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NASA Scientist Convicted of Mortgage Fraud After Fabricating Pay Stubs To Buy $850K Luxury Home and Defaulting on the Loans
September 18, 2025
A former NASA scientist has pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud after fabricating income records to finance the purchase of an $850,000 luxury home in Texas.
Noreen Khan, 52, and her husband, Christopher Mayberry, 53, purchased the luxury home in Missouri City, TX, in 2017, when Khan was working at NASA as a space toxicologist and Mayberry was employed as a NASA contractor.
In plea agreements, Khan and Mayberry admitted to taking out numerous, significant personal loans to cover the down payment on the home based on falsified income documents, before defaulting on those loans and falsely claiming identity theft.
Court documents stated that in 2019, the couple applied for a new loan to finance the Missouri City home, but said the property would be used as an investment or resale property and not as their primary home. A loan was approved for $820,000.
The government's investigation also revealed that, in 2020, Khan tried to wipe away the loan debt by claiming her identity had been stolen and disputed the accounts on her credit report.
Kahn filed lawsuits against the creditors to try to eliminate the debt. The lenders eventually "charged off" $276,709.42 of debt owed by the couple.
It didn't end there. Court documents state that in 2021, the couple refinanced their Missouri City loan for $895,000.
During that process, an October 2020 bank statement was altered, changing the account owner's name from Khan to her husband, Mayberry.
The investigation also found that tax records and pay stubs were falsified to show that NASA was Mayberry's employer, when in actuality, Mayberry was just a NASA contractor on behalf of Mori & Associates.
All of the loans were signed by Mayberry.
Kahn resigned from NASA on Sept. 29, 2021, and closed on the refinance on Oct. 6, 2021.
The couple pleaded guilty to the fraud charges and face up to five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 maximum fine.
They also risk losing the Missouri City home. They must also pay restitution of $276,709 before sentencing, which is set for Dec. 18.
Mortgage fraud on the rise
About 1 in 116 mortgage applications contained fraud in the second quarter of 2025, according to Cotality's National Mortgage Application Fraud Risk Index.
The data shows the two riskiest investments for mortgage fraud are investment properties and multiunit properties.
"The increase in the fraud risk can partly be attributed to the volatility starting to be seen in the real estate market," Matt Seguin, senior principal of mortgage fraud solutions, said in the Cotality report.
"Interest rate cuts haven’t come at the rate expected over the last year, so purchase transactions, which, historically speaking, have higher fraud risk, continue to represent almost 70% of the applications seen by Cotality."
Cotality analyzed data in six categories of mortgage fraud: identity, transaction, property, income, occupancy, and undisclosed real estate. The research found that every category except occupancy saw an increase in the second quarter.
The largest year-over-year increases were in undisclosed real estate debt and transaction fraud risk. Undisclosed real estate debt rose 12% this year, compared with a 5.9% decline year over year in 2024.
Transaction fraud risk increased 6.2% this year, following a 4.9% increase last year.
The study found several factors contributing to the increase in fraud, including higher insurance costs, home prices, mortgage rates, and the growing popularity of non-qualify mortgage loans—where applicants do not need to meet the strict guidelines for qualified mortgages that are set by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The three states leading the way when it comes to mortgage fraud are New York, Rhode Island, and Florida.
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/nasa-employee-mortgage-fraud-luxury-texas-home/
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/former-nasa-employee-and-husband-convicted-mortgage-fraud-scheme
SpaceX Starlink Mission
September 19, 2025
Just launched.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 24 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This is the 10th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-126, Transporter-12, SPHEREx, NROL-57, and five Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-12
IonQ Signs MOU With DOE For Quantum In-Space Demo
September 19, 2025
Quantum computing firm IonQ ($IONQ) signed an MOU with the US Department of Energy to build on the company’s work to bring quantum tech to orbit.
Next steps: The MOU aims to allow IonQ to perform an in-orbit demo of quantum-secure comms.
The partnership will also study the use of quantum tech in space for other priorities—options include offering a secure alternative to GPS and investigating quantum networking.
“This collaboration is about turning possibility into practice, and learning by doing,” Rima Kasia Oueid, DOE senior commercialization executive and lead architect of the department-led Quantum-in-Space Collaboration that includes IonQ as a new partner, said in a statement. “This collaboration will help us seed a quantum sandbox in space to support resource exploration, and manufacturing of high-value products.”
How we got here: During the past year, IonQ has announced two important acquisitions to build out its quantum offerings.
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In January, IonQ completed its acquisition of quantum networking company Qubitekk.
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In May, it announced that it would acquire SAR imaging company Capella Space.
