TYB
Industry impressed by chainsaw drone work
25 June 2025
A chainsaw drone developed by a University of Canterbury team to cut wrist-size branches in hazardous areas may be commercialised soon.
The team led by computer science professor Richard Green and mechanical engineering professor Dan Zhao has spent eight years designing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as precision tools for challenging environments.
A display of the prototype chainsaw drone at work impressed industry representatives recently.
Prof Green said the new drone was a more cost-effective, efficient and safer option for trimming trees around power lines and pylons without the need of ladders and scaffolding or putting workers at risk.
The innovation could be a useful working addition for arboriculture, electricity infrastructure and civil construction industries.
A drone carrying a pruning tool developed last year was limited to cutting 30mm branches, while the chainsaw drone could get through about 60mm of dead wood, he said.
"It’s working so well now that we have got funding for commercialisation, so I expect it to be commercialised next year."
Advances in electric chainsaw technology with small electric motors and improving battery technology had assisted the drone development, he said.
"When pruning branches near power lines they have to do it while they are alive because we can’t turn the power off to everyone’s homes just because a few branches need to be pruned.
Long poles with loppers close to power lines and even climbing up trees to cut branches [can be hazardous] and apart from working faster it’s actually a significantly improved health and safety operation when you use a drone."
Other applications could include inaccessible and hard-to-reach sites and within built-up urban areas.
He had naively thought using drones to cut branches would be easy 10 years ago, but it had its aerodynamic challenges, Prof Green said.
Flying drones in windy conditions next to trees required a lot of artificial intelligence (AI) navigational algorithm work to calculate the motion and branch movements to avoid propellers clipping them, he said.
"We have been working on it for pruning pine trees as well, for people interested in milling clear wood for furniture.
Half our forests are on such steep, rugged hills with big boulders that you would be challenged to get a vehicle with wheels up there, whereas drones can get there easily and prune the branches up the pine trees as low as you need."
The main focus at the present time was on drone pruning near power lines as that work was completed around the world, he said.
He was unsure if chainsaw drones would be used to cut large trees in the near future or be used for fighting wildfires. "But I was talking to some fire folk recently and they are really starting to use that drone technology to get water for the fires.
That’s an area of technology I’m not involved with, but I know there’s been some huge steps forward with the amount of water payload these drones can carry."
Potentially, chainsaw drones operated from a distance could clear vegetation for water-carrying drones to access fires.
Computer science experts were being brought increasingly into engineering projects as they entered the next phase of AI, computer vision and algorithms, Prof Green said.
"When I look at my projects, which are automating pruning vineyards and grabbing mussels underwater and pruning trees near power lines, over 90% of the time is actually spent on the AI programming."
Other researchers involved in the project, funded over five years by a $10million grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, include senior research engineer Dr Sam Schofield and University of Auckland mechanical engineering professor Karl Stol.
The team is also working with New Zealand UAV experts, international researchers and UAV manufacturers and users.
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/industry-impressed-chainsaw-drone-work-0
Brazilian Backpacker Fell Into Indonesian Volcano. Drone Caught Her Alive Before This Happened
Last Updated: June 25, 2025, 10:14 IST
A Brazilian tourist, who fell down a ravine near an active volcano during a hike in Indonesia, was found dead. 26-year-old Juliana Marins went missing on Saturday at Mount Rinjani on Lombok island near scenic beaches and mountains of Bali.
Although early reports from park officials and drone footage indicated she was alive — with sightings of her moving and calls for help — rescue teams faced significant challenges in reaching her because of dense fog, hazardous terrain, and deteriorating weather conditions, Independent reported.
Local authorities spotted Marins on Monday, but the rescue operations were held back due to bad weather. In a statement, Brazil’s government confirmed that Marins’ body has been found by rescuers.
Marins fell off a cliff on the mountain, but not into the volcano crater, while noting that the soft sand in the area made it difficult to retrieve her using ropes, head of local rescuers Muhammad Hariyadi had told Reuters earlier in the day.
Marins’ sister Marianna had said that the 26-year-old was “abandoned" by her hiking guide. Marins had been hiking with a small group on Mount Rinjani when she reportedly requested a break.
However, according to Marianna Marins, who spoke to Brazil’s Fantástico TV, the local guide allegedly decided to proceed without her.
Marianna said that her sister didn’t know where to go or what to do. When the guide eventually returned after noticing her delay, he found that she had fallen, Marianna added.
Who Is Juliana Marins?
Marins, a publicist from Niterói near Rio de Janeiro, had been chronicling her backpacking journey across Southeast Asia on Instagram, posting photos from destinations such as Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Where is Mount Rinjani?
Mount Rinjani, standing at 3,726 meters above sea level, is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia.
It is situated in the West Nusa Tenggara province on Lombok Island, just a short ferry ride from Bali. As an active volcano, it attracts many tourists visiting the Southeast Asian archipelago.
According to Rinjani National Park’s website, the earliest documented eruption occurred in 1847.
https://www.news18.com/world/brazilian-backpacker-fell-into-indonesian-volcano-drone-caught-her-alive-before-this-happened-ws-l-9402289.html
Israeli drone strike kills three in south Lebanon
Updated: June 24, 2025, 7:32 AM`
At least three people were killed in a drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, a day after the Israeli military carried out attacks across the area that it said were against Hezbollah targets.
