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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
August 4, 2025
Blue Arcs Toward Andromeda
What are these gigantic blue arcs near the Andromeda Galaxy (M31)? Discovered in 2022 by amateur astronomers, the faint arcs dubbed SDSO 1 span nearly the same angular size as M31 itself. At first, their origin was a mystery: are they actually near the Andromeda Galaxy, or alternatively near to our Sun? Now, over 550 hours of combined exposure and a collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers has revealed strong evidence for their true nature: SDSO 1 is not intergalactic, but a new class of planetary nebula within our galaxy. Dubbed a Ghost Planetary Nebula (GPN), SDSO 1 is the first recognized member of a new subclass of faded planetary nebulas, along with seven others also recently identified. Shown in blue are extremely faint oxygen emission from the shock waves, while the surrounding red is a hydrogen-emitting trail that indicates the GPN's age.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
NASA confirms two massive asteroids passing close to Earth today: No threat, just discovery
Updated: August 04, 2025 19:18 IST
NASA has reportedly spotted two near-Earth asteroids, 2025 OA3 and 2025 PA, which are moving through space towards Earth.
These asteroids are roughly 120 feet wide, comparable to the size of a passenger aircraft. It is further stated that the asteroids are travelling at extremely high speeds, and fortunately, both are expected to pass by at safe distances today.
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2025 OA3 is moving at a blistering speed of 30,498 miles per hour and will pass Earth at a distance of 1.42 million miles.
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2025 PA is slightly slower at 22,219 miles per hour, flying by at a distance of 2.05 million miles.
Despite being labelled as ‘near-Earth’ objects, experts have confirmed that both will miss our planet by a comfortable margin.
Why ancient asteroids matter?
Asteroids like these are not just rocks flying through space. They are ancient remnants from the formation of our solar system, dating back around 4.6 billion years.
Studying them helps scientists learn more about the early conditions that shaped Earth and possibly led to the origin of life.
In fact, past asteroid impacts have had massive consequences on Earth; one famously wiped out the dinosaurs. That’s why scientists are constantly monitoring these celestial bodies.
How does NASA protect Earth from potential threats?
NASA, through its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), uses advanced radar systems to track the paths of asteroids.
These technologies allow researchers to predict future encounters with incredible accuracy. Missions like OSIRIS-REx and Japan’s Hayabusa2 have already returned asteroid samples, offering crucial insights into the building blocks of life.
While there’s no threat from today’s flybys, consistent monitoring plays a critical role in planetary defence. Every close encounter helps experts refine their predictions and prepare for any real danger in the future.
There is no need to panic. But as two ancient space travellers zip past us today, scientists are getting another opportunity to study the cosmos and ensure our planet stays safe from any future asteroid risks.
https://www.indiatvnews.com/science/nasa-confirms-two-massive-asteroids-passing-close-to-earth-today-no-threat-just-discovery-2025-08-04-1001993
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid-watch/next-five-approaches/
Fertilized!
After 178 Days in Orbit, NASA Astronaut’s ‘Lightbulb Moment’ Exposes Humanity’s Biggest Lie
August 4, 2025
When NASA astronaut Ronald Garan looked down at Earth from 250 miles (402.34 km) above its surface, he didn’t just see continents and oceans. He saw contradiction.
Beauty, fragility—and a lie that he believes defines the way we live. “From space,” Garan said, “it becomes painfully clear how our human-made systems treat Earth’s vital systems as mere subsidiaries of the global economy.”
After 178 days in orbit across two missions, what Garan calls his “lightbulb moment” has sparked a growing conversation about how we structure society—and why that needs to change.
A Thin Blue Lifeline Wrapped Around a Fragile Planet
Garan’s revelation didn’t come during a dramatic event. It came quietly, during long hours floating aboard the International Space Station (ISS), watching the planet turn.
What stood out most wasn’t just the view, but Earth’s thin atmosphere, a glowing blue arc that he described as “a lifeline for all living beings.”