Bigger picture:
Quantum computing could open up many benefits for the space industry, including quickly processing and analyzing data in-orbit, tracking space debris more precisely to increase safety and cut down required maneuvering, and increasing the security of satellites and their data—something that’s of great interest to the national security and intelligence communities.
https://payloadspace.com/ionq-signs-mou-with-doe-for-quantum-in-space-demo/
Skywatching alert! See 2 bright comets on the same night as a meteor shower this October
September 19, 2025
A long-tailed comet has been spotted close to the sun, and some astronomers are predicting it could be seen with the naked eye in mid-October — just as another comet is forecast to do the same.
It could mean two bright comets will be visible in the night sky at the same time, on the peak night of a meteor shower.
Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), or SWAN R2 for short, was discovered on Sept. 12 by NASA's orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, whose Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) instrument is used to find comets close to the sun.
The previously unknown comet was found in SWAN's images by Vladimir Bezugly, a Ukrainian amateur astronomer, according to Universe Today, and it was initially called SWAN25B.
Three days later, the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center classified the object as a comet and renamed it C/2025 R2 (SWAN).
This long-period comet appears to orbit the sun every 22,554 years, according to EarthSky, and its tail is about the same length as five full moons.
Although SWAN R2 is still very close to the sun — passing close to Mars just after dusk, and best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, for now — that's set to change on Oct. 21, when SWAN R2 will be only 0.27 astronomical units (AU) from Earth, according to The Sky Live.
That's about one-quarter the distance from Earth to the sun.
At that time, the comet could get as bright as magnitude 4, potentially making it visible to the naked eye in dark skies, even in the Northern Hemisphere.
Earth may even pass through debris from the comet around Oct. 4-6, which could potentially cause a unique meteor shower.
Even if it doesn't brighten sufficiently to be seen with the unaided eye, the comet should be easily visible through a pair of stargazing binoculars or a good backyard telescope.
This comet has come to light just as another comet is brightening. Discovered in January by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona, Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) will get closest to Earth on Oct. 21 — the same day as SWAN R2's closest approach.
Comet Lemmon will be about 0.60 AU from Earth and will be visible in the morning and evening. According to Space.com, Lemmon could also get as bright as magnitude 4, which would make it possible to see with the naked eye in a dark sky.
The best nights to see both comets — if they survive their increasingly close approaches to the sun, which is not guaranteed, and they brighten as predicted — will be Oct. 20-23, when they are closest to Earth.
Oct. 21 is the date of the new moon, when night skies will be free of moonlight. Oct. 20-21 is also the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, when about 20 "shooting stars" per hour are expected. You won't want to miss the prospect of two bright comets and meteors in a dark sky.
The last bright comet that was visible to the naked eye was C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), in summer 2020, although in October 2024, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) became visible through binoculars during a close approach to Earth.
https://www.livescience.com/space/comets/skywatching-alert-see-2-bright-comets-on-the-same-night-as-a-meteor-shower-this-october
US Navy robot spacecraft for satellite servicing survives punishing space test
Updated: Sep 19, 2025 05:03 AM EST
The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has tested a robotic system, which could soon inspect, repair, and even upgrade satellites already in orbit.
NRL announced a major milestone on September 18, stating that the robotic satellite service system completed its “space-readiness testing.”
For the testing, the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload was integrated with the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) spacecraft bus.
In the thermal vacuum (TVAC), the duo battled with the punishing extremes of space — intense heat, bitter cold, and the absolute vacuum — within a specialized chamber on Earth.
This milestone is the culmination of over two decades of research and development.
NLR has partnered with Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics, with additional funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for this initiative.
“This is more than a successful test, we are nearing the culmination of decades of work and partnership that began as a vision for on-orbit servicing and it’s exciting to be so close to this technology being space-qualified and ready for flight,” said Bernard Kelm, acting director of the Naval Center for Space Technology.
Geosynchronous orbit servicing
In geosynchronous orbit, some 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth, hundreds of satellites operate, from those used in the military to the commercial ones. However, this remote location makes inspecting, diagnosing, or repairing them impossible.
Even fully working satellites can become obsolete due to old technology, which is costly for owners. Currently, these satellites are built with expensive, heavy backup systems and extra fuel, since there is no possibility of in-orbit assistance.
But the new NRL-developed robotic servicing technology aims to change that equation.
This system will enable close inspections, orbital adjustments, hardware upgrades, and in-orbit repairs.
It features two robotic arms, avionics, and a variety of tools to safely execute Rendezvous and Proximity Operations.
In terms of tools, it is equipped with a suite of cameras, sensors, and infrared imaging to safely approach client satellites.
The RSGS’ robotic arms can perform capture, inspection, and upgrade tasks, with the ability to add new tools if required.
This technology promises to enable routine in-orbit servicing, leading to longer satellite lifespans, reduced costs, and new opportunities for innovation.
