Latest news with #Filipović
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'One of the most geometrically perfect': What is this mysterious sphere deep in the Milky Way galaxy?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There's no shortage of round celestial objects in our universe. Planets, moons and stars all exhibit lovely spherical shapes. But astronomers recently spotted a mysteriously circular orb deep in the Milky Way galaxy — and it's certainly none of these things. This celestial bubble, discovered by astrophysicist Miroslav Filipović of Western Sydney University, is likely a supernova remnant (SNR), an expanding shell of gas and dust formed by shockwaves from a massive stellar explosion. SNRs aren't uncommon, but this particular example showcases numerous anomalies, including its astonishingly round shape. For that shape, Filipović and his team named SNR Teleios, the Greek word for "perfect." Filipović discovered Teleios — officially designated G305.4–2.2 — by accident, scanning through new images taken by the radio telescope Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). ASKAP is currently surveying the entire southern hemisphere sky. "I was looking at these images as they became available, searching for anything interesting, or not seen before, and came across Teleios," Filipović told "Its perfectly circular shape was unusual, and so I investigated further." Using data from ASKAP and the Murchison Widefield Array, Filipović and his team estimate that Teleios spans either about 46 light-years across at a distance of about 7,175 light-years from Earth, or about 157 light-years across at a distance of about 25,114 light-years from Earth. (Judging such vast distances in space is difficult.) Regardless of the size and distance of Teleios, though, the SNR's near-perfect symmetry is extraordinary. Its shape was quantified with a circularity score of 95.4%, placing it among the most symmetric known SNRs. While idealized models suggest SNRs remnants should be circular, reality often paints a more chaotic picture. "'Typical' SNR shapes vary dramatically, either from asymmetries in the initial explosion, or disruption from expanding into a non-perfect environment, or a number of other interfering factors," says Filipović. "What makes Teleios' shape so remarkable is that it displays none of these asymmetries; it effectively looks like an explosion that has happened with almost perfect initial parameters and with almost no disruption while expanding." So, what could explain such an undisturbed evolution? According to Filipović, it likely comes down to location. Teleios lies 2.2 degrees below the Galactic Plane, where interstellar gas and dust are significantly more sparse. This environment may have allowed the remnant to expand while remaining largely undisturbed for thousands of years. Teleios' shape is only one of the unusual characteristics of this SNR. Adding to the mystery, Teleios emits only in radio wavelengths, with a hint of hydrogen-alpha emissions. "Most SNRs are visible at another frequency. They either emit at optical, infrared, or X-ray frequencies as well," says Filipović. "The fact that we don't see that here is quite confusing. It could be that the temperatures are not high enough to produce this emission, or that Teleios is old enough that the optical emission has faded, but the radio emission is still present." Related Stories: — Hundreds of supernova remnants remain hidden in our galaxy. These astronomers want to find them— Mysterious cosmic lights turn out to be 2 undiscovered supernova remnants— Watch 2 gorgeous supernova remnants evolve over 20 years (timelapse video) This lack of emissions poses challenges to determining the type of supernova that produced Teleios. The most likely scenario is a Type Ia supernova, which occurs in binary star systems in which a white dwarf consumes enough mass of its companion star to explode violently. Alternatively, Teleios' origin might be Type Iax supernova, which is similar to a Type Ia supernova but one that leaves behind a "zombie" star. But Teleios's observable data doesn't fit either model perfectly. As it goes with newfound objects in the universe, researchers have a lot more to study to unravel all of Teleios's mysteries. Fortunately, there's no better time to study SNRs. "These are the 'golden days' for radio astronomy as the new instruments, such as ASKAP and MeerKAT, are opening windows for new discoveries," says Filipović. A paper on the findings has been submitted to the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, and is presently available on preprint server arXiv.