Lightning storms, auroras, and even the movement of weather systems unfolded beneath him in a visual symphony—one that underscored how interconnected everything really is.
This fragile beauty is hard to grasp from the ground. But from space, it’s impossible to ignore. “You see how everything’s connected,” Garan later said in a Big Think interview.
“But you also see how deeply disconnected our systems are from that reality.” His point wasn’t about climate change alone—it was about a civilization-scale misalignment.
The Economic Hierarchy That Astronauts Can’t Unsee
From Garan’s view in orbit, the problem wasn’t technological or scientific. It was philosophical.
We’ve designed a global structure where the economy dominates both society and the environment, instead of serving them. This, he says, is the “lie” that governs modern life.
“We’re living a lie,” Garan said bluntly. The lie, as he frames it, is the idea that growth and profit should guide decision-making, even when it damages the planet’s life-support systems.
“The economy is not the foundation,” he explained. “The Earth is the foundation. Without it, the economy doesn’t even exist.”
This critique echoes growing concerns raised by climate scientists, economists, and policy researchers. A 2021 study from the Stockholm Resilience Centre laid out “planetary boundaries” for safe human activity.
In their framework, multiple boundaries—including biosphere integrity and biogeochemical flows—have already been exceeded, largely due to economic drivers.
Garan’s message aligns with this: the current model isn’t sustainable, and astronauts are among the few people who’ve seen that from outside the system.
Why ‘Earthrise’ Still Matters—56 Years Later
Garan often references the iconic Apollo 8 Earthrise photo, taken in 1968. For millions, that image marked a psychological shift.
It showed our planet not as a map, but as a whole, drifting in the void—beautiful and alone. “It made us realize Earth is one system, one home,” Garan said.
More than half a century later, astronauts still describe similar emotional impacts. Psychologists call it the “overview effect”, a cognitive shift experienced during spaceflight that changes how people see Earth.
Astronauts from different countries report a sense of unity, vulnerability, and deep responsibility after seeing Earth from orbit.
“There’s no such thing as ‘them’—there’s only us,” Garan said. That line has resonated in environmental circles, but also in discussions about governance, global cooperation, and even ethics.
If the people who’ve seen the big picture are all saying the same thing—maybe we should listen.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/08/after-178-days-in-orbit-nasa-astronauts-lightbulb-moment-exposes-humanitys-biggest-lie/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJGCAWTgbn0
Aug. 4, 1972: Extreme space weather detonates mines
August 4, 2025
Today in the history of astronomy, a solar storm does a lot more than just put on an auroral show.
In early August 1972, a series of flares and other solar-storm phenomena generated extreme space weather events in what is considered a Carrington-class event.
By the 4th, a coronal mass ejection had reached Earth, arriving in just 14.6 hours – a record.
Electrical, telephone, and other communication-grid problems hit North America while bright aurora danced overhead, appearing much farther south than normally visible.
But perhaps the most unique effect was the detonation of dozens of the U.S. Navy’s sea mines off the coast of North Vietnam: The mines were designed to detonate when a ship’s metal hull disrupted the magnetic field around them, and exploded after sudden magnetic spikes from the solar storm.
The event prompted the Navy to accelerate the development of replacement mines that would be sensitive to not just magnetic field fluctuations, but seismic waves as well.
https://www.astronomy.com/today-in-the-history-of-astronomy/aug-4-1972-extreme-space-weather-detonates-mines/
Chinese space debris lands near Tubbataha, Palawan
August 4, 2025 | 7:35pm
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Space Agency has confirmed that debris from a Chinese Long March 12 rocket fell within Philippine waters off Palawan on Monday evening, August 4.
The rocket launched from China's Hainan International Commercial Launch Center in Wenchang at approximately 6:21 PM Philippine time on Monday.
Expected debris was projected to have fallen in the identified drop zones located about 21 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and 18 nautical miles from Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, the space agency said in an advisory.
This falls within the contiguous zone or the exclusive economic zone within which the country has jurisdiction over marine resources.