The deaths were confirmed by Lebanon’s Health Ministry, which said an drone struck a car in Kfardjal in the Nabatieh district.
Lebanese media reported the victims were a man who had run a money exchange in southern Beirut and was alleged to have financial ties to Hezbollah, and his two sons.
The Israeli military did not issue a statement on the attack – the latest in near-daily breaches of a US-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel that took hold in November after 14 months of fighting.
On Monday, Israel launched a wave of air strikes on towns and villages north of the Litani river, which runs about 30km from the Lebanon-Israel border.
The outskirts of Zrariyeh, Kfrar Melki, Mahmoudiyah, Al Hatta, Ansar, Al Bisariya and Al Wardiya were hit, causing fires but no casualties, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.
The Israeli military said it had struck “sites belonging to Hezbollah containing rocket and missile launchers, along with weapons storage facilities”, and added it would “continue to operate to remove any threat”.
Hezbollah has largely withdrawn its forces from south of the Litani as part of the terms of the truce, Lebanese authorities have told The National.
The agreement requires the Lebanese government to dismantle all Hezbollah facilities, infrastructure and military positions “starting with the southern Litani area” within 60 days – but it did not set a timeline for dismantling the group’s positions north of the river.
Israel has continued its attacks on Hezbollah while also launching an aerial war against Iran, the group's patron.
However, Hezbollah, now politically and militarily constrained after significant losses in its war with Israel, has not signalled any intent to support Tehran in the fight.
“Iran can defend itself,” a Hezbollah official told The National last week.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed Israel's ceasefire violations at a press conference with his Qatar counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman in Doha.
“We’re working on extending the [Lebanese] state’s authority across its territory. There can be no stability in Lebanon without Israel’s full withdrawal, especially from the five points it is still occupying," he said.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/06/24/israeli-drone-strike-kills-three-in-south-lebanon/
DARPA to Demo Revolutionary VTOL Drone Capabilities This Month
June 24, 2025
The US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) is set to test five vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones minus their launch and recovery gear later this month.
The demonstration is part of DARPA’s AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) program to develop long-endurance VTOL drones to operate from naval vessels and austere environments.
The unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are expected to demonstrate superior capabilities in their weight category in the flight tests, known as EVADE or Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration.
The under-330-pound (150 kilograms) platforms are expected to feature enhanced range, endurance, and control compared to existing VTOL UAS of similar size.
Varying in capabilities, the participants’ minimum endurance is 12 hours at 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers/115 miles) with a 60-pound (22 kilograms) payload.
“ANCILLARY fills a critical gap, bringing operational capabilities comparable to much larger – Group 4 and 5 – drones to smaller units, such as Army, Marine Corps, special operations units or a ship’s company,” DARPA Program Manager Phillip Smith said.
“These drones can be deployed without additional infrastructure or equipment, even in austere environments – offering a game-changing toolset for warfighters.”
Group 4 and 5 drones have a maximum takeoff weight of over 1,320 pounds (599 kilograms).
Shortened Timeline
The demonstration accelerates ANCILLARY program Phase 2 by over a year.
Specific requirements, such as maximum physical dimensions and autonomous takeoff/landing in high sea states, have been postponed to achieve the shortened timeline.
“With EVADE, our focus is on speed of development, not on first flight perfection,” Smith said.
“The faster we can get these demonstration aircraft airborne, the quicker we can identify and resolve any issues, and ultimately, deliver game-changing capabilities to our warfighters in the field.”
Streamlining for Rapid Deployment
To accelerate production timelines, the EVADE performers — AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Karem Aircraft, Method Aeronautics, and Sikorsky — will leverage the Sikorsky MATRIX flight autonomy algorithms for flight control and navigation requirements.
Developed in DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System program, MATRIX will minimize and simplify user engagement during flight.
Furthermore, the platforms will be equipped with the US Navy’s payload management software, Battle Management System, which interfaces with the Tactical Assault Kit available to every warfighter.
Developed by the Air Force Research Lab, the Tactical Assault Kit is used for tactical information feeds, various analytics, and visualizations.
The integrated suite of tools will allow the ANCILLARY aircraft to directly share information with individual troops, removing the need for dedicated ground control stations.
“EVADE is designed to democratize air power across the military, empowering the smallest operational units to directly receive and control an air asset when needed,” Smith explained.
“We’re testing five potential mission sets and payloads to showcase the breadth of capabilities EVADE can provide: logistics, communications relay, weapons delivery, synthetic aperture radar, and ISR/RSTA (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition).”
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/06/24/darpa-vtol-drone/
https://www.darpa.mil/news/2025/evade-drone-capabilities-warfighters
Protestors descend on Midlands drone engine factory with police called to scene
14:56, 24 Jun 2025
Protestors descended on a Midlands factory in the latest demonstration to be held there.
Activists gathered outside UAV Engines Ltd in Shenstone, Staffordshire, yesterday (June 23) where drone engines are manufactured.
Demonstrators, some wearing face coverings, were seen holding banners, banging on containers and jostling with police officers.
Staffordshire Police said officers were deployed at about 6am in response to protest activity but no arrests were made.