“The completion of spacecraft thermal vacuum testing marks the most critical milestone of recognizing that the NRL-developed payload and MRV are capable of working together as a system,” said Dr. Bruce Danly, NRL director of research.
Launch expected next year
The cryogenic thermal vacuum chamber testing was completed at the NRL’s Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) in Washington, D.C., on September 5.
After this testing, the RSGS-MRV system will head to Northrop Grumman’s facility in Virginia for final integrated systems testing.
Once it reaches orbit after the launch, the MRV and its payload will first go through a checkout phase.
The system will begin a series of demonstrations, including proximity operations, rendezvous maneuvers, and client servicing.
These tasks involve everything from resolving satellite anomalies and adjusting orbits to performing hardware upgrades and inspections.
The demonstrations will ultimately prove the system’s ability to extend and improve the service life of satellites.
“With launch preparations starting soon, RSGS is poised to demonstrate its robotic capabilities in orbit for the first time, marking the beginning of a new era in resilient space operations,” the press release noted.
The launch date has not been specified, but reports suggest it is expected to take place in 2026 after initial delays.
https://interestingengineering.com/space/navy-servicing-spacecraft-survives-punishing-test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BCeanUiKwM
Copper shape-memory alloy with outer space potential
19 September 2025
This has potential for space equipment and hydrogen-related technologies.
The study was led by various Japanese institutions, namely Tohoku University, Iwate University, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the National Astronomical Observation of Japan, Tokyo City University and Kyoto University.
Shape-memory alloys can be deformed into different shapes when cold, but will revert to their original shape when heated.
However, prevalent shape-memory alloys that use nickel and titanium cannot maintain their shape-memory ability below -20°C.
While the team claims that known shape-memory alloys that can operate below -100°C are not suitable for practical implementation.
This research has reportedly developed the first functional actuator material capable of large work output at temperatures below -100°C.
Its memory foam characteristics are contributed to by 'the large entropy change in martensitic transformation even at low temperatures', says Toshihiro Omori, research lead in the Department of Materials Science at Tohoku University.
The team of researchers prototyped a mechanical heat switch using a new alloy made of copper (Cu), aluminium (Al) and manganese (Mn) as an actuator.
Four test samples of the Cu-Al-Mn alloy were made and tested as part of the study. The Cu-Al-Mn alloys contain approximately 17at% Al and 13-14at% Mn.
The one used in the actuator test was CAM#2 composed of Cu-17.24Al-13.50Mn. The optimum material was CAMN, composed of Cu-16.86Al-13.39Mn-3.12Ni at.%.
CAM#2 displayed 8.01% strain at 100MPa and 7.74% strain at 400MPa, characteristics that allowed it to work successfully in the actuator.
CAMN was not ready at the time of the actuator test but presents even better characteristics, with a strain of 6.23% at 250MPa and of 6.48% at 650MPa, with comparable strain (%) displayed in between this range.
The alloys were shown to operate effectively at -170°C, controlling heat transfer by switching between contact and non-contact states based on temperature changes.
Furthermore, the operating temperature can be adjusted by modifying its composition.
The material is manufactured using high-frequency induction melting, hot rolling, cold rolling and cycle heat treatment between 900°C and 500°C for obtaining single crystals.
Omori says this work came about because 'our research group has been investigating superelasticity at low temperatures. Superelasticity is one of the properties exhibited in shape-memory alloys.
'During our research activities, we realised that materials exhibiting some properties in low-temperature environments are required in the field of space science.'
Omori says this development paves the way for high-performance actuators that can operate even under cryogenic conditions.
Potential applications include a mechanical heat switch for cooling systems in space telescopes and for advancing hydrogen transportation and storage.
https://www.iom3.org/resource/copper-shape-memory-alloy-with-outer-space-potential.html
Houston-based Axiom Space launches global university alliance to expand microgravity research
September 18, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Houston-based Axiom Space is launching a worldwide university alliance aimed at speeding up research and technology development in microgravity.
The Axiom Space University Alliance, according to a news release, will debut with 15 partner institutions across the U.S., Europe, and Australia, with plans to add more schools and research groups.
The Houston-based institution, which is building a commercial space station to succeed the International Space Station, notes the alliance is intended to keep the scientific pipeline strong during the transition to commercial platforms while growing international collaboration.
Company officials add that the network will coordinate projects that use microgravity for breakthroughs in areas like medicine, advanced materials, as well as space systems, and help set shared research priorities for the next generation of orbital labs.
“As space infrastructure moves from government-led to commercially operated, it’s critical we preserve and expand access to low-Earth orbit (LOE) for science,” said Dr. Lucie Low, Axiom’s chief science officer.