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a marine protected area and world-renowned scuba diving site. Estimated to be over 97,000 hectares in size, the waters are also home to over 1,200 marine species.
These rocket launches are part of China's rapidly expanding space program, driven by military ambitions, commercial interests, and plans to build massive satellite internet constellations that can, among others, compete with SpaceX's Starlink.
Earlier warnings. PhilSA earlier issued warnings about the rocket launch through a Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, that flagged aerospace flight activity in the area.
The agency sent pre-launch reports to relevant government agencies and authorities before the rocket launch.
According to PhilSA, unburned rocket components, including boosters and fairings are typically jettisoned as rockets enter outer space.
While the debris was not projected to hit land or populated areas, officials had warned it poses risks to ships, aircraft, fishing vessels and other craft passing through the drop zone.
The agency also cautioned that debris could float in the waters and potentially wash toward nearby coastlines.
"Additionally, the possibility of an uncontrolled re-entry to the atmosphere of the rocket’s upper stages returning from outer space cannot be ruled out at this time," the space agency's advisory read.
Caution advised. PhilSA asked the public to inform local authorities if they see any suspected debris.
However, it also cautioned them against retrieving or coming in close contact with these materials, which may contain remnants of toxic substances such as rocket fuel.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/08/04/2463097/chinese-space-debris-lands-near-tubbataha-palawan
Tron network founder Justin Sun returns from space
August 3, 2025
Justin Sun, founder of the layer-1 Tron blockchain network, returned safely from a commercial spaceflight on Saturday, alongside five other crew members aboard Blue Origin mission NS-34.
The other crew members included the founder of venture capital firm Alpha Funds, J.D. Russell, entrepreneur Gökhan Erdem, real estate investor Arvi Bahal, meteorologist Deborah Martorell, and philanthropist and teacher Lionel Pitchford.
Sun placed a $28 million bid for a seat aboard Blue Origin spaceflight NS-34 in 2021 and won the first reservation for the scheduled mission.
“Earth is so small, and it's our home. We definitely need to do whatever we can to protect it,” Sun said following the safe return of the flight on Saturday. He also added:
The Tron founder’s reaction to seeing the Earth from a spacecraft is common among astronauts and is known as the “Overview Effect.”
This phenomenon is characterized as a cognitive shift about the planet’s interconnectedness and humanity’s place in the universe.
Blockchain in outer space, taking immutability to the stars
Several crypto projects are attempting to bring the decentralization and immutability of blockchain to space as humankind pushes through the final frontier.
Filecoin, a project building out decentralized storage systems, and defense contractor Lockheed Martin, successfully tested the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) in January 2024.
The IPFS is a way of transmitting data from Earth through space, and the January 2024 demonstration showcased how files could be sent from the planet to space and back again through satellites.
Filecoin Foundation president Marta Belcher told Cointelegraph that decentralized file storage and the IPFS are necessary for interplanetary and space communication.
Belcher explained that decentralized data storage through blockchain networks reduces latency, ensures communications are tamper-proof, and protects the integrity of data from constant solar radiation that bombards space infrastructure, causing degradation of sensitive computer equipment like hard drives and corrupting data in the process.
In December 2024, Spacecoin XYZ, a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePin), which launches satellites into space for its blockchain communication network, launched its first satellite into orbit above the planet.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/tron-founder-justin-sun-returns-space
Watch Rocket Lab launch private Japanese radar satellite to orbit tonight
August 4, 2025
Rocket Lab will launch a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for the Japanese Earth-imaging company iQPS tonight (Aug. 4), and you can watch the action live.
An Electron rocket carrying the QPS-SAR-12 satellite, nicknamed Kushinada-I, is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site tonight at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT and 3:45 p.m. local New Zealand time on Aug. 5).
Rocket Lab will stream the action live beginning 30 minutes before launch. Space.com will carry the feed as well, if, as expected, the company makes it available.
If all goes according to plan tonight, the Electron will deploy Kushinada-I into a circular orbit 357 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth about 54 minutes after launch.