The factory on Lynn Lane has been targeted for a number of years by protestors who claim UAV Engines exports its engines to Israel for use by its military.
The company, which is owned by the Israeli-based defence contractor Elbit Systems, says this is categorically false.
It makes repurposed Norton motorbike engines which it says are used in drones for 'defensive and surveillance' purposes.
Youth Front for Palestine posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Engines for genocide shut for today.
"This morning activists from around Britain blockaded the entrance to a UAV Engines site in Shenstone, near Birmingham. #shutelbitdown #FreePalenstine"
A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said: "Officers were deployed to an address on Lynn Lane in Shenstone, Lichfield, at about 6am yesterday (Monday 23 June) in response to protest activity.
"Officers were deployed to ensure the safety of employees, members of the community and protestors at the site.
"No arrests were made.
"Officers will continue to facilitate the right to a peaceful protest but will act against those who engage in criminal activity."
In response to the story, a spokesperson for UAV Engines Limited said: "The accusation that UAV Engines Limited are exporting engines to Israel for use by the Israeli military is categorically false.
"UAV Engines Limited proudly offers engineering excellence, with locally designed and produced engines built by experienced and long serving staff delivered to the UK armed forces and to customers around the world.
"We continue to work with the appropriate authorities and police to prevent this disgraceful campaign of violence and intimidation, which brings disorder to the local area and disruption for residents."
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/protestors-descend-midlands-drone-engine-31921803
Operations temporarily suspended at London Heathrow due to drone activity
Last updated: Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 13:22 UTC
A drone flying over terminal, forced the biggest London Airport to halt flight operations today.
As a drone was reported around Terminal 4 at London Heathrow the Airport the operations were temporarily suspended.
Several aircraft while on final approach to runway 27L were forced to make a go around:
British Airways flight BA987 from Berlin
British Airways flight BA1341 from Jersey
British Airways flight BA431 from Amsterdam
British Airways flight BA949 from Munich
Takeoffs were also halted on runway 27R before the operations resumed.
https://airlive.net/incident/2025/06/24/operations-temporarily-suspended-at-london-heathrow-due-to-drone-activity/
Iraq to investigate drone attacks on military radar systems
June 24, 2025
According to French news agency AFP, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s military spokesperson stated that multiple small suicide drones targeted Iraqi military installations and bases. However, no casualties were reported.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for these attacks, and the government has not identified any perpetrators.
Sabah al-Nu’man condemned the attacks as “cowardly and treacherous,” stating that they caused severe damage to radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and Imam Ali Base in the southern Dhi Qar province.
The spokesperson added that Iraqi forces successfully foiled attempted attacks at four other locations across the country, shooting down drones before they could reach their targets.
He further mentioned that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the attacks and identify those responsible.
Earlier, a security source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had stated that the first attack targeted a radar system at Taji base, and a few hours later, a second drone hit the radar at Imam Ali airbase in Dhi Qar.
According to the source, another drone crashed in the Radwaniya area, 10 kilometers west of Baghdad International Airport, where a US military base, part of the anti-ISIS coalition, is located.
These unidentified drone attacks occurred just hours after reports of Iranian missile strikes on a US military base in Qatar. These Iranian attacks were reportedly in response to US bombing of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
Following the Iranian attack on Qatar, Israel had announced its agreement to US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal, and Baghdad had declared the reopening of its airspace after a 12-day closure.
The security sources who confirmed the drone attacks to AFP could not identify the perpetrators.
A source closely associated with pro-Iran Iraqi groups (who have previously attacked US military bases) stated, “Certainly! These groups have no connection to these drone attacks.”
Another source suggested that the attacks might have been carried out by Israel or the US. A senior security official commented, “We don’t yet know if these drones were launched from inside Iraq or from outside.”
Iraq, which has for years tried to maintain a delicate balance between Tehran and Washington, has long been a battlefield for proxy wars.
Since the start of the war between Iran and Israel, Baghdad has taken steps to prevent the spread of violence on its soil, particularly in light of concerns about potential interference from pro-Iran armed groups who have threatened to target US interests if the US joins Israel’s campaign.
Iraq has recently achieved a degree of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and chaos.
https://minutemirror.com.pk/iraq-to-investigate-drone-attacks-on-military-radar-systems-406124/
>https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/35553169/airport-spain-debris-roof/
A ROOF has collapsed at a popular Brit holiday hotspot airport sparking chaos in the arrivals hall.
Debris and glass were seen cascading from the roof of the Son Sant Joan Airport in Majorca this afternoon as staff tried calming terrified passengers.
Pictures of the shocking scene show shattered glass on the floor and smashed up vending machines.
While crowds are seen gathered in a corner of the airport to avoid the mass of debris scattered across the floor.
A "loud bang" was heard before streams of glass and roof material tumbled to the ground.
Passengers were rushed to safety, while police cordoned off the area to investigate the incident.
Airport workers said afterwards it was a “miracle” no-one had been seriously injured.
The incident happened after a piece of debris fell and tore through the airport's roof raising concerns of the structure's safety, said Spanish airports authority AENA.
An AENA spokesman told local press: “People in charge of the airport are already analysing what happened in order to adopt the appropriate measures and to determine responsibilities if necessary.”
Airport security staff cleared the affected area as holidaymakers watched on from nearby.
