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NASA Tracking Bus-Sized Asteroid Nearing Earth Today
Jan 15, 2026 at 09:38 AM EST
NASA is monitoring a bus-sized asteroid that’s hurtling towards Earth at more than 38,500 miles per hour, according to the space agency's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
Estimated to span some 41 feet across, the space rock known as “2026 AZ2” is projected to make its closest approach today at a cosmically slight 217,000 miles from the Earth.
2026 AZ2 is not the only asteroid within the vicinity of our planet today. NASA is also tracking a plane-sized asteroid known as “2026 AR1” with a diameter of around 69 feet. This space rock is due to come as close as within 702,000 miles from the Earth.
Asteroids are small, rocky masses left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. They are concentrated in the main asteroid belt, which lies around the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Ao-called "near-Earth objects" are asteroids whose orbits bring them within 120 million miles of the sun and into the Earth’s “orbital neighborhood.”
Last week, astronomers reported discovering the fastest-spinning asteroid on record, which measures over 0.3 miles in diameter and rotates about once every two minutes.
Known as “2025 MN45,” this asteroid is around 2,300 feet across and spans nearly the size of eight football fields.
The record-breaking space rock is one of 19 “super- and ultra-fast-rotating” asteroids found among around 1,900 asteroids that were found for the first time last June.
Last year in February, data from the CNEOS showed that the impact probability of an asteroid known as “2024 YR4” in 2032 was at 3.1 percent, which was “the highest impact probability NASA has ever recorded for an object of this size or larger,” the space agency said at the time.
But further observations found that “the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond."
“The majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, and therefore pose no risk of impact,” the space agency notes.
However, a small portion of them, known as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), do require closer tracking. PHAs have orbits that bring them as close as within 4.6 million miles of the Earth’s orbit around the sun, according to NASA.
Despite the number of PHAs out in our solar system, none are likely to hit our planet any time soon. "The 'potentially hazardous' designation simply means over many centuries and millennia the asteroid's orbit may evolve into one that has a chance of impacting Earth.
We do not assess these long-term, many-century possibilities of impact," Paul Chodas, manager of the CNEOS, previously told Newsweek.
https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-tracking-bus-sized-asteroid-nearing-earth-today-2026-az2-11364909
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid-watch/next-five-approaches/
Hubble’s Album of Planet-Forming Disks
Jan 15, 2026
This collection of new images taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope showcases protoplanetary disks, the swirling masses of gas and dust that surround forming stars, in both visible and infrared wavelengths.
Through observations of young stellar objects like these, Hubble helps scientists better understand how stars form.
These visible-light images depict dark, planet-forming dust disks around a hidden, newly developing star, called a protostar.
Bipolar jets of fast-moving gases, traveling at about 93 miles (150 km) per second, shoot from both ends of the protostar.
The top two images are of protostars found about 450 light-years away in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, while the bottom two are almost 500 light-years away in the Chameleon I star-forming region.
Stars form out of collapsing clouds of gas and dust. As surrounding gas and dust falls toward the protostar, some of it forms a rotating disk around the star that continues to feed the growing object.
Planets form from the remaining gas and dust orbiting the star. The bright yellow regions above and below the spinning disks are reflection nebulae, gas and dust lit up by the light of the star.
The jets that are released from the magnetic poles of the stars are an important part of their formation process.
The jets, channeled by the protostar’s powerful magnetic fields, disperse angular momentum, which is due to rotational movement of the object.
This allows the protostar to spin slowly enough for material to collect. In the images, some of the jets appear to broaden. This occurs when the fast jet collides with the surrounding gas and causes it to glow, an effect called a shock emission.
These edge-on views of protostars in infrared light also reveal thick, dusty protoplanetary disks.
The dark areas may look like very large disks, but they are actually much wider shadows cast in the surrounding envelope by the central disks. The bright haze throughout the image comes from light scattering off of the surrounding cloud’s dust grains.
The top right and bottom left stars reside in the Orion Molecular Cloud complex about 1,300 light-years away, and the top left and bottom right stars lie in the Perseus Molecular Cloud roughly 1,500 light-years away.
In its early stages, these disks draw from the dust that remains around the forming stars. Unlike visible light, infrared light can travel through this “protostellar envelope.”
The protostars in the visible images above are further along in their evolution, so much of the dusty envelope has dissipated. Otherwise, they could not be seen in visible wavelengths.
Viewed in infrared light, the central star is visible through the thick dust of the protoplanetary disks. Bipolar jets are also present but not visible because the hot gas emission isn’t strong enough for Hubble to detect.
HOPS 150 in the top right is actually in a binary system, in orbit with another young protostar. HOPS 150’s companion, HOPS 153, is not pictured in this image.
From a wider Hubble survey of Orion protostars, including HOPS 150 and HOPS 367, astronomers found that regions with a higher density of stars tend to have more companion stars.
They also found a similar number of companions between main-sequence (active, hydrogen-fusing stars) and their younger counterparts.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubbles-album-of-planet-forming-disks/
Coverage, Briefing Set for NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket Roll to Pad
Jan 14, 2026
NASA’s integrated SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission is inching closer to launch – literally.
The agency is targeting no earlier than 7 a.m. EST, Saturday, Jan. 17, to begin the multi-hour trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A pre rollout mission news conference, live feed of rollout, and a media gaggle will stream on NASA’s YouTube channel. Individual streams for each of these events will be available from that page.
Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.
The time of rollout is subject to change if additional time is needed for technical preparations or weather.
All times are Eastern. Events are as follows:
Friday, Jan. 16:
12 p.m.: Artemis II Rollout, Mission Overview News Conference
John Honeycutt, Artemis II mission management team chair
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems
Jeff Radigan, Artemis II lead flight director, Flight Operations Directorate
Lili Villarreal, landing and recovery director, Exploration Ground Systems
Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
Saturday, Jan. 17:
7 a.m.: Rollout, Artemis II Live Views from Kennedy Space Center feed begins
9 a.m.: Artemis II Crew Rollout Media Event
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the Artemis II crew, including NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will answer questions about their preparations and the mission for media in-person at the countdown clock.
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 will carry the 11-million-pound stack at about one mile per hour along the four-mile route from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, on a journey that will take up to 12 hours.
To participate in the news conference by telephone, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start to: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
These events will be open in-person only to media previously credentialed for launch. The deadline has passed for in-person accreditation for Artemis II events at Kennedy.
Rollout to the pad marks another milestone leading up to the Artemis II mission. In the coming weeks, NASA will complete final preparations of the rocket and, if needed, rollback SLS and Orion to the Vehicle Assembly Building for additional work.
While the Artemis II launch window opens as early as Friday, Feb. 6, the mission management team will assess flight readiness after the wet dress rehearsal across the spacecraft, launch infrastructure, and the crew and operations teams before selecting a launch date.
Follow NASA’s Artemis blog for mission updates.
Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/coverage-briefing-set-for-nasas-artemis-ii-moon-rocket-roll-to-pad/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/artemis/
Key Senate staffer is “begging” NASA to get on with commercial space stations
Jan 15, 2026 7:15 AM
In remarks this week to a Texas space organization, a key Senate staff member said an “extension” of the International Space Station is on the table and that NASA needs to accelerate a program to replace the aging station with commercial alternatives.