The satellite will "join the rest of the QPS-SAR constellation in providing high-resolution synthetic aperture radar images and Earth-monitoring services globally," Rocket Lab wrote in a description of the mission, which it calls "The Harvest Goddess Thrives." (The name is a reference to Kushinada, a Japanese goddess of harvest and prosperity.)
As its formal name suggests, QPS-SAR-12 will be the 12th iQPS satellite to reach orbit. The Japanese company aims to operate a constellation of 36 SAR spacecraft, which can peer through clouds and study Earth's surface at night as well as during the day.
"The data gathered by QPS-SAR constellation has the potential to revolutionize industries and reshape the future," Rocket Lab wrote in the mission's press kit, which you can find here.
"By leveraging insights from moving object data, iQPS can unlock new economic value, enhance urban safety and security, and provide predictive analytics for agriculture, national economies, and regional markets when integrated with weather, market, and economic data," the company added.
"The Harvest God Thrives" will be Rocket Lab's fifth mission for iQPS and the 69th overall flight to date for the 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) Electron, which gives small satellites dedicated rides to orbit.
Rocket Lab also operates a suborbital version of Electron called HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron), which serves as a testbed for hypersonic technology. And the company is developing a larger rocket called Neutron, which could debut later this year.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-launch-private-japanese-radar-satellite-iqps-harvest-god-thrives
https://rocketlabcorp.com/missions/next-mission/
https://rocketlabcorp.com/live-stream/
Nearly 400,000 have deserted Ukrainian army – MP
4 Aug, 2025 09:58
Almost 400,000 Ukrainian servicemen have abandoned their units without authorization, and many – including volunteers – have no plans to return due to abysmal treatment from superiors, Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod has said.
In an interview with Ukrainian media on Sunday, the lawmaker said that while the figure does not represent irretrievable losses, as many of those going AWOL eventually return, this is not always the case.
“Many will never return, because it is principled… You can’t treat like animals those who volunteered, fought for three years without seeing family,” she said.
According to Skorokhod, these people “deserve the right to return home to their families, to their children, wives, to get back to an ordinary life.
[…] But they are being told ‘you will return only after victory’ – which only exacerbates the situation,” she said, stressing that this kind of treatment from the leadership is the key reason for soldiers going off the radar.
Ukrainian Journalist Vladimir Boiko reported last month that the authorities had filed more than 107,000 criminal cases on desertions and AWOLs in the first half of 2025.
He said the total number of cases had exceeded 230,000 since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, with the real number of incidents possibly even higher.
The chief reasons for Ukrainian soldiers leaving are exhaustion, lack of motivation, and bureaucratic hurdles, such as soldiers eligible for discharge being refused release, according to local officials and media reports.
Last month, Skorokhod said that another notable problem is corruption and extortion of combat pay by commanders.
Ukraine announced general mobilization shortly after the start of the conflict, barring men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. Last year, it lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 while tightening mobilization rules.
The forced conscription campaign has triggered repeated violent clashes between reluctant recruits and draft officers. Last week, public discontent erupted into a riot in the city of Vinnytsia when protesters tried to force the release of newly mobilized men.
Violent encounters occurred between demonstrators and police, with numerous arrests.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622456-ukrainian-soldiers-awol-animal-treatment/
Ukrainian soccer fans filmed performing Nazi salutes – media
3 Aug, 2025 18:57
A video showing a crowd of Ukrainian soccer fans repeatedly performing a Nazi salute during their team’s match against a rival club has been published by a Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua.
The short clip shows numerous men, mostly dressed in black, repeatedly chanting: “Glory to the nation!” and “Ukraine!”
The people in the video were identified by Strana.ua as “ultras” of the Veres Rivne football club. Photos and videos showing “the same people wearing the same clothes” were published on the social media pages of club fans, the outlet reported.
Veres hosted Dynamo Kiev on Saturday with the home club suffering a 0:1 defeat. There have been no reports of the Ukrainian authorities reacting in any way to the video showing Nazi salutes that has emerged on social media.