One English-speaking woman could be overheard saying: ‘Oh my God’ as a cloud of dust rose from the ground where part of the roof had fallen.
Meanwhile, local Juan Antonio Bauza dubbed Palma Airport “the worst in Spain” in a social media post this evening.
The sports reporter said on X: “I imagine someone will have to assume responsibility for this.”
Renovation works at the airport have been criticised by workers and air passengers.
In January, one of the building's panels fell to the ground causing dust and disruption.
One airport worker told local press at the time: “Neither employees or passengers could breathe and many people were slipping because of the dust on the ground.
“Having to work in these sorts of conditions is disgraceful.”
Another told Majorcan paper Diario de Mallorca: “Passengers had to put masks on because of the air contamination.”
An airport spokesperson said: "Airport officials are already analysing what happened to take appropriate measures and determine responsibility if necessary".
It comes as Spain has seen a huge influx of tourists arriving for summer holidays causing a flurry of anti-tourism protests across the country.
Spain's anti-mass tourism movement began gaining serious momentum in April 2024 - particularly in popular tourist destinations like Majorca.
Locals have been demanding an end to the problems associated with mass tourism, including pollution, traffic chaos, the lack of affordable housing and low wages for tourism workers.
Earlier this month, protester took over the Majorcan capital city of Palma calling for all tourists to get out.
Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) halted a bus, climbed onto it and unfurled a banner calling for an end to mass tourism.
In a video shared on social media, the group said it was “tired” of the current system and “ready to break the tourism status quo”.
It says urgent change is needed to put locals’ well-being ahead over the interests of the tourism industry.
Drone Pterodactyl soars over New York
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
A giant pterodactyl appeared to soar over Manhattan this week but it wasn’t real, and neither were the drones it was made of.
The convincing CGI video, created to promote Jurassic World: Rebirth, shows a prehistoric creature flying between skyscrapers, seemingly formed from a swarm of coordinated drones.
The entire clip, promoted via the film’s Instagram, was digitally created – including a final resolve to the famous Jurassic Park logo – achieving 1M views on TikTok in 24hrs.
In an age where brands compete to create increasingly elaborate stunts, this one further blurs the line between reality and simulation offering a reminder (that increasingly) not everything viral needs to actually happen to get attention.
https://www.famouscampaigns.com/2025/06/drone-pterodactyl-soars-over-new-york/
Police deploy drones to rescue 12 abducted Benue passengers
24th June 2025
The Benue State Police Command on Monday said it has deployed drones to track down the location of the 11 passengers and driver abducted around Eke in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had around 6.30 pm on Sunday abducted 11 passengers and a driver of a vehicle belonging to Benue State Transport Company, known as Benue Links.
The bus was intercepted at Eke in Okpokwu LG, along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu highway.
A source had earlier told our correspondent that the gunmen, after intercepting the vehicle, robbed the passengers of their belongings and later whisked them away to the bush.
Confirming the abduction, the management of Benue Links said the ill-fated vehicle left Abeokuta in Ogun State en route to Makurdi on Sunday when it was intercepted by gunmen.
The management confirmed the incident in a statement made available to journalists in Makurdi on Monday.
The Information Officer of the company, Johnson Daniel, in the statement, said 12 passengers and the driver were on board when the vehicle was intercepted.
One passenger was reported to have escaped from the kidnappers who later reported at the police station in Eke.
The statement read: “We regret to inform the public of an unfortunate incident involving one of our buses, with Registration Number 14B – 143BN, which was attacked while en route Makurdi from Abeokuta.
“The attack occurred at about 6:30 pm on Sunday, 22nd June 2025, at Eke Elengbecho, in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State.
“The vehicle, which departed Abeokuta with 12 passengers and the driver, was later discovered by the roadside at Eke with some of the passengers’ luggage; however, the driver and 11 passengers were missing.
“One passenger managed to escape and reach the Eke Police Station and reported that the bus was ambushed by armed kidnappers.”
The management condemned the attack on the passengers and assured that it was collaborating with security agencies towards securing the safe return of the abducted passengers and the driver.
Confirming the development, the state police command said the combined security operatives had been deployed in the bush to rescue the kidnap victims.
The command spokesperson, Udeme Edet, said, “On receipt of the information, police tactical teams, military and Benue State Protection Guard arrived at the scene, combed the bush and rescued one Paul Terna who escaped from the hands of the suspected kidnappers.
“Additional reinforcement has been sent to the location to locate other passengers as soon as possible.”
Giving an update on Monday evening, Edet said the state Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, had moved to the area to monitor the operation.
Edet said, “There is no update for now, but the Commissioner of Police has moved to the area, even, though we have deployed drones in the area.”
Also contacted, the acting spokesman for Operation Whirl Stroke, Lt Zubair Ahmad, said he was indisposed but asked for some time to find out from his superior.
He had yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.
The Ogbadibo/Okpokwu section of the Otukpo/Enugu federal highway is notorious for kidnapping, as no fewer than three incidents of kidnapping had been recorded on the road in one month.
https://punchng.com/police-deploy-drones-to-rescue-12-abducted-benue-passengers/
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/23/science/orca-kelp-tool-grooming
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00450-6
Drone footage reveals orcas using tools in a stunning first
Updated 5:37 PM EDT, Mon June 23, 2025
Behavioral ecologist Michael Weiss was browsing through new drone footage of the orca pods he studies in the Salish Sea when he spotted one of the killer whales carrying something green in its mouth and noticed an unusual behavior:
Some orcas were rubbing against each other for up to 15 minutes at a time.