Maddy Davis, a space policy staff member for US Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, made the comments to the Texas Space Coalition during a virtual event.
Cruz is chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and has an outsized say in space policy.
As a senator from Texas, he has a parochial interest in Johnson Space Center, where the International Space Station Program is led.
“No gap”
Davis said Cruz has repeatedly reaffirmed that one of his core priorities is establishing a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit, with “no gap” in that capability.
That means he wants commercial space stations operating before the International Space Station is de-orbited, which is currently scheduled for 2030.
“He’s very painfully clear,” Davis said. “It comes up almost every time that I see him. Continuous human presence and no gap.”
To that end, Davis said she has been pressing NASA to accelerate the program to develop private space stations, known as Commercial LEO Destinations, or CLDs.
In this program, NASA has previously provided funding to four different companies to develop space station concepts.
The CLD program will soon enter “Phase 2,” in which these and other companies will compete for larger amounts of funding—at least hundreds of millions of dollars.
One or two companies are likely to win these larger contracts. They will then build their stations with a mix of public and privately raised funding.
To kick off this competition, NASA is due to issue a long-delayed “request for proposals,” or RFP.
“Begging” for release of proposals
“Earlier today, I was having a briefing with NASA and begging for—we really needed that RFP released for CLDs like nine months ago,” Davis said. “But here we are still begging for it.”
The program has largely been stuck in neutral over the last year as the space agency’s leadership has been in flux.
Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy threw a grenade of sorts into the process last August by issuing a new directive that changed the rules for private space stations.
This appeared to favor some of the companies over others. But this directive is now being reviewed by new NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and his team, and the requirements for these stations may well shift again.
The delays and different directives “added a lot more gray” to the process, Davis said. “It’s not very helpful for these CLDs that are trying to bring on investors,” she added.
Given that the International Space Station is now scheduled to be decommissioned in fewer than five years, Davis was asked whether Cruz would consider extending the life of the space station beyond 2030.
This is a proposal favored by Boeing, which has the contract to operate the station. However, there are serious questions about the viability of the aging station, elements of which are now more than two and a half decades old.
“It’s completely dependent on the development of the CLD platforms,” Davis said of a possible extension. “And that’s not a ding or any sort of a shrouded threat there.
You know, these are very highly complicated platforms, and we haven’t had much direction from NASA on it. So to answer the question, maybe.
If it starts to look like we’re creeping into a situation where we are not going to have any sort of a platform or capability in LEO for humans, extension is not off the table.
The chairman did that last time—it certainly is within his wheelhouse.”
Isaacman off to a good start
Cruz also played a key role in the confirmation process of Isaacman, whose nomination passed through the Commerce Committee.
At times, it looked like Cruz was slow-walking the nomination, but Davis said she has liked what she’s seen from NASA’s new leader since he was sworn in to the top job about three weeks ago.
“I have high hopes,” she said. “And I think the way that he’s responded to the Crew 11 situation has been refreshing. It’s clear that he is taking it very seriously, and their communication has been almost in near real-time with us, and very clear and concise.
So that has been really lovely. And then it’s clear that he wants to make sure that Artemis II goes off not just as quickly as possible but as safely.”
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/key-senate-staffer-is-begging-nasa-to-get-on-with-commercial-space-stations/
ESA hosts China's space leaders
14/01/2026
This fifth meeting of the Joint Committee marked the first high-level meeting ESA has had with CNSA in nearly ten years. The last meeting under the China–ESA space cooperation agreement took place in Shanghai in 2017.
The meeting was co-chaired by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and CNSA Administrator Shan Zhongde. Both ESA and CNSA had unique achievements to share and discuss since the last time the heads of agencies met in person.
Both highlighted joint successes in space science, notably the Tianguan (Einstein Probe) launch with ESA hardware, and progress on the joint Smile mission, set to launch this year.
Similarly, the two sides addressed the successful Chang’e-6 mission carrying ESA’s NILS instrument, ESA’s first experiment on the lunar surface.
In the field of telemetry and tracking, both looked back on their long-term cooperation in supporting science and exploration missions.
In discussing their respective space safety and Earth observation related programmes, the importance of cooperation to protect our planet and climate was recognised on both sides.
It was discussed, that building past progress, both sides in their respective institutional contexts would explore potential opportunities for further collaboration in areas such as Earth and space science.
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/ESA_hosts_China_s_space_leaders
James Webb Space Telescope's mysterious 'little red dots' may be black holes in disguise
January 15, 2026
Ancient galaxies colloquially known as "little red dots" have proven a mystery ever since astronomers discovered them three years ago. Now, a new study finds the strange features of little red dots might be explained by supermassive black holes in disguise during their youth.
With the help of NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers first discovered the mysterious specks of light known as little red dots at the end of 2022.
They only existed for a short time in the cosmos, first appearing in the universe less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang and almost completely disappearing after 2 billion years, explained study lead author Vadim Rusakov at the University of Manchester in England.
(The universe is currently about 13.8 billion years old.)
The discovery ignited a fierce debate among scientists over the identity of the little red dots. One possible explanation for these ancient bright spots was that they were extraordinarily star-rich galaxies.
Another possibility was that little red dots hosted supermassive black holes — light in the galaxies may have emerged from gas that became super-hot as it rushed toward the enormous gravitational pull of these black holes.
A key problem with these possible explanations, however, was that both proposed objects were both too massive to have formed so early in the history of the universe.
In addition, supermassive black holes should emit X-rays and radio waves, and scientists have detected neither from little red dots.
In the new study, researchers investigated 12 ancient galaxies to get a better sense of the nature of little red dots. The earliest of these galaxies existed when the universe was only about 840 million years old.
Their analysis suggested that little red dots "are simply too luminous and too compact to be explained by a large number of stars," Rusakov told Space.com. "If they were purely made up of stars, they would be the densest galaxies in the universe."
Instead, the research team's model suggested the most luminous sources of light they examined were as bright as more than 250 billion suns but also less than a third of a light-year across.
This is much smaller than a galaxy — the distance from our sun to its nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, is about 4.25 light-years. The compact sizes of these incredibly bright spots within little red dots suggest they must be supermassive black holes.
The spectrum of radiation emitted from the little red dots suggested that before the JWST detected these rays of light, they got scattered off electrons in dense clouds of ionized gas in the centers of the little red dots.
Such cocoons would trap most of the radiation generated near black holes.
"These objects turned out to be supermassive black holes despite missing almost all typical indications of massive black holes," Rusakov said. "They have an almost perfect disguise that removes X-ray and radio emission."
By analyzing the light from the little red dots, the scientists calculated the speed of the light-emitting gas within most of the dots as being about 670,000 miles per hour (1.08 million kilometers per hour).
Assuming this gas was orbiting the black holes at the centers of these little red dots, they could deduce the black holes were likely about 100,000 to 10 million times the mass of the sun.
This is about 100 times less than previous estimates suggested, and is closer to what researchers would expect from young super-massive black holes early in the history of the cosmos.
"Our results imply, most importantly, that for the first time we are seeing supermassive black holes early in their lifetimes, possibly early enough to understand how they were born—either by continuously growing from smaller black holes or by starting big, as intermediate-mass black holes that formed from collapsing streams of gas," Rusakov said.
Future research may shed light on how these supermassive black holes were born.