Moscow has long condemned Kiev’s elevation of Nazi collaborators to national hero status and has accused Western governments of deliberately ignoring continued neo-Nazi activity in Ukrainian ranks.
In June, French outlet Le Monde reported that Nazi symbols were prevalent in the Ukrainian military. The newspaper identified nearly 350 Ukrainian troops posting neo-Nazi imagery online, including Nazi salutes, swastika tattoos, Black Sun emblems, and Totenkopf insignias as part of its investigation.
In April, three Ukrainian youths were photographed giving Nazi salutes at a Holocaust memorial in the northeastern city of Kharkov.
The incident occurred at the Drobitsky Yar memorial site, where up to 20,000 Jews were executed during the Nazi occupation in World War II.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622438-ukrainian-soccer-fans-nazi-salutes/
UK plotting attack on oil tanker – Moscow
4 Aug, 2025 12:59
The British secret services are considering using Ukrainian forces to stage a sabotage operation and trigger NATO action against what the West has described as Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, the Russian Foreign Intelligence service (SVR) said on Monday.
The statement claimed that UK spies are considering either blocking a maritime traffic bottleneck by damaging an oil tanker it claims is part of a “shadow fleet” or staging a major fire at a nation friendly to Russia during a port call by one of the vessels.
“It would appear that the nostalgic sentiment over the lost domination on the seas and crown-sanctioned piracy has fully knocked remaining common sense from the British intelligence community,” the SVR said.
Western nations have been trying to curb Moscow’s oil trade revenues by targeting ships they believe to be carrying Russian crude with various restrictions.
Media reports previously said plans were under consideration to escalate the crackdown with direct policing action that would cite safety and environmental concerns. Opponents of the proposals have argued they are based on shaky legal grounds.
According to the SVR, a major disaster involving a shipment of Russian crude could be used as a pretext to declare all suspected “shadow fleet” cargoes potentially dangerous and warranting detention in international waters.
The Ukrainians, the agency claimed, have been chosen as proxies to ensure that the attack would not be traced back to its origins. Western officials would blame either Russia or, if Kiev’s involvement is exposed, on Ukraine, the SVR said.
The idea is to time the strike in a way that would put maximum pressure on the administration of US President Donald Trump to declare buyers of Russian oil as “secondary parties responsible” for the incident and impose sanctions on them, the statement claimed.
The SVR drew a parallel between the alleged plot and the attacks on the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines in September 2022. The Russian-German infrastructure was disabled in a complicated demolition operation, which the West initially blamed on Moscow.
The attack resulted in the release of between 445 000 and 485 000 tonnes of methane gas, according to a recent study, making it a major environmental incident.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622468-svr-shadow-fleet-attack/
Putin-Zelensky meeting possible – Kremlin
4 Aug, 2025 09:36
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be open to a meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky once all the necessary preparations have been completed by delegations from the two countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Zelensky has claimed that substantial negotiations with Russia are only possible if he and Putin are directly involved. Moscow maintains that Zelensky’s legitimacy is in doubt and that a meeting must only come after a peace deal is broadly agreed by the two parties.
Peskov reiterated Moscow’s stance during a regular press briefing, stressing that a Putin-Zelensky summit can only come “after the necessary work on the expert level is done, and sufficient distance is crossed.”
Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year, remains in power despite provisions in the Ukrainian Constitution which require the transfer of power to the speaker of parliament in such a scenario.
The country’s legislation forbids elections under martial law and offers emergency extensions of terms for elected lawmakers, but not the president.
Russia considers Zelensky’s disputed status an internal Ukrainian matter, but has argued that the legality of any international treaty he signs could be challenged as a result.
The Ukrainian leader has claimed that Putin’s failure to talk with him directly proves that Moscow does not seek peace, and that Kiev’s foreign backers should therefore continue to supply weapons and ramp up sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian diplomats have indicated that their government agreed to lower-level direct peace talks with Russia earlier this year – which Zelensky suspended in 2022 – to avoid the perception in the West that Kiev was an obstacle to a truce.
