NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

July 7, 2025

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

It came from outer space. An object from outside our Solar System is now passing through at high speed. Classified as a comet because of its gaseous coma, 3I/ATLAS is only the third identified macroscopic object as being so alien. The comet's trajectory is shown in white on the featured map, where the orbits of Jupiter, Mars, and Earth are shown in gold, red, and blue. Currently Comet 3I/ATLAS is about the distance of Jupiter from the Sun – but closing, with its closest approach to our Sun expected to be within the orbit of Mars in late October. Expected to pass near both Mars and Jupiter, 3I/ATLAS is not expected to pass close to the Earth. The origin of Comet 3I/ATLAS remains unknown. Although initial activity indicates a relatively normal comet, future observations about 3I/ATLAS' composition and nature will surely continue.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Asteroid worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 that NASA is capturing could have a devastating impact

16:58 6 Jul 2025 GMT+1

An asteroid worth a whopping $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 that NASA is in the process of capturing could have shocking unintended consequences.

In 2023, the space agency announced that it was going to set off for the valuable asteroid, named 16 Psyche.

Thought to contain precious metals, including gold, iron and nickel, NASA is really keen to get its hands on the asteroid.

"Teams of engineers and technicians are working almost around the clock to ensure the orbiter is ready to journey 2.5 billion miles to a metal-rich asteroid that may tell us more about planetary cores and how planets form," the space agency said in a statement released in July 2023.

The mission officially began in October 2023 as the spacecraft was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Traveling at a speed of approximately 84,000mph through space, it's expected to reach the valuable asteroid in August 2029.

While 16 Psyche may have been known about for a long time, experts are continuing to learn new things about the valuable asteroid all the time.

Newsweek reports that the projected value of the asteroid is 100,000 times the value of the world's $100 trillion global domestic product due to the amount of gold, platinum and cobalt in it.

That's theoretically enough to make everyone on the planet a billionaire. Yikes.

Many have flocked to the comments section to express concerns that such an event could lead to gold becoming worthless, which in turn, would lead to a lot of people losing money.

One person said: "It wouldn't make anyone billionaires but it will turn a lot billionaires to 0. Gold will lose its entire value."

While a second added: "The price of gold would drop to a fraction of a penny an ounce, and nobody would become a billionaire from it. Simple supply and demand."

NASA estimates that this oddly shaped asteroid, which has a surface area of about 64,000 square miles (165,800 square kilometres), is made up of 30 to 60 percent metal.

It could also contain the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet which is one of the building blocks of our solar system.

And if the asteroid's materials really are worth $10 quintillion dollars, and that wealth was divided between every single living person, everyone would become very rich indeed.

There are some 8.062 billion humans alive, so dividing $10 quintillion dollars by our population would give us each a total of around $1.2 billion each.

I mean, it really is life changing stuff - so let's see what happens in the coming years, eh?

https://www.unilad.com/technology/space/nasa-psyche-asteroid-water-rusting-683409-20240818

>>23289142

Send a scouting party to the giraffe nebula

Man who promised his girlfriend 'the moon' quite literally steals Apollo moon rocks worth millions

July 7, 2025

We’ve all heard the cringe-worthy promises of someone going above and beyond — promising us the moon, if you will.

But one NASA intern took the phrase quite literally, stealing moon rocks as an extraordinary gesture to his girlfriend, whom he had known for three weeks.

In 2002, Thad Roberts was working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center when he made off with 17 pounds of moon rocks valued at a staggering $21 million.

Roberts, his girlfriend Tiffany Fowler, orchestrated the theft — also a NASA intern — and a third accomplice, Shae Saur.

Using their work IDs, the trio slipped into the centre after hours and managed to steal a 600-pound safe filled with lunar samples gathered from every Apollo mission.

Just when you thought the story couldn’t get any stranger, Roberts and Fowler then scattered the moon rocks across their bed — and, well, had sex on them.

The missing samples triggered an international manhunt.

Roberts and his accomplices listed the rocks for $2,000 to $8,000 per gram on the Mineralogy Club of Antwerp’s website under the pseudonym 'Orb Robinson'.

An avid rock collector found the listing dubious and alerted the FBI. A fourth accomplice, Gordon McWhorter, had set up the online listing and spoke with the collector.

Undercover agents arranged a meeting as potential buyers at a restaurant in Orlando on 20 July 2002.

Roberts, Fowler and McWhorter were arrested in a hotel room where the stolen moon rocks were being kept. Saur was apprehended later that same day in Houston, Texas.

All four pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft and interstate transportation of stolen property.

In October 2003, Roberts was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for masterminding the heist, as well as for stealing dinosaur bones from a museum in Utah.

Fowler and Saur were each given 180 days of house arrest alongside 150 hours of community service, while McWhorter received a six-year prison sentence.

Although the moon rocks were recovered, they were deemed scientifically useless due to contamination.

“I, like many others, am filled with awe when I reflect upon how those rocks demonstrate humanity's limitless potential,” Roberts said in a 2011 interview with NBC News. “But that awe does not live within those rocks.