At first, Weiss didn’t think much of it “because whales do weird things,” he said. But more observations yielded similar sights on his drone camera.
“I zoom in, and sure enough, there’s clear as day this piece of kelp that they’re using to rub on each other.” Over the course of just two weeks in 2024, Weiss and his team documented 30 examples of these curious interactions.
They found that the southern resident orcas — a distinct population of killer whales — were detaching strands of bull kelp from the seafloor to roll between their bodies in a behavior the scientists dubbed “allokelping.”
Allokelping could be a form of grooming for skin hygiene, as well as a way to socially bond with other members of the pod, the researchers reported in a new paper published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
The discovery marks the first time cetaceans — marine mammals including whales, dolphins and porpoises — have been observed using an object as a tool to groom.
Across the animal kingdom, using tools is rare, according to behavioral ecologists. But when it does happen, it’s often for finding food or attracting mates.
“This is a quite different way of using an object,” said Weiss, the study’s lead author and research director of the Center for Whale Research in Washington state.
Allokelping theories
There are two possible reasons behind the allokelping behavior, Weiss and his team hypothesize.
Hygiene, such as treating or removing dead skin, could be one explanation. Cetaceans often shed dead skin, which helps keep their bodies smooth and aerodynamic.
Skin lesions, particularly gray patches, are becoming more prevalent in southern resident orcas, Weiss added, so allokelping might be a way to treat those lesions.
The other hypothesis, Weiss explained, is that allokelping is a way to strengthen social bonds, as the whale pairs seen exhibiting this behavior were usually close relatives or similar in age.
“These guys are incredibly socially bonded,” said Deborah Giles, an orca scientist at the SeaDoc Society who was not involved with the research. This behavior is fascinating but not entirely surprising, she added.
Orcas are curious and tactile, with brains that are large compared with their body size, Giles explained, adding that some parts of the killer whale brain are more developed than what’s seen in humans. Each orca population even has its own dialect.
Cetaceans also have sensitive skin, explained Janet Mann, a behavioral ecologist at Georgetown University who has studied marine mammals for 37 years.
Orcas are known to rub on other objects such as smooth-pebble beaches in Canada, or on algal mats. But it’s unusual to see two individual killer whales using a tool to seemingly exfoliate each other, she said.
“What (the study) shows is that we know very little about cetacean behavior in the wild,” Mann said.
Allokelping likely wouldn’t have been discovered without advances in drone and camera technology, which have opened up “a whole new world” for scientists to better understand cetaceans’ complex lifestyles, Mann said.
Historically, whales are observed from shore or from boats, offering a limited perspective of what’s happening in the water. But drones offer a bird’s-eye view of what marine animals are doing just below the surface.
It’s likely this population has been allokelping for a while, she said — only now we can see it.
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Cultural phenomenon
Orca scientists with drone footage are probably going to be on the lookout for this sort of behavior now, Giles said. Killer whales aren’t the only cetaceans known to use tools, though.
Some bottlenose dolphins have been observed carefully removing and using sponges to scare up prey on the seabed, a sophisticated behavior that only a small fraction of the population exhibits, said Mann, who has studied the dolphins in Australia’s Shark Bay.
Some other bottlenose dolphins use their tails to slap the ground in a circle, creating mud-ring plumes that trap fish. And humpback whales have long used bubble nets to catch prey.
Whether these examples constitute “using tools” is a topic of debate in the scientific community, but regardless, they are all behaviors related to foraging for food.
What makes allokelping unique is its potential benefits for skin health and relationships — in other words, it appears to be a cultural practice.
“This idea of allogrooming (with tools) is largely limited to primates, which is what makes it remarkable,” said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist with the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation who was not involved with the research.
“This kind of feels like a moment in time for cetaceans, because it does prove that you don’t necessarily need a thumb to be able to manipulate a tool.”
Brakes, who studies social learning and culture in cetaceans, added that this new research “tells us quite a lot about how important culture is for these species.”
Each population — in this case, southern resident orcas — has a distinct dialect for communication, specific foraging strategies and now a unique type of tool use.
In a rapidly changing environment, Brakes said, “culture provides a phenomenal way for animals to be able to adapt,” as it has for humans.
“It’s more reason to ensure that we protect their habitat as well as their behavior,” she noted.
A ‘completely novel’ find
Indeed, southern resident killer whales are critically endangered and federally protected both in the United States and Canada, with a total population of just 74 whales.
And as bull kelp is in decline due to human activities that disrupt the seabed and more frequent heat waves caused by climate change, the overall ecosystem is degrading.
Kelp forests are also critical nursery habitat for juvenile chinook salmon — a key part of killer whales’ diet, Giles said. Southern residents have been spending less and less time in the Salish Sea over the years, possibly because of dwindling prey, said Monika Wieland Shields, cofounder and director of the nonprofit Orca Behavior Institute.
