departure, before any peace deal was negotiated.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/29/russia-says-captured-2-more-ukrainian-villages-a88534
NFL Player Claims He Saw A UFO While In Florida
Mar 27, 2025 9:50 AM EDT
At least one NFL player witnessed a UFO this offseason. Whether or not their eyes were deceiving them is a different story though.
On Tuesday night, New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley posted a few videos of the sky on social media. The former third-round pick from Western Kentucky was in Florida when this UFO fighting occurred.
"Say whatever you want," Corley wrote on X. "This object(ufo), was legitimately up in the sky for over 30 minutes. I watched it. I stopped watching for about 2 minutes and looked up it was gone. No trace."
Unsurprisingly, NFL fans trolled Corley for this social media post. Some even questioned if he's losing his mind.
"These are the Hard Rock casino lights. I’m almost 100% confident," one fan said.
"That’s a spotlight man," another fan replied.
"Aaron Rodgers left a lasting legacy on the young WRs in his short time with the Jets I see," a third fan commented.
As of Thursday morning, Corley's videos have over 222,000 views.
While we're not sure what the blue light in Corley's first video actually was, it's pretty apparent that NFL fans don't believe it was a UFO.
Corley didn't seem too offended by the replies to his tweet. In fact, he laughed at a few comments.
Corley, a former All-Conference USA wide receiver, had 3,035 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns at Western Kentucky. Countless analysts raved about his playmaking abilities leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for Corley, he didn't receive much playing time with the Jets this past season. In nine games, he hauled in just three passes for 16 yards. He had a brutal fumble against the Houston Texans on Oct. 31.
Perhaps the Jets will have a bigger role lined up for Corley this fall.
https://thespun.com/nfl/new-york-jets/nfl-player-claims-he-saw-a-ufo-while-in-florida
https://twitter.com/CorleyMalachi/status/1904715094371484008
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/nevada/2025/03/29/1768-ufo-sightings-in-nevada-and-more-on-the-way-this-weekend/82710996007/
Nevadans have reported more than 1,700 UFO sightings — more on the way this weekend
4:09 a.m. PT March 29, 2025
If you've seen strange lights in the sky recently, don't panic — it was either a meteor the latest batch of Starlink satellites. Probably.
Elon Musk's Starlink launched 27 satellites on Wednesday afternoon, joining thousands other network satellites that provide internet access to remote locations from 340 miles above the earth's surface.
After their launch, the objects travel in a chain that's visible in the night sky, and often are mistaken for something alien.
Another batch of satellites is set to be launched from Southern California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday or Monday, according to spaceflightnow.com.
Last month, a launch from Vandenberg during the evening commute wowed skywatchers in Northern Nevada.
Is something else out there? More than 1,700 Nevadans have seen things they can't explain — including 11 since Jan. 1 who have reported their otherworldly sightings to nuforc.org, the website of the National UFO Reporting Center.
Another 51 rational-minded Nevadans have reported 51 separate meteor incidents to the American Meteor Website.
Here's the breakdown on Nevada's history with UFOs, and what we've been spotting in the sky lately.
The Nevada State Journal reported a UFO sighting in July 1947, including a firsthand account from an editor.
A pilot flying over Washington state reported seeing "flying saucers" in the sky near Mt. Rainier on June 24, 1947, now recognized as the first modern-day UFO sighting.
Over the next several weeks, people from across the country called in to newspapers and public officials to report their own sightings.
Nevada had its first recorded UFO sighting less than two weeks later on July 6.
A man stopped by the Nevada State Journal offices in Reno to report "one of the contraptions" had crashed into the mountain near the Sparks "S" and sent up a cloud of dust when it hit.
He said he wanted to remain anonymous, and added that he had no plans to go up the mountain to look for the object.
The following day, Journal city editor John Brackett and his wife reported a flying disc crossed the horizon over Reno twice "at an almost unbelievable speed" before disappearing over the eastern horizon near the mouth of the Truckee River Canyon.
He knew his story would have skeptics. "At least eight other persons in Reno saw the same thing we did," Brackett wrote in the July 8 edition of the Journal. "I'm glad of that, because the kidding one takes is terrific.
I personally don't think these hundreds of tales going around about them are so funny anymore."
Nevada: 1,768 UFO reports and counting
Since then, more than 1,700 UFO sightings have been reported throughout Nevada, according to the National UFO Reporting Center website, nuforc.org. That puts Nevada among the top 30% of states reporting UFOs.
Among those reported since the beginning of 2025:
Sparks, Jan. 4: "About 3 to 7 lights varying in brightness and order. There was about 3 to 7 lights that were visible at varying brightness.
They would move close and apart, getting brighter and dimmer, but always hovering in the same general area."
Las Vegas, Feb. 12: "The past few days around the same time 6:30 PM we have seen multiple UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena).
These have had interesting characteristics like flying lower than planes lower than clouds, creating synchronized flashing patterns in the sky, and yesterday there was one that got really close.
When they’re not in a synchronized pattern, they are scattered in the sky flying in strange patterns. They seem to be aware of our presence watching them, as they will fly right above us and one came really close last night."
