Tokyo: A fighter jet vanished from radar shortly after takeoff, prompting the military to search for it, according to Japan’s military. A red glow was visible and debris was discovered, according to media sources.
The track of an F-15 jet vanished from the Komatsu control tower’s data after take-off, according to a representative for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF).
The plane vanished around five kilometres (three miles) from the Komatsu airbase in the central Ishikawa region, off the coast of Japan, according to the Japanese spokeswoman.
The fighter jet was conducting training with a two-person crew when radar contact was lost at about 5:30 p.m., according to Kyodo news agency reports, and the jet has been missing since then.
Floating objects were discovered in the location where the plane dropped off radar during the search and rescue effort, according to the ASDF.
According to Kyodo, the local coast guard received a call about the same time reporting a “red glow” near the base.
This isn’t the first time an incident involving Japan’s air force has been reported. After the pilot encountered spatial disorientation, an F-35A stealth plane fell into the sea in 2019.
Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Support Mission, Stephanie Williams, attends the opening ceremony of the Libyan peace negotiations in Tunis on November 9, 2020. (AP)
After a dispute between the West and Russia over the appointment of a new top U.N. envoy for the North African country, which is trying to form a united government after ten years of conflict, the United Nations Security Council voted Monday to broaden its political mission in Libya for only three months.
Last week, a vote on a US-backed, British-drafted resolution to extend the UN mission until September 15 was postponed at the last minute after Russia objected and circulated its own draught resolution calling for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a new special representative within a month.
It also dropped Russia’s demand for a one-month deadline for the UN secretary-general to choose a new representative, instead stating that the council “recognizes the secretary-obligation general’s to nominate a special envoy.”
After U.N. special representative Jan Kubis, who was headquartered in Geneva rather than Tripoli and apparently had close links to Moscow, abruptly departed in November, the top U.N. official in Libya became an issue. Guterres then named Stephanie Williams, an American diplomat who handled the cease-fire accord in Libya in October 2020, as his special adviser, which did not require Security Council approval.
According to diplomats, Russia’s efforts to persuade the secretary-general to rapidly designate a new special representative was seen by the US as an attempt to oust Williams, whose performance was lauded by U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric last week.
Oil-rich Libya descended into chaos following a NATO-backed rebellion in 2011 and was split into two opposing governments: one in the east, led by military leader Khalifa Hifter, and another in the west, led by the United Nations. A multitude of militias and international forces assist either side.
Hifter and his men started an operation to seize Tripoli in April 2019, supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. After Turkey and Qatar increased their military backing for the Tripoli regime with hundreds of Turkish soldiers and thousands of Syrian mercenaries, his campaign came to an end.
The October 2020 cease-fire, mediated by Williams, resulted in the creation of a transitional administration and the scheduling of elections for December 24. The vote, however, was beset with difficulties, forcing it to be postponed.
James Kariuki, Britain’s deputy U.N. ambassador, termed the resolution adopted Monday “disappointing.” “Libya is at a critical crossroads,” he said, adding that “the United Nations’ role in supporting an inclusive political process in Libya is more crucial than ever.”
Deputy Russian ambassador Anna Evstigneeva urged Libya’s fragmented parties to take advantage of the council’s unanimity to resolve their differences. She said they should establish dates and hold presidential and parliamentary elections with the support of the UN mission so Libya can “turn a new page in its history.”
United States Health regulators gave full permission to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, an injection that has already been given to tens of millions of Americans since its emergency approval over a year ago.
The FDA’s action indicates that Moderna’s vaccine has passed the same rigorous, time-consuming review as dozens of other long-established vaccinations.
Real-world evidence from more than 200 million doses provided in the United States since the FDA certified the shot in December 2020 supported the conclusion. Last August, the FDA gave Pfizer’s vaccine final approval.
Initially, public health supporters believed that the regulatory differentiation would increase public trust in the shots. However, after the Pfizer approval, which was widely touted by President Joe Biden and other federal authorities, there was no discernible increase in immunizations. Nonetheless, officials expressed hope on Monday that the additional recommendation will motivate more people to be vaccinated.
More than 211 million Americans, or 63 percent of the population, have received all of their vaccines. A total of 86 million people have received a booster shot. Vaccinations peaked at over 3 million per day last spring, but currently average less than 750,000 per day. Following the discovery of the omicron form in December, the rate of immunizations initially increased, but has subsequently slowed.
To establish the vaccine’s effectiveness against COVID-19, the FDA analysed months of additional follow-up data given by Moderna. The FDA also looked into and kept an eye out for major adverse effects, which turned out to be quite rare. Following the second dosage, the vaccination has a warning concerning an uncommon type of heart inflammation that usually affects young males. The majority of instances are minor and go away soon.