“This study makes me wonder if one of the reasons the Southern Residents continue to visit the Salish Sea periodically even during times of low salmon abundance is to engage in allokelping,” Shields wrote in an email to CNN.
The research is now leading to new areas of study. “This cetacean data point is a really important one because it’s completely novel,” said Dora Biro, an animal cognition researcher at the University of Rochester who was not involved with the study.
Biro, who has mostly studied tool use in wild chimpanzees, added that examples of terrestrial tool use are much more widespread than in aquatic environments. She is now working on a grant proposal with Weiss’ team to better understand the purpose of the behavior.
But for Brakes, there doesn’t necessarily need to be a purpose: “The objective may just be social bonding, and that would still make it a tool.”
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WORLD UFO DAY | June 24 and July 2
June 24, 2025
WORLD UFO DAY
World UFO Day commemorates two separate dates, June 24 and July 2, on the National Day Calendar.
The June 24 date recognizes the first widely reported UFO sighting in 1947 by aviator Kenneth Arnold.
The July 2 date commemorates the incident that took place the same year in Roswell, New Mexico.
All around the world, unusual lights in the sky or strange occurrences keep humans always curious about otherworldly beings.
Movies and television series keep our imaginations alive, as well. It's no surprise conspiracy theories are also prominent when it comes to UFOs.
World UFO Day recognizes our curiosity about life from another dimension.
Before 1947, written record of humans sighting unusual, but unexplained objects in the sky existed.
However, after the Arnold and Roswell incidents, reports increased dramatically. As a result, the investigations of these unusual sightings drew ratings on a scale.
Astronomer Josef Allen Hynek began studying the sightings and eventually wrote several books about his UFO research.
In fact, Hynek would create The Hynek Scale, which would rank sightings by proximity, from Nocturnal Lights to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
During the 20th century, the world's fascination with objects in the sky definitely increased. Before the 1947 sightings, H.G. Wells published a story that later became a radio play.
Its broadcast across the airwaves had some frightening results! The War of the Worlds, published in 1898 and later broadcast by CBS radio in 1938, made many of the radio audience believe they were under attack by Martians.
Narrated by Orson Welles, the drama stirred imaginations.
HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldUFODay
Look to the skies and see if you can spot an Unidentified Flying Object. Review videos and photos of unexplained objects in the sky and see if you can find a scientific reason for them.
Watch a movie from out of this world. Maybe enjoy a meal from an alien-themed restaurant. Visit any number of UFO museums, particularly Roswell, New Mexico. Use #WorldUFODay to share on social media.
WORLD UFO DAY HISTORY
World UFO Day is observed on June 24 and July 2. The creators of the July 2nd event launched it to raise awareness of UFO sightings and remove speculation from them.
https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/international/world-ufo-day-june-24-and-july-2
https://www.cjls.com/2025/06/24/today-is-world-ufo-day-marking-the-anniversary-of-one-of-the-first-ufo-sightings-in-the-us/#
'Men disguised as police' attempt to steal sphere-shaped UFO after new information is revealed
Updated: 17:10 EDT, 23 June 2025
UFO researchers in Mexico claim that a group disguised as police have tried to steal the mysterious orb scientists believe may prove the existence of aliens.
Dr Steven Greer, an American ufologist and retired physician, revealed on X that 'fake policemen' attempted to enter the vault in Mexico City where the suspected UFO is being kept while scientists examine it.
Known as the Buga Sphere, the small, metal orb was spotted in March over the town of Buga in Colombia, zig-zagging through the sky in a way that defies the movement of conventional aircraft.
The object was recovered shortly after it landed and has since been taken to Mexico to be analyzed by scientists, who have discovered a maze of fiber-optic wires inside that suggest it can send and receive signals.
Controversial UFO researcher Jaime Maussan, who has had several claims about extraterrestrials debunked in recent years, hosted an international conference to discuss the latest findings on the Buga Sphere on June 20.
US Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri and Dr Greer were among a group of American officials in attendance when Maussan claimed that the imposters attempted to steal the Buga Sphere.
Greer added that scientists have already taken samples of the UFO that 'will be tested in a state-of-the-art lab' to determine if the sphere really is from another planet.
'Those scientists and their information have been provided to the top law enforcement… Any sort of attempts to interfere with this examination will be known, and the people and perpetrators will be held to account for it,' Greer said in a June 21 post on X.
Congressman Burlison added that it was his belief that governments and other groups may be working to suppress the public's knowledge of UFOs and alien life.
'It's not any government's right to protect knowledge about extra terrestrials, if it exists,' Burlison said on Friday. 'We have too many people reporting and too many videos to ignore it.'
According to researchers at the conference, this is the first UFO recovered by private citizens and solely controlled by non-government scientists.
The attempted robbery came right after Maussan and other researchers revealed that they are trying to reactivate the sphere using an electrical charge.
According to Rodolfo Garrido, a Mexican engineer working with scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the sphere gave off a strong, decaying ionized field.
That field was responsible for somehow dehydrating the field it landed in, killing all the grass and soil there.
The June 20 presentation also revealed new images of the interior of the Buga Sphere, showing the nucleus of the device appeared to be similar in design to inventor Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower from the early 1900s.
The concept of the tower was to send electrical power through the air and ground without using wires, potentially providing free or cheap energy to homes, businesses, and even ships or planes.