Three rounds of negotiations have been held in Istanbul since May, leading to several prisoner swaps and the repatriation of the remains of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers recovered by Russian forces on the battlefield.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622454-kremlin-hints-putin-summit/
Ukrainian drones disrupt civilian rail traffic in Russia – governor
4 Aug, 2025 09:07
Overnight Ukrainian drone attacks have disrupted passenger rail traffic and caused a power outage in Russia’s Volgograd Region, local officials reported Monday.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said 61 fixed-wing drones were downed during the latest raid, with about half intercepted over the Black Sea and Voronezh Region.
No casualties were reported, but damage occurred on the ground in Volgograd Region, where six drones were neutralized.
One severed a high-voltage power line as it crashed, according to Volgograd Governor Andrey Bocharov. Another was downed next to a railway track without detonating, prompting bomb disposal teams to respond. Russian Railways announced delays of up to 4 hours for some trains as a result.
The railway station in Frolovo, located roughly 430km east from Kiev-controlled territory and 135km northwest of the city of Volgograd, suffered minor infrastructure damage, Bocharov added.
The drone attacks also triggered temporary suspensions of air traffic in areas near Volgograd and Tambov, according to Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia.
Officials in Kiev have described Ukrainian drone operations as an attempt to increase pressure on Moscow and force an unconditional ceasefire.
Russia has rejected such proposals, viewing them as efforts by Ukraine to buy time for regrouping its embattled frontline forces.
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, insisting its own strikes are aimed strictly at military-related targets, including weapons factories and fuel depots used by the Ukrainian military.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622453-ukrainian-drones-volgograd-region/
Trump announces new date for Witkoff Moscow visit
4 Aug, 2025 03:00
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will visit Moscow “next week,” just days before his 10-day ultimatum for Russia to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine expires.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said the trip would “likely” take place on Wednesday or Thursday, after a previously announced visit over the weekend did not occur.
He did not elaborate on Witkoff’s full schedule but indicated that the envoy’s mission was focused on bringing about a ceasefire.
“Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed,” Trump said, when asked what message Witkoff would deliver to Russian officials and whether Moscow could do anything at this point to avoid new sanctions.
“Well, there’ll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions. You know, they are wily characters, and they’re pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” he added.
The US president claimed that Moscow had “asked” for Witkoff’s visit, but the Kremlin has yet to comment on the reports.
Trump’s remarks come amid his growing frustration with Russia over the ongoing Ukraine conflict, which he had pledged to resolve within 24 hours upon returning to office.
Last week, he shortened his original 50-day window for peace talks to just ten days, warning that failure to reach a settlement by August 8 would trigger harsh penalties, including potential 100% tariffs and so-called “secondary sanctions” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India.
The White House has not disclosed whether Witkoff is expected to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two men have previously held multiple meetings in Moscow, though diplomatic progress has remained elusive.
Russia has repeatedly expressed willingness to engage in talks but maintains that any peace agreement must reflect “new territorial realities.”
Speaking on Friday, Putin reiterated that Moscow’s conditions – including Ukrainian neutrality and renouncing NATO aspirations – remain unchanged.
Moscow views the Ukraine conflict as a Western-orchestrated proxy war and has accused Washington of trying to dictate peace terms while continuing to arm Kiev.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has downplayed Trump’s threat of new sanctions, noting that Russia has developed an “immunity” after years of economic restrictions.
https://www.rt.com/news/622444-witkoff-visit-moscow-trump/
Funding Kiev is ‘betrayal to majority of Americans’ – GOP congresswoman
3 Aug, 2025 20:36
US politicians who back funding for Kiev risk losing the support of their voters, US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has warned.
Continued financial assistance for the Ukrainian government in its conflict with Russia is a “complete betrayal” of the American people, the Georgia Republican has said.