"If we are lucky, little red dots may still preserve clues from the time when they were formed — whether it’s the gas chemistry or some useful physical property of the black holes and their cocoons that can help to differentiate between different theories," Rusakov said.
"This is one of the biggest remaining questions in astrophysics and it seems that we are closer than ever to being able to answer it."
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/james-webb-space-telescopes-mysterious-little-red-dots-may-be-black-holes-in-disguise
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09900-4
Massive supernova explosion may have created a binary black hole
January 14, 2026
Astronomers have observed a strange but powerful supernova explosion that not only marked the death of a massive, highly evolved star, but also may have heralded the birth of a pair of binary black holes.
The team behind this discovery studied the supernova explosion SN 2022esa with the 8.2-meter Subaru telescope located at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii and the Seimei telescope in Japan.
They found the supernova was likely the result of the explosive death of a massive, hot, luminous star at the end of its evolutionary development, known as a "Wolf-Rayet star."
This star dwelled in the galaxy 2MFGC 13525, located around 320 million light-years away from Earth.
The scientists discovered that SN the supernova demonstrated a clear and stable period lasting around a month, which led them to theorize that it was the result of periodic eruptions in this system, one each Earth-year before the final explosion.
That kind of stable periodicity is only possible in a binary system, the researchers say, indicating this doomed Wolf-Rayet star was partnered by either a black hole or a massive star that will one day explode to birth a black hole.
The end result in both cases is a black hole binary.
"The fates of massive stars, the birth of a black hole, or even a black hole binary, are very important questions in astronomy," team leader Keiichi Maeda of Kyoto University said in a statement.
"Our study provides a new direction to understand the whole evolutionary history of massive stars toward the formation of black hole binaries."
The team's findings don't just reveal more about binary black holes and their origins; they also demonstrate the power of teaming two different telescopes with different capabilities.
The Seimei telescope brings flexibility and rapid response times to this tag-team, while Subaru provides its high-sensitivity.
As a result, these telescopes are likely to remain teamed for years to come.
"We expect many interesting discoveries on the nature of astronomical transients and explosions like supernova," Maeda said.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/massive-supernova-explosion-may-have-created-a-binary-black-hole
https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/research-news/2026-01-13-2
https://www.techspot.com/news/110917-scotland-quietly-building-one-europe-most-advanced-space.html
Scotland is quietly building one of Europe's most advanced space ecosystems
January 14, 2026 at 9:31 AM
CubeSats, rocket startups, and a Shetland launch site are redefining the UK's orbital future
Winners & losers: In workshops scattered across Glasgow, engineers assemble CubeSats – compact, modular satellites that have made Scotland's largest and most populous city Europe's most prolific builder of spacecraft.
These small satellites, once a niche university project, have become the core of the nation's fast-growing space industry.
AAC Clyde Space, a Swedish-backed company that has helped define Glasgow's reputation over the past decade, is at the center of this transformation.
Since launching its first satellite in 2014, the company has expanded from hardware manufacturing to selling data and services derived from its own orbiting fleet.
"The demand is for people to know things," Chief Executive Luis Gomes told The Financial Times. Operating satellites, he said, is complex, and many customers prefer to buy actionable information rather than operate hardware themselves.
Scotland's space ecosystem has evolved rapidly, forming a vertically integrated industry that spans satellite manufacturing, launch, and data analysis.
Edinburgh's analytics firms process data from more than 10,000 active satellites orbiting Earth.
Meanwhile, rocket builders Orbex and Skyrora – along with SaxaVord Spaceport on the Shetland island of Unst – are establishing the infrastructure to launch those satellites from Scottish soil.
SaxaVord, based on a former Royal Air Force site, aims to become the UK's first vertical-launch facility and hopes to handle up to 30 launches annually once fully operational.
Skyrora, founded by Ukraine-born entrepreneur Volodymyr Levykin, obtained the first UK license to launch from SaxaVord this year.
The company positions itself differently from large-scale launch providers such as SpaceX. Alan Thompson, head of government affairs, said Skyrora's rockets would serve as a "space tug," maneuvering and refueling satellites before deorbiting them.
He explained the company's philosophy as complementary, not competitive: SpaceX is like "a bus," he said, while Skyrora aims to be "a taxi service" catering to more targeted missions.
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Yet as these firms assemble a domestic ecosystem, concern is growing that Britain's investment in space is falling behind. Europe's ongoing rearmament and renewed focus on orbital defense have accelerated funding on the continent.
Germany committed €35 billion to expanding its space-based security capacities, while at the recent European Space Agency ministerial meeting, Germany, Spain, and Canada all dramatically increased their contributions.
The UK, by contrast, reduced its ESA allocation by roughly 10 percent.
For companies operating on thin margins in an industry dominated by large national budgets, the funding disparity is difficult to ignore.
"Now it's very, very difficult to compete with this huge capital given to our competitors on the continent, so it is imperative that the UK actually invests more," said Gomes.
He added that AAC Clyde Space frequently receives invitations to open factories overseas to tap into foreign funding streams.
Richard Lochhead, Scotland's business minister, voiced similar concerns.
"Lots of governments are throwing significant investments at the space economy, for commercial reasons, defence and security," he said.
"It's really important that the UK government does all it can to not fall behind."
The UK government maintains that investment remains strong, citing a "record amount" of £2.8 billion ($3.7 billion) committed to the UK Space Agency as part of the national spending review.
A spokesperson said the government had focused those funds "in areas which deliver maximum value for UK's taxpayers," emphasizing that ESA contributions represent just one piece of a broader program.
Glasgow's place in the sector traces back to the early 2000s, when a wave of Scottish space engineers returned home, bringing expertise from abroad.
Their collaborations with local universities helped establish Scotland's specialization in CubeSat manufacturing – relatively inexpensive, modular satellites that can be produced efficiently.
Malcolm Macdonald, a professor at the University of Strathclyde, argued that government support must evolve as the market matures.
He urged the UK to move "beyond grants to contracts," funding longer-term programs that guarantee service delivery and industry stability.
SaxaVord chief executive Scott Hammond, whose launch site is seeking an additional £50 million ($67.2 million) in infrastructure investment, echoed that call.
He said initial government support could help early launch companies manage their high-risk first operations. "It would not take lots of money to kick-start an industry which will create jobs," Hammond said.
"We are at that stage now, pump-primed, to have a real vital industry."
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MH-139 Grey Wolf Helicopter Flies First Convoy Mission
Jan. 14, 2026
The Grey Wolf is on the prowl. A pair of MH-139A helicopters flew an intercontinental ballistic missile convoy mission at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., marking the first operational use of the new Grey Wolf.
The choppers flew about 100 miles out and back Jan. 8, accompanying missile maintenance and armored security vehicles going to a launch facility, according to a release. The whole mission took about six hours.
Like much of the U.S. nuclear enterprise, the security forces helicophters also in the midst of a major modernization upgrade. The MH-139 replaces Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopters.
The first operational convoy demonstrated the Grey Wolf’s upgrades: the two helicopters did not need to be refueled, flew the mission faster, and could carry more troops than a Huey.
The release said the new aircraft can arrive “several minutes sooner” at their destinations than the UH-1N.
Malmstrom has more than 100 launch facilities spread across 13,800 square miles, and the Air Force’s other missile fields spread across three bases and five states.