Garrido said the Buga Sphere may have operated in a similar way, with a miniature Wardenclyffe Tower hidden inside the UFO.
However, the engineer told reporters that scientists have no plans of cutting the sphere in half to reveal what's really inside.
Instead they're working on plans to power it back up so the sphere will begin rotating and levitating again.
'It could be a theory that once it levitates, it could have direct communication with whoever sent it,' Garrido said through a translator.
For now, Greer said that scientists examining the Buga Sphere at UNAM are setting up security for the metal samples headed for further testing. There has been no confirmation of Maussan's claims about the robbery attempt.
The journalist has been tied to several debunked claims, including multiple incidents where Maussan claimed to have evidence of a real UFO sightings, only for it to be debunked as a comet or star in the night sky.
Maussan has also claimed to have discovered physical evidence of mummified alien corpses on three separate occasions, but none of the incidents have been proven true.
During the June 20 conference, Maussan put pieces of these alleged corpses on display for the researchers and government officials, including Greer and Burlison, who were allowed to hold the specimens while wearing gloves.
(Thank you Daily Mail)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14839219/Men-attempt-steal-sphere-shaped-UFO.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iR9ty7bIm8 (Buga Sphere: Historic Statements by Eric Burlinson, Steven Greer, and Danny Sheehan Jun 23, 2025)
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/06/24/digital/ufo-catcher-40th-anniversary-sega-arcade/
King of Japan’s arcades, Sega’s UFO Catcher turns 40
Jun 24, 2025
Walk into any arcade in Japan and you’ll likely be greeted by rows of claw machines, known here as UFO Catchers due to the claws’ resemblance to a flying saucer descending to abduct an unsuspecting prize.
While the term initially referred to the eponymous machines produced by Sega that popularized the game in the 1980s and ’90s, today the term is commonly used to mean all crane games in Japan.
June 24 is even unofficially known as “UFO Catcher Day” in the country, and in 2025, it marks the 40th anniversary since the launch of Sega’s first such machine in 1985.
However, the game got off to a rough start.
“It wasn’t a very popular game machine when it was first launched,” says Mitsuharu Fukazawa, a UFO Catcher “artisan” in the Product R&D Department of Sega Fave, the subsidiary that oversees the company's crane game business.
“We developed it with women and children in mind, but at the time there were no attractive prizes and it didn’t get much attention.”
“The prizes were mainly miniature toys and inexpensive daily necessities,” explains Toshinori Abe, director at Sega Fave’s Overseas Sales Department.
“The machines weren’t designed to appeal to users through the attractiveness of the prizes themselves but rather as a supporting role to the main machines (mainly video games) installed in arcades.”
A major turning point came when Sega began acquiring the copyright to popular characters and offering them as prizes.
In Japan, government regulations on the value of winnings in game machines capped the UFO Catcher prizes at just a few hundred yen, but in 1990 the law was raised to allow prizes up to ¥500.
UFO Catchers began to attract attention by offering higher quality items such as stuffed toys, based on popular franchises.
“Users began to play for the purpose of winning the prizes they wanted,” says Abe.
Since then, the popularity of crane games has increased to the point where they now represent almost 70% of sales in arcades.
“It can be said that UFO Catcher has been successful because of good prizes and innovative operations,” says Fukazawa.
“We also put a lot of effort into customer service, such as having store staff give advice to customers who are having trouble getting their prizes, which I believe is a uniquely Japanese characteristic.”
Now in its 10th iteration, Sega’s UFO Catcher device has gone through numerous evolutions that go beyond mere cosmetic redesigns.
“Since UFO Catchers have two claws, various playing methods have been devised, such as shifting, rolling and pushing, instead of just grabbing the prize,” explains Fukazawa. “I think the evolution and perfection of these methods is what led to Japan’s unique crane game market.”
“Players developed ways to get the prize tailored to each type of prize, and the game also added an element of strategy in which users have to figure out how to get the prize they want,” adds Abe. “Players came to value the fun of winning the prize itself.”
While in the past crane games were merely a means of bringing home a memento from a visit to the local arcade, the situation now is much different.
“The maximum prize price has been revised from about ¥300 in the 1980s to ¥1,000 in 2025, and this has enabled a wide variety of prizes to be introduced,” explains Abe.
“As the quality of prizes and their variety have increased, claw machines have become the place where players go to get exactly the prize they want.”
What drives players to sink yen after yen into the machines differs between regions, Abe says, with different audiences demanding specific prizes.
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In China, items such as can badges and acrylic stands are preferred, while large figures are favored in North America,” explains Abe.
However, he says that due to the rise in popularity of domestically produced anime and manga content, prizes of “evergreen IPs” such as Sanrio and Pokemon are extremely popular around the world.
Working with these companies to get their sought-after products inside UFO Catchers can be a time-consuming process.
“It takes about one year from the start of prize planning to the time the prize is placed inside the UFO Catcher cabinet,” Abe says.
“(We) listen to information on IP and characters that are popular (or expected to be popular) from game center operators, distributors and others and then work from the bottom up within the company to commercialize them.”
Coming up with new designs and features for the machines themselves involves a more direct approach in the field.
“Of course I ask operators of UFO Catchers about their usability, but I also try to visit the stores myself and observe how they operate and how they serve their customers,” says Fukazawa.
