dark

We finally have something else to call General Atomics’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) by other than its formal YFQ-42A designation: Dark Merlin

Dark Merlin is one of two designs that the USAF has officially chosen for development and flight testing under the first increment of its CCA program, which intends to give fighter aircraft a ‘loyal wingman’ uncrewed companion.

General Atomics gives its reasoning for the naming as such:

“Dark merlins, deadly falcons known for their black feathers and devouring of other falcons as prey, often collaborate in groups for maximum effect against their targets. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the merlin as a “small, fierce falcon that uses surprise attacks” to bring down its prey in flight. The dark merlin is native to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, often migrating into southern California, where bird spotters routinely report seeing them near the YFQ-42A’s manufacturing home in San Diego.”

The 1962 book “Profiles of the Future” imagined global technological marvels yet to change the world, offering that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” It’s no coincidence that the Dark Merlin name also reflects the wizardry of Merlin from
Arthurian legend, paying homage to the somewhat supernatural new era of semi-autonomous
air combat.

“Dark merlins are hunting machines, built for speed and aerodynamics,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “They harass other falcons for fun, and they eat what they kill. The name sums up our new uncrewed fighter perfectly.”

The name is a very welcome development. We have discussed internally in our newsroom on multiple occasions that the designations for the CCAs, the other being Anduril’s YFQ-44A, which goes by the nickname Fury, carried over from its roots as a ‘red air’ training drone, are a bit hard for the public to follow. Now, with General Atomics giving their ‘fighter drone’ a unique nickname, referring to them as Dark Merlin and Fury will be a bit easier.

Both aircraft are currently in flight testing, and General Atomics has already put Dark Merlin, which is based on the firm’s Gambit chassis-centric family of combat drones concept, into production. This is ahead of the USAF making a decision on which Increment 1 CCA, or both, it wants to buy in larger numbers.

The naming also comes after it was announced that the Marines will use Dark Merlin as a testing surrogate for its own CCA program, which could possibly open the door to the Corps purchasing the ‘drone fighters’ for operational use.

Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com

The historic Derbyshire village has become a popular spot for visitors in recent years, with people describing it as a ‘hidden gem’ – but it’s hiding a dark history

Tucked away in the Derbyshire countryside lies a charming village, rich in history and hailed by visitors as a true “hidden gem”. However, this idyllic spot conceals a much darker past.

During the tumultuous times of the Great Plague in the 1600s, when the entire nation was in turmoil, the villagers of Eyam chose to defy convention.

As people across Britain were abandoning their homes in a desperate bid to evade infection, the arrival of the plague in Eyam in August 1665 prompted the villagers to do the exact opposite – they resolved to stay put.

It’s believed the disease got into the village via a parcel of cloth sent from London to a local tailor. The tailor’s assistant succumbed to the illness just days after airing the damp cloth, triggering a rapid spread of the disease throughout the village.

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In a collective act of self-sacrifice, the villagers opted for voluntary quarantine, reasoning that fleeing would only propagate the plague further afield.

The rules were stringent – no one was permitted to leave or enter the village, a harsh regime that persisted for an arduous 14 months.

Despite these measures, the village suffered a devastating loss of approximately 260 lives, decimating a significant portion of its population. Tragically, it’s said that one villager was forced to bury six of her children and her husband in just eight days

Eyam Museum serves as an ideal starting point for visitors keen to delve into the village’s poignant history during those dark days. The area is dotted with sites that tell compelling tales of the plague and its devastating impact.

One recent visitor hailed the place as a “hidden gem”. Another shared their experience on TripAdvisor, saying: “Really enjoyed our visit to the Eyam Museum. Staff were welcoming and friendly.

“Despite its compact size, the museum offers plenty to see; a diverse range of visual displays about the Plague and also the history of Eyam’s residents. We’d certainly recommend a visit.”

Another visitor added, writing: “This museum was really interesting – much better than expected from a small museum! The history is fascinating and very well laid out – they manage to bring it to life by the stories of the individuals and families who both survived and died.”

Also nestled within the village is Eyam Hall and Courtyard, a 17th-century manor house complete with stunning gardens and Bloom Bar and Grill for shopping and dining.

One visitor shared: “A beautiful venue for a wedding! Such a gorgeous, peaceful village with stunning surroundings and grounds. This made for an incredibly memorable evening.”

Following a visit to the on-site café, another visitor shared their experience: “We dropped into Bloom looking for a light lunch. We settled for a coffee and a Margarita pizza, which definitely exceeded expectations – my friend said it was the best pizza she had ever tasted. Service was attentive, and the ambiance was calm and peaceful.”

THE search for Savannah Guthrie’s mom has taken a dark turn as investigators are filmed searching a septic tank.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing for over a week after she was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona last weekend.

Now, as investigators admit they have no suspects or persons of interest, officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been seen back at her property opening up a manhole cover.

Drone footage taken on Sunday shows them searching the tank behind Nancy’s house.

Three detectives were seen putting a long pole down the manhole at the rear of the property, but it is not known what they are looking for.

