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Relentless Push: Russia Claims Strategic Edge in Ukraine Offensive

  Servicemen of the 115th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces use an RPG-7 grenade launcher during training between combat missions, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Russia’s top military commander, General Valery Gerasimov, has declared that Russian forces are conducting a non-stop offensive along nearly the entire front line in Ukraine, asserting that the “strategic initiative” now lies with Moscow. According to Gerasimov, Russian troops have intensified airstrikes on Ukrainian cities far from the battlefield, including a recent attack on Kyiv that killed at least 23 people and wounded 38. He reported that since March, Russia has seized more than 3,500 square kilometers of territory , captured 149 villages, and now controls the vast majority of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. The offensive has also pushed into Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, with seven villages reportedly under Russian control. Moscow says it has carried...

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Dragon Bravo Fire Ravages Grand Canyon’s North Rim, Erasing Historic Lodge

A fast-moving wildfire known as the Dragon Bravo Fire has devastated the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, consuming the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge and up to 80 other structures over the weekend.

The lodge, a National Historic Landmark built in 1937, was the only in-park lodging on the North Rim and a beloved destination for generations of visitors. Its ponderosa pine beams and limestone façade were a hallmark of rustic park architecture, offering sweeping views of the canyon before guests even reached the rim.

Fueled by extreme heat, low humidity, and gusty winds, the fire scorched over 5,000 acres and forced the evacuation of all staff and visitors. Among the destroyed buildings were the park’s visitor center, administrative offices, employee housing, and a water treatment facility. The latter triggered a chlorine gas leak, prompting emergency evacuations of firefighters and hikers from the inner canyon.

No injuries have been reported, but the North Rim will remain closed for the rest of the 2025 season. Officials have shifted to a full suppression strategy as they battle both the Dragon Bravo and nearby White Sage fires, which together have burned tens of thousands of acres.

The loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge marks a heartbreaking moment for park lovers and historians alike. As one longtime visitor put it, “It felt like stepping into a time gone by.” Now, that time has quite literally gone up in smoke.

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