Pentagon has ordered a US aircraft carrier to remain in the Mediterranean near Israel

This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy released on October 15, 2203 shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the
This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy released on October 15, 2203 shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launching from the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 12, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 16 December 2023
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Pentagon has ordered a US aircraft carrier to remain in the Mediterranean near Israel

Pentagon has ordered a US aircraft carrier to remain in the Mediterranean near Israel
  • Austin ordered the Ford and its strike group to sail to the eastern Mediterranean on Oct. 8, a day after the attack by Hamas that set off the war

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and one other warship to remain in the Mediterranean Sea for several more weeks to maintain a two-carrier presence near Israel as its war with Hamas grinds on, US officials said.
It would be the third time the Ford’s deployment has been extended, underscoring the continued concerns about volatility in the region during Israel’s war in Gaza. The US has two aircraft carriers in the region, a rarity in recent years.
Multiple US officials confirmed the longer deployments approved this week for the Ford and the USS Normandy cruiser on condition of anonymity because they have not yet been made public. Other ships in the Ford’s strike group had already had their deployments extended.
The Pentagon ramped up its military presence in the region after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks to deter Iran from widening the war into a regional conflict. In the months since, Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria have seized on the war to conduct regular attacks with rockets, drones and missiles on US military installations there.

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Multiple US officials confirmed the longer deployments approved this week for the Ford and the USS Normandy cruiser on condition of anonymity because they have not yet been made public. Other ships in the Ford’s strike group had already had their deployments extended.

At the same time, US warships in the Red Sea have intercepted incoming missiles fired toward Israel from areas of Yemen controlled by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. They’ve also shot down one-way attack drones headed toward the ships and responded to calls for assistance from commercial vessels that have come under persistent Houthi attacks near the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
As of Friday, there are 19 US warships in the region, including seven in the eastern Mediterranean and 12 more stretched down the Red Sea, across the Arabian Sea and up into the Arabian Gulf.
Austin ordered the Ford and its strike group to sail to the eastern Mediterranean on Oct. 8, a day after the attack by Hamas that set off the war.
The decision to keep the Ford — the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier — in the region comes as Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said Thursday it will take months to destroy Hamas, predicting a drawn-out war.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israeli leaders to discuss a timetable for winding down major combat in Gaza, but they repeated their determination to press the fight until Hamas is crushed.
The Ford’s roughly 5,000 sailors have been waiting for a Pentagon decision on whether they would get to go home for the holidays. The ship left Norfolk, Virginia, in early May to deploy to US European Command, and under its original schedule it would have been home by early November.
The original plan was for the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group to replace the Ford in the region. But Sabrina Singh, in a Pentagon briefing on Oct. 17, said Austin had decided to extend the Ford’s deployment and have both the Eisenhower and Ford covering the waters from southern Europe to the Middle East.
US military commanders have long touted the effectiveness of American aircraft carriers as a deterrent, including against attacks, hijackings and other aggressive behavior by Iran and its ships, including strikes on commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Houthis.
Officials said the plan is to keep the Ford there for several more weeks.
The Eisenhower is in the Gulf of Oman and has been patrolling in the Middle East along with the USS Philippine Sea, a Navy cruiser. And three warships — the USS Carney, the USS Stethem and the USS Mason, all Navy destroyers — have been moving through the Bab el-Mandeb daily to help deter and respond to attacks from the Houthis.
Other ships that are part of the Ford’s strike group include the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt.
While the US regularly maintained two aircraft carriers in the Middle East during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in recent years it has tried to turn its attention and naval presence to the Asia Pacific.