Reno, March 7: "Sphere heading north at steady pace and trajectory. I looked up when I heard a small plane (Cessna size) flying by and saw sphere at a faster pace above the plane.
I pointed it out to my mom and we watched it continue until it disappeared behind clouds. No noise was heard. It was very steady with speed and direction."
Some of the sightings align with rocket launches and Starlink satellite formations.
1/2
Perhaps there's a good reason Nevadans see lights in the sky and immediately think of extraterrestrials. Consider:
The secretive military base commonly known as Area 51 has been used by the Air Force since World War II, and has been the base of operations for testing aircraft.
It's also rumored to be where alien aircraft are stored, including the remains of the flying saucer that allegedly crashed at Roswell, New Mexico.
John Lear, a onetime Nevada State Senate candidate, claimed in 1987 that the U.S. had made contact with space aliens and was promoting films like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind to prepare the public for the introduction of aliens.
He later claimed that the government had forged a treaty with the Gray aliens, a specific subset of extraterrestrials.
Coast to Coast AM, a Pahrump-based syndicated radio broadcast focusing on the paranormal — including, yes, UFOs and aliens — debuted in 1988, with host Art Bell credulously interviewing experts and callers about their encounters.
In May 1989, a man named Bob Lazar appeared on Las Vegas TV station KLAS to report that he had been hired to work at Area 51 to reverse-engineer a captured alien spacecraft.
George Knapp, the reporter who first interviewed Lazar, is currently one of the rotating guest hosts for Coast to Coast AM.
The state once had a registered lobbyist — David Venus Solomon, aka Ambassador Merlyn Merlin II — who claimed to represent the interests of space aliens at the Nevada Legislature in the late 1990s.
Longtime Nevada Sen. Harry Reid used his position as U.S. Senate majority leader to push for the public release of Pentagon files on UFOs, telling the New York Times in 2017, I’m not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this going.
Rural southern Nevada has leaned in hard to UFO culture, designating a lonely stretch of State Route 375 the Extraterrestrial Highway due to its proximity to Area 51.
Tiny Rachel, Nevada, to the north of Area 51 is home to the Little A'Le'Inn, an alien-themed motel, bar and restaurant. And in Amargosa Valley to the southwest, there's the Area 51 Alien Center with an alien museum and gift shop.
Behind the gift shop is the extraterrestrial-themed Alien Cathouse Brothel.
But despite congressional testimony and pop-culture references to UFOs, people are still tentative about reporting their own close encounters.
The National UFO Reporting Center, one of the internet's largest databases of UFO sightings, assures those who file a report that their contact information will not be published and will be kept strictly confidential.
Among the 1,600 anonymous reports from Nevada
Someone who said they were stationed at NAS Fallon in the 1960s said another man in his squadron reported a saucer-shaped craft with a white light. He entered the report into the night watch log.
The witness took a lot of flack over the sighting, reads the report, and the next day in the log someone wrote, 2100: no saucers sighted.
2/3
Another report, this one from the mid-1980s, said "a giant silver ball-shaped object" was spinning in place over McCarran Boulevard near Idlewild Park, but it disappeared after it was approached by two jet fighters.
On May 17, 2023, a NUFORC user said they saw "flashing red and blue emergency lights" along Highway 160 near Pahrump.
As the lights got closer I realize that there were no headlights or other forward facing white lights of any kind but what appeared to be a total of 8 red and blue flashing lights in the shape of a cross, it appeared to be hovering just above the road surface.
And sometimes, the reports go beyond lights in the sky.
In 2023, Las Vegas police officers investigated reports of two unknown entities falling from the sky on the same night that a family reported something not human in their backyard.
One officer drove to a home on the night of April 30 and interviewed the family who called 911 after making the sighting, according to body camera footage obtained by USA TODAY. One of the family members told the officer they saw a big creature that was long, 10 feet tall.
I’m not going to BS you guys. One of my partners said they saw something fall out of the sky, too, so that’s why I’m kind of curious, the officer said. It’s weird just the fact that our partner saw something at the exact time.
Las Vegas Metro investigated the property for days following the alleged paranormal incident before closing the case, Las Vegas TV station 8 News Now reported.
Now that UFO sightings are being discussed in serious settings and a significant portion of the world population is walking around with smartphone cameras at all times, are we any closer to resolving things one way or another?
Not likely. Many of the recent sightings filed with NUFORC are accompanied with photos, none of which show anything clear and definitive.
Still, those who claim to have seen something otherworldly may not feel quite so alone now. One NUFORC user in the late 1990s logged an encounter from the mid-1970s, and ended the post with a plea.
If anyone else saw it too, they wrote, "Please email me. It has haunted me for all these years.
"I just wish I could make anyone believe how important it was. No one will know what it's like until it happens to them."
3/3
Aliens in art: the paintings that prove UFOs have been around for a lot longer than we think?
Sat 29 March 2025 12:30, UK
The contentious debate surrounding conspiracy theories about the existence of UFOs (unidentified flying objects) seems to not just be what forms a three-hour-long Joe Rogan podcast.
