Drones
Russian drone crashes into apartment building in Romania
A Russian drone hit an apartment building in Romania, the country's defence ministry said early on Friday, causing a fire and injuring two people. The drone crashed in the eastern city of Galati as Russia carried out attacks in Ukraine near the border, the ministry said in a statement. The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said the drone's entire explosive payload detonated, causing a fire on the 10th floor of the residential building. Russian drones have strayed across the border of the Nato member country a number of times during the four-year war with Ukraine, but this was the first time citizens from Romania had been hurt. Russia has yet to comment on the incident. This incident represents a serious and irresponsible escalation on the part of the Russian Federation, Romania's foreign ministry said, adding Bucharest had informed the Nato secretary general and requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania.
Weekly quiz: Which tennis star dazzled the French Open with an 'Eiffel Tower' dress?
Weekly quiz: Which tennis star dazzled the French Open with an'Eiffel Tower' dress? This week, more details about the Married At First Sight UK scandal came to light, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party, and almost 90 drones crashed into Sydney's Darling Harbour when a light show went wrong . But how much attention did you pay to what else happened in the world over the past seven days? Try last week's quiz, or have a go at something from the archives . Paris'punishingly hot' as Western Europe hit by heatwave Timelapse footage shows'giant cave' inflating on Paris bridge The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Latvia parliament approves new gov't after drone dispute toppled coalition
Latvia parliament approves new gov't after drone dispute toppled coalition Latvia's parliament has approved a new coalition government that will lead the European Union and NATO member country in the coming months after its predecessor collapsed following an argument over its handling of stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine. By a margin of 66 deputies in the 100-seat assembly, lawmakers on Thursday confirmed 47-year-old centrist Andris Kulbergs as prime minister, who will lead the Baltic nation of more than 1.8 million people until parliamentary elections on October 3. She quit after Defence Minister Andris Spruds, a member of the Progressives Party, was forced to resign over the government's handling of multiple incidents involving stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine crossing into Latvian territory. Silina accused the minister of not deploying anti-drone defences fast enough to parry two wayward Ukraine attack drones, which are thought to have been knocked off course by Russian jamming. At the time, she said Spruds had lost her trust and that of the public.
Learning from Ukraine, Hezbollah is now using fibre-optic drones to hit Israel
Fibre-optic drones have become Hezbollah's primary weapon against Israeli soldiers and civilians, along both sides of the Lebanese border, and are now seen as the biggest threat there, as fighting continues six weeks into a supposed ceasefire. One Israeli soldier was killed and two others injured in a drone attack near the Israeli border community of Shomera on Wednesday. Of the 11 Israeli soldiers and one civilian defence contractor killed since the ceasefire came into force, eight have been killed by fibre-optic drones. Most of the attacks have targeted Israeli forces, which are currently occupying a large area of southern Lebanon, but Hezbollah is also increasingly attacking Israeli communities across the border, according to the Alma Research Center, an Israeli think tank which monitors the conflict. It has recorded more than 100 drone attacks against communities inside Israel since the ceasefire began in April.
US strikes Iran targets for second time in three days
The US military has carried out new strikes on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city. US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces also shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz. The site in Bandar Abbas was struck as it was about to launch a fifth drone, Centcom said. Iranian media reported that explosions were heard to the east of the city. The strikes come amid a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran, and protracted negotiations to end the three-month war that has choked traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and shot up global energy prices.
U.S. strikes Iran again after Trump denies deal on Strait of Hormuz
Iran and U.S. trade airstrikes after Trump dismisses report of Hormuz deal DUBAI/WASHINGTON - Iran's Revolutionary Guard said on Thursday it targeted a U.S. airbase after the U.S. military carried out what a Washington official said were strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a report he was close to a compromise deal with Tehran. The escalation in hostilities highlighted threats to the tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran that took effect in early April, dampening hopes for a peace deal and sending oil prices surging again. A U.S. official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about military operations, said the military shot down four Iranian attack drones and struck a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.
Four drones will go where no astronaut have landed--yet
NASA's MoonFall mission plans to send drones to the moon's South Pole sometime in 2028. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . As NASA looks ahead towards Artemis III in mid-2027, the agency is sharing new details on several projects, including a future permanent moon base and a drone mission called MoonFall.
Russia to task bankers with shooting down Ukrainian drones
Russian lawmakers have passed a bill to allow trained bank employees to shoot down Ukrainian drones amid an increase in the number of attacks. The draft legislation, which would see banks across Russia install electronic jamming systems while selected employees would shoot down incoming unmanned aircraft, passed in its third and final reading in the lower house Duma on Tuesday, according to the state-run TASS news agency. The bill says the legislation is needed to protect Bank of Russia facilities, including those located in the new constituent entities of the Russian Federation - referring to the four eastern Ukrainian regions that Moscow has announced it has annexed despite not controlling them fully - amid the increasing number of sabotage and terrorist attacks. Under the plan, banks would finance the installation of the equipment on their premises. With banks in almost every town, their incorporation into Russia's air defences could help expand its cover.
EU states summon Russian envoys over Kyiv threat
Belgium and France have summoned Russia's ambassadors to express anger after Moscow urged foreigners to leave Kyiv in advance of planned "systematic strikes". Brussels and Paris said on Wednesday that Russia's announcement earlier in the week was "unacceptable" and a violation of international law. The spat is unlikely to help smooth the way for the EU to mediate talks to bring the conflict to an end, an arrangement that Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he is ready to accept. Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the European Union summoned Russian envoys on Tuesday following Moscow's warning that foreigners and diplomats should leave the Ukrainian capital before the onset of renewed air strikes . "Threatening embassies is not diplomacy, it is intimidation. And it is a flagrant violation of international law and the Vienna Convention," Belgium Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot said on Wednesday.
Israel strikes Tyre after ordering evacuation of south Lebanon city
The Israeli military has said it is carrying out air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Tyre in southern Lebanon, after ordering the evacuation of the entire city. The military told residents that it was compelled to act forcefully in Tyre because the Iran-backed armed group was violating a US-brokered ceasefire that began five weeks ago. Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese media reported a wave of Israeli strikes across the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley, with four people killed in the towns of Choukine and Nabatieh. Hezbollah, which has itself accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire, said it was battling Israeli troops north of the Litani river, about 30km (19 miles) from the border. It came a day after Israel's prime minister announced an expansion of its ground operation following Hezbollah drone attacks on troops occupying part of southern Lebanon and on civilians in northern Israel.