It comes just 24 hours after officers were last seen at the property where they removed a car from the garage and took a camera off her roof that appeared to have been missed in previous searches.

read more on nancy guthrie

HELD RANSOM

Kidnappers ‘demand £4.4m’ for TV star’s mum – as FBI decode message in vid

Meanwhile, investigators also went back to her daughter Annie’s home on Friday night.

Officers arrived in an unmarked vehicle and stayed for around two hours, during which time camera flashes were seen in the garage and other parts of the house, per Fox News Digital.

It comes as…

Annie and her husband Tommaso Cioni were the last people to see Nancy before she went missing after going for dinner and dropping her home on January 31.

Officials have not commented on if any members of the Guthrie family have been ruled out as suspects in her disappearance.

Hours before officers arrived at Annie’s house, Savannah and her two siblings posted a video with a message to their mother’s alleged abductors.

Again, the heartbroken children were seen begging for the release of their mother, with The Today Show host saying, “we will pay”, in reference to a ransom sum that has been demanded in exchange for Nancy’s life.

Savannah said in the short video: “We received your message, and we understand.

“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.

“This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

A number of ransom notes have reportedly been received by the family and local news stations and it is not known which one they were responding to in the video.

Former FBI agents have decoded some of the hidden messages in their clip, revealing how they signal what is going on behind the scenes of the investigation.

“The fact they are now negotiating and willing to engage means they believe there is some validity behind [the notes],” one ex-agent told The Daily Mail.

“They aren’t asking for proof of life anymore, they’re only speaking to the ransomer.

“That shows there was something in the most recent ransom note [received Friday night] that changed the way they’re responding, at least for now.”

In their latest update, the Sheriff’s Department said on Sunday that the investigation is “ongoing”.

“Follow-up continues at multiple locations. No suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles have been identified,”the post on X read.

“If any significant developments occur in the case, a press conference will be called.”

The harrowing trial of Lucy Letby is explored in a new Netflix documentary, titled, The Investigation of Lucy Letby, which includes rare updates from her life in prison

A letter sent by killer nurse Lucy Letby reveals a grave account of her life behind bars. The child murderer said ‘there are no words’ to convey her current ‘situation’ in a handwritten letter as she vowed to never give up on defending her ‘innocence’.

The new comments come via a letter to a friend shared as part of a chilling new Netflix documentary about her court case and ongoing appeals. Letby gives details of her prison conditions for the first time and speaks about how much she misses her pets, after she is seen on screen stroking a cat goodbye during her home arrests by police.

The friend, who has been anonymised in the programme, was given the onscreen name of Maisie. And in a letter she reads out, Letby said: “Maisie, there are no words to describe my situation, but knowing that I have your friendship regardless, is so important and special to me.”

READ MORE: Lucy Letby’s parents who stand by daughter and warn Netflix doc will ‘kill them’READ MORE: Lucy Letby Netflix documentary – when it’s out and everything we know so far

She continues: “I have my own room and toilet. I’m able to shower each day and go outside for a walk. Getting outside is so important, even though it’s bit chilly. I miss Tigger and Smudge so much, it’s heartbreaking that they cannot understand why I’m no longer there. They must think I’m a terrible mummy.

“Mum and Dad are taking good care of them, though, and are, no doubt, spoiling them.” Poignantly, Letby added: “I’m trying to do all that I can to remain strong and positive. I’m determined to get through this. I will not give up.”

After sharing the note aloud, Letby’s friend Maisie then begins to cry on screen. She says that she no longer knows what to say to her friend who has been dubbed ‘The Angel of Death.’ “Up until the trial and verdict I would write to Lucy and she would write back. Now I don’t know what to say.”

Later in the film she says she still believes her friend even though there are some small doubts in her mind about her innocence.

Maisie said: “There’s always doubt, because as much as you know someone, you never know the whole of someone like they can still have things that you don’t know about them, but unless I saw actual evidence, I can’t believe it. I know that people think that I support a baby murderer, but she’s my friend and currently, in general, forever.”

Letby, 36, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.

She continues to plead her innocence and has a legal team working on a way to challenge her sentence.

In The Investigation Of Lucy Letby on Netflix viewers will see for the first time when she was first arrested in 2018, as police approached her whilst she was still in bed. She looks stunned as she is led away in a dressing gown after being told: “I’m arresting you on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.”

Police also set out in the documentary how they found evidence and used it to successfully prosecute Letby. She has failed twice in appeal.

The film may also show a more human side to Letby as she is also shown stroking her pet cat and in a police cell.

Mark McDonald who took over as Letby’s barrister in September 2024, also explains in the film why he thinks she should be freed. He was approached by Letby’s parents to help her and is now fighting to try to get her a retrial.

He tells the documentary: “We have to remember, no one saw her do anything wrong. There’s no CCTV. There was no motive.

“This was a unit in crisis. Nurses were crying at the end of this shift because of the stress, because of them being overworked, because of having so many babies on the unit and not having the staff or the resources to run it.”

* The Investigation Of Lucy Letby will be released globally on Netflix on February 4.

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