It belongs to all of us. From experience, I can say that there are more appropriate, and more productive, ways to come face-to-face with our magnificent insignificance than stealing a piece of the moon.”

He added: “Whatever you do, don't repeat my mistakes.”

https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/nasa-intern-stole-apollo-moon-rocks-romance-girlfriend-worth-millions

Trump Hits Out At Musk Over New Party, NASA Pick

Jul 07 2025, 07:26

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump dismissed Elon Musk’s plans to launch a new political party as ‘ridiculous’, taking fresh jibes at the tech billionaire.

He also remarked that appointing a Musk associate to head NASA would have posed a clear conflict of interest, considering Musk’s commercial ventures in space.

A day after Musk escalated his feud with Trump and announced the formation of a new US political party, the Republican president was asked about it before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, as he returned to Washington upon visiting his nearby golf club.

‘Adds To Confusion’

“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party.

The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion,” Trump told reporters.

“It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”

‘Off The Rails’

Shortly after speaking about Musk, Trump posted further comments on his Truth Social platform, saying, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”

Musk announced on Saturday that he is establishing the “America Party” in response to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country.

From Friend To Foe

“What the heck was the point of @DOGE if he’s just going to increase the debt by $5 trillion??”

Musk wrote on X on Sunday, referring to the government downsizing agency he briefly led. Critics have said the bill will damage the US economy by significantly adding to the federal budget deficit.

Musk said his new party would in next year’s midterm elections look to unseat Republican lawmakers in Congress who backed the sweeping measure known as the “big, beautiful bill”.

Musk spent millions of dollars underwriting Trump’s 2024 re-election effort and, for a time, regularly showed up at the president’s side in the White House Oval Office and elsewhere.

Their disagreement over the spending bill led to a falling out that Musk briefly tried unsuccessfully to repair.

Trump has said Musk is unhappy because the measure, which Trump signed into law on Friday, takes away green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles.

The president has threatened to pull billions of dollars Tesla and SpaceX receive in government contracts and subsidies in response to Musk’s criticism.

NASA Appointment ‘Inappropriate’

Trump in his social media comments also said it was “inappropriate” to have named Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator considering Musk’s business with the space agency.

In December Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, to lead NASA but withdrew the nomination on May 31, before his Senate confirmation vote and without explanation.

Trump, who has yet to announce a new NASA nominee, on Sunday confirmed media reports he disapproved of Isaacman’s previous support for Democratic politicians.

“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” Trump said on Truth Social. “My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”

Azoria Unhappy

Musk’s announcement of a new party immediately brought a rebuke from Azoria Partners, which said on Saturday it will postpone the listing of its Azoria Tesla Convexity exchange-traded fund because the party’s creation posed “a conflict with his full-time responsibilities as CEO.”

Azoria was set to launch the Tesla ETF this week. Azoria CEO James Fishback posted on X several critical comments about the new party and reiterated his support for Trump.

“I encourage the Board to meet immediately and ask Elon to clarify his political ambitions and evaluate whether they are compatible with his full-time obligations to Tesla as CEO,” Fishback said.

https://stratnewsglobal.com/world-news/trump-hits-out-at-musk-over-new-party-nasa-pick/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5atqxeO0nY

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/first-ai-powered-self-monitoring-satellite-launched-into-space/

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-and-proteus-space-launch-first-ever-dynamic-digital-twin-space

First AI-powered self-monitoring satellite launched into space

Jul 6, 2025 3:07 PM PDT

A satellite the size of a mini fridge is about to make big changes in space technology—and it’s happening fast.

Researchers from UC Davis have created a new kind of satellite system that can monitor and predict its own condition in real time using AI.

This marks the first time a digital brain has been built into a spacecraft that will operate independently in orbit. And the most impressive part?

The entire project, from planning to launch, will be completed in just 13 months—an almost unheard-of pace in space missions.

A Faster Path to Space

Most satellite projects take years to develop and launch. But this mission, set to take off in October 2025 from a base in California, has broken records by cutting the timeline to just over a year.

That’s due in part to a partnership between university scientists and engineers and Proteus Space. Together, they’ve built what’s being called the first “rapid design-to-deployment” satellite system of its kind.

A Smart Brain for the Satellite

The most exciting feature of this mission is the custom payload—a special package inside the satellite built by researchers.

This package holds a digital twin, which is a computer model that acts like a mirror of the satellite’s power system.

But unlike earlier versions of digital twins that stay on Earth and get updates sent from space, this one lives and works inside the satellite itself.

That means the satellite doesn’t need to “phone home” to understand how it’s doing. Instead, it uses built-in sensors and software to constantly check the health of its own batteries, monitor power levels, and decide what might happen next.

“The spacecraft itself can let us know how it’s doing, which is all done by humans now,” explained Adam Zufall, a graduate researcher helping to lead the project.

By using artificial intelligence, the satellite’s brain doesn’t just collect data. It also learns from it.

Over time, the system should get better at guessing how its batteries and systems will behave next. That helps the satellite adjust its operations on its own, even before problems arise.