“Executing our first convoy mission with two MH-139s marks a significant step forward in strengthening our missile security operations,” said Maj. Gen. Stacy Huser, commander of the 20th Air Force, which oversees the ICBM fleet.
“The MH-139 allows us to continue supporting our ICBM enterprise for decades to come with increased speed, range, and lift.”
The Air Force unveiled the Grey Wolf at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., more than six years ago.
The aircraft is based on Leonardo’s civilian AW139 helicopter, and officials hoped to move quickly from selection to production, anticipating initial operational capability in 2021.
When the program hit testing delays and deficiencies, the Air Force halved its plans for the fleet, triggering a change in cost that required congressional notification. The plan later was revised again to 56 airframes.
Now, at last, the program is delivering. A 20th Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine that initial operational test and evaluation wrapped up in July and that initial operational capability is now projected for mid-April 2026.
That “date could shift due to [maintenance] rates and UH-1N divestment,” the spokesman added.
Soon other bases will also get operational MH-139s: three helicopters destined for F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., are currently at Malmstrom waiting for their future hangar to be completed, the spokesperson said.
Minot Air Force Base, N.D., will also get aircraft before long.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/mh-139-grey-wolf-helicopter-flies-first-convoy-mission/
https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4377578/mh-139-grey-wolf-helicopters-complete-first-operational-icbm-convoy-security-mi/
Space Force taps Slingshot to build AI adversaries for orbital wargames
January 15, 2026 5:30 am
Slingshot's TALOS AI tool will be integrated into Space Training and Readiness Command's classified training operations, according to the company.
WASHINGTON — Slingshot Aerospace today announced a $27 million contract to help modernize training of Space Force Guardians, including the use of the company’s TALOS AI to simulate an adversary’s actions during orbital warfare scenarios.
Trained on Slingshot’s extensive library of real-world orbital observations, the AI is meant to respond realistically and dynamically to the trainees’ moves in the wargame, the company said, rather than following a rigid, pre-programmed script.
“This ensures that TALOS can easily adapt to new scenarios as the space environment evolves and can dynamically exploit new algorithms and tools as soon as they become available,” Slingshot CEO Tim Solms told Breaking Defense in an email.
Slingshot and its subcontractors will also provide other software tools to simulate friendly (“Blue”) forces and to act as virtual referees (“White”), Solms said.
The 18-month contract was awarded through a Space Force Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), a streamlined procurement process made popular by the Defense Innovation Unit.
It builds on a 39-month 2022 Strategic Funding Increase award worth $25 million that allowed the Space Training and Readiness Command to test TALOS capabilities, according to the company’s announcement.
“This latest CSO award is a system-of-systems integration program supporting the Space Force Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI), where Slingshot is priming a team of subcontractors to deliver a consolidated, classified training and assessment environment,” Solms said.
“The objective is to integrate ‘industry-proven’ Red/White/Blue cell tools into a single solution so Guardians can train in realistic, high-side scenarios.”
“Slingshot’s TALOS is one of the components being integrated into that solution, specifically acting as the thinking adversary / Red Cell capability.
Multiple blue cell tools are also being integrated into the combined solution all deployed into a classified environment to support scenario development, management, and visualization,” he added.
Slingshot launched TALOS in July 2025, according to the announcement, to “imitate” the behavior of satellites on orbit for training and simulations, as well as to “learn and replicate real-world operations and change as the orbital environment changes.”
The secret sauce, the company says, is that it was able to train TALOS’s AI algorithms on a massive amount of real world-data: “Slingshot tracks roughly 95% of all payload-sized objects across all orbital regimes, from LEO through xGEO, and our systems can track in both day and night, 24/7/365.
The resulting data set represents the largest corpus of commercially available astrometric and photometric data today,” Solms said.”
That is further multiplied by the number of derived data products we generate from those raw observations, which includes event detections, pattern of life information, photometric fingerprints, etc.,” he added.
https://breakingdefense.com/2026/01/space-force-taps-slingshot-to-build-ai-adversaries-for-orbital-wargames/
DAF launches National Mentoring Month event series
Jan. 14, 2026
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) – The Department of the Air Force Mentoring Program is launching a series of events throughout January 2026 in honor of National Mentoring Month.
First launched in January 2002, National Mentoring Month is a call to action for all Airmen and Guardians to engage in mentoring relationships, both as mentors and mentees.
NMM showcases mentoring as an enterprise-wide imperative, empowering all Airmen and Guardians through a series of panels, events and interactive discussions to help them reach their fullest potential.
The Department of the Air Force’s 2026 theme is, “Each 1- Reach 1-Teach 1: Leading Future Legacies,” in alignment with the Department of War’s 2026 theme, “Mentoring Across Career Journeys - Bridging Experience and Innovation.”
This year’s theme highlights opportunities to learn from younger generations, especially aimed at reaching those curious about artificial intelligence and the modern warfighter’s mindset.
It is a call to action for each individual to create a legacy by embracing their personal responsibility to mentor another, fostering a self-sustaining cycle of leadership.
“When we prioritize mentorship and invest in each other – across generations, specialties and experiences – we strengthen readiness, deepen trust and develop leaders prepared for the challenges ahead,” said Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services.
“National Mentoring Month reminds us that each of us has the ability to shape the future force.”
Mentoring provides DAF employees vital resources and guidance in improving professional performance, personal growth and career decision making.
NMM 2026 has organized many events to include “reverse mentoring,” which flips the traditional roles between junior and senior personnel.
This aims to bridge the generational and experiential divide between these groups for individuals to gain valuable insights into technology, culture and workforce trends.
"As we enter the new year, I encourage you to step into National Mentoring Month 2026 with purpose to cultivate a culture of mentorship within our ranks.
Mentoring is your deliberate and intentional path to share your knowledge, ignite innovation, learn from others and amplify our collective strength,” said Col. Tiaa Henderson, director of force development.
“Use MyVector to become a mentor, find a mentor, and let's build a stronger, more ready, and more resilient force, together.”
MyVector Mentoring is an online platform designed to facilitate mentoring relationships across the DAF.
MyVector Mentoring offers a range of tools to support the mentoring process, including profile creation, the ability to set goals, track progress and engage in meaningful discussions on personal and professional development. MyVector can be accessed here.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4379957/daf-launches-national-mentoring-month-event-series/
https://myvector.us.af.mil/myvector/PublicHome/NoticeAndConsent
https://usaf.percipio.com/login?state=%2Fchannels%2F79ab97ad-e3b8-48c0-8698-47a5719405e3%3Fsharelink%3D7YwvrwBN4#/
Trump blames Zelensky for stalling peace talks
15 Jan, 2026 04:32
The US president believes his Russian counterpart is ready to make a deal, unlike the Ukrainian leader
US President Donald Trump has singled out Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky as the main obstacle to a peace agreement to end the conflict with Russia, in an Oval Office interview with Reuters.
Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration that his attempts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine over the past year have been unsuccessful, alternately blaming both Moscow and Kiev for the deadlock.
Asked on Wednesday who was stalling the negotiations, Trump responded with a single name: “Zelensky.” “I just think he’s… having a hard time getting there,” he added.
“I think [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is ready to make a deal… I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”
The relationship between Trump and Zelensky, who he once called “a dictator without elections,” has been volatile ever since the notorious White House meeting early last year.