Her comments came just a day after a group of US senators introduced a bill to allocate $54.6 billion in aid to Ukraine over the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly opposed more US aid to Kiev, arguing that European nations should cover those costs.
“Funding, fueling, and ultimately fighting Russia in Ukraine would be a complete betrayal to the majority of Americans,” Greene wrote in a post on X on Saturday, adding that “America voted to end funding and fighting foreign wars” in the 2024 presidential elections that Donald Trump won.
US taxpayers do not want to pay to murder people “in some foreign land over a foreign conflict that has absolutely zero effect on our lives,” the congresswoman stated, adding that Republicans supporting such policies could “lose the younger generation of voters and may never get them back.”
Americans under 50 are “beginning to feel completely unrepresented by both parties,” particularly because of various initiatives funded by taxpayer money that have already “made life unaffordable and the future bleak for the vast majority of average Americans,” she warned.
The Trump administration has repeatedly expressed concerns about the potential misuse of US aid to Ukraine. Trump himself has claimed on several occasions that billions of dollars allocated by the Biden administration may have been embezzled.
Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes has also criticized continued aid, calling Ukraine “corrupt” and cautioning that its leadership “cannot be trusted” following a recent crackdown on anti-corruption bodies.
Greene herself has previously labelled Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky a “dictator” and called for his removal, accusing him of blocking peace efforts.
Russia has consistently warned that military and financial assistance to Kiev only fuels the conflict and leads to more bloodshed.
https://www.rt.com/news/622439-funding-kiev-betrayal-americans/
IDF commandos kill terrorist, seize firearms in West Bank raid
August 4, 2025 01:54
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian terror suspect early Monday during a raid in the West Bank town of Qabatiya, the military said.
According to the IDF, special units from Duvdevan, the Yamam counterterrorism unit and the Shin Bet internal security agency entered Qabatiya overnight to arrest a wanted Palestinian.
The suspect attempted to flee and opened fire at troops, who returned fire and killed him. His body was removed from the scene.
In a separate operation in the town, forces arrested a second suspect and seized an M-16 rifle, the IDF said.
Palestinian media reported exchanges of gunfire between the suspect and Israeli forces, as well as damage to a building where the first suspect had been hiding. Locals claimed the building was destroyed by troops.
The raid came weeks after a broader counterterrorism sweep in which Israeli forces arrested 70 suspects across the West Bank, including three in Qabatiya who were accused of planning attacks on Israeli soldiers.
At the time, the IDF said troops had uncovered improvised explosive devices, dismantled a bomb-making lab in the village of A-Ram near Ramallah and seized large quantities of weapons and cash allegedly earmarked for terror activity.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjib4g0dlx
https://www.timesofisrael.com/operation-gideons-chariots-comes-to-a-close-with-promised-goals-unfulfilled/
Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ comes to a close, with promised goals unfulfilled
August 4, 2025 3:07 pm
The Israel Defense Forces has been drawing down forces in the Gaza Strip in recent days, as the major offensive it launched against Hamas three months ago, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” appears to have ended.
When the IDF began the offensive in May, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other Israeli officials said that the operation provided for “conquering Gaza” and retaining the territory; moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip; assaulting Hamas; and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.
The main objectives of Gideon’s Chariots, they said, were “the defeat of Hamas in Gaza and the release of all the hostages.”
None of these goals and objectives have been achieved. Meanwhile, the IDF on Thursday said it was withdrawing the 98th Division — an elite formation of paratroopers and commando units — along with two reserve brigades from Gaza.
While political leaders initially said the offensive would see the IDF “conquer” the Strip, it was later clarified that the military would take control of around 75% of the territory, which is where things currently stand.
The IDF did not plan to advance further in Gaza, as Hamas has threatened to execute hostages if troops are seen approaching areas where they are held.
Still, some Israeli political leaders envisioned the army taking control of the entire Strip, and are still considering this.
The IDF has focused its operations in areas where it was able to determine that no hostages were being held.
However, for over a month, those operations have mostly consisted of razing buildings, Hamas tunnels, and other infrastructure used by the terror group, with little direct fighting taking place.