Daily Record
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Revelation from spy chief blows open mystery of Jill Dando's murder
A former spy chief has revealed that one of his officers was responsible for an attack abroad at around the time TV presenter Jill Dando was killed. Serbian security service member Dragan Filipović was behind a "secret reprisal action" in the spring of 1999, which caused "great confusion in Europe". Milorad Ulemek, then 31, led the unit Filipović used to go after opponents of brutal Serbian dictator Slobadan Milosevic. Dando was shot dead on her doorstep in London on April 26 that year, amid the ongoing Yugoslav war and the bombing of Serbia by British aircraft. Within hours of her death, the BBC received a call claiming her shooting was carried out in response. A man said: "Tell your Prime Minister, in Belgrade 15 people were killed, so 14 more to go." It was feared that the former Crimewatch presenter had been chosen as a target because she had publicised a charity appeal for Kosovan refugees less than three weeks earlier. Filipović admitted he had sent several of his special forces officers into Europe to carry out revenge killings for the bombings, which had began on March 24, 1999. Known as Major Fića, he wrote: "Among others, Serbs were suspected as potential perpetrators, which resulted in a hunt and increased control of Yugoslav citizens." A source with knowledge of the Serbian security services told the Mirror he believes Filipović's claim to be true. He said: "I have very little doubt that this assassination was planned and executed by some circles in Serbia." It comes following calls for police to launch a review after a driver said a man who ran out in front of his van on Fulham Palace Road, near Dando's home, resembled Ulemek. Another witness also told the Mirror last year that she was sure she had seen the convicted killer on the same street. British security officials had issued five warnings that Serbian officers may have been planning attacks abroad before her murder. Recently declassified documents show repeated concerns from NATO and the Ministry of Defence in April 1999. None of the files could be seen by police officers investigating her death, it is understood. In an appeal for the Disasters Emergency Committee made on April 6, she referred to Kosovo as a "former Yugoslavian region", which would likely have enraged Filipović, an ultra-nationalist who viewed it as the "cradle" of his country. Her appeal was made on behalf of some of Britain's largest NGOs, which could have made her a genuine target. The Serbian source explained: "It could be perceived as part of a 'special war' against Milosevic and Serbia and the secret service could have taken some [action]." In 1999, Milorad "Legija" Ulemek was a senior member of the Jedinica za specijalne operacije (JSO) - an arm of the Serbian Intelligence Service founded by Filipović, who used it to choose his operatives . The source believes it was him who specifically chose Ulemek for the unit after they met while fighting previous Yugoslav wars. He is said to have convinced him to shift allegiances from Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan's Serbian Volunteer Guard. He was said to have been with Ulemek when he tried to assassinate Serbian politician Vuk Draskocic six months after Dando's murder . Ulemek later said in court he asked Filipović's boss to make himself available for a "special operation" on April 15, 1999, eleven days before she was shot. Filipović said his boss, then head of the Serbian State Security Services, known as "DB", gave him "full independence" and granted him all the personnel , spying technology and cash he needed. Filipović wrote: "My responsibilities included planning, organising and carrying out special intelligence and subversive actions against NATO member states, as well as states that supported them during the attack on Yugoslavia, with the aim of endangering their political stability and combat readiness. The tasks particularly included secret reprisal actions deep inside enemy territory." He also explained how his unit operated by revealing details about an aborted operation. After NATO bombings began, he ordered another JSO soldier to kill American philanthropist George Soros, who he saw as a "fanatical enemy of the Serbian people". He saw billionaire Soros, who has spent billions funding NGOs promoting progressive and liberal causes globally as being responsible for a sinister globalist network. Filipović claimed: "In a situation where the NATO aggression, which Soros was the initiator of, was taking place intensively, the justification of a radical approach towards him was not questioned." The specialist ammunition used to shoot Dando had never been seen before in the UK. The lack of markings on the bullet left experts unable to identify the type of gun used, suggesting it was a customised weapon. Ulemek, now 57, has been nicknamed "Legionnaire" due to his previous position as a sergeant in the French Foreign Legion, who specialised in sniper combat and sabotage. It is likely Ulemek smuggled the gun across borders by using his links to gangsters involved in smuggling cigarettes, the source said. Filipović wrote that he was ordered to halt the plots in June 1999, when a peace treaty was signed. He wrote: "In the meantime, one of the previously initiated actions , although with considerable delay, was successfully implemented, which caused a great confusion in Europe." He does not specify what the "radical action" was, though it implies is that it was a state-sponsored assassination .
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Spy chief's revelation blows open mystery of Jill Dando's unsolved murder
Serbian ex-spyboss Dragan Filipović has revealed that he masterminded a 'secret reprisal action' in the spring of 1999 that caused 'great confusion in Europe' Milorad Ulemek's former spymaster has admitted that one of his commandos carried out an attack abroad at around the time Jill Dando was killed. Dragan Filipović, was a leading member the Serbian security services when he masterminded a "secret reprisal action" in the spring of 1999 that caused "great confusion in Europe". At the time, Ulemek, then 31, led the unit Filipović used to target opponents of brutal Serb dictator Slobadan Milosevic. The Yugoslav war was raging and UK planes were bombing Serbia when Jill was shot dead on her doorstep on April 26, 1999. Within hours of her murder, the BBC took a call claiming the death was in response. A man said: "Tell your Prime Minister, in Belgrade 15 people were killed, so 14 more to go." It was feared that the former Crimewatch presenter had been targeted because she had fronted a charity appeal for Kosovan refugees 20 days earlier. Filipović revealed that he had dispatched several of his special forces soldiers into Europe to carry out revenge killings in response to the bombings which began on March 24, 1999. Known as Major Fića, he wrote: "Among others, Serbs were suspected as potential perpetrators, which resulted in a hunt and increased control of Yugoslav citizens." A source with knowledge of the Serbian security services told the Daily Mirror