‘Our task is to laugh at these enemies’: the Ukrainian unit posting drone videos of Russian soldiers’ last moments

Creators of chase compilations reject any moral qualms and say they show ‘death is waiting’ for those who join war

To many observers they will appear dehumanising and offensive. To many Ukrainians, however, they are a brutal reminder of the fate that awaits Russian soldiers who take part in Vladimir Putin’s invasion, as well as a potent propaganda weapon.

Over the past year and a half, videos of kamikaze drones chasing Russian service personnel to their deaths have become a distinctive genre on social media. They are the brainchild of Robert Brovdi, the head of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces and founder of “Magyar’s Birds”, named after his call sign.

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‘I want to hug an actual, living person’: How Meduza’s Russian readers are coping with wartime loneliness – Meduza

  1. ‘I want to hug an actual, living person’: How Meduza’s Russian readers are coping with wartime loneliness  Meduza
  2. Ukraine’s Long Shot  The Atlantic
  3. As war with Ukraine wages on, a look at life inside Russia  NPR
  4. Never Say War — ‘the best soldier is one nobody will miss’  Financial Times
  5. The war is elsewhere: An in-depth report on life in Russia in the midst of Putin’s war  Leipziger Zeitung
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Iran fails to strike deal with US as deadline passes and Trump calls for ‘white flag of surrender’ – Fox News

  1. Iran fails to strike deal with US as deadline passes and Trump calls for ‘white flag of surrender'  Fox News
  2. 60 days after signing Iran deal, Trump stuck in quagmire as war drags on  The Washington Post
  3. US must return to interim deal, no ceasefire extension talks, senior Iranian source says  Reuters
  4. With US-Iran talks stalled, diplomatic efforts expand to unlikely European players  AP News
  5. US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding expires: How and why it fell apart  Al Jazeera
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Controversial NDIS bill passes Senate with ‘substantial’ amendments as Labor and Coalition strike deal

David Pocock says legislation still includes ‘indiscriminate cut’ impacting thousands of participants but will pass lower house on Wednesday

The government’s controversial NDIS bill will pass after “substantial” amendments were agreed to in a deal between Labor and the Coalition, with some of the changes attracting heavy criticism from the Greens, the ACT senator David Pocock and the disability community.

Sixty-three government amendments across both houses were introduced as part of backroom deals to pass the bill in the upper house on Tuesday night, the NDIS ministers, Mark Butler and Jenny McAllister, revealed.

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See gorgeous views of the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse captured from space – Space

  1. See gorgeous views of the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse captured from space  Space
  2. Total solar eclipse 2026 thrills millions with a stunning cosmic spectacle (photos, video)  Space
  3. Photos: See the best photos from this year's total solar eclipse : The Picture Show  NPR
  4. The Moon’s shadow raced across the heart of Spain, and I was there to see it  Ars Technica
  5. APOD: 2026 August 17 - A Golden Corona Eclipse  NASA Science (.gov)
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Zelensky formally taps Khmara as defense minister, ruling out Fedorov’s return – The Kyiv Independent

  1. Zelensky formally taps Khmara as defense minister, ruling out Fedorov's return  The Kyiv Independent
  2. Ukraine's parliament approves Yevhenii Khmara as new defence minister  Reuters
  3. Ukraine Gets New Defense Chief as Ex-Minister Calls for Election  Bloomberg.com
  4. MPs spent five hours with ministerial candidates on Tuesday: defence committee approves Khmara this morning  Українська правда
  5. August 18 Parliament Voting Can Change the Political Field Dramatically  Kyiv Post
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Kushner and Netanyahu agree U.S. general should oversee Hamas ‘demilitarization,’ source says – NBC News

  1. Kushner and Netanyahu agree U.S. general should oversee Hamas ‘demilitarization,’ source says  NBC News
  2. Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israeli rejection of BoP's Gaza plan  The Jerusalem Post
  3. Meeting with Kushner, PM doubles down on IDF remaining in Gaza until Hamas disarmed  The Times of Israel
  4. Binyamin Netanyahu refuses to compromise over Gaza plan  The Times
  5. Fidan's message from Cairo was warning to Israel  Daily Sabah
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How Israel’s Financial Chokehold Is Stifling the West Bank Economy – The New York Times