“This alliance unites universities and research institutions so science stays at the heart of exploration and commercialization.”
Here’s what else the alliance is set to do:
Advocate for continued global access to microgravity for research and innovation.
Identify gaps and opportunities to guide national and international research agendas.
Connect labs and talent by sharing resources, best practices, and flight opportunities.
Broaden participation, from veteran LEO users to universities new to space-based research.
“From life-saving medical innovations to advanced materials and technologies, microgravity research has driven decades of scientific breakthroughs,” Dr. Low added.
“And now as we transition from government-led to commercially operated space infrastructure, it’s critical that we preserve and expand access to LEO for research that can benefit us all on Earth as well as continue to advance human exploration further.”
Universities, industry partners, and agencies interested in joining can contact Axiom Space for more information by going to their website or emailing research@axiomspace.com.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/09/18/houston-based-axiom-space-launches-global-university-alliance-to-expand-microgravity-research/
https://www.axiomspace.com/
Patrick SFB Library Celebrates 75 Years of Service to the Community
Sept. 18, 2025
The Patrick Space Force Base Library marked its 75th anniversary this month, celebrating decades of learning, innovation, and community connection with an event that brought together Airmen, Guardians, families, and retirees to honor the library’s legacy.
On September 4, more than 80 people attended the 75th anniversary celebration, transforming the library into a historic gallery with decades of photographs and scrapbooks on display.
Guests enjoyed food, drinks, and entertainment, including face painting for children.
“It was a wonderful way to reflect on how far we’ve come,” said Marta Demopoulos, library director for Patrick Space Force Base.
“Hearing memories from our community, both in person and through videos shared on our social media, reminded us that this library has touched generations.”
Since opening its doors in September 1950, the library has been a cornerstone of the Patrick community.
Originally housed in an 11,500 square-foot wooden building that once served as Navy barracks, the library has evolved alongside the installation and the U.S. Space Force mission.
In 1992, services moved into the current building (Building 722), following a complete renovation.
Most recently, in 2020, the facility underwent another major update, ensuring the library continues to provide a modern and welcoming space for all who walk through its doors.
“Providing access to knowledge and information supporting Space Launch Delta 45, Space Force, and Air Force priorities is at the heart of our mission,” Demopoulos shared.
“Our vision is to connect the SLD 45 community with essential resources that empower mission success, professional development, and personal enrichment.”
Today, the library supports the mission in a variety of ways: from offering professional military reading and test preparation resources to providing CAC-enabled computers for those who need access to network resources away from their workstations.
Patrons can also reserve meeting rooms and study spaces, explore diverse STEM tools—including 3D printers, robotics, and telescopes—and enjoy an extensive collection for children and teens.
Looking ahead, the library team is preparing for another chapter of growth. Plans are underway to expand the facility to include a larger conference room, flexible spaces, a bigger children’s area, and a dedicated STEM zone.
“We want the Patrick SFB Library to continue being a hub where knowledge, mission success, and community all come together,” Demopoulos said. “The past 75 years are just the beginning.”
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4307591/patrick-sfb-library-celebrates-75-years-of-service-to-the-community/
Vandenberg Space Force Base beaches to reopen to the public on Friday
5:40 PM, Sep 18, 2025
After nearly seven months of restricted access, Vandenberg Space Force Base beaches are set to fully reopen to people in the community this week.
Starting Friday, all sections of Surf, Wall, and Minuteman Beaches will be accessible.
Seasonal restrictions are enforced annually on Vandenberg beaches to protect the nesting habitat of Western Snowy Plovers.
Biologists have determined that all plover chicks in the area have fledged and are able to care for themselves without help from their parents.
Despite the reopenings, Vandenberg Space Force Base officials say there are still several year-round restrictions that apply on all beaches in the area.
For a full list of rules, you can visit the Vandenberg Space Force Base Environmental webpage.
https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/vandenberg-space-force-base-beaches-to-reopen-to-the-public-on-friday
Vandenberg Members Welcome Home Veterans at Santa Maria Airport
Sept. 18, 2025
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif., – Honor Flight Central Coast California, a non-profit organization, sponsored several veterans, including 11 women, on a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the war memorials.
Vandenberg Space Force Base personnel, local law enforcement and fire department members, relatives, and friends welcomed the veterans home from their trip to Washington D.C.
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4308444/vandenberg-members-welcome-home-veterans-at-santa-maria-airport/
https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/final-flight-central-missouri-honor-flight-makes-its-last-veterans-run-to-d-c/article_496d3314-820b-4329-bd5d-aa87495bc3ce.html
https://honorflightccc.org/
Joint Readout From France Air and Space Force Vice Chief-United States Air Force Reserve Chief Meeting
09.19.2025
Lt. Gen. Dominique Tardif, Vice Chief of the French Air and Space Force, and Lt. Gen. John Healy, Chief of the Air Force Reserve and Commander of Air Force Reserve Command, convened in Paris, France, on Friday, September 12, 2025.