Trump reiterated on Sunday that Zelensky “has no cards” in the conflict and negotiations with Russia. “He didn’t have them from day one. He’s only got one thing – Donald Trump,” he told the New York Times.
Meanwhile, Moscow is open to further contact with Trump and his senior envoys, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed on Wednesday.
Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly stated that Moscow would prefer to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means, but will have to continue using force if its key objectives cannot be achieved through diplomacy alone.
Last month, Trump said a peace deal was “95% ready,” apparently referring to a leaked plan envisioning Kiev ceding the remainder of Donbass to Russia, renouncing its NATO ambitions, and capping its military.
The original 28-point draft, criticized by Kiev and its European backers as favoring Moscow, was later cut to 20 points, but key issues remain unresolved – with Zelensky reluctant to concede territory or hold elections without robust NATO-like security guarantees.
Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024. He refused to hold a new election, citing the conflict with Russia. Moscow subsequently declared him “illegitimate.”
Russian officials have warned that Zelensky’s status would be a major legal obstacle to signing a peace agreement.
Earlier this week, Zelensky submitted two draft bills to parliament to extend martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days, effectively postponing elections once again.
https://www.rt.com/news/630983-trump-zelensky-stalling-talks/
Power cuts fuel fresh clash between Zelensky and Kiev mayor
15 Jan, 2026 13:55
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has accused Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky of using populist lies to attack the Kiev administration over the city’s rapidly worsening energy crisis.
Ukraine, whose government prioritized domestic production of long-range weapons to strike Russian energy infrastructure, faces a deteriorating power grid due to retaliatory strikes and mismanagement.
The electricity shortage has intensified in recent days following Russian strikes as a cold snap hit the country.
On Wednesday, Zelensky targeted Klitschko, who previously criticized the nation’s leader for increasingly authoritarian governance, claiming Kiev was falling behind other Ukrainian cities in responding to the situation.
Earlier in the day, the central government agreed to formally declare an energy emergency.
“Little was done in the capital. In recent days I have seen little intensity [of work] – and this must change now. Decisions are required,” Zelensky said in his regular address.
Klitschko pushed back, dismissing the remarks as baseless and insulting to thousands working to keep the city running.
He condemned what he called a wave of “total hatred” directed toward him after urging residents with alternative options for housing to leave Kiev.
“At least I am honest and warn the people the situation is super difficult,” the mayor wrote on Telegram.
“I don’t care about approval ratings and phantom elections.” Klitschko noted he has not met with Zelensky in person for four years and was forced to defend himself publicly.
Zelensky retains presidential powers under martial law despite his term expiring in 2024. Klitschko has repeatedly accused Zelensky of infringing on municipal authority.
The Ukrainian leader’s hold on power weakened last year after his close aide Andrey Yermak resigned as his chief of staff over a corruption scandal involving businessman Timur Mindich.
Klitschko called the scandal “devastating” for Western trust.
Zelensky has on previous occasions blamed others for outcomes arguably linked to his own policies.
Last year, he stripped the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, claiming Russia had infiltrated them, but blamed MPs who voted for the measure after Western donors threatened to suspend aid in response.
US President Donald Trump, who is mediating a diplomatic end to the conflict with Russia, said this week Zelensky was the party stalling negotiations – an assessment the Kremlin said it shares.
https://www.rt.com/russia/630999-zelensky-klitschko-public-row/
Trump unveils details of first call with Venezuela’s interim leader
14 Jan, 2026 23:36
US President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, held a lengthy phone conversation on Wednesday, marking the first known direct contact between the two leaders since the US military captured President Nicolas Maduro.
The call, described by both sides as positive and productive, follows weeks of tension after the January 3 raid that killed at least 80 people, including members of the Venezuelan military, Maduro’s Cuban security staff, and civilians.
“We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things, and I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela,” Trump told reporters, praising Rodriguez as a “terrific person.”
In a separate Truth Social post, Trump stated that “tremendous progress” was being made and specifically mentioned “Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security” as topics discussed.
“This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!” he added.
Rodriguez characterized the talk as “long, productive and courteous” and said they discussed a bilateral agenda aimed at benefiting both countries.
The dialogue represents a shift in tone, after Rodriguez initially declared defiantly that no “foreign agent” would control Venezuela or turn it into a “colony.”
The Trump administration has stated that securing control over Venezuelan oil production and exports is the central pillar of its strategy.
The US military and Coast Guard have intercepted at least five vessels in recent weeks, and Washington is reportedly pursuing court warrants to seize dozens more tankers suspected of transporting Venezuelan oil without its authorization.
After Maduro’s capture, Trump said Washington would “run” Venezuela during a transitional period and needs “total access… to the oil and to other things in their country.”
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that Washington intends to control Venezuela’s oil sales “indefinitely,” first marketing stored crude and then managing future production, with revenues flowing into US-controlled accounts.
US officials argue that control is necessary to stabilize Venezuela’s economy and ensure it acts in both US and Venezuelan interests.
https://www.rt.com/news/630981-trump-rodriguez-venezuela-oil/
Hundreds of hostages rescued in Nigeria – police
15 Jan, 2026 09:41
Nigerian police say they have rescued more than 300 hostages and killed dozens of suspected militants during coordinated security operations in two neighboring states.
The moves come as the authorities step up efforts to curb a surge in kidnappings and deadly armed attacks in parts of the West African country.
A total of 309 hostages were freed, while at least 55 suspects were “neutralized” and 129 others arrested in clashes in the states of Kogi and Kwara, Nigerian Police Force spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin told local broadcaster Channels Television on Tuesday.
“Some people might want to say these were extrajudicial killings, so I have to make it clear – these were firefights,” Hundeyin said.
He added that the results followed “months of intelligence gathering and planning” involving multiple security agencies.
Nigeria’s northern and Middle Belt regions have long been plagued by kidnappings, banditry, and communal violence, with armed gangs frequently targeting travelers, villages, and schools.
Despite a 2022 law banning ransom payments, kidnappers continue to demand payment for the release of their victims.
More than a dozen worshippers were kidnapped in an attack on a church in Kogi State before Christmas.
On January 3, armed groups raided Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger State, reportedly killing at least 30 people and abducting an unspecified number.
Some of those kidnapped are students who were recently rescued in the St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school mass abduction in November, according to humanitarian groups, including the UN Refugee Agency.
The crisis prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a nationwide security emergency and order expanded deployments of military and police personnel to affected regions.
More than 20,000 schools were also shut across seven states under the security measures, according to estimates published by Amnesty International.
In a statement on January 2, Niger State’s Education Ministry announced that schools “in safe and secure areas” will begin reopening later this month, following “careful security assessments and extensive consultations” with law enforcement agencies.
https://www.rt.com/africa/630990-hundreds-hostages-rescued-nigeria/
Drone strike hits Russia’s Nevinnomyssky Azot chemical plant
15 January 2026 16:24
A drone attack hit the Nevinnomyssky Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Stavropol Krai on the night of January 14, according to photographs taken by eyewitnesses and analysed by the investigative outlet ASTRA.
Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said a “fire in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city,” without directly confirming that the facility had been struck.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that 13 drones were shot down over the region overnight and another six in the morning, Caliber.Az reports.
The Nevinnomyssky Azot plant, operated by fertiliser producer Eurochem, has previously been attacked at least four times.