The FDA also looked into the company’s manufacturing processes and facilities.
In a statement, FDA’s senior vaccine regulator, Dr. Peter Marks, said, “The public may be assured that this vaccination was authorised in accordance with the FDA’s high scientific criteria.”
Moderna will offer the vaccine under the brand name Spikevax now that it has received full approval. It’s the first FDA-approved product in this Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company.
Moderna is only used by adults in the United States for initial vaccination and as a half-dose booster. Last November, the business announced that the FDA had postponed a decision on whether or not to clear the shots for 12- to 17-year-olds while it investigated the possibility of heart inflammation.
The COVID-19 vaccination from Johnson & Johnson has not yet received complete approval.
On Monday, Novavax Inc. filed a formal request with the FDA for approval of a different type of COVID-19 vaccine, with the hopes of becoming the fourth option in the US.
On Monday, the United Arab Emirates announced that it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as the Gulf state welcomed Israel’s President Isaac Herzog for the first time.
The missile was intercepted and destroyed, according to the Emirati defence ministry, and its debris fell in an empty region. It was unclear whether the missile was aimed towards Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, or Dubai, the Middle East’s commercial and tourism centre.
Despite the attack, the UAE civil aviation authority said air traffic in the Gulf country was running smoothly and all flight operations were running properly, according to the state news agency (WAM).
In Yemen, the UAE is fighting alongside a Saudi-led coalition against the Iran-aligned Houthis in a seven-year battle that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced the impoverished country to the point of hunger.
Yemen’s Houthi military spokesman said on Twitter late Sunday that the group would reveal details of a new military operation deep inside the UAE within hours. He didn’t go into any further detail.
After UAE-backed Yemeni militias intervened along frontlines where the Houthis had made breakthroughs last year, the Houthis launched a fatal strike on Abu Dhabi on Jan. 17 and a second unsuccessful missile attack on Monday.
According to the UAE’s defence ministry, coalition aeroplanes destroyed missile installations in Yemen.
The public prosecutor of the Gulf state announced last week that several people had been summoned for distributing recordings showing defence systems intercepting a prior missile attack by the Houthis. There were no mentions of the interception on social media.
Herzog met with the UAE’s de facto ruler, Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Monday to discuss security and bilateral relations.
An Israeli official informed Reuters that Herzog spent the night in Abu Dhabi. Despite the Houthi attack, he will continue his visit to the UAE, according to his office.
The incident was denounced by the United States.
“While Israel’s president is in the UAE building bridges and promoting regional stability, the Houthis continue to launch attacks that endanger civilians,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a tweet.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the “Abraham Accords,” which were mediated by the United States.
Since 2019, the UAE has considerably reduced its military presence in Yemen, but it still holds power through huge local forces that it has built and armed.
The battle in Yemen has gotten much worse in recent months, with the coalition increasing bombings on Yemeni cities and the Houthis increasing cross-border attacks.
Police said Kryst jumped from a Manhattan apartment building and was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday morning.
Cheslie Kryst, 30, a former Miss USA who also worked as a journalist for television’s “Extra,” was identified dead by the authorities on a New York City street early Sunday.
Kryst was discovered dead on West 42nd Street, looked to have fallen from a high place, according to New York police, and Kryst’s death was most likely the result of suicide.
In a statement, her family said: “We mourn the loss of our dear Cheslie with deep sadness and grief. Her magnificent light, with its beauty and strength, inspired people all around the world.”
When Kryst won the Miss USA title in 2019, she competed as Miss North Carolina USA. In the succeeding Miss Universe competition, she placed in the top ten.
She was a lawyer who worked for a firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was famous for her pageant accomplishments.
Kryst was born in Jackson, Michigan, on April 28, 1991, and attended South Carolina high school before graduating with honours from the University of South Carolina.
Wake Forest University awarded her a law degree and a master’s degree in business administration.
Kryst told the North Carolina Bar Association’s blog in 2019 that her mother, April Simpkins, who was Mrs. North Carolina in 2002, motivated her to compete in pageants.
“During her reign, I recall watching her win and going to appearances with her,” Kryst added. “Her position gave her a platform to speak out about topics that mattered to her, and people listened.”
Kryst took five tries to win Miss North Carolina before going on to win Miss USA. She praised her perseverance by quoting Winston Churchill, who said, “Success depends of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”
After her pageant hiatus in 2019, she returned to the Charlotte headquarters of the legal firm Poyner Spruill LLP, where she was promoted to the role of diversity adviser in 2020.