During the meeting, the leaders signed Terms of Reference between the French Air and Space Force and the United States Air Force Reserve, formalizing their commitment to bilateral cooperation and reflecting shared values, priorities, and operational goals.
Lt. Gen. Tardif and Lt. Gen. Healy affirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the partnership between the French Air and Space Force and the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
They highlighted key areas of collaboration, including joint exercises and training, personnel exchanges, and the sharing of operational knowledge.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of enhancing interoperability and combined readiness to achieve mutual strategic objectives and address global challenges.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/548719/joint-readout-france-air-and-space-force-vice-chief-united-states-air-force-reserve-chief-meeting
French military leader warns of increased 'hostile' activity in space
September 19, 20256:35 AM PDT
PARIS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - France’s top military space official has warned of intensifying "hostile or unfriendly" activity in space, particularly by Russia, joining a growing chorus of Western powers publicly warning about a rapidly growing security threat.
There has been a significant spike in hostile activity since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Major General Vincent Chusseau told Reuters.
In his first interview with international media since taking the helm of French Space Command last month, he said adversaries, especially Russia, have diversified methods of disrupting satellites, with activity such as jamming, lasers and cyberattacks having become commonplace.
UKRAINE CONFLICT HIGHLIGHTS SPACE RISKS
The Ukraine conflict shows "space is now a fully-fledged operational domain," Chusseau said.
France, Europe’s largest government spender in space, publicly accused Moscow in 2018 of attempting to spy on its secret communications by sneaking up on a Franco-Italian military satellite with a prowling spacecraft a year earlier, but has not detailed suspect manoeuvres since then.
The Russian defence ministry and Russian space agency Roscosmos did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
The Kremlin says Western powers have unfurled a massive hybrid war against Russia, including propaganda, cyberattacks and intelligence operations.
Moscow says it opposes any weapons in space and has denied assertions by the United States that Russia has launched weapons into Earth's orbit that are capable of inspecting and attacking other satellites.
China, the world’s second-largest government spender on space behind America, is rapidly developing its space capabilities.
"Each day shows dizzying progress – launching ever more satellites for new constellations, developing modes of action that go beyond what we had seen before," Chusseau said.
WESTERN NATIONS WARN OF THREATS TO SATELLITES
The United States, Canada and the UK are among other Western countries publicly warning about increased threats to satellites, which are essential for militaries and economies, from banking to energy management.
"This economic and military dependence on space is increasingly being held at risk," the head of UK Space Command Major General Paul Tedman said in a speech last week in London. The threat is growing "in scale, in sophistication, and in speed".
Canada's military space chief, speaking alongside Chusseau at a conference in Paris on Tuesday, said there are now more than 200 anti-satellite weapons in orbit.
"That is a shocking number,” said Canada's Brigadier General Christopher Horner.
He added that those pose a risk to everything from satellite communications to Earth observation to space-domain awareness, or the ability to monitor what is happening in space.
Western countries are responding by bolstering their own space-based capabilities.
GERMANY IS ENHANCING SPACE DEFENCES
The German government is “absolutely determined to quickly enhance our capabilities and defend our national systems,” Major General Michael Traut, head of German Space Command, told the conference hosted by French consulting firm Novaspace.
He said the German military is designing space defences including a multi-orbit satellite constellation to be built in stages with the first one completed in 2029.
Chusseau said one of France’s priorities is increasing resilience of space assets including in the rapidly-evolving area of low-orbit constellations, driven by dramatic growth in Elon Musk’s Starlink network.
France recently announced plans to increase its stake in Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat, whose OneWeb low-Earth orbit network competes with Musk’s Starlink.
Although France and its allies rarely openly discuss offensive capabilities, Chusseau told the conference another of his priorities is to accelerate the ability to carry out "a wide spectrum of effects in space…not only to see and understand, but also to act.”
France has announced a series of demonstrator satellites to help patrol in orbit and monitor adversaries. The aim is also to acquire surface-to-space capabilities “to deny, prohibit and disrupt” adversaries, French Space Command told Reuters.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/french-military-leader-warns-increased-hostile-activity-space-2025-09-19/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15114937/Putin-increasingly-carrying-attacks-SPACE-Western-satellites-targeted-laser-strikes-Russian-spacecraft-sneaking-them.html
Russia open to compromises on Ukraine – Lavrov
19 Sep, 2025 02:26
Moscow is open to compromises with Ukraine if its key interests are respected, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations restarted in May in Istanbul after a several-year hiatus, but produced no breakthroughs.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly said that, at the end of the day, a sustainable agreement is a compromise.
