US jets down 4 objects in 8 days, unprecedented in peacetime

US officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets. (AFP)
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US officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets. (AFP)
US officials restricted the airspace over Lake Michigan on February 12, 2023, citing a potential new threat to national security, as the US and Canada respond to a series of recent air intrusions. (AFP)
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US officials restricted the airspace over Lake Michigan on February 12, 2023, citing a potential new threat to national security, as the US and Canada respond to a series of recent air intrusions. (AFP)
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Updated 13 February 2023
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US jets down 4 objects in 8 days, unprecedented in peacetime

US officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets. (AFP)
  • North America has been on high alert for aerial intrusions following the appearance of a white, eye-catching Chinese airship over American skies earlier this month

WASHINGTON: A US fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden. It was the fourth such downing in eight days and the latest military strike in an extraordinary chain of events over US airspace that Pentagon officials believe has no peacetime precedent.
Part of the reason for the repeated shootdowns is a “heightened alert” following a spy balloon from China that emerged over US airspace in late January, Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of NORAD and US Northern Command, said in a briefing with reporters.
Since then, fighter jets last week also shot down objects over Canada and Alaska. Pentagon officials said they posed no threats, but so little was known about them that Pentagon officials were ruling nothing out — not even UFOs.
“We have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase,” said Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense.
US authorities have made clear that they constantly monitor for unknown radar blips, and it is not unusual to shut down airspace as a precaution to evaluate them. But the unusually assertive response was raising questions about whether such use of force was warranted, particularly as administration officials said the objects were not of great national security concern and the downings were just out of caution.
VanHerck said the US adjusted its radar so it could track slower objects. “With some adjustments, we’ve been able to get a better categorization of radar tracks now,” he said, “and that’s why I think you’re seeing these, plus there’s a heightened alert to look for this information.”
He added: “I believe this is the first time within United States or American airspace that NORAD or United States Northern Command has taken kinetic action against an airborne object.”
Asked if officials have ruled out extraterrestrials, VanHerck said, “I haven’t ruled out anything at this point.”
The Pentagon officials said they were still trying to determine what exactly the objects were and said they had considered using the jets’ guns instead of missiles, but it proved to be too difficult. They drew a strong distinction between the three shot down over this weekend and the balloon from China.
The extraordinary air defense activity began in late January, when a white orb the officials said was from China appeared over the US and hovered above the nation for days before fighter jets downed it off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That event played out over livestream. Since, then many Americans have been captivated by the drama playing out in the skies as fighter jets scramble to shoot down objects.
The latest brought down was first detected on Saturday evening over Montana, but it was initially thought to be an anomaly. Radar picked it up again Sunday hovering over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it was going over Lake Huron, Pentagon officials said Sunday.
US and Canadian authorities had restricted some airspace over the lake earlier Sunday as planes were scrambled to intercept and try to identify the object. According to a senior administration official, the object was octagonal, with strings hanging off, but had no discernable payload. It was flying low at about 20,000 feet, said the official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to disusc
Meanwhile, US officials were still trying to precisely identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets, and were working to determine whether China was responsible as concerns escalated about what Washington said was Beijing’s large-scale aerial surveillance program.
An object shot down Saturday over Canada’s Yukon was described by US officials as a balloon significantly smaller than the balloon — the size of three school buses — hit by a missile Feb. 4. A flying object brought down over the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship.
Both were believed to have a payload, either attached or suspended from them, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Officials were not able to say who launched the objects and were seeking to figure out their origin.
The three objects were much smaller in size, different in appearance and flew at lower altitudes than the suspected spy balloon that fell into the Atlantic Ocean after the US missile strike.
The officials said the other three objects were not consistent with the fleet of Chinese aerial surveillance balloons that targeted more than 40 countries, stretching back at least into the Trump administration.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC’s “This Week” that US officials were working quickly to recover debris. Using shorthand to describe the objects as balloons, he said USmilitary and intelligence officials were “focused like a laser” on gathering and accumulating the information, then compiling a comprehensive analysis.
“The bottom line is until a few months ago we didn’t know about these balloons,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the spy program that the administration has linked to the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military. “It is wild that we didn’t know.”
Eight days ago, F-22 jets downed the large white balloon that had wafted over the US for days at an altitude of about 60,000 feet. US officials immediately blamed China, saying the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals and could maneuver itself. White House officials said improved surveillance capabilities helped detect it.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had blown off course. Beijing said the US had “overreacted” by shooting it down.
Then, on Friday, North American Aerospace Defense Command, the combined US-Canada organization that provides shared defense of airspace over the two nations, detected and shot down an object near sparsely populated Deadhorse, Alaska.
Later that evening, NORAD detected a second object, flying at a high altitude over Alaska, US officials said. It crossed into Canadian airspace on Saturday and was over the Yukon, a remote territory, when it was ordered shot down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In both of those incidents, the objects were flying at roughly 40,000 feet. The object on Sunday was flying at 20,000 feet.
The cases have increased diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, raised questions about the extent of Beijing’s American surveillance, and prompted days of criticism from Republican lawmakers about the administration’s response.
 