The Israel Defense Forces has been drawing down forces in the Gaza Strip in recent days, as the major offensive it launched against Hamas three months ago, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” appears to have ended.
When the IDF began the offensive in May, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other Israeli officials said that the operation provided for “conquering Gaza” and retaining the territory; moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip; assaulting Hamas; and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.
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The main objectives of Gideon’s Chariots, they said, were “the defeat of Hamas in Gaza and the release of all the hostages.”
The aid distribution sites were meant to replace the traditional method of sending aid into Gaza on trucks, which Israel said were being routinely taken over by Hamas, helping it maintain its grip on power.
However, the GHF aid distribution method appears to have been a colossal failure, with reports of daily deadly shootings by IDF soldiers near aid sites alongside ballooning claims of widespread starvation in the Strip.
Moreover, distribution at GHF sites has been so chaotic after a 78-day Israeli aid blockade that initial plans to register those picking up boxes of assistance were cast aside; so there is no way of knowing whether Hamas operatives are among those benefiting from the new system.
Under international pressure to prevent widespread famine, Israel dramatically shifted its policy to allow more aid to come for distribution by the UN, in addition to facilitating airdrops for the first time in roughly a year. Israel admits that aid delivered this way may end up in Hamas’s hands.
Lastly, the main objective of the operation, securing the release of the 50 hostages — including 20 believed to be alive — remains unmet.
Despite the Israeli military pressure in seizing most of Gaza, the hostage-ceasefire talks with Hamas have stalled. Last month, the US and Israel withdrew their negotiators from Qatar.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has told Israeli political leaders since late June that Operation Gideon’s Chariots had “reached the lines” that were defined before the offensive began.
During a meeting this week, Zamir reportedly pleaded with cabinet ministers to present a strategy for how they want the army to proceed in light of the standstill in hostage talks.
Army Radio on Monday quoted Zamir as saying in recent “closed discussions” that “it is possible to be flexible, and efforts must be made to reach a deal.”
The report said Zamir warned that a prolonged stay in Gaza endangers IDF troops and plays into Hamas’s hands, alongside the issue of increased “erosion” in the standing army and reserves after nearly two years of fighting.
Two alternatives were set to be presented to the political leadership, according to the report: conquering the entire Strip, which the IDF has said it opposes, with the army assessing it could take years to clear all Hamas infrastructure; or continuing to encircle Hamas-held areas and engaging in a war of attrition against the terror group’s guerrilla forces.
Both options would likely put the hostages at risk. As Israel’s political leadership takes its time to decide which option to choose, the IDF is wrapping up the Gideon’s Chariots offensive with very little to show for it.
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Netanyahu: Cabinet to issue IDF new directives to achieve Gaza war goals
Updated: AUGUST 4, 2025 18:05
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that a cabinet meeting will be held later this week to direct the IDF on how to go forward with the three objectives of the Hamas war.
The objectives include both the return of the remaining 50 hostages from Hamas captivity and the end of the terror group’s ability to rule the Palestinian enclave.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in response to Netanyahu’s statements that " great and historic accomplishments” have been made during the war, because we were not divided, because we stood together and fought together.”
He asserted that for continued success, “We need to continue standing together and fighting together to achieve the war objectives we set, all of them; defeating the enemy, releasing our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
Restoring and developing Israel's South
Smotrich added that two new projects were going to begin the the south to support the rehabilitation and development of communities decimated during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre.
The projects, totaling a value of NIS 3.2 billion, focus on Ashkelon, Ofakim, Netivot, Merhavim, Eshkol, Sha'ar Hanegev, and Shadmot Negev.
In Ashkelon, plans are underway to invest in education, infrastructure, culture, sports and the local economy, Smotrich said.
In the other areas mention, Smotrich said the government would invest in the development of industrial zones, innovation and research centers and opening Israel’s first Paralympic village for disabled athletes.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-863211
https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM_heb/status/1952353354534822024