We are ready to pursue one on the condition that our legitimate security interests, as well as the legitimate interests of Russians living in Ukraine, are respected in the same way as those of other parties,” Lavrov said in an interview aired on Channel One on Thursday.
He did not specify the range of compromises or concessions Moscow was willing to consider.
The foreign minister condemned the “utterly repulsive laws” Ukraine has adopted since the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev, which aim to restrict the use of the Russian language in public.
Moscow has cited the treatment of Ukraine’s Russian-speaking minority as one of the causes of the current conflict, along with Kiev’s plan to join NATO and its refusal to recognize the new borders which resulted from the accession referendums in several of its former regions.
Ukraine has rejected Russia’s peace terms.
Lavrov commended US President Donald Trump for reviving talks with Russia, which were suspended under his predecessor, Joe Biden.
“Under Biden, sanctions have replaced all diplomatic efforts, and no one even attempted to pursue compromises,” he said.
Although a rare Trump-Putin in-person meeting in Alaska last month produced no immediate results, both sides described it as a positive step at the time.
More recently, Trump voiced frustration over the lack of progress but refused to impose new sanctions on Moscow unless all NATO members stop purchasing Russian oil.
https://www.rt.com/russia/624895-lavrov-ukraine-talks-compromises/
Drone attack claims meant to derail Ukraine peace talks – Moscow
19 Sep, 2025 11:06
Accusations of Russian drone violations of Polish airspace have been fabricated to demonize Moscow and derail the Ukraine peace process, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
Polish officials have claimed that 19 Russian drones entered the country’s airspace on September 10, describing the incident as a deliberate provocation intended to test NATO’s response.
Several western European governments have summoned Russian diplomats in protest while NATO has announced additional military measures.
In a statement on Friday, Zakharova stressed that the episode follows a familiar pattern and that Russia has again been blamed without any investigation or evidence.
She added that Warsaw has refused Moscow’s proposal for consultations and has dismissed facts provided by the Russian Defense Ministry.
“This is clearly yet another element in a large-scale information campaign aimed at demonizing Russia and mobilizing additional support for the Kiev regime, as well as an attempt to undermine a political settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” Zakharova said.
Russian officials have said drones used in operations against Ukrainian military targets could not physically have reached Polish territory, and have suggested that the incident may have been a provocation by Kiev designed to pit NATO directly against Moscow.
Zakharova also drew attention to the 20-nation “drone coalition” supplying Kiev, accusing its members of ignoring the daily reality of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian civilians.
“Moralizing and demarches by the coalition states regarding Russia’s alleged violations of international law are, in this context, blatantly hypocritical and inappropriate,” she said.
According to the spokeswoman, Ukrainian drone attacks killed 16 people and injured 116 more in Russian regions over the summer and early September, with the victims including children.
“Militants of the neo-Nazi Kiev regime are using drones to hunt defenseless people virtually around the clock, cynically targeting children, women, and the elderly” while deliberately targeting residential buildings, medical and social institutions, schools, and stores, Zakharova said.
She added that by supplying such weapons, Western states have become complicit in the crimes committed by Kiev’s forces.
https://www.rt.com/russia/624911-poland-drone-claims-derail-peace/
Trump offers explanation for Poland’s drone incident
19 Sep, 2025 17:16
The drones that violated Poland’s airspace could have been “disabled” and lost control, US President Donald Trump has suggested.
Warsaw has claimed that 19 drones entered the country’s airspace on September 10, accusing Moscow of staging a provocation in order to test NATO’s response.
Multiple EU officials, including top diplomat Kaja Kallas, have called the incident a “deliberate violation.”
Trump was asked about the affair in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. The US president refused to say whether the drone incursion was deliberate or not, suggesting the drones could have simply strayed after being subjected to electronic interference.
“You know, I can’t comment on whether it was a mistake or not. They shouldn’t have been there, let’s face it. Supposedly, they were disabled. You know, they disabled drones today.
The great attack on a drone is disabling it, and they fall all over the place,” Trump stated, adding that he was very “disappointed” by the incident.
The latest of Trump’s remarks on the incident differed from the statements he’d made earlier this week, when the US president suggested it “could have been a mistake.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk doubled down on his accusations against Russia shortly after, insisting the incident wasn’t a mistake.
On Friday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that anyone who doubts Warsaw’s narrative is “either the author or an accomplice of Russian propaganda.”
Russian officials have pointed out that drones used during strikes on military installations in Ukraine do not have sufficient range to reach deep into Poland, suggesting the incident could have been a false flag staged by Kiev in a bid to bring NATO into a direct confrontation with Moscow.