In 2020, the company stated, “She is enthusiastic about criminal justice reform and has worked pro bono for people doing excessive time for low-level drug offences.”
She indicated in 2019 that she works as a civil litigator while also devoting time to helping deserving convicts have their sentences reduced.
Kryst also served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and was a “impact ambassador” for the charity women’s assistance organisation Dress for Success, according to the business.
According to her credits, Kryst’s work at “Extra” seems to be sporadic.
In a statement, the entertainment news show said, “Our hearts are crushed.” “Cheslie was not only an important element of our programme, but she was also a valued member of our Extra family who had an impact on the whole crew.”
The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom (UK) increased its Covid-19 vaccination programme to include vulnerable children aged 5 to 11 years old on Sunday. Children with diabetes, immunosuppression, learning problems, and other significant disorders that put them at risk for Covid-19 are eligible. According to NHS England, over 500,000 eligible children in England will receive their first dose of the Covid vaccine in accordance with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization’s recommendations (JCVI).
We know that vaccines provide significant protection against severe Covid disease, especially the Omicron variety, so it’s critical that our youngest and most vulnerable people are vaccinated,” said Dr. Nikki Kanani, an Indian-origin GP and deputy lead for the NHS immunisation programme.
“The NHS is now vaccination the 5- 11-year-olds who are most at risk, ensuring they receive their critical dose of protection.” Thousands of young kids are still being protected every day, with millions already vaccinated, and we are urging parents to come forward as soon as the NHS contacts them, so that the NHS can protect their children from the virus,” she said.
The NHS had previously made vaccines available to adults above the age of 12 and claimed to have administered over 3.5 million immunizations to those aged 12 to 17, including over 2.4 million initial doses.
“I would like parents and guardians to be reassured that no new vaccine for children would have been authorised unless the required standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness had been satisfied,” UK Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said .
“I encourage that as many people as possible get their children vaccinated as soon as they are contacted – the paediatric immunisation offers the best protection for your child.”
Patient information is sent out to parents and guardians in accordance with procedures, including information on the Covid-19 immunisation. Parents and guardians are encouraged to accompany their children to their appointments and to read the patient information before attending.
Eligible children in the youngest cohort will receive a second dose eight weeks after their first dose, and they will not be vaccinated again for four weeks after a positive coronavirus test.
The JCVI also modified its guideline last month, advising that all 16 and 17-year-olds receive a Pfizer/BioNtech booster three months (91 days) following their second dosage. Following the introduction of a third booster vaccine for all 16 and 17-year-olds, more than half of those who are eligible have now received their additional protection.
The government stated on Saturday that Britain is considering a major NATO deployment as part of a strategy to strengthen Europe’s borders in response to Russia massing soldiers on Ukraine’s border.
Any Russian assault into Ukraine would be countered with rapid penalties, according to Britain, and would be terrible for both sides.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is scheduled to visit the region next week and will speak with Vladimir Putin on the phone.
According to his office, Johnson is considering making the largest feasible offer to NATO defence pact members in the Nordics and Baltics, which would boost military numbers and send defensive weapons to Estonia.
In a statement, Johnson said, “This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will not accept their destabilising actions and that, in the face of Russian hostility, we will always stand with our NATO partners.”
I’ve instructed our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy throughout Europe next week in order to assist our NATO allies “..
Officials will finalise the offer’s specifics in Brussels next week, and ministers will consider military options on Monday.
Britain is planning a major NATO deployment , in the midst of the Ukraine crisis
The government stated on Saturday that Britain is considering a major NATO deployment as part of a strategy to strengthen Europe’s borders in response to Russia massing soldiers on Ukraine’s border.
Any Russian assault into Ukraine would be countered with rapid penalties, according to Britain, and would be terrible for both sides.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is scheduled to visit the region next week and will speak with Vladimir Putin on the phone.
According to his office, Johnson is considering making the largest feasible offer to NATO defence pact members in the Nordics and Baltics, which would boost military numbers and send defensive weapons to Estonia.
In a statement, Johnson said, “This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will not accept their destabilising actions and that, in the face of Russian hostility, we will always stand with our NATO partners.”
I’ve instructed our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy throughout Europe next week in order to assist our NATO allies “.
Officials will finalise the offer’s specifics in Brussels next week, and ministers will consider military options on Monday.
After carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio, seven people were hospitalised in severe condition on Saturday.
Officials say seven individuals were hospitalized in severe condition Saturday following carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, nine people were sent to area hospitals. The source of the carbon monoxide was unknown, according to Marysville Fire Chief Jay Riley, although everyone who was hospitalized had been in the hotel’s pool area.