On the contrary, the fascination surrounding UFOs, and perhaps also the sighting of them, if they really do exist, is a phenomenon that has been around for ages.
Scientists and art critics have analysed artefacts, such as early cave paintings that seem to represent what are believed to be UFOs.
Bobble-headed creatures with bug-like eyes and antennas, flying disks in the sky, and much more.
But can we really be sure that these are what UFOs look like, or have we just grown accustomed to what the human mind has imagined them to look like?
One of the first examples of a UFO-looking figure in an artwork was identified in an Italian cave painting from c.10,000 BC.
It features a cult-looking group of figures casting a spell on an alien-looking specimen with abnormally long arms that wrap around a smaller alien person.
What’s creepy is that the arms of the larger alien also seem to be the antennae that belong to the small alien, somehow fusing them.
It’s rather wild to think that a belief in aliens might have been established even before Christ walked on water.
However, I wonder if our interpretation of this cave painting depicting aliens is because we haven’t grown accustomed to seeing humans being portrayed in this unrealistic and anthropomorphic way.
Indeed, the further we go back into art history, the more humans were represented as simple stick figures with geometric bodies.
It was only much later, when artistic principles prioritised hyper-realism, such as Renaissance and Baroque, that we changed the way humans were portrayed in paintings.
Carlo Crivelli’s The Annunciation with Saint Emidius of 1486 is another example of a UFO sighting. What seems to be a seemingly ordinary religious painting of the Annunciation is actually very futuristic and dystopian.
First of all, why is there an abnormally large pickle and apple sitting on the tiled floor? This randomly comical detail is suddenly interrupted when one notices the Virgin Mary being targeted by a laser-like light shining down from the sky.
Traditionally, the Annunciation is painted with the Virgin being doused in a golden light, greeted by the graceful Angel Gabriel.
Instead, here it looks like she is being targeted from the heavens by a light that is more akin to Tweety’s laser pointer from the Looney Tunes than the divine light of God.
Some artworks haven’t even been left up to interpretation and flatly announce the presence of a UFO. That’s the case with Hans Glaser’s Celestial Phenomenon Over Nuremburg of 1561.
In this illustrated newspaper-looking artefact, Glaser explicitly portrays the sighting of a “dreadful apparition” above the city, in which flying objects battle each other in the sky.
There’s a large black spear-headed object looming over the city and smaller coloured objects flying around the sun.
Glaser’s broadsheet is arguably the closest we’ve gotten in recent times to proving that UFOs have always existed and might have been spotted, but I might be closer to moving to Mars than waiting for a web-footed specimen to come knocking at my door.
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/artworks-prove-ufos-have-been-around-longer-than-we-think/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39hMIgshgSo
Russia’s Secret Space Program: Enigmatic Psi-Corps
March 29, 2025
During WWII, the Soviet Union learned of the great advances made by Nazi Germany in developing powerful aerospace technologies with the help of extraterrestrials, and how German nationalists and secret societies established a breakaway colony in Antarctica. The Soviets also learned that the Germans had discovered that psychic abilities were a major factor in finding, developing, and using advanced non-human technologies.
Consequently, the Soviets began their own highly successful initiative to gain access to non-human technologies, trained a highly developed elite Psychic Corps (aka Psi-Corps), and secretly collaborated with the US in monitoring and countering the threat posed by the Antarctic Germans highly secretive space program.
Today, Russia’s well established secret space program continues development with non-human intelligence and utilizes its enigmatic Psi-Corps to assist in on-planet and off-planet operations.
In addition, Russia is collaborating with the US in investigating and exploiting the technologies found in ancient space arks found in our solar system.
In his next webinar, Dr Michael Salla will examine the origins, history, and capabilities of Russia’s SSP and what it means today for coming events.
part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCRSKOMuJQ
part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57QQC_iqwpg
Watch: Multiple Witnesses Film Pulsating UFO Hovering Off Coast of Chile
March 28, 2025
Multiple witnesses at a Chilean beach captured footage of a puzzling UFO that pulsated as it hovered in the sky over the water.
The strange sighting reportedly occurred on Saturday, March 22nd in the coastal city of Antofagasta.
As beachgoers were enjoying the sunset that evening, many found their attention drawn to a flashing cylindrical object on the horizon.
The scene was weird enough that multiple people felt compelled to film the peculiar illumination with the footage (collection featured below) subsequently spreading like wildfire on social media in Chile and, as one might imagine, spawning all manner of speculation.
Setting aside the extraterrestrial hypothesis, some have posited that the UFO (seen isolated above) may have been a drone.
The most frequent explanation put forward by skeptical observers is that the light was from a nearby airport.
However, this scenario has been dismissed by others who insisted that it would not have been visible from that area of Antofagasta.
Additionally were the pulsating object simply an illumination from across the way, one has to wonder why so many different people decided to film the curiosity at around the same time that Saturday evening.
What do you think captivated the Chilean beachgoers? Weigh in with your thoughts at the C2C Facebook page.
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/watch-multiple-witnesses-film-pulsating-ufo-hovering-off-coast-of-chile/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWIhDgpLrhk
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