According to Reuters, Nevinnomyssky Azot and another Eurochem facility, Novomoskovsky Azot, supply chemicals to the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk, in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, based on an analysis of railway shipment data.
Between 2022 and 2024, the two plants supplied at least 38,000 tonnes of acetic acid and nearly 5,000 tonnes of nitric acid to the Sverdlov Plant, the data show.
Both chemicals are used to produce HMX (octogen) and RDX (hexogen), which are in turn used in the manufacture of artillery shells.
Eurochem is one of the world’s largest producers of mineral fertilisers.
12:33
A fire broke out overnight at a chemical plant in Russia’s Stavropol Krai region following a reported drone attack, with no official confirmation from authorities as of the morning of January 15.
According to a Telegram channel, the drones struck the production area of the plant, triggering a blaze on the site, Caliber.Az reports.
No details were immediately available regarding possible casualties or the extent of the damage.
https://caliber.az/en/post/drone-attack-causes-fire-at-chemical-plant-in-russia-s-stavropol-region
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4080433-six-air-defense-systems-destroyed-in-48-hours-ukrainian-drone-forces-strike-russian-targets.html
https://news.az/news/russian-drone-strike-hits-odesa-region-fires-reported
https://united24media.com/latest-news/drones-set-fire-to-russian-plant-that-feeds-explosives-into-missile-and-artillery-production-15036
https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-war-one-dead-in-ukrainian-drone-strike-on-russia-s-rostov-1768471587314
https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukrainian-drones-and-artillery-wipe-out-70-russian-soldiers-north-of-kharkiv-video-15052
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/kyiv-police-show-damage-after-russian-drone-hits-residential-building-50575927.html
https://gwaramedia.com/en/russian-attack-drone-destroys-police-car-in-chuhuiv-district/
https://caspianpost.com/regions/russian-drone-strikes-hit-homes-near-kyiv-s-bucha
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/shahed-drone-intercepted-near-lviv-ukraine-1768469765.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russian-drone-strike-shatters-stained-glass-1768469248.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/01/15/russian-drone-crashes-into-lviv-playground-damages-church-homes-near-lvivs-bandera-monument/
https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2026-01-15/local-news/Malta-flagged-oil-tanker-damaged-in-Black-Sea-drone-attack-6736286363
IDF strikes Hezbollah in response to ‘repeated’ truce violations
Jan. 15, 2026
The Israel Defense Forces attacked Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Thursday in response to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization’s “repeated violations of the ceasefire,” the military said.
No further details were provided in the initial IDF statement.
Hezbollah started attacking the Jewish state’s north on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas-led terrorist massacre in the south, opening a second front on the country’s borders that lasted until a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Beirut and Jerusalem entered into effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
The truce terms required Hezbollah to be disarmed, starting in regions adjacent to the border, with the Lebanese Armed Forces mandated to establish a monopoly over weapons in the country under the terms of the ceasefire agreement and a subsequent Lebanese Cabinet decision.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a Jan. 8 statement said that while Beirut’s efforts were “an encouraging beginning,” they were “far from sufficient” given Hezbollah’s Iranian-aided rearmament efforts.
“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” Jerusalem said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly received a green light from U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. on Dec. 29 to restart the military campaign against Hezbollah.
On Sunday, the IDF conducted strikes throughout Southern Lebanon in response to what it described as Hezbollah’s “continuous violations” of the ceasefire, killing terrorists and destroying terrorist “military” sites.
According to the IDF statement, it notified the Lebanese Armed Forces of the existence of one of the underground Hezbollah sites last week, but the LAF failed to dismantle it as required by the ceasefire deal.
https://www.jns.org/idf-strikes-hezbollah-in-in-response-to-repeated-truce-violations/
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-january-15-2026/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/top-hamas-officer-at-least-5-others-said-killed-in-israeli-strike-in-central-gaza-no-idf-comment/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-troops-killed-several-suspects-who-crossed-yellow-line-today-and-yesterday/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-arrests-suspect-allegedly-planning-to-traffic-weapons-in-nablus/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-883423
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-01-14/ty-article/.premium/israel-expects-advance-warning-of-u-s-strike-on-iran-idf-orders-defensive-preparations/0000019b-bdf8-d641-a9bf-bff8e18d0000
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-hamas-terrorists-fire-on-idf-tank-in-gaza/
https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/Local/1644190/israeli-army-issues-warning-to-machgharah-residents
https://www.jns.org/idf-demolishes-hebron-home-of-terrorist-behind-gush-etzion-attack/
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/this-bill-could-turn-the-idf-into-a-lawless-army/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjdp8m8rbx
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/skpl9wihzx
Drones Spotted In Jammu And Kashmir Again, Third Time In Five Days
Jan 15, 2026 22:29 pm IST
Srinagar:
The army fired at drones that were spotted in the Jammu and Poonch sectors this evening, defence sources said. This was the third drone sighting in Jammu and Kashmir in five days.
The first drone was seen in the Jammu sector, after which the army immediately launched counter unmanned aerial system (UAS) measures.
The second drone was seen flying in Poonch sector's Degwar, sources said.
Pakistani forces across the Line of Control (LoC) are known to use heavy-duty drones to drop supplies for terrorists hiding on the Indian side. Terrorists also use drones to carry weapons across the LoC or the International Border.
Many drones carrying drugs have been shot down along the IB in Punjab in recent years.
The latest drone sightings come after a lull for several months following India's Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/drones-spotted-in-jammu-and-kashmir-again-third-time-in-five-days-10760187
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFV5mE8wRvo
Haiti: Gang leader reportedly targeted in drone operation
Modified: 15/01/2026 - 13:06
According to Haitian media, notorious gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier's Port-au-Prince home was targeted in a drone operation.
Branding himself as an anti-elite revolutionary, "Barbecue" is accused of a wide range of crimes and is thought to have played a key role in the 2018 La Saline Massacre.
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260115-haiti-gang-leader-targeted-in-drone-operation
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pEwd_9glW-I
Pakistan-backed terror groups acquire aerial assets, says report amid drone sightings at borders
January 15, 2026, 16:01:34 IST
A detailed report has been prepared documenting all the latest activities of aerial threats and activities that will serve to prepare comprehensive, multi-agency, multi-force counter-arrangements
Days after reports of drone sightings along the Line of Control (LoC) alarmed security officials, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Khalistani extremist groups have reportedly acquired paragliders and associated equipment, raising concerns about India’s security.
According to News18, a detailed report has been prepared documenting all the latest activities of aerial threats and activities that will serve to prepare comprehensive, multi-agency, multi-force counter-arrangements.
Suspected Pakistani drones were sighted along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Tuesday, prompting security forces to maintain high alert.
Several drone-like objects were first seen hovering over Dheri Dhara village near the Keri sector around 7:35 pm before moving towards Kalali village.
Security agencies opened fire and activated counter-drone measures, after which the objects were observed returning across the border. Monitoring along the LoC has been intensified.
The report indicates that the global use of drones to target world leaders and critical infrastructure is on the rise, marking a significant shift in asymmetric warfare and terrorist strategy.
Within this framework, experts noted that Hamas’s deployment of motorised paragliders during its attacks on Israel serves as a prime example of how unconventional tools are being used to circumvent traditional security measures and execute large-scale strikes.
Earlier on Tuesday, an encounter broke out between security forces and suspected militants in Kathua district.