Riley stated that both children and adults were among the casualties. He didn’t say how old he was.
The Hampton Inn in Marysville got a 911 call Saturday evening about a 2-year-old child who had either fallen into the pool or was discovered unconscious in the pool, according to authorities. According to Marysville Police Chief Tony Brooks, further 911 calls regarding unconscious persons or others who experienced symptoms like dizziness and burning in the throat quickly followed.
Shortly after, the hotel was evacuated. All of the injured were alive when they were transferred, according to Brooks, and seven of the patients were in serious condition.
Two more were treated on the spot, and five more eventually sought care at a hospital on their own, according to Brooks.
Late in the Saturday, the Dispatch was unable to contact any members of the hotel management.
According to police in the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, a 14-year-old kid killed his entire family, including his mother and two little sisters, while “under the influence” of the online game PUBG.
Last week, Nahid Mubarak, a 45-year-old health worker, was discovered dead in Lahore’s Kahna neighbourhood alongside her 22-year-old son Taimur and two daughters aged 17 and 11.
According to investigators, her young son, who was unharmed and is the family’s sole survivor, turned out to be the murderer.
“The PUBG (Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds) junkie confesses to killing her mother and brothers while under the influence of the game.” Because he spends so much of his time on the internet, he has developed some psychological concerns,” the report says.
Nahid bought the licenced pistol for her family’s safety, according to police, who added that the weapon has yet to be found from a drain where the child put it.
According to them, the suspect’s blood-stained cloth has been found.
According to a report, this is the fourth such crime in Lahore involving an online game. When the first incident occurred in 2020, then-capital city police officer Zulfiqar Hameed recommended banning the game in order to preserve the lives, time, and futures of millions of children.
Three adolescent gamers of the game have committed suicide in the last two years, with the police listing PUBG as the cause of death in their documents.
Gaming disorder has been recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a disease in the International Classification of Diseases.
Gaming disorder is defined as a pattern of behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming (digital or video), prioritisation of gaming over other activities to the point where gaming takes Prioritization of gaming above other interests and daily activities, as well as sustained or increased gaming despite negative effects.
According to authorities, Nahid was a divorced mother who used to reprimand his son for not paying attention in class and spending too much time playing PUBG.
“Nahid chastised the youngster for his actions on the day of the incident. Later, while asleep, the boy took her mother’s handgun from a cupboard and shot her and his three other siblings in the back of the head.
“The kid raised an alarm the next morning, leading the neighbours to call the cops.”
The boy told investigators he was on the higher storey of the house and didn’t know how his family had been killed at the time “as stated in the statement.
The bridge was not included in Pennsylvania's 2021 transportation improvement program's list of highway and bridge improvements eligible for federal assistance.
According to state records, the Pittsburgh bridge that collapsed early Friday, injuring ten people, was in terrible condition and was not included in the federal infrastructure package.
The Forbes Avenue bridge over Frick Park, a main thoroughfare for morning commuters heading downtown, collapsed just hours before President Joe Biden was set to be in town to tout his administration’s $500 billion infrastructure project.
Under the infrastructure plan, Pennsylvania would get more than $327 million in federal financing for bridge maintenance and replacement, with roughly $49 million going to “off-system,” or local, bridges like the Forbes Avenue bridge.
However, the bridge is not one of the roadway and bridge projects in the state’s 2021 transportation improvement programme that will get federal assistance.
Officials from the city have not stated why the 1970 bridge was not included in the federal infrastructure financing list.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the 447-foot steel rigid frame bridge had an overall 4 rating and was in bad condition. The scale runs from 0 to 9, with the highest number obtaining an excellent.
Darryl Jones, the chief of the Pittsburgh Fire Department, said his department has had no previous complaints about the bridge, which would have caused fire workers to reroute to emergency situations.
The bridge received a pair of 4s for its deck and superstructure, but a 6 for the substructure, according to state transportation statistics.
Officials are looking into what caused the bridge to collapse, according to a press release from the city of Pittsburgh. The National Transportation Safety Board is also sent a team to the location, according to a tweet from the agency.
PennDOT statistics show that 175 of Allegheny County’s 1,580 bridges are in bad condition. Pittsburgh is home to 29 of them. The state owns three of the 29 and maintains them. The city owns and maintains twenty-one of them, including the Fern Hollow Bridge, thus any renovations must be paid for by the city.
The decaying structure, according to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, highlights the need for more bridge financing.
Under the infrastructure plan, Pennsylvania would get more than $327 million in federal financing for bridge maintenance and replacement, with roughly $49 million going to “off-system,” or local, bridges like the Forbes Avenue bridge.