“Store inspections are always a great way for me to keep an eye out for little innovations that operators may not have told me about.”
He recalls an episode he once saw at an arcade in Tokyo’s Akihabara entertainment district: Customers would routinely step away from a machine in order to change bills into insertable coins, but they didn’t want to lose their progress on the prize they’d been working on to another player.
Arcade staff would give out tags that could be inserted into the machine’s coin slots, signaling that the player intended to return, which prompted Sega to roll out a new generation of UFO
Catchers with a screen indicating absent players would soon return from nearby money changers.
At another arcade in Okayama, Fukazawa saw a rubber ball attached to the tip of a claw for a firmer grip, which led to the development of large rubber nails to achieve the same effect.
“I was impressed by the ingenuity of the operators. For example, when large-size prizes were introduced, regular UFO Catcher’s slots were too small so prizes could not be taken out. Operators would suspend the machines so store staff could take them out.”
As for the evolution of the design of UFO Catchers, Fukazawa says the machine itself used to be made to stand out, but since UFO Catcher 7, released in 2001, a white design has been implemented to make prizes stand out instead.
And from UFO Catcher 9, released in 2014, the pillars on the front side are transparent to create a more open space.
What about UFO Catcher 10 and beyond? Sega’s vision for the game lies in a connected future.
“UFO Catcher 9 allowed players to wirelessly connect to each other, making get-togethers within the store possible, but now it can also be connected to the network between stores,” says Fukazawa.
“Online crane games (playing over the internet and having prizes delivered home) are also an attractive option for players because they can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere.”
When it comes to prizes, Abe expects collaboration items and limited-time products linked to IP to keep increasing.
“In addition, the growth of the prize market and the expansion of the player base are expected to lead to an increase in casual and family players.
The so-called ‘inbound’ segment is also expected to grow, with domestic game arcades offering prizes for foreign tourists (meant to make) great souvenirs.”
Forty years on, the UFO Catcher seems to be clawing up more fans both within Japan and abroad.
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‘Star People’ Trailer – Sci-Fi Thriller Inspired by Real UFO Sighting Opens Next Month
June 23, 2025
Venture out of your world with the trailer for Star People.
The sci-fi thriller will premiere at Dances with Films in Los Angeles this Saturday, June 28, before hitting theaters on July 25 and VOD on August 12 via Blue Harbor Entertainment.
The film is inspired by the Phoenix Lights, the largest mass UFO sighting in U.S. history. The 1997 event has inspired several other movies, including 2007’s Night Skies, 2015’s The Phoenix Incident, and 2017’s Phoenix Forgotten.
It tells the story of a photographer who receives a tip that could finally shed light on her childhood UFO sighting, but a deadly heatwave and unexpected guests threaten to derail her obsessive search for answers.
Kat Cunning (“The Deuce”), McCabe Slye (Fear Street Part Two: 1978), Eddie Martinez (“The Sinner”), Bradley Fisher (“Westworld”), Adriana Aluna Martinez (“Duster”), and Connor Paolo (“Gossip Girl”) star.
Writer-director Adam Finberg makes his narrative feature debut.
“We’re all in on Blue Harbor’s vision for launching Star People,” commented producer Josh Shader. “With their transparent, collaborative approach, the filmmaker isn’t just a spectator — they’re part of the marketing and distribution game plan from the start.”
“We’re excited to share Star People with audiences everywhere later this summer,” added Blue Harbor. “This eerie, atmospheric thriller deals with one of the more confounding events that remains in question today.
Adam and Josh have really captured the unease and wonder of the unknown while keeping you on edge throughout.”
https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3885030/star-people-trailer-sci-fi-thriller-inspired-by-real-ufo-sighting-opens-next-month/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HeCSenKVmE
"I Located A UFO Base In Arizona!" (Ft. Ross Coulthart)
Jun 21, 2025
I sat down with award-winning investigative journalist Ross Coulthart for a deep and personal conversation about the UFO phenomenon, secrecy, and the weight of uncovering truths long hidden from the public.
This is not just a story about sightings. It is about power, disinformation, and the people behind the scenes who have seen more than they were ever meant to.
One of Ross’s most powerful revelations centers around Nat Kobitz, former head of science and technology development for the U.S. Navy.
Before he passed, Nat confirmed that the United States had recovered multiple non-human craft. He described being brought to a deep underground facility, where he was shown a piece of a craft’s bulkhead.
What stunned him was the engineering. As an expert in electron beam welding, Nat recognized that the materials had been bonded atom by atom using methods far beyond any known human capability.
He made it clear to Ross, "This was not our technology."
We also explored the mystery of the Buga Sphere, the significance of the Kaikoura incident, and what Ross personally witnessed in Sedona.
We discussed how mainstream media has failed to confront decades of government-led disinformation and how secrecy continues to dominate global efforts to suppress the truth about non-human intelligence.
Ross opens up about the emotional toll of chasing these stories and why he sees it as a journalistic responsibility to follow the evidence wherever it leads.
This conversation is about the future of transparency, the growing public hunger for answers, and the awakening happening across generations.
Stay until the end, where Ross shares the story of a buried craft too large to move and the bunker being built around it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V00WcEiKRAY