Gunfire was reported after forces launched a search operation based on intelligence about militant movement in a remote village.
Officials said intermittent firing came from the Najote forest area of Billawar, about 10 km from the Kamadh nallah in the Kahog forest belt, where a similar exchange occurred on January 7.
Suspected militants fired upon observing security forces, who retaliated while moving deeper into the forest. The cordon-and-search operation has been strengthened, and efforts are ongoing to track the militants.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said India had conveyed a clear warning to Pakistan over the recent UAV sightings, describing such activity as “not acceptable.”
https://www.firstpost.com/india/pakistan-backed-terror-groups-acquire-aerial-assets-says-report-amid-drone-sightings-at-borders-13969001.html
ROK military finds general guilty of treason over North Korea drone incursions
January 15, 2026
The South Korean military has found a former army general guilty of “general treason” for his role in a covert drone operation into North Korea in Oct. 2024, which authorities allege aimed to justify then-South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration.
A military committee determined that Counterintelligence Command Chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung conspired with Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun in the “Pyongyang drone infiltration operation,” according to a disciplinary resolution obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Choo Mi-ae.
The committee concluded the plan aimed to provoke North Korea into military retaliation, thereby creating a national emergency that could serve as the basis for declaring emergency martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.
Yeo’s smartphone memos, interrogation records, testimony from senior counterintelligence officers and indictments filed by the Special Counsel for Insurrection were used as evidence in the case. The ministry dismissed Yeo on Dec. 29, 2025, based on its findings.
Between Oct. 3 and Nov. 19, 2024, the South Korean military reportedly carried out 11 drone missions over Pyongyang, Wonsan, Kaesong and Nampho, dropping leaflets that the committee said could “harm the dignity of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other senior officials.”
The operation passed through then-Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and Operations Chief Lt. Gen. Lee Seung-oh before reaching the Drone Operations Command, with “knowledge confined to a very small group of personnel,” according to the committee. Front-line ROK units, U.S. forces and the U.N. Command were not informed.
Although the Yoon administration framed the operation as retaliation for North Korea’s trash balloon launches, the committee found that drone missions continued between Oct. 24 and Nov. 17, when no launches occurred.
Kim and Lee later refused to conduct further missions upon realizing the operation was not a response to the balloon launches.
The resolution said the operation’s covert nature may have delayed South Korea’s response to provocations, increased potential casualties and undermined trust with the U.S.-ROK alliance.
It also noted that disciplinary proceedings are separate from criminal trials and are not contingent on a court verdict. Yeo, Yoon, and Kim’s trials are ongoing after they were charged with aiding the enemy.
https://www.nknews.org/2026/01/rok-military-finds-general-guilty-of-treason-over-north-korea-drone-incursions/
https://x.com/i/grok
find the base image, put it in grok and ask it to 'draw some such outfit on him'
Flights Disrupted at Heathrow After Suspected Drone Sighting
Jan 15, 2026
Flights at Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe, were briefly disrupted on Wednesday following a suspected drone sighting near the airfield.
At least one arriving flight was affected. Swiss flight LX324 from Zurich diverted to Gatwick Airport after holding in the airspace for nearly half an hour, according to data from Flightradar24.
Pilots ultimately opted to reroute to the Sussex airport as a precaution.
A Heathrow spokesperson said operations had been temporarily paused but have since resumed.
“Flights are continuing as normal after a brief pause to operations, following a suspected drone sighting,” the spokesperson said, adding that the airport would continue to monitor the situation in coordination with police and airline partners to ensure safety.
The incident comes amid a wider increase in suspected drone activity around major European airports.
In recent months, similar sightings have led to temporary flight disruptions at airports in Vilnius and Brussels, raising ongoing concerns about aviation safety and the growing challenge of managing unauthorized drones near critical infrastructure.
While delays at Heathrow were limited, the episode highlights how even short-lived security alerts can ripple through one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, where thousands of flights pass through each day.
https://www.rustourismnews.com/2026/01/15/flights-disrupted-at-heathrow-after-suspected-drone-sighting/
Illinois UFO Sightings in 2025: Strange Reports, Real Answers
January 15, 2026
If you’ve ever squinted up on a clear Illinois night sky and wondered whether that flickering light you just saw was more than a plane, planet, or shooting star, you’re not the only one.
In 2025, residents across our state filed dozens of UFO reports, and their stories are a wild mix of the believable, the kind-of-believable, and the “wait, what?”
According to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), Illinois had 34 reported UFO sightings in 2025 through mid‑year, with observers describing everything from oddly-shaped objects to strange orbs and lights.
Keep in mind that organizations like NUFORC compile reports as they come in, and many sightings from late 2025 may not be tallied publicly yet.
The state’s full year total for 2025 isn’t finalized. More reports and more patterns will likely emerge as additional sightings get recorded and processed.
Let's Take A Look At What Illinois Residents Are Claiming They Saw In The Skies In 2025
So what are Illinois folks actually reporting? Here are some examples from Northern Illinois in 2025, as cataloged on the NUFORC database:
Jan. 23, 2025 (Chicago): Triangle‑shaped object that appeared to change shape and light patterns.
Feb. 10, 2025 (Carol Stream): White oval‑shaped light seen at the front door and captured on Ring camera.
Apr. 8, 2025 (Gurnee): Orb‑shaped craft seen about 300 feet away through a bedroom window.
Apr. 22, 2025 (Arlington Heights): Two lights moving in the sky, one bright and large, one smaller and dimmer.
May 24, 2025 (Chicago): Tumbling cylinder with bright reflections or lights.
May 29, 2025 (Worth): Diamond‑shaped object too bright to be a star, with an image captured by the witness.
Illinoisans Have Seen It All, Shapes, Lights, Orbs, Stunningly Bright Objects
That’s part of what makes UFO reporting so fascinating for those who believe or want to believe.
But before you start prepping for close encounters, the fun reality is that while the term “UFO” technically means unidentified flying object, it doesn’t automatically mean alien spacecraft.
Many of these sightings end up being explained as drones, satellites, weather balloons, bright planets seen from unusual angles, or other perfectly ordinary objects that look strange at night.
In fact, UFO organizations estimate only a small fraction of sightings merit deeper investigation, and most of those get credible explanations over time.
READ ON: Weird, wild UFO sightings from throughout history
cont.
https://1440wrok.com/illinois-ufo-sightings-2025-2/
Is This The Best Evidence For UFOs Yet? Astronomer Beatriz Villarroel’s VASCO Project Time Travels To The 50s
Jan. 15, 2026
The mystery of the vanishing stars
Astronomer Beatriz Villarroel, in her 2023 paper with Geoffery W. Marcey, entitled, “Astronomical Anomalies: Their Role in the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life,” makes a compelling argument that,
“Astronomers occasionally detect an object having unexpected shape, unexplainable photometry, or unprecedented spectra that are inconsistent with our contemporary knowledge of the universe.
Upon careful assessment, many of these anomalies are discarded as mere noise, contamination, or faulty analysis. But some anomalies survive scrutiny to yield new astronomical objects and physical processes.”
A similar line of reasoning has been argued by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb as he continues to flag anomalies in 3I/ATLAS, the third-ever interstellar visitor to the solar system since 1I/Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).
Beatriz Villarroel, an Assistant professor, Nordic Institute of Theoretical Physics, is associated with the VASCO Project as the principal investigator looking for anomalies that cannot be ruled out by any naturally occurring known cause.
Short for “Vanishing & Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations,” the endeavor that incepted in 2017, searches for the transients and probes with focus on Pre-Sputnik Satellites, and Vanishing Stars!
Under the project, a VASCO team of researchers started noticing a pattern while shifting through the images from the 1950s done in the then conducted survey and comparing it with the modern sky surveys.
Per the study, “We have found thousands of objects visible in the 1950s that no longer are seen today. We ourselves, refer to these as ”short-lived transients”, as we think most represent the bright state of an astrophysical object that brightened up for a few minutes later to dim again, rather than a star that actually vanished.
We are, nevertheless, examining each ”vanishing star candidate”.”
The project reminds the lay of the 1.2-meter Schmidt telescope on Mount Palomar that took several photographic images of the sky preserved as plates during the pre-Sptunik era when there were no man-made satellites to cause a glint in the studies.
Oh boy there were some and then they weren’t! What exactly where these flashes? Dr. Beatriz Villarroel further explains
Any observations from objects at lower altitudes, such as brief reflections or flashing lights from balloons or airplanes, or other phenomena such as solar flare or ionizing radiation, would appear severely defocused (and diluted during the 50-minute exposure), and are easily identifiable.
Nor can these flashes be explained by asteroids, ice grains or other natural phenomena.
These prosaic phenomena typically appear as round, rough, and leave streaks on the long, 50-minute exposures of the photographic plates that we analyzed.
In short, our observations indicate the presence of objects with flat, highly reflective (mirror-like!) surfaces in orbit years before the first man-made satellites.
The study further reveals how these strangely is reminiscent of the UFOs
The most statistically significant alignment of transient flashes in our dataset occurred on July 27, 1952, a date which stands out in UFO lore.
Over the course of two successive weekends in July 1952, pilots, air traffic controllers, and radar operators at three stations in the Washington, D.C., area observed objects conducting seemingly extraordinary maneuvers.
So?
The correlation between bright, transient flashes and eyewitness UFO reports does not end with the July 1952 incidents.
We found a statistically significant link among orbital flashes, a catalog of historical eyewitness UFO reports, and above-ground nuclear tests.
https://in.mashable.com/science/104707/is-this-the-best-evidence-for-ufos-yet-astronomer-beatriz-villarroels-vasco-project-time-travels-to
https://www.liberationtimes.com/home/we-were-told-there-is-no-scientific-evidence-for-ufos-our-research-says-otherwise
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/515/1/1380/6607509
https://vascoproject.org/vanishing-stars/
https://x.com/DrBeaVillarroel
UFO sighting over the M27 near Eastleigh
Thursday, 15 January 2026 05:00
A motorist travelling on the M27 near Eastleigh has reported a possible UFO sighting after witnessing what was described as a brief flash in the sky earlier this month.
The driver says they saw a yellow-orange fireball appear for a split second while driving close to Southampton Airport.
The sighting is said to have taken place at around 5:30pm on the 4th January 2026, with the object vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared.
Dashcam footage from the vehicle has since been reviewed and appears to show a fast-moving white object streaking across the sky before disappearing from view.
The motorist says checks carried out afterwards showed no aircraft movements in the area at the time, and believes it was unlikely to have been a drone given the proximity to the airport.
The footage and report have now been submitted to the National UFO Reporting Center, which collects and analyses reports of unexplained aerial phenomena from around the world.
Investigators will assess the evidence to determine whether there could be a conventional explanation, such as atmospheric conditions, space debris, or a meteor.
No official explanation has yet been confirmed, and the sighting remains under review.
Read the report here: NUFORC UFO Sighting 195173
https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=195173
https://www.v2radio.co.uk/news/west-sussex/ufo-sighting-over-the-m27-near-eastleigh/
Woman 'has daily encounters with UFOs' and says 'blue-skinned creatures testing the waters'
Updated08:15, 14 Jan 2026
A woman has claimed she's been experiencing daily alien encounters ever since spotting her first UFO during the Covid lockdown.
Lily Nova revealed she picked up astrophotography to combat boredom, making her initial sighting in November 2021. Another followed shortly after, and from that point onwards, the frequency escalated dramatically.
According to Lily, she now witnesses floating orbs, metallic spacecraft, or extraterrestrial beings on a daily basis—and she's even able to describe their appearance in detail.
The St Louis, Missouri resident recalled one particular alien resembling a girl with light blue skin and no hair, describing the "very beautiful" being as dressed in a skin-tight grey suit.
Recounting her first brush with the unexplained, she said: "My first encounter with aliens and UFOs was very intense.
I went outside for some fresh air one night and I immediately locked eyes with bright light hovering over the neighbourhood. I started investigating and realised it was a UFO.
Seconds later I looked away briefly and when I looked back there was a second craft that was much closer. I could actually see the triangular shape of the craft.
The UFOs did some impressive manoeuvres to show me that it wasn't a regular aircraft before they disappeared above me."
Lily admitted she was rattled after her initial sighting, but the experiences have since become routine.
She explained: "During my encounters, I have also been able to see what the beings look like. One of the first beings I saw was a girl with light blue skin.
She had no hair, but she was very beautiful. She was wearing a skin-tight grey suit and I saw her shipmates standing behind her in the same uniform.
I have also seen another group of beings with light blonde hair, fair and glowing skin and bright blue eyes. I believe they send images of themselves to me through telepathy.
I think they are easing me into an introduction as it would be such a shocking experience for any human to have an alien walk up to you."
Lily believes the extraterrestrials were gauging her reaction following that first startling encounter, as she noticed them gesturing in her direction whilst being aware she was filming.
She suspects they deliberately stepped back to allow her time to come to terms with what had happened before making contact again. Lily said: "My encounters have been very close from the start.
I could not believe what I was seeing, it was groundbreaking and it piqued my interest in astrophotography even more. I needed to find out as much as possible.
I abandoned my career as a nutritionist because it was overtaken by my passion for finding out more about UFOs and aliens."
Lily said she was spooked after her first encounter, but since then it's become a common occurrence.
She continued: "It's not something I ever expected to happen. The shock of my encounters with the UFOs eventually turned to comfort as I had more and more experiences.
It felt like I was developing a relationship with them. These experiences have changed everything for me. It has totally changed my view of the world and I have learnt so much about the cosmos and other beings.
I have been focusing on spreading awareness of what I have found."
Lily believes she can encourage these extraterrestrial encounters when she's feeling calm, receptive and content.
She claims to have developed a sort of sixth sense—an instinctive feeling that alerts her when they're about to make an appearance.
Lily explained: "Whenever I am out doing my creative passion, astrophotography, this is when I believe I can make contact and invite these encounters.
"I have been out with a friend who is experienced in meditation, and we set our intention for them to appear to us, and within five minutes of getting out the car, a bright golden orb appears and was moving around to our questions.
""Since the shock wore off, I just feel joy, love and peace. They are such beautiful and positive experiences, sometimes I even ball my eyes out crying while it's happening.
I believe that they come to me because I believe in them, I am open-minded and I am welcoming towards them.".
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/woman-has-daily-encounters-ufos-36539407
https://www.youtube.com/@LilyNovaStarseed
https://x.com/LilyNova1111