News of the World

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Unidentified Object in Canadian Airspace Shot Down by NORAD Team

A U.S. plane in a joint operation with Canada has shot down an unidentified object detected in Canadian airspace on the order of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau posted about the decisive action on Twitter on Saturday: “I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon.

“Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,” he said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) had posted on Twitter shortly before Trudeau’s announcement that it had detected the object flying at high altitude over Canada.
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The object was shot down over the Yukon in northwest Canada, which borders Alaska. Canadian Forces will now be working to recover the wreckage for analysis, Trudeau said.

Both Canadian and U.S. aircraft were involved in the takedown operation, but the object was shot down by a U.S. F-22, the same plane that took down the China-claimed balloon last week after it was allowed to fly over the whole continental United States.

According to the U.S. State Department, the balloon of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—which was inspected by a U-2 spy plane at high altitude—was just one of many already deployed by Beijing to spy on over 40 countries across five continents.
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NORAD did not comment on what the unidentified object over Canada could be.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), said in a statement: “As operations continue off of Alaska’s north coast to recover the debris from the object shot down yesterday, I also greatly appreciate all of the Air Guardsmen from the Rescue Triad who are engaged in those critical efforts, which are taking place in harsh conditions and terrain.
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Just a day earlier, the United States also shot down a second object, yet to be identified, flying over Alaska.

FAA Closes Some Airspace Above Montana, Citing ‘National Defense’

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in an update late on Saturday that it has closed some airspace in Montana for Defense Department activities.

The temporary flight restriction from the FAA was issued for flights in an area about 50 by 50 nautical miles above Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border. The notice reclassified the area as “national defense airspace.”

Within the hour, the binational North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which answers to both the U.S. and Canadian leaders, said that the operation with cooperation from the FAA was to “ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations.

NORAD said it had detected a “radar anomaly and sent fighter aircraft to investigate.”

It’s aircraft, however, did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits.

“NORAD will continue to monitor the situation,” it said in a statement at 8:28 p.m CT.

“The restriction has been lifted,” it added.

The FAA issued similar actions in response to a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed the continental United States from Montana to South Carolina and was shot down earlier this month.

US Imposes Sanctions on 6 Chinese Firms Over Spy Balloon Programs

The United States has blacklisted six Chinese entities it found to have aided Beijing’s surveillance balloon programs in the wake of one such balloon that floated over the United States for a week gathering intelligence.

In a statement issued on Feb. 10, the Commerce Department identified five companies and a research institute involved in efforts to support “aerospace programs including airships and balloons and related materials and components” for the Chinese military, also known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The measure will restrict U.S. companies from selling products and technologies to the firms without first seeking government permission.
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The six entities include Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology; China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute; Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology; Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group and its Shanxi branch; Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group; as well as Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology.
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Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology is a unit of the Shanghai-based developer Deluxe Family, which in 2015 signed a contract with state-owned Beihang University...expressed optimism for the “wide potential for future military application” coming out of the project. The partnership yielded the country’s first military-civilian stratospheric airship named “Yuanmeng,” roughly meaning “a dream fulfilled,” in October that year.

Headquartered in Beijing, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group makes stealth aircraft, virtual reality training simulators, and autonomous drones, and has partaken in around a dozen state military and aerospace projects.
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Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology...produces armored scout vehicles and aircraft for both civilian and military use...deploying military drones to assist the coast guards to locate and arrest target ships.
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Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology, which has been linked to Beihang University, develops stratospheric airships.

World War II Bomb Unexpectedly Explodes in England During Defuse Attempt

A World War II-era bomb exploded in the coastal town of Great Yarmouth, England, on Feb. 10, as a team of experts attempted to disarm it, according to authorities.

Norfolk Police confirmed in a statement that there were no reports of injuries following the incident.
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A team of bomb disposal experts had been working to diffuse it since the 550-pound explosive device was discovered on Feb. 7 by contractors during dredging work near the River Yare at a site off Southtown Road.

The disposal team planned to cut into the device to set up a controlled explosion, and then move the remainder of the device out to sea for another controlled explosion, but the device exploded shortly after burn-out work to disarm the remaining explosives started.
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The cordons, which were placed at 656 feet and 1,312 feet from the bomb, have since been lifted, Norfolk Police announced on Twitter.

Drone footage released by police captured the moment of the massive blast on the banks of the River Yare, which was heard by residents from miles away.

Multiple Injured After Passenger Plane Collides With Bus at LAX Airport

At least five people were injured late on Friday after a passenger plane being towed on a taxiway collided with a shuttle bus at Los Angeles International Airport.

LAX stressed that there was no interruption to airport operations.

“A jet being towed tonight from a gate to a parking area made contact with a shuttle bus, resulting in injuries to about 5 people,” the airport said on Twitter.

LAX applauded their partners and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) for their quick response and for treating everyone who sustained injuries.

The LAFD described the incident in a statement as a “low-speed collision.”

The agency said the collision happened shortly before 10 p.m. and resulted in four people being hospitalized, while one individual was treated at the scene and declined to be transported.

DeSantis Wins Control of Disney’s Special Self-Governing District:
‘New Era of Accountability’

Florida lawmakers have passed a bill giving control of Disney’s special tax district in central Florida to a Senate-approved board, handing a victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis who pushed for the measure to make the district more accountable to voters.

Legislators gave final approval on Feb. 10 to a bill authorizing DeSantis to appoint five supervisors to run the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a quasi-government entity that oversees the 25,000 acres surrounding the Walt Disney World resort.
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The special status of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, located in Osceola and Orange counties, provided self-governance to the Disney World resort.

It gave Disney the power to create and enforce its own building codes and zoning laws, as well as to levy taxes and operate its own utility services.
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Some supporters of changes to Reedy Creek have also argued that the district’s tax collection and governmental immunity provisions are not in the best interest of Floridians.
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“This is obviously now going to be controlled by the state of Florida, which is no longer self-governing for them,” DeSantis said. “So, there’s a new sheriff in town, and that’s just the way it’s going to be.”

Once DeSantis signs the bill into law, the Reedy Creek Improvement District will be renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District within two years.

The district is being left intact, however, and so will keep its tax benefits. This includes retaining tax-exempt status of the district’s property.

Under the new legislation, the Florida Senate will confirm the district’s five board members, who will play no role in the day-to-day operations of Disney’s theme parks. The bill also bars anyone from serving on the board who has had ties to the theme parks over the past three years.