Warsaw has refused to cooperate in investigating the drone incident and has dismissed facts provided by the Russian military, Moscow’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday. Such behavior proves that Poland is not interested in knowing the truth, she said.
“This is clearly yet another element in a large-scale information campaign aimed at demonizing Russia and mobilizing additional support for the Kiev regime, as well as an attempt to undermine a political settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” Zakharova stated.
https://www.rt.com/news/624928-trump-poland-drones-incident/
Trump proposes revoking licenses of critical American TV networks
19 Sep, 2025 15:39
US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of “maybe” revoking the broadcast licenses of American television networks that provide negative coverage of him.
The suggestion came a day after ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, following what it called “offensive and insensitive” comments made by the comedian about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel claimed on his program that Trump and his supporters were trying to “score political points” over Kirk’s killing and compared the president’s reaction to his death to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Trump, who was returning from the UK aboard Air Force One on Thursday, told journalists that TV networks “give me only bad publicity or press.” “I mean, they are getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” he said.
However, the president noted that it will be up to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr to rule whether to keep the networks on air or not. So far, the FCC head has been “doing a great job,” according to Trump.
Just hours before ABC suspended ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, Carr told podcaster Benny Johnson that “these companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
He warned that “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Trump welcomed the move by ABC in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, suggesting that NBC's late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers should also be “canceled.”
Trump stressed that the late-night shows “have not had a conservative on in years or something, somebody said, but when you go back and take a look, all they do is hit Trump. They are licensed. They are not allowed to do that.”
In his show on Tuesday, Meyers accused Trump of “pursuing a crackdown on free speech,” while late-night comedian Stephen Colbert, whose show on CBS will not be prolonged after May 2026, claimed that “this is blatant censorship. With an autocrat, you can’t give an inch.”
https://www.rt.com/news/624918-trump-kimmel-us-licenses/
Ukraine proposes major drone and weapons deals to U.S. – Zelensky
19.09.2025 11:10
Ukraine has proposed to the United States the conclusion of major agreements on drones and weapons procurement.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.
The President emphasized that since last night, Russian forces have launched nearly 90 strike UAVs at Ukraine.
Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as the capital, came under attack. Among the targets were infrastructure facilities and enterprises.
In Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were injured in the attack.
In Kyiv, public transport infrastructure was damaged, restoration efforts are ongoing. All emergency services are operational.
Zelensky thanked air defenders for neutralizing most of the enemy targets.
He also stressed that Russia repeatedly attacks civilians at a time when the world, particularly the U.S., is calling for peace.
“We hear President Trump’s position on ending the killings, and we have agreed to all the proposals to unblock diplomacy. But it seems this position is not being heard in Russia.
This means that we must more actively implement everything that strengthens us: the PURL initiative, co-production, and the finalization of security guarantees.
On the table are large-scale agreements on drones and arms procurement that Ukraine has proposed to the United States,” Zelensky said.
He emphasized that decisive actions are needed to eventually bring Russia to agree to diplomacy. The President expressed gratitude to everyone providing assistance.
As previously reported, on the night of September 19, Ukraine’s Defense Forces destroyed 71 Russian drones in the skies above the country, while strikes were recorded at six locations. The attack is ongoing.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4038119-ukraine-proposes-major-drone-and-weapons-deals-to-us-zelensky.html
Sudan Mosque Massacre: 75 Worshippers Killed During Friday Prayers In Horrific Drone Attack
Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:31 PM (IST)
Sudan mosque attack: A Sudanese paramilitary group reportedly killed 75 civilians while praying inside a mosque early on Friday in the besieged city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, said a local medical group.
The Sudan Doctors Network said on Friday on X that Muslim worshipers, including older people and children, were killed in a drone strike launched by the Rapid Support Forces, calling it a “heinous crime” against unarmed civilians that showed the group's “blatant disregard for humanitarian and religious values and international law.”
The Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a group comprised of local citizens from the community that includes human rights activists, who track abuses, posted a video on Friday reportedly showing parts of the mosque reduced to rubble with several bodies scattered on the site, now filled with debris.
No details were shared about the exact location of the mosque, but the latest drone strike is among a series of attacks over the past week as the RSF and the army heavily clashed in El Fasher.
4,000 killed in civilan unrest
The fight between the army and the RSF escalated in April 2023, erupting into a civil war that has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, displaced as many as 12 million others and pushed many to the brink of famine.
El Fasher has been at the epicentre of fighting for over a year between the two and is the military's last stronghold in the Darfur region.
Intense fighting on Thursday centred in the western and southern parts of the city, where residents told the Darfur Victims Support Organisation, which monitors abuses against civilians, that they heard loud explosions and saw drones being used, according to a statement by the nonprofit.