“It should get smarter as it goes,” said Professor Stephen Robinson, who directs the lab that built the payload. “And be able to predict how it’s going to perform in the near future. Current satellites do not have this capability.”

Working Together Across Disciplines

Building this kind of technology takes teamwork. The project brings together experts in robotics, space systems, computer science, and battery research.

In addition to Robinson and Zufall, the team includes another mechanical engineering professor who focuses on battery management. His lab studies how batteries behave under different conditions, including in space.

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>>23289313

Graduate students in engineering and computer science also play major roles. One student helps design the spacecraft’s software, while others work on how the AI makes predictions and responds to changes in power levels.

Together, they’ve built a model that can monitor voltage and other readings to understand how much energy the satellite can store and use.

The satellite will carry several other payloads, both commercial and scientific. But the real highlight is this AI-powered system that watches itself and adjusts on the fly.

What Happens After Launch

Once launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, the satellite will move into low Earth orbit. It’s designed to stay active for up to 12 months, gathering data and testing its smart brain in the harsh conditions of space.

This type of orbit sits a few hundred miles above the Earth’s surface—far enough to test the systems, but close enough for short communication times.

After its mission ends, the satellite will continue to orbit for another two years. By the end of its life, gravity and drag will pull it back toward Earth, where it will burn up safely in the atmosphere.

This kind of planned decay helps keep space clean and reduces the risk of debris collisions.

The whole mission shows how fast and flexible future space projects might become. Instead of waiting years to build and test systems, researchers could design, launch, and operate smart satellites in a matter of months.

That could open the door to more frequent missions, more advanced designs, and smarter satellites across the board.

Changing the Future of Spacecraft

Satellites that can take care of themselves offer big advantages. Right now, spacecraft rely on ground teams to tell them what to do, run checks, and respond to problems. This creates delays, increases costs, and adds risk.

By placing real-time digital twins on board, future satellites could adjust to problems on their own. They could shut down failing parts, save power when needed, or warn engineers of upcoming issues days in advance.

This would reduce the workload for ground teams and improve the life and safety of space missions.

The team behind this project believes their work is just the beginning. With more advanced AI tools and faster build times, space technology could move at a much quicker pace.

More importantly, it could become smarter, more reliable, and more responsive to change. This satellite might be small, but it could help start a big shift in how space systems are built and run.

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>>23289248

Simply fabulous, thank you.

And yourself / selves?

Space auction: Sally Ride memorabilia collection sells for $145,000

July 6, 2025

A set of memorabilia chronicling Sally Ride's pioneering path to space just fetched a pretty penny at auction.

In June 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to reach the final frontier, on the STS-7 mission of the space shuttle Challenger.

She rode Challenger to space again in October 1984, on the STS-41-G mission.

This flight was groundbreaking as well; it was the first spaceflight ever to feature two female crewmembers. (The other woman in the seven-person crew was NASA astronaut Kathryn Sullivan.)

Some mementoes from these flights, and from the path that Ride — a physicist with a doctorate from Stanford University — took to the launch pad came up for auction last Thursday (June 26) in Los Angeles. And there was quite a bit of interest.

The mementoes — a set of more than 50 pieces called the Sally Ride Estate Collection — sold for a total of $145,666, according to Nate D. Sanders Auctions, which organized the event.

The 1978 acceptance letter that welcomed Ride as a member of NASA's Astronaut Group 8 — the first one in the agency's history to include women — brought $5,046.

Her official astronaut badge sold for $4,915, and the diary she kept during the STS-41-G mission went for $9,694.

Even more lucrative was Ride's Apollo 11 Robbins medal, which flew to the moon and back during the iconic first-ever crewed lunar landing mission in 1969; it sold for $17,690.

Another Robbins medal that Ride owned, which flew on the first-ever space shuttle mission in April 1981, sold for $13,401.

You can peruse the collection, and the price that each piece brought, via Nate D. Sanders Auctions.

Ride, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 61 in 2012, was a pioneer in more ways than one: She's also the first known LGBTQ+ person to reach the final frontier.

Ride did not reveal her sexual orientation during her spaceflight career; the revelation came via an obituary published just after her death by Sally Ride Science, the STEM outreach company she launched with Tam O'Shaughnessy in 2001.

That obituary identified O'Shaughnessy as Ride's life partner and said they had been together for 27 years.

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/space-auction-sally-ride-memorabilia-collection-sells-for-usd145-000

https://natedsanders.com/catalog.aspx

https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/new-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-everything-we-know-about-the-rare-cosmic-visitor

New interstellar object 3I/ATLAS: Everything we know about the rare cosmic visitor

July 7, 2025

Astronomers have confirmed a rare and extraordinary discovery: the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system.

Named 3I/ATLAS, where 3I stands for "third interstellar", and designated C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), the object was first spotted on July 1, 2025, by the Deep Random Survey remote telescope in Chile, part of the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) project.

It's a significant find. But what exactly is it?