he is convinced Filipović's claim is true. He said: "I have very little doubt that this assassination was planned and executed by some circles in Serbia." It comes as police are being urged to launch a review after a van driver said a man he nearly hit close to Jill's home looked like Ulemek. And a female witness told us last year that she was certain she had seen the two-time convicted killer on the same stretch of road. The Mirror can reveal that British security officials gave five warnings that Serbian commandos might be planning attacks abroad before Jill was murdered. Recently declassified documents show concerns were raised repeatedly by the MoD and Nato in April 1999. None of the secret files were made available to the Met Police team investigating Jill's murder, it is understood. In a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal made on April 6, Jill called Kosovo a "former Yugoslavian region", a description that would have enraged ultra-nationalist Filipovic who saw it as the "cradle" of his country. In his 2008 book "Anatomy of the Globalist Stink", Filipović railed against non-governmental organizations which he says were based on the doctrine of "special war" and were designed to destabilise foreign leaders in the interests of the West. Jill's BBC appeal was on behalf of some of the UK's largest NGOs, potentially making her a legitimate target in Filipovic's warped view. The Serbian source said of Jill's appeal: "It could be perceived as part of a 'special war' against Milosevic and Serbia and the secret service could have taken some [action]." At the time Milorad "Legija" Ulemek was a senior member of the Jedinica za specijalne operacije (JSO) - a 500-man unit of the Serbian Intelligence Service that Filipovic founded and selected his operatives from. The source said that it was Filipović, now in his 60s, who headhunted Ulemek for his JSO unit after they met while fighting in Croatia and Bosnia during the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s. Filipović persuaded the former French Foreign Legion soldier to shift allegiances from warlord Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan's Serbian Volunteer Guard, or Tigers, the source said. Major Fića, was believed to have accompanied Ulemek when he attempted to assassinate Serb politician Vuk Draskovic in October 1999, the source added. Ulemek later told a court that he contacted Filipović's boss to make himself available for a "special operation" on April 15, 1999, eleven days before Jill was killed. The ruthless killer said that he was fighting in Kosovo when he made the offer to the head of the security services, Radomir Markovic. Markovic and Ulemek are serving 40 years in jail for plotting two assassinations for brutal dictator Milosevic, who died in 2006, and his powerful nationalist wife Mira Markovic. Known as the "Lady Macbeth of the Balkans", Filipović was close to Mira who was suspected of plotting state-sponsored assassinations. She later fled to Russia where she died in 2019. Mira played a major role in the bloody end of her husband's rule, including the murders of journalist Slavko Curuvija and former president Ivan Stambolic. The source said: "In the terminal phase of the Milosevic government the security services were kidnapped by the people close to his wife and that notorious inner circle. In their criminal minds the idea was conceived of eliminating political opponents and journalists." One of a handful of European Kung Fu masters to train with Shaolin monks, Filipović is understood to have fled to China as Curuvija's killers were arrested. He revealed in his book that he was Special Advisor to Radomir Markovic in 1999. Filipović said his boss, then head of the Serbian State Security Services, known as "DB", gave him "full independence" and granted him all the personnel, spying technology and cash he needed. Filipović wrote: "My responsibilities included planning, organizing and carrying out special intelligence and subversive actions against NATO member states, as well as states that supported them during the attack on Yugoslavia, with the aim of endangering their political stability and combat readiness. The tasks particularly included secret reprisal actions deep inside enemy territory." He also provides an insight into how his unit worked by revealing details of an operation that was aborted. After the Nato bombing started, Filipović sent another JSO soldier to assassinate American billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who he described as a "fanatical enemy of the Serbian people". He saw Soros, who has spent billions funding NGOs promoting progressive and liberal causes around the world, as being behind a sinister globalist network. Filipović claimed: "In a situation where the NATO aggression, which Soros was the initiator of, was taking place intensively, the justification of a radical approach towards him was not questioned." He said that it was established that Soros, now 94, was planning to visit a "small attractive tourist spot" in an unnamed European country that he occasionally visited. The experienced hitman chosen for that task, codenamed "Mongoose", knew "the language and culture" of the target country and had "many friendly connections there". Ulemek spoke good English having lived in London as a young man and had a number of contacts in the UK, the source said. In one of the many books he has penned in prison, entitled The Boys from Brazil, Ulemek writes about fighting for the JSO with an artillery expert called "Mongoose" in Kosovo in the spring of 1999. The two chapters for that year only cover March and May. There is no entry for April. "Mongoose" has been identified in the Serbian media as former JSO soldier Milenko Prodanović. Filipović said of Mongoose: "He was trained to use unconventional means suitable for carrying out this task, which was significant, because due to intensified police controls, moving around Europe with any standard weapons was almost impossible." The bespoke ammunition used to kill Jill had never been seen before in the UK. And experts were unable to specify what type of gun was used due to the lack of markings on the bullet, raising the possibility it was also a customised pistol that could be smuggled across borders. Ulemek, now 57, is nicknamed "Legoinnaire" because he was an ex-sergeant in the French Foreign Legion where he specialied in sniper combat and sabotage. Filipović said Mongoose crossed into Europe illegally before travelling overland to his final destination. It is likely Ulemek would have done the same thing, using his connections with gangsters involved in cigarette smuggling to enter Europe by boat through Italy, the source said. Filipović wrote that he was ordered to halt the plots by Markovic in June 1999, when a peace treaty was signed. He wrote: "In the meantime, one of the previously initiated actions, although with considerable delay, was successfully implemented, which caused a great confusion in Europe." He does not specify what the "radical action" was, though the clear implication is that it was a state-sponsored assassination. Mr Soros did not reply when we contacted his Open Society Foundations.