The Resistance Committee in El Fasher said in a statement Thursday that the RSF targeted several unarmed civilians, including women and older adults, in displacement shelters in the city.
The group also said on Wednesday that heavy artillery by the RSF continuously targeted residential neighbourhoods.
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/sudan-mosque-attack-many-killed-in-sudanese-paramilitary-rsf-drone-attack-during-friday-prayers-updates-10268235
https://x.com/SDN154/status/1968964146352865543
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/1263/553368/World/War-in-Sudan/-killed-by-RSF-drone-strike-on-mosque-in-Sudan;s-D.aspx
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-warns-will-use-unprecedented-force-in-gaza-city-as-480000-thought-to-have-fled/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-868102
IDF warns will use ‘unprecedented force’ in Gaza City as 480,000 thought to have fled
September 19, 2025 8:18 pm
The Israeli military warned on Friday it would operate with “unprecedented force” in Gaza City, telling residents to flee southwards as it pressed its ground offensive on the territory’s largest urban center, as strikes and operations continued across the Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops expanded their operations in Gaza City, and in the past day, killed more than 10 operatives and directed strikes on terror infrastructure.
In the Strip’s south, the military said troops operating in Khan Younis and Rafah killed several terror operatives and demolished dozens of sites used by Hamas.
Local Hamas-run health authorities said at least 22 people were killed across the Strip in Israeli strikes. The casualty figures could not be independently verified and did not differentiate between fighters and civilians.
As troops pushed the Gaza City ground offensive, the military announced the as-planned closure of the Salah al-Din Road, a temporary second evacuation route for residents of Gaza City to the southern Strip.
Palestinians evacuating Gaza City can now only do so via the Rashid coastal road.
“The IDF will continue to act with great and unprecedented force against Hamas and the other terror organizations,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman said.
“For your safety, take the opportunity and join the hundreds of thousands of [Gaza] City residents who have moved south to the humanitarian area, and do not allow Hamas to exploit you as human shields.”
The military on Friday said it estimated 480,000 Gaza City residents have fled since late August.
Around one million Palestinians were estimated to be residing in Gaza City before the IDF launched a major offensive against Hamas in the area.
Ahead of the offensive, the IDF ordered Palestinians in all areas of Gaza City to evacuate immediately to an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip’s south.
In western Gaza City on Friday, Sami Baroud described “relentless and intense shelling.” “Our life has become nothing but explosions and danger,” the 35-year-old told AFP by telephone.
“We have lost everything — our lives, our future, our sense of safety. How can I evacuate when I can’t even afford transportation?”
Nivin Ahmed, 50, fled south from Gaza City to the central city of Deir el-Balah on Thursday, walking with seven family members.
“We walked more than 15 kilometers [nine miles], we were crawling from exhaustion,” she said. “My youngest son cried from fatigue. We took turns dragging a small cart with some of our belongings.”
Mona Abdel Karim, 36, said she had been unable to secure transport south and had been sleeping with her family on Al-Rashid Street for two nights waiting for a driver.
“I feel like I’m about to explode. We can’t walk on foot — my husband’s parents are elderly and sick, and the children are too weak to walk,” she said.
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Gunmen steal trucks carrying baby formula
Amid the growing humanitarian crisis in the Strip, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said Hamas gunmen “brazenly robbed” four UNICEF aid trucks carrying baby formula in Gaza City on Thursday.
“The trucks were commandeered right outside the UNICEF compound in Gaza City, a direct assault on humanitarian work,” COGAT said in a statement.
UNICEF put out their own statement saying “armed individuals” commandeered four aid trucks outside their compound at gunpoint, and diverted the contents elsewhere, before releasing the drivers and the trucks.
“This theft has denied at least 2,700 severely and acutely malnourished children of life-saving RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) — vital supplies at a time when famine has been declared in the north of Gaza and the ongoing military operation is creating further displacement and adding to the devastating impact on children,” UNICEF said.
COGAT said that “while Israel allows the entry of vital baby food into Gaza, Hamas steals it to profit from the public.”
“This formula was meant to be distributed for free by UNICEF. Once again, Hamas proves that it has no interest in the well-being of the people, only in its own terror motives,” COGAT added.
Meanwhile, the military said the deputy intelligence chief in Hamas’s Bureij Battalion was killed in a recent airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip.
According to the IDF, the intelligence officer Mahmoud Abu al-Khir took part in advancing attacks against Israel and troops operating in Gaza.
The military said he was targeted in an Israeli Air Force drone strike, and measures were taken to mitigate civilian harm.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 65,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
The war was triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel. Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 48 hostages, including 47 of those abducted on that day.
They include the bodies of at least 26 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Among the bodies held by Hamas is an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.
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