Initially referred to by the temporary designation A11pl3Z, 3I/ATLAS drew immediate attention from astronomers because of its peculiar motion.

Rapid follow-up observations and reanalysis of previous data led to the preliminary conclusion that the object was not bound by the sun's gravity.

That makes it an interstellar object — only the third ever seen after 1I'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.

"If confirmed, it will be the third known interstellar object from outside our solar system that we have discovered, providing more evidence that such interstellar wanderers are relatively common in our galaxy," Mark Norris, Senior Lecturer in Astronomy at the University of Central Lancashire, told Space.com at the time of 3I/ATLAS’s discovery.

Even more exciting? 3I/ATLAS is the largest and brightest interstellar object yet, which means it could help scientists unlock clues about the formation of other star systems.

How do we know it's interstellar? Could it strike Earth? Can we send a spacecraft to intercept it?

Here are all of your questions answered and everything else you need to know about this rare discovery, including why it may be the first of many more interstellar objects to be detected.

How do we know 3I/ATLAS is from another star system?

What makes astronomers certain about the interstellar nature of 3I/ATLAS is its trajectory. The object follows a highly hyperbolic orbit, which means it's not gravitationally bound to the sun.

Its orbital path also has an eccentricity of 6.2. For context, any object with an eccentricity above 1 is on a path that does not loop back around the sun, implying it comes from — and will return to — interstellar space.

In comparison, the first known interstellar visitor, 1I/'Oumuamua, had an eccentricity of about 1.2, and 2I/Borisov came in at 3.6. 3I/ATLAS massively outpaces both.

"Some long-period comets could have a brush with Jupiter that modifies its orbit to 1.05, i.e., hyperbolic on the way out, but just barely," Olivier Hainaut, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory, told Space.com.

"This one is firmly hyperbolic on the way in, so interstellar."

How is 3I/ATLAS different from 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov?

Aside from being significantly more hyperbolic, the most striking difference is size.

"3I/ATLAS is much larger than the other two — it's about 15 kilometers (km) [9 miles] in diameter, with huge uncertainty, compared to 100m for 1I/'Oumuamua and less than 1km for 2I/Borisov," said Hainaut.

3I/ATLAS may even be as wide as 12 miles (20 km). However, that conclusion could change with more observations.

What is 3I/ATLAS?

What 3I/ATLAS and 2I/Borisov have in common is that they are both comets. Shortly after its discovery, signs of a comet-like coma and tail became evident, giving it an additional designation of C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), the naming convention for comets.

Since 1I/ʻOumuamua was observed only as it was leaving the solar system, it was difficult for astronomers to get enough data on it to confirm its exact nature — hence the crazy theories about it being an alien spaceship — though it's almost certainly an asteroid or a comet.

Could 3I/ATLAS strike Earth?

Right now, 3I/ATLAS is within Jupiter's orbit, about 323 million miles (520 million km) from Earth and 420 million miles (670 million km) from the sun.

3I/ATLAS will reach approximately 167 million miles (270 million km) from Earth on Dec. 19, and at no point will it pose a threat.

It will get to within 18 million miles (30 million km) of Mars on Oct.2 and to within 130 million miles (210 million km) of the sun — its closest point (perihelion) — on Oct. 29.

At perihelion, it will be traveling at around 42 miles (68 km) per second/second or about 152,000 miles (245,000 km) per hour.

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>>23289377

Is 3I/ATLAS visible in the night sky?

Only with the right equipment — and patience.

Right now, 3I/ATLAS is in the constellation Sagittarius in the arc of the Milky Way, low on the southern horizon as seen from mid-northern latitudes in July.

Traveling south, it's around magnitude 18.5, making it about 2.5 million times fainter than Polaris, according to Gianluca Masi at the Virtual Telescope Project, who imaged 3I/ATLAS on July 3. A 150-200mm/6-8-inch aperture telescope with a CCD camera is required to image 3I/ATLAS, while an optical telescope would need an aperture of around 400 mm/16-inch.

"It will not be visible to the naked eye, and I think it will be a challenge for an amateur, but some have impressive equipment these days," Professor Martin Barstow at the School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Leicester, told Space.com.

However, that could change because as it gets closer, it's expected to brighten. "By the time it makes its closest approach, it will be a relatively easy target for amateur astronomers to observe," said Norris. By then, it could reach magnitude 11. For most, 3I/ATLAS will be a fascinating science story but not a skywatching opportunity.

When will professional telescopes observe 3I/ATLAS?

Most large observatories are in the Southern Hemisphere, where 3I/ATLAS will be best placed, so expect numerous images to be shared over the coming days and weeks.

As it gets close to its bright perihelion, it will be lost in the sun's glare as seen from Earth, so professional astronomers will study it — just as soon as the bright moon has departed the sky, likely in the weeks following the last quarter moon on July 18.

More observations are necessary because what we know about 3I/ATLAS is based purely on preliminary data. "It was discovered a few days ago and has been observed only with small telescopes," said Hainaut.

"We are scrambling to get the big guys on it as soon as possible."