  1. How Israel’s Financial Chokehold Is Stifling the West Bank Economy  The New York Times
  2. Israeli pressure on the West Bank has sent the occupied territory to the brink of financial collapse as severe restrictions have touched every part of daily life and caused an economic crisis.  facebook.com
  3. In West Bank’s crumbling economy, some Palestinians turn to Israeli settlements to work  NPR
  4. West Bank jobs recover, but Palestinian workers face low wages, protections  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Palestinians have no place to put their money. Officials warn a breakdown is looming  NPR
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Will gas prices fall if companies build oil routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz? Experts explain – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

  1. Will gas prices fall if companies build oil routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz? Experts explain  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  2. Gulf Oil Giants Are Spending Billions to Build Ways Around Strait of Hormuz  The New York Times
  3. How Gulf Oil Is Escaping the Strait of Hormuz  oilprice.com
  4. The Strait of Hormuz: Persistent U.S.-Iran maritime flashpoint  NBC News
  5. Why the Strait of Hormuz is a warning for Japan  The Japan Times
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Trump torches allies as Iran exposes limits of hard power – Axios

  1. Trump torches allies as Iran exposes limits of hard power  Axios
  2. Frustration with Trump grows among U.S.’s Persian Gulf allies, officials say  The Washington Post
  3. Transcript: Trump Erupts as Aides Leak Humiliating Iran Truth: He Lost  newrepublic.com
  4. Will the Gulfies dump Trump?  Foundation for Defense of Democracies
  5. Gulf States Reconsider Priorities – Expert Sevostyanov on Middle East Conflict  News.by
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Jason Arday’s rise and fall tells a larger story about academia, a critic says – NPR

  1. Jason Arday's rise and fall tells a larger story about academia, a critic says  NPR
  2. The Tragic Story of Jason Arday  The New York Times
  3. Jason Arday’s death sparks UK debate over academic rigor, racism after media ‘frenzy’  WWLP
  4. Cambridge Professor’s Death Sparks Soul-Searching Over Where to Lay the Blame  WSJ
  5. Jason Arday’s death: Black academics need to feel they belong in higher education  The Conversation
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Jason Arday died following allegations of dishonesty. What lessons were left behind? – NPR

  1. Jason Arday died following allegations of dishonesty. What lessons were left behind?  NPR
  2. Cambridge Professor’s Death Sparks Soul-Searching Over Where to Lay the Blame  WSJ
  3. Opinion | After a Scholar’s Awful Death, Mistaken Calls for Censorship  The New York Times
  4. Plagiarism, Even if Proven, Does Not Deserve Moral Prosecution  insidehighered.com
  5. The difficult truth about Jason Arday  Financial Times
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Russian court jails Kremlin critic for 11 years for opposing the war in Ukraine – CNN

  1. Russian court jails Kremlin critic for 11 years for opposing the war in Ukraine  CNN
  2. Barred From Ballot, a Party Becomes a Vessel for Russians’ Discontent  The New York Times
  3. The Real Danger of Russia’s Fake Elections - by Cathy Young  The Bulwark
  4. Putin Is Afraid Of An Election He Can’t Lose  Forbes
  5. Russia maintains election ban on opposition Yabloko, jails deputy head  aljazeera.com
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King Harald of Norway is hospitalized for treatment in connection with a blood disease – AP News

  1. King Harald of Norway is hospitalized for treatment in connection with a blood disease  AP News
  2. Norway's king admitted to hospital and put on sick leave  BBC
  3. Norway's King Harald V hospitalised and put on sick leave, palace says  Euronews.com
  4. Crown Princess Mette-Marit Makes Her First Public Appearance Since Her Lung Transplant  Yahoo
  5. Norway’s King Harald, 89, Hospitalized for the Second Time This Year  people.com
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