World
US fighter jet shoots down unidentified object over Canada
Shootdown is second such motion in as many days and comes amid tensions over a suspected Chinese language spying balloon.
A United States fighter jet has shot down an unidentified cylindrical object over Canada in a joint operation by the North American neighbours.
The shootdown on Saturday was the second such motion in as many days and comes as North America appeared on heightened alert following a week-long saga over a suspected Chinese language spying balloon.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first introduced the shootdown over the Yukon territory within the nation’s north and stated Canadian forces would recuperate and analyse the wreckage.
Canadian defence minister Anita Anand declined to take a position on the origin of the article, which she stated was cylindrical in form. She stopped in need of describing it as a balloon however stated it was smaller than the Chinese language balloon shot down off South Carolina’s coast every week in the past, however comparable in look.
She stated it was flying at 12,100 metres (40,000 ft) and posed a threat to civilian air visitors when it was shot down at 3:41 EST (20:41 GMT).
“There isn’t a cause to consider that the influence of the article in Canadian territory is of any public concern,” Anand informed a information convention.
The Pentagon stated the North American Aerospace Protection Command (NORAD) detected the article over Alaska late on Friday night. US fighter jets from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, monitored the article because it crossed over into Canadian airspace, the place Canadian CF-18 and CP-140 plane joined the formation.
“A US F-22 shot down the article in Canadian territory utilizing an AIM 9X missile following shut coordination between US and Canadian authorities,” Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier Common Patrick Ryder stated in a press release.
US President Joe Biden authorised the nation’s army to work with Canada to take down the high-altitude craft after a name between Biden and Trudeau, the Pentagon stated. The White Home stated Biden and Trudeau agreed to proceed shut coordination to “defend our airspace”.
“The leaders mentioned the significance of recovering the article in an effort to decide extra particulars on its goal or origin,” the White Home stated in a press release.
A day earlier, Biden ordered one other shootdown of an alien craft close to Deadhorse, Alaska. The US army on Saturday remained tight-lipped about what, if something, it had discovered as restoration efforts have been beneath approach on the Alaskan sea ice.
The Pentagon on Friday provided only some particulars, together with that the article was the dimensions of a small automobile, it was flying at about 12,100 metres and couldn’t manoeuvre and gave the impression to be unmanned. US officers have been making an attempt to be taught concerning the object because it was first noticed on Thursday.
“We’ve no additional particulars at the moment concerning the object, together with its capabilities, goal or origin,” Northern Command stated on Saturday.
It famous troublesome arctic climate situations, together with wind chill, snow and restricted daylight that would hinder search and restoration efforts.
“Personnel will alter restoration operations to take care of security,” Northern Command stated.
On February 4, a US F-22 fighter jet introduced down what the US authorities referred to as a Chinese language surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina, following its week-long journey throughout the US and parts of Canada. China’s authorities has stated it was a civilian analysis vessel.
Some US legislators criticised Biden for not capturing down the Chinese language balloon sooner. The US army had advisable ready till it was over the ocean out of concern of accidents from falling particles.
US personnel have been scouring the ocean to recuperate particles and the undercarriage of digital gadgetry because the shootdown of the 60-meter-high (200-foot-tall) Chinese language suspected surveillance balloon.
The Pentagon has stated a big quantity of the balloon had already been recovered or situated, suggesting US officers could quickly have extra details about any Chinese language espionage capabilities onboard the vessel.
Sea situations on February 10 “permitted dive and underwater unmanned automobile (UUV) actions and the retrieval of further particles from the ocean ground,” Northern Command stated.
“The general public may even see US Navy vessels transferring to and from the location as they conduct offload and resupply actions.”
World
Justin Baldoni Sued by Former Publicist Amid Blake Lively Scandal
Justin Baldoni‘s former publicist sued him, his company and his current publicity team on Tuesday, amid a spiraling scandal over an alleged smear campaign against Baldoni’s “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively.
Steph Jones, who owns Jonesworks, accused Baldoni of breaching their contract, which required him to pay her $25,000 per month. Baldoni dropped the firm in August, a few months into a year-long deal, after his Jonesworks publicist, Jennifer Abel, left the company to start her own publicity firm.
Jones also sued Abel and publicist Melissa Nathan, accusing them of implementing the smear campaign against Lively behind her back and without her knowledge. She alleges that they are now trying to blame her for the ensuing meltdown.
“To this day, Abel and Nathan continue to point the finger falsely at Jones now that their own misconduct is coming to light, and to defame and attack Jones in the industry,” the lawsuit states.
Lively filed a complaint on Saturday with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni and his publicists of orchestrating negative coverage about her in retaliation for her complaints of sexual harassment on set.
In the complaint, Lively accused Baldoni of a catalog of sexually inappropriate comments and behavior that allegedly took place on set in 2023. According to the complaint, she raised these issues through her attorneys before filming, which had been suspended during the Hollywood strikes, resumed earlier this year.