Why is 3I/ATLAS so interesting to astronomers?

Although much remains unknown, it is already clear that this object is orders of magnitude larger than ʻOumuamua and Borisov, making it a better target for study.

It could be a valuable opportunity for planetary scientists, as interstellar objects offer a tangible connection to other star systems and carry chemical signatures that can provide insights into how planetary systems form, or even offer evidence of life elsewhere in the galaxy.

"They undoubtedly carry chemical signatures from outside the solar system, so gaining observations tells us a lot about the possibility of material traveling between planetary systems," Barstow said.

"If we could get a sample from one, one day, it would be an incredible breakthrough."

Can we send a spacecraft to intercept or fly by 3I/ATLAS?

Probably not, it's just too fast. "We would need a spacecraft ready to do this in space, fully checked out and with a rendezvous capability," Barstow said.

The need to have a spacecraft in orbit ready to react to an incoming interstellar object, such as 3I/ATLAS, has been considered before.

The European Space Agency is currently readying its Comet Interceptor project for launch in 2029 to deal with intriguing comets that suddenly appear.

"However, even this mission might not be able to cope with the high speed of an interstellar traveler," Barstow said.

Although a sample of 3I/ATLAS is not going to be possible, it would provide a huge shortcut for planetary scientists. "Even with our fastest rockets, it would take tens of thousands of years for us to reach nearby stars," said Norris.

"Thanks to these visitors from outside our solar system, we may not have to travel that far to sample star systems beyond our own [but] we'll need the technology to catch up and reach them before they pass through our solar system."

Why are astronomers suddenly finding interstellar objects?

It's no coincidence. "Clearly, our telescopes don't affect the outer solar system, so the fact we get more simply reflects that we are getting better at finding them," Hainaut said.

And we're just getting started. The new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which just released its first images, could discover many more interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS during its decade-long Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project.

There could be plenty to find; a 2020 paper estimated that around seven interstellar objects could pass within one Earth-sun distance of the sun each year. We just haven't been able to see them until now.

"It will be a dramatic improvement," Hainaut said of the LSST. "Get ready for 4I, 5I … 42I!" 3I/ATLAS may be the brightest and biggest interstellar visitor yet, but it almost certainly won't be the last.

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Spain’s ruling party bans officials from paying for sex

7 Jul, 2025 06:22

Spain’s ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) has banned its members from paying for sex and warned that violations could result in expulsion.

The decision, announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, comes in response to a corruption scandal involving senior party officials and allegations of using public funds for illicit activities, including hiring sex workers.

Santos Cerdan, former organizational secretary of the PSOE and a close ally of Sanchez, was ordered into pre-trial detention without bail by the Spanish Supreme Court in June.

He faces charges of bribery, criminal conspiracy, and influence peddling related to the alleged rigging of public contracts worth over €500 million ($585 million).

Prosecutors allege that Cerdan played a central role in orchestrating the scheme, which purportedly involved distributing at least €5 million in kickbacks among senior officials, including former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and his aide Koldo Garcia.

Investigations have uncovered that the officials allegedly used public funds not only for illicit commissions but also for personal expenses, including the procurement of sexual services. Cerdan denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is the target of “political revenge.”

In response, the PSOE announced a leadership shake-up and strict disciplinary rules. “Soliciting, accepting, or obtaining sexual acts in exchange for money” will now be punished with “the maximum sanction, expulsion from the party,” the party stated.

“If we believe a woman’s body is not for sale, our party cannot allow behavior contrary to that,” Sanchez said during a meeting in Madrid on Saturday.

Despite mounting criticism and calls for his resignation, Sanchez has refused to step down. “The captain doesn’t look the other way when seas get rough. He stays to steer the ship through the storm,” he told party leaders.

Just hours before his scheduled speech, Sanchez faced fresh turmoil after a new scandal emerged involving one of his close allies. Francisco Salazar, who had been slated for a senior leadership role, resigned following allegations of inappropriate behavior by several women in the PSOE.

According to elDiario.es, anonymous female PSOE employees have accused Salazar of making obscene comments about their clothing and bodies, inviting them to dinner alone, and asking them to stay overnight at his home while they worked under him at the Moncloa Palace.

The party confirmed no formal complaints had been filed but said it would launch an inquiry. Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the People’s Party accused the Socialists of acting like a “mafia” and demanded elections.

“Spaniards deserve a government that doesn’t lie to them, that doesn’t rob them but serves them,” he said.

https://www.rt.com/news/621109-spains-ruling-party-bans-officials/

Ukrainian MP blames corruption for troops fleeing army

7 Jul, 2025 07:50

Widespread corruption and extortion of combat pay by military commanders are driving Ukrainian soldiers to abandon their units, Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod has claimed.

In a video posted last week on her YouTube channel, Skorokhod accused Ukrainian commanders of exploiting soldiers by falsely registering them as serving on the front lines in order to claim additional payments, which the officers then seize.

According to the MP, the commanders also often use the soldiers to “build houses or renovate new apartments” while making sure they receive combat pay, which is then surrendered to their superiors.