 


UK festival celebrates creativity of Arab, Muslim refugees

UK festival celebrates creativity of Arab, Muslim refugees
Updated 8 sec ago
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UK festival celebrates creativity of Arab, Muslim refugees

UK festival celebrates creativity of Arab, Muslim refugees
  • Platforma seeks to highlight migrants’ contributions to British society
  • Event promises heady mix of art, comedy, music and theater

LONDON: An arts festival showcasing the works of Middle Eastern and Muslim refugees is touring the southwest of England.

The Platforma festival, which opened on Saturday, aims to tackle perceptions of refugees in the UK. It is managed by Counterpoints Arts, a London-based organization that seeks to promote the artistic contributions of migrants and refugees to British society.

This year marks the seventh edition of the event and will feature a variety of visual arts, drama, music and comedy inspired by people from refugee backgrounds. It runs until Nov. 5.

The festival hit the ground running in Bristol on Sunday with a session on Arabic calligraphy and poetry. Among the events planned for the coming weeks are performances by comedians Alaa Shehada, Hanna Shammas and Diana Sweity who will dive deep into the intricacies of Palestinian identities with engaging stand-up comedy routines in Bristol on Oct. 10.

On Oct. 21, Devon will witness “Crown,” a performance blending classical Persian dance, contemporary dance and Sufi movements.

Back in Bristol, the comedic duo Mohand and Peter will deliver a unique theatrical experience, melding humor with evocative narratives rooted in Sudan.

From Oct. 28-29, “Dear Laila,” an art installation by Basel Zaraa, will be on show at Bristol’s Palestine Museum. The work brings to life the Palestinian narrative of displacement, as told through the experiences of one family.

Another highlight of the festival will be “Sudafest: Hope and Healing” on Oct. 22, which celebrates Sudanese art and culture.

Its founder, Hiba Elhindi, told the BBC: “I am from Sudan and I came to the UK in 2014. I have lived in Bristol pretty much that whole time. I have been engaging in many activities in the Sudanese community.

“I would say around 90 percent of the Sudanese population in Bristol are refugees.”

Elhindi believes art has the power to break linguistic and cultural barriers.

“We have been working really hard in using art and culture as a platform for Sudanese current issues,” she said.

“I don’t think there is enough media coverage of the war in Sudan in the UK, and people may not be aware of the issue. We have been using Sudafest as a platform to raise awareness about what is happening there.”

The Platforma festival was founded by Almir Koldzic, who moved to the UK from Yugoslavia in 1995 to escape the war in his homeland, the BBC reported.

The event, which is held every two years in a different part of England, aims to highlight the healing and unifying abilities of art and cultural expression.
 


Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan promote halal tourism in Philippines

Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan promote halal tourism in Philippines
Updated 01 October 2023
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Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan promote halal tourism in Philippines

Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan promote halal tourism in Philippines
  • Muslim travel market is forecast to reach a value of $225 billion by 2028
  • Manila won emerging Muslim-friendly destination award earlier this year

MANILA: Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan have joined a campaign to promote halal travel in the Philippines, as Manila seeks to attract more visitors from the Middle East and Muslim-majority countries to meet its tourism goals this year. 

The Philippines’ economy is dependent on tourism, which in 2019 generated about $50 billion, contributing nearly 13 percent of the country’s GDP. But that share fell to about 5 percent in 2020 and 2021, when the global travel industry ground to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With Manila positioning itself as a Muslim-friendly destination as part of a strategy to revive the tourism sector, the Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan are part of the latest move to support the promotion of halal tourism in the Philippines. 

“The Department of Tourism is taking advantage of the presence of the Miss Universes from Bahrain and Pakistan to help and assist promote Muslim-friendly and halal tourism in the Philippines,” Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar told Arab News on Sunday. 

Abubakar said that the Miss Universes’ trip to the Philippines would be a “big boost” for the country that would hopefully influence the global Muslim community to visit the archipelago nation, which is home to white sand beaches, famous diving spots, lively entertainment, diverse cultural heritage and distinctive wildlife.

With the Muslim travel market forecast to reach $225 billion value by 2028, the Philippines’ government announced in 2022 that boosting foreign arrivals from the Middle East and Muslim-majority nations was among its priority goals. The Philippines is well on its way to meeting its target of welcoming 4.8 million foreign arrivals this year and has already received more than 4 million visitors so far, official data showed. 

Earlier this year, the Philippines won the Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year award during the Halal in Travel Global Summit, a recognition of its efforts to attract global Muslim travelers. 

That effort continues with the latest collaboration between the Department of Tourism and The Farm resort and Xpedition Middle East magazine, which seeks to promote halal and wellness tourism in the Philippines. 

Miss Universe Bahrain, Lujane Yacoub, and Miss Universe Pakistan, Erica Robin, arrived in Manila on Friday and will be in the country as part of their training for Miss Universe 2023 in El Salvador in November. 