 


Taiwan coast guard offers rewards for spotting foreign ships

Taiwan coast guard offers rewards for spotting foreign ships
Updated 7 sec ago
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Taiwan coast guard offers rewards for spotting foreign ships

Taiwan coast guard offers rewards for spotting foreign ships
  • Taiwan’s coast guard said Friday it will reward people who report the presence of foreign military ships, including those from China
TAIPEI: Taiwan’s coast guard said Friday it will reward people who report the presence of foreign military ships, including those from China, in waters around the island, as it seeks the public’s help with monitoring “abnormal” activity.
China regularly deploys fighter jets, navy ships and coast guard vessels around Taiwan to press its claims of sovereignty over the island, which Taipei’s government rejects.
Taiwan is massively outgunned by China, which has refused to renounce the use of force to bring the island under its control.
“The Coast Guard’s manpower is limited but the people power at sea is unlimited,” Taiwan’s coast guard said in a statement announcing the rewards.
The coast guard called on people, including fishers, to “stay vigilant to abnormal maritime activities” to help counter the growing “threats from the sea” and “all kinds of grey zone harassment tactics” — actions that fall short of an act of war.
People who reported homicide, piracy, arson and kidnapping to the coast guard could receive up to NT$200,000 ($6,200), while reports of Chinese “stowaways” would be rewarded with NT$50,000, and NT$10,000 for other foreign stowaways.
Verified reports to the coast guard about foreign and Chinese military ships and other vessels would be rewarded with NT$3,000.
China maintains a near-daily presence of naval vessels and warplanes around the island.
Chinese coast guard ships have also been spotted around Taiwan’s outlying islands, at times briefly entering its restricted waters.
A series of incidents involving boats from both sides have fueled tensions across the narrow waterway separating Taiwan and China.
A Taiwanese court in September sentenced a former Chinese naval captain to eight months in prison for illegally entering the island by boat.

Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ can be imported in India as court told 1988 ban order untraceable

Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ can be imported in India as court told 1988 ban order untraceable
Updated 39 min 25 sec ago
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Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ can be imported in India as court told 1988 ban order untraceable

Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ can be imported in India as court told 1988 ban order untraceable
  • India-born British author’s novel was banned by India in 1988 after some Muslims viewed it as blasphemous
  • Salman Rushdie’s fourth fictional novel ran into a global controversy shortly after its publication in September 1988

NEW DELHI: India’s three-decade ban on importing author Salman Rushdie’s controversial ‘The Satanic Verses’ book has effectively been lifted after a court said the government was unable to produce the original notification that imposed the ban.
The India-born British author’s novel was banned by India in 1988 after some Muslims viewed it as blasphemous. The Delhi High Court was hearing a 2019 case challenging the import ban of the book in India.
According to a Nov. 5 court order, India’s government told the Delhi High Court that the import ban order “was untraceable and, therefore could not be produced.”
As a result, the court said it had “no other option except to presume that no such notification exists.”
“The ban has been lifted as of Nov. 5 because there is no notification,” Uddyam Mukherjee, lawyer for petitioner Sandipan Khan, said.
India’s interior and finance ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Khan’s plea said he approached the court after being told at bookstores that the novel could not be sold or imported in India and then when he searched, he could not find the official import ban order on the government websites.
Even in court the government has been unable to produce the order, he said.
“None of the respondents could produce the said notification ... in fact the purported author of the said notification has also shown his helplessness in producing a copy,” the Nov. 5 order noted, referring to the customs department official who drafted the order.
Rushdie’s fourth fictional novel ran into a global controversy shortly after its publication in September 1988, as some Muslims saw passages about Prophet Muhammad as blasphemous.
It sparked violent demonstrations and book burnings across the Muslim world, including in India, which has the world’s third largest Muslim population.
In 1989, Iran’s then supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to assassinate Rushdie, sending the Booker Prize-winning author into hiding for six years.
In August 2022, about 33 years after the fatwa, Rushdie was stabbed on stage during a lecture in New York, which left him blind in one eye and affected the use of one of his hands.


Indonesia’s Prabowo heads to China at start of multi-country trip

Indonesia’s Prabowo heads to China at start of multi-country trip
Updated 45 min 51 sec ago
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Indonesia’s Prabowo heads to China at start of multi-country trip