“Or the soldiers are simply being extorted, because they supposedly get 100,000 hryvnia [$2,400], but there is no command, so they are forced to give up money.”

Skorokhod said the soldiers have few ways to address these grievances, resulting in recurring AWOLs.

“Because when there’s nowhere to turn, no one listens or wants to listen, people simply gather in platoons, in groups, and leave because they will not tolerate this.”

Last month, Ukrainian journalist Vladimir Boyko reported that there have been more than 213,000 registered cases of unauthorized abandonment of military units in Ukraine.

He noted that these figures only account for cases where criminal proceedings have been initiated, suggesting the actual numbers may be higher.

Meanwhile, there have been concerns in Kiev that the cash-strapped country, which is to a significant extent dependent on Western economic aid, could struggle to compensate its military.

In April, Ekonomicheskaya Pravda reported that funds initially allocated for military salaries in the latter part of 2025 were redirected to purchase drones, ammunition, and other weaponry.

In May, the first deputy chairman of the parliamentary finance committee, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, suggested that Ukraine faced a 400 billion hryvnia ($9.6 billion) shortfall in defense spending, which he said requires budget revisions.

In addition to recurring AWOLs, Ukraine has been struggling with its forced mobilization campaign, which often leads to violent clashes between reluctant recruits and draft officers.

https://www.rt.com/russia/621116-ukrainian-mp-corruption-awols/

Red Sea crisis escalates as crew evacuate bulk carrier attacked by drones

July 7, 2025

The Magic Seas, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned, 63,301 dwt bulk carrier, was severely damaged in a coordinated maritime assault off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, marking the first Houthi attack on merchant ships this year, and setting back any plans for a significant return of the global merchant fleet to the Suez Canal.

The crew on the vessel, owned by Allseas Marine, were forced to abandon ship after being hit by multiple sea drones, with all crewmembers safely rescued by a passing merchant ship, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and maritime security firm Ambrey.

The assault unfolded approximately 52 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, a port city in western Yemen.

It involved a multi-stage attack that began with eight small boats firing gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades, followed by a barrage from four unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).

Two of the drones reportedly struck the port side of the vessel, causing significant cargo damage and triggering a fire onboard.

While no group immediately claimed responsibility, Ambrey assessed the attack as consistent with the “Houthi target profile,” and the Yemeni militia later confirmed on its Al Ansar Telegram channel that the vessel met its criteria for targeting.

AllSeas Marine has had a number of ships call in Israel recently. There is strong speculation that the Magic Seas is likely to sink.

Maritime security specialists Vanguard hit out today at the failure by the Magis Seas owner and its contracted security team for failing to undertake thorough risk assessments prior to transiting the Red Sea.

“An ownership affiliation report would have easily shown that the owner of the vessel actually had another vessel at port in Israel at the time of the attack, in addition to previous calls made by other vessels in the past year,” Vanguard explained in a note to clients, adding:

“These factors put the Magic Seas at an extreme risk of being targeted. Either the risk assessment was conducted extremely poorly, or it was ignored completely.

Either way, the company and PMSC involved did not demonstrate acceptable levels of risk planning mitigation, putting the lives of the crew at risk.”

“Four naval drones attacked a ship,” the Houthis said in their statement. “Our assessment indicates that the attacked ship meets the Yemeni criteria for targeting ships. Two naval drones collided with the left side of the ship, causing damage to its cargo.”

The attack highlights a potential breakdown of the ceasefire understanding brokered in May, in which president Donald Trump’s administration agreed to pause US strikes on Houthi positions after assurances that the group would halt interference with commercial shipping in key Middle East lanes.

Ambrey reported that the Magic Seas was struck twice, with the latter attack forcing the crew to abandon ship after the vessel began taking on water and lost propulsion.

A private armed security team onboard returned fire during the initial small boat assault, but could not prevent the drone strikes that followed.

The incident comes amid escalating regional instability following the Israel-Iran conflict and US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

The Houthis had previously warned they would resume attacks on US shipping if Washington became directly involved in hostilities with Iran, though it remains unclear whether this attack signals a formal return to hostilities or is part of a new asymmetric campaign.

Meanwhile, Israel has overnight struck various Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen as well as targeting the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-owned car carrier seized by the Houthis 20 months ago.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial shipping, resulting in two vessels sunk, one seized, and at least four seafarers killed. The offensive has disrupted global trade routes, forcing major carriers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.

Prior to the Magic Seas attack yesterday,, the last confirmed Houthi assault on a merchant vessel occurred on December 26, 2024. In that incident, the MSC United VIII was targeted by a naval missile launched by Houthi forces in the Red Sea.

https://splash247.com/red-sea-crisis-escalates-as-crew-evacuate-bulk-carrier-attacked-by-drones/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/6/gunmen-target-shipping-vessel-in-red-sea

Ukraine confirms drone strike on Russian chemical plant near Moscow

July 7, 2025 5:42 pm

Ukraine's military confirmed on July 7 that it targeted a chemical plant in Russia's Moscow Oblast used for producing ammunition and explosives, the General Staff said.