While the two women are in the Philippines, they are set to show the beauty of the country to the global Muslim community. 

“What the Philippines already has is this amazing diversity in wanting to welcome in many different places and even Muslim countries. It’s just an amazing place to be,” Yacoub said during a press conference on Saturday. 

“I encourage anyone from Bahrain to come and visit the Philippines. It is gorgeous with its beaches and its diving spots, and its rich, rich culture. The Philippines has amazing hospitality and it’s so welcoming.” 

Robin said that it was a privilege to help promote the Philippines. 

“It’s been just less than 24 hours and the Philippines already feels like home … And we still have … a lot to explore, a lot to learn, a lot to share with the world what the Philippines has to offer,” she said.  

“I feel so honored and blessed to promote something that needs to be out for people to know. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to show the brighter side of your country that I’m sure every Muslim country would love to know.” 


Suicide attack wounds 2 police officers in Ankara near parliament: Interior Minister

Suicide attack wounds 2 police officers in Ankara near parliament: Interior Minister
Updated 01 October 2023
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Suicide attack wounds 2 police officers in Ankara near parliament: Interior Minister

Suicide attack wounds 2 police officers in Ankara near parliament: Interior Minister
  • Turkish media reported a loud explosion was heard in Ankara near parliament
  • Parliament was scheduled to reopen on Sunday following a summer recess

ANKARA: A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in the Turkish capital Ankara on Sunday, wounding 2 police officers, the Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

Turkish media reported a loud explosion was heard in the heart of the Turkish capital, near the Parliament.

Parliament was scheduled to reopen on Sunday following a summer recess.


Australia swelters through ‘scorching’ heat lifting bushfire risk

Australia swelters through ‘scorching’ heat lifting bushfire risk
Updated 01 October 2023
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Australia swelters through ‘scorching’ heat lifting bushfire risk

Australia swelters through ‘scorching’ heat lifting bushfire risk
  • Australia faces a high-risk bushfire season following the onset of an El Nino weather event
  • Australia’s last two fire seasons have been quiet compared with the catastrophic 2019-2020 ‘Black Summer’ of bushfires

SYDNEY: Australia’s southeast on Sunday sweltered in a heat wave that raised the risk of bushfires and led authorities to issue fire bans for large swathes of New South Wales state.
The nation’s weather forecaster said temperatures would be up to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above average in some areas, with Sydney, the capital of Australia’s most populous state New South Wales, set to hit 36 C (96.8 F).
At Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, the temperature was 34.6 C (94.3 F) at 2 p.m. (0300 GMT), more than 11 degrees above the October mean maximum temperature, according to forecaster data.
Australia faces a high-risk bushfire season following the onset of an El Nino weather event, recently announced, which is typically associated with extreme events such as wildfires, cyclones and droughts.
State Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib announced the start of an official bushfire danger period, with the “scorching” heat lifting the risk for the week ahead.
“Not only is it hot, it’s dry and it’s windy and those conditions combined are the perfect storm,” Dib said.
Fire authorities on Sunday issued nine total fire bans for parts of the state to reduce the chance of bushfires.
Further south in Victoria state, authorities issued an emergency evacuation order for a rural area in the Gippsland region, about 320 kilometers (198 miles) east of the state capital Melbourne, due to an out-of-control bushfire.
Australia’s last two fire seasons have been quiet compared with the catastrophic 2019-2020 “Black Summer” of bushfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkiye and killed 33 people. In Sydney, local resident Sandy Chapman said she was worried about the mix of extreme heat and wind.
“It doesn’t take long to start a fire and have it burning and it’s very scary,” Chapman said.
Sydneysider Katie Kell hoped there would be no repeat of bushfires on the same scale as 2019-20.
“I don’t know, with how hot it’s been since the start of spring, I’m not too confident,” Kell said.


Afghan embassy in India suspends operations

Afghan embassy in India suspends operations
Updated 01 October 2023
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Afghan embassy in India suspends operations

Afghan embassy in India suspends operations
  • Embassy says was difficult to continue operations due to cut in staff, resources
  • India will take control of the embassy in a caretaker capacity, Afghan embassy says

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan’s embassy in India on Sunday suspended operations, more than two years after the ouster of the former Western-backed government.

While New Delhi does not recognize the Taliban government that returned to power in 2021, it had allowed the Afghan embassy to continue operations under the ambassador and mission staff appointed by former president Ashraf Ghani, who fled Kabul as US troops pulled out.

“It is with profound sadness, regret, and disappointment that the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi announces this decision to cease its operations,” the statement read, posted on X.
The suspension comes into immediate effect.

The statement said it had been “increasingly challenging” to continue operations due to cuts in staff and resources, including a “lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats.”

The closure follows reports that the ambassador and other senior diplomats left India in recent months, with infighting among those remaining in New Delhi.

But the statement said it “categorically refutes any baseless claims regarding internal strife” among embassy staff, and denied any diplomats were “using the crisis to seek asylum in a third country.”

India will take control of the embassy in a caretaker capacity, it added.