Indonesia’s Prabowo heads to China at start of multi-country trip
  • Prabowo Subianto has signaled he is keen to play an active role on the international stage
  • Prabowo’s agenda for China is unclear, but he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s new leader Prabowo Subianto set off for China on Friday for his first international trip as president, kicking off a tour that will include stops in the United States, Britain, and South America for the APEC and G20 summits.
Prabowo, who won the presidency in February at his third attempt, has signaled he is keen to play an active role on the international stage, demonstrated by his visits to 21 countries during the time he was president-elect.
“It shows that Indonesia is well respected and its presence is needed in bilateral and multilateral meetings to discuss important issues, not only the economy but also the current rising geopolitical tensions,” he told a press conference before flying to China.
“I think all parties are waiting to hear about Indonesia’s stance and role.”
The former defense minister and special forces commander has said that under his presidency, Indonesia would continue its long-held foreign policy of non-alignment.
Prabowo’s agenda for China is unclear, but he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping. He is due to meet US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington and Prabowo’s office has said it was possible he could meet president-elect Donald Trump.
He will go to Britain to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and may also visit several countries in the Middle East, he said. His office has not provided dates for any of the visits.
The trip will include stops in Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and to Brazil for the summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.
Prabowo is expected to strengthen ties with both the United States and China as Indonesia’s main partners, said Prasetyo Hadi, the state secretariat minister, adding he would discuss potential partnerships in trade, energy, housing and marine sectors.


Qantas plane returns to Australia airport due to ‘engine failure’

Qantas plane returns to Australia airport due to ‘engine failure’
Updated 58 min 8 sec ago
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Qantas plane returns to Australia airport due to ‘engine failure’

Qantas plane returns to Australia airport due to ‘engine failure’
  • The Qantas flight, QF520, was bound for Brisbane

SYDNEY: A Qantas plane made an emergency landing due to a “contained engine failure” soon after taking off from Sydney Airport, the carrier said in a statement.
The Qantas flight, QF520, was bound for Brisbane and was circling for a “short period of time” before landing safely at Sydney Airport, Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said in the statement.
“Qantas engineers have conducted a preliminary inspection of the engine and confirmed it was a contained engine failure,” the airline said.
“While customers would have heard a loud bang, there was not an explosion.”
A Sydney Airport spokesperson said it was not yet clear whether the plane’s emergency landing and a grassfire on a nearby runway were linked, but investigations were ongoing.
The grassfire was brought under control by the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service, the spokesperson said.
“With the safe arrival of the aircraft, Sydney Airport’s priority is to conduct a full inspection of its parallel runway and to return it to service as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.
Plane passenger Georgina Lewis told local outlet Channel Nine that she was onboard the flight.
“We were taking off, and we heard a bang. One of the engines appeared to have gone. The pilot came on 10 minutes later to explain that they had a problem with a right-hand engine on take-off,” she said.
Tobiano of Qantas said his staff were “highly trained” to respond to such emergency situations.
“We understand this would have been a distressing experience for customers and we will be contacting all customers this afternoon to provide support,” he said in the statement.
“We will also be conducting an investigation into what caused the engine issue,” he added.
Customers were being moved to alternate flights, Qantas said.


Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast

Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast
Updated 08 November 2024
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Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast

Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast
  • But while nearly 30,000 people took cover in government-run facilities in the days and hours before Yinxing made landfall

MANILA: Authorities cleared uprooted trees and debris in the northern Philippines on Friday as Typhoon Yinxing blew out to sea after pounding the coast overnight, ripping roofs from homes and forcing thousands to seek shelter.
But while nearly 30,000 people took cover in government-run facilities in the days and hours before Yinxing made landfall, there were no reported casualties from the typhoon, which came just two weeks after a major storm killed more than 150.
Yinxing’s 175 kilometers (109 miles) per hour winds knocked down power lines, tore trees from the ground and shattered windows as it slammed into the country’s north coast on Thursday, the national weather agency, residents and rescuers said.
Officials reported 242.6 millimeters (0.80 ft) of rain dumped in a 24-hour window.
“Many trees were uprooted. There was also soil erosion in some areas. We are lucky they were not full-blown landslides,” said Cagayan province disaster chief Rueli Rapsing, whose agency has so far reported no casualties.
In the province’s Pamplona municipality, strong winds sent roofs flying through the air and residents scrambling for shelter.
“The fierce wind that we experienced last night was the strongest I’ve ever felt and seen in this town,” 35-year-old resident Patrick Maquiraya told AFP by phone.
“The roof of the house