The plant, located 88 kilometers (55 miles) northeast of Moscow, produces industrial and military-grade chemicals, including explosives, ammunition components, and aircraft protection systems.

Established in 1915, the plant is one of the city's largest employers and plays a key role in Russia's defense-industrial complex. Its location in Krasnozavodsk places it roughly 530 kilometers (329 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

It is affiliated with the Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec and supplies the Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service (FSB), and other law enforcement agencies.

Moscow Oblast authorities have not officially confirmed the attack. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses intercepted or destroyed 91 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including eight over Moscow Oblast.

In a statement released later on July 7, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that units from its Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with other elements of the Defense Forces, carried out a precision strike against the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant.

The facility was specifically targeted to disrupt Russia's ability to produce explosive materials and ammunition, including thermobaric warheads used in Shahed-type drones.

"A series of explosions was recorded in the area of Krasnozavodsk, and firefighting equipment was seen moving through neighboring settlements," the statement read. The results of the strike are still being assessed, it added.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the reports.

The reported strike comes as part of Ukraine's broader campaign to disrupt Russian logistics, weapons production, and supply lines far behind the front line.

In recent months, Ukrainian drones have hit multiple industrial and military sites across Russia, including oil depots, airfields, and electronics facilities.

https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-reportedly-target-russian-chemical-plant-near-moscow-06-2025/

https://twitter.com/ASTRA_PRESS/status/1942110611661349128

Ukrainian drone strike hits major oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, HUR source claims

July 7, 2025 3:01 pm

Long-range Ukrainian drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai on July 7, hitting one of the facility's technological workshops, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.

Located roughly 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory, the refinery is among the largest in southern Russia, producing over 6 million tons of fuel annually.

It is involved in the reception, storage, and processing of hydrocarbons and distributes refined products via road and rail.

The refinery is part of Russia's military-industrial complex and plays a direct role in supporting Moscow's war effort, the source said.

The Russian regional operational headquarters claimed that "drone debris" fell on the oil refinery.

The strike marks a renewed wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, following a months-long pause since March. On July 1, Ukrainian drones struck the Saratovorgsintez oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast.

Kyiv has targeted dozens of refineries, oil depots, and military-industrial sites since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Winter drone attacks forced at least four Russian refineries to temporarily shut down.

This is the second known strike on the Ilsky refinery. Ukrainian drones, operated by the Security Service (SBU) and Special Operations Forces (SSO), previously targeted the facility on Feb. 17, causing a fire.

Krasnodar Krai, a strategic region along Russia's Black Sea coast, has increasingly come under Ukrainian drone attacks as Kyiv extends the range of its strikes deep into Russian territory.

https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drone-strike-hits-major-oil-refinery-in-russias-krasnodar-krai-06-2025/

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/55815

https://t.me/dsns_telegram/45602

https://t.me/dsns_telegram/45598

Russian Strike on Odesa Kills Civilian as Drone Blitz Injures 60 in Kharkiv, Cuts Power in Kyiv

July 7, 2025, 12:41 pm

[UPDATED: July 7, 12:41 pm , Kyiv time. Updated with Ukraine’s Air Force report Updated at 11:45 a.m. with a report on a second drone attack on Kharkiv Updated at 12:41 p.m. with a report on casualties of a second drone attack in Kharkiv Updated at 2:21 p.m. with increased casualty numbers in Kharkiv]

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with Shahed drones, heavily targeting Kharkiv, Odesa, and Kyiv, according to local authorities.

In Kharkiv, more than 20 civilians were wounded when drones struck residential areas and civilian infrastructure in the early hours of July 7.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov and the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Synehubov, confirmed that the Shevchenkivskyi and Slobidskyi districts were hit. A kindergarten building and multiple residential structures were damaged.

As of Synehubov’s latest update, 23 people were injured in total, including three children. Fifteen were hurt in Shevchenkivskyi and eight in Slobidskyi. At least three people, including one child, were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Emergency services continue working at the strike sites.

Terekhov later confirmed 27 injured in Kharkiv.

At 10:22 a.m., Kharkiv Mayor reported a second Russian drone strike on the city.

According to him, six Shahed drones targeted residential streets, vehicles, and pedestrians over a 10-minute span beginning at 11:00 a.m. In the Kholodnohirskyi district, a building’s roof caught fire.

Nearby, several homes were damaged, windows and facades shattered, and cars burned. One person was reported injured.

Drones also struck a roadway near residential buildings, setting cars ablaze and damaging trolleybus lines, utility poles, and traffic lights. In another location, a drone hit near a two-story building, crushing more than ten vehicles.

Additionally, another house caught fire as a direct result of a Shahed strike.

“These are our realities today. But Kharkiv will rise after every attack. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. City services, emergency responders, and volunteers are on the ground,” Terekhov wrote.

Later, the head of the Kharkiv OVA confirmed that the toll from the latest attack continues to rise.