The rift between Baldoni and Lively became apparent during the publicity tour for the film last summer. Baldoni feared that Lively or her team would public accuse him of sexual misconduct, and sought ways to combat that. The complaint quoted extensively from text messages among Baldoni’s publicity team, in which they plotted to “bury” Lively.
In an unusual move, Lively’s attorneys obtained the messages by sending a pre-litigation subpoena to Jones.
Abel, Nathan, and Baldoni are represented by attorney Bryan Freedman. On Monday, Freedman threatened to sue Jones for releasing the contents of Abel’s phone to Lively’s legal team. Freedman, Abel and Nathan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Jones’ suit.
In her lawsuit, Jones relates that she “forensically preserved” Abel’s company phone after Abel was fired.
“Abel and Nathan’s covert take down and smear campaigns were revealed in black and white on Abel’s company-issued phone following her termination, which Jonesworks forensically preserved and examined in detail after receiving a subpoena for the phone’s contents,” Jones’ suit states. “Jones discovered the breadth and intensity of Abel and Nathan’s duplicity from these records, including that Abel was actively encouraging other Jonesworks clients and employees to leave Jonesworks while Abel was still employed there.”
Jones’ suit alleges that Abel conspired for months to leave her company and to “steal” her clients and trash her reputation in the industry. She accuses Nathan of encouraging Abel to leave, because Nathan would then have greater access to those clients.
“This scheme ultimately inflicted serious damage on Jones and Jonesworks,” states the lawsuit, which was filed in state court in New York.
Among other things, the suit alleges that Abel and Nathan planted negative stories about Jones in the press, including an article in Business Insider that was published last summer.
The suit alleges breach of contract, tortious interference with contract, breach of fiduciary duty and defamation.
World
Police officer dressed as the 'Grinch' steals Christmas spirit during drug bust
A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Grinch, the cantankerous and green-furred villain, busted suspected drug traffickers in the South American country’s capital days before Christmas.
The operation in San Bartolo in Lima resulted in the arrest of three suspects, according to a video posted online by the Peruvian National Police.
“In an ingenious operation, agents of the Green Squad arrested the aliases La Reina del Sur, La Coneja and Pote, alleged members of the La Mafia de San Bartolo gang, dedicated to drug dealing,” a police post on X states. “Various narcotics were seized.”
FLORIDA MAN WHO WAS HALF-NAKED, ‘HIGH ON METH’ BREAKS INTO HOME, GRABS CARPET CLEANER
Using what appeared to be a sledgehammer, the officer walked down the street dressed as the infamous Christmas villain with a small heart before breaking down the front door of a home and entering, according to the video footage.
The suspects were arrested, and the “Grinch” is seen rummaging through various items in the home before finding what authorities said were illegal drugs and other items related to drug trafficking.
MORE THAN $31M OF METH CONCEALED IN SHIPMENT OF PEPPERS SEIZED AT TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER
Peru is the second-largest producer of cocaine and cultivator of coca in the world, according to the State Department.
“The majority of cocaine produced in Peru is transported to South American countries for domestic consumption, or for onward shipment to Europe, the United States, East Asia, and Mexico,” the State Department website said.
Peru’s national police force has carried out similar operations in the past.
On Halloween 2023, officers disguised as horror favorites Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Tiffany Valentine, the murderous doll in the “Child’s Play” series, also broke into the home of alleged drug dealers.
World
Are your Christmas gifts ready? Here are where EU toys come from
While the EU saw a drop in toy exports, China was the EU’s biggest supplier, providing 80% of these imports, valued at €5.2 billion.
In 2023, the EU imported €6.5 billion worth of toys from countries outside the bloc, a €2 billion decrease compared to 2022.
According to the latest Eurostat figures, China was the EU’s biggest supplier, providing 80% of these imports, valued at €5.2 billion.
Vietnam followed with 6% and the United Kingdom with 2%.
Around a fifth of the EU’s toy imports ended up in Germany, while France and the Netherlands received 16% and 14%, respectively.
At the same time, the EU exported €2.3 billion worth of toys in 2023.
This figure represents a slight decrease of €0.2 billion from the previous year.
More than half of the toys exported from the EU came from the Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium.
The UK was the top destination for EU toy exports, receiving 30% of the total, followed by Switzerland at 13% and the United States at 10%.
Concerns over toy safety
A recent Toy Industries of Europe study revealed that 80% of toys purchased from third-party sellers on online marketplaces failed to meet EU safety standards.
The research tested over 100 toys from various platforms, uncovering serious health risks such as choking hazards and toxic chemicals.
At the beginning of September, the European Parliament backed a proposal to improve the safety of toys available on the EU market.
The proposal focused particularly on decreasing the number of unsafe toys in the EU market and better protecting children from toy-related risks, including banning harmful chemicals in toys.
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