“As of now, 11 people are known to be injured. Medical teams are providing prompt assistance. Seven of the injured are hospitalized, and one person is in extremely serious condition,” he wrote on Telegram.

However, he later updated the information in a report on the aftermath of the latest Russian shelling of Kharkiv.

“Sixteen people were injured, including a 17-year-old boy,” Synehubov wrote.

According to him, the Kholodnohirskyi district came under attack. Administrative buildings and a five-story residential building were damaged, while two cars and another residential building caught fire.

Later, he reported that the number of people injured in the latest Russian attack on Kharkiv has risen to 33.

“Among the injured are three children - boys aged 8 and 17, and a 10-year-old girl. They suffered acute stress reactions. Doctors are providing all the injured with the necessary medical assistance,” the statement said.

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>>23289598

With this second strike, the total number of people injured in Kharkiv today has risen to 60.

At around 1 a.m., the head of the Odesa OVA, Oleh Kiper, warned that the city was under drone attack. Amid the alert, local Telegram channels reported the sound of explosions, which were followed by additional blasts.

Kiper later confirmed that one person was killed in the attack.

“Despite the active work of air defense forces, there was destruction and damage to civilian infrastructure in the city, including service stations and passenger vehicles,” he wrote.

According to him, the strike caused a fire in a security room near a newly constructed building.

“Unfortunately, one security guard was killed. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. All authorized services are working to eliminate the consequences,” the report stated.

Meanwhile, Kyiv was also attacked by Shahed drones early on Monday morning. The city experienced two air raid alerts: from 1:37 to 2:15 a.m. and again from 7:48 to 8:04 a.m.

The capital sustained damage in multiple districts, with the most serious consequence being the loss of hot water in 500 buildings, including schools, hospitals, and government facilities. No injuries were reported.

In Desnianskyi, drone debris damaged the facade of an administrative building, a gas pipe, and a storage tank. A fire broke out but was quickly extinguished.

In Solomyanskyi, debris landed on a car wash, damaging cars and a water pipe.

In Holosiivskyi, falling debris smashed office windows and ruptured a large-diameter heating main, leaving hundreds of buildings without hot water.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed the damage on Telegram, adding that utilities were already at work to restore services.

Moreover, as per the DSNS, two people died in the Sumy region while one man was killed in the southern Kherson region, according to the regional governor.

The head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, responded to the latest attack in a Telegram post:

“Odesa, Kharkiv. Once again, massive Russian strikes – once again, civilians and their homes have suffered.”

He emphasized that one of the key principles of defense is eliminating the enemy’s ability to produce weapons of mass destruction. Russia’s military-industrial complex, he said, must be weakened through all available means - from sanctions to direct strikes.

“Sanctions alone are still not enough – more is needed. We are striking, but there are ways to do it faster,” Yermak wrote.

He added that the West must understand the broader implications of Russia’s expanding weapons production:

“The Western world must realize that Russia’s scaling up of weapons production only brings closer the day when those weapons will be used not just against Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that between 21:30 on July 6 and the morning of July 7, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using four S-300/400 surface-to-air guided missiles from the Kursk region, along with 101 Shahed strike UAVs and various types of decoy drones from multiple directions.

“As of 09:30, air defenses had neutralized 75 enemy Shahed UAVs (and other drone types) across northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine.

Fifty-eight were shot down by conventional fire, while 17 were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare,” the report stated.

According to the military, hits were recorded over 10 locations, with debris from downed UAVs falling in seven areas.

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Ukrainian Drone Attacks Trigger Major Flight Disruptions at Russia’s Busiest Airports

July 7, 2025

Thousands of airline passengers at airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg were facing travel chaos on Monday after hundreds of flights were delayed and others cancelled amid Ukrainian drone attacks.

Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said 104 outbound flights were delayed for more than two hours at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg as of Monday morning. Eight incoming and outgoing flights were also canceled.

At Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, 40 flights were delayed, though none were canceled, according to Rosaviatsia. However, the airport’s own website showed several flights being cancelled.

The agency also claimed that “all airports in the country are currently operating as normal,” but the timetables on the websites of airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg showed significant delays and cancellations into Monday evening.

Between Saturday and Monday morning, airlines were forced to cancel 485 flights and delay another 1,900, impacting over 240,000 passengers.

Those disruptions came as Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down more than 200 Ukrainian drones over the weekend.

On Monday, the ministry said it had downed 91 drones overnight, including eight over the Moscow region and three over the Leningrad region.

Videos and photos shared on social media showed overcrowded terminals at airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with some passengers sleeping on the floor as they waited for updates on their flights.

The flight disruptions are estimated to have cost airlines around 20 billion rubles ($250 million), industry experts and airline sources told the business newspaper Kommersant.

Similar scenes played out at Russian airports last summer, as near-daily drone attacks on Moscow prompted airports in the surrounding area to introduce temporary closures and flight restrictions.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/07/ukrainian-drone-attacks-trigger-major-flight-disruptions-at-russias-busiest-airports-a89702

>>23288710

its in the same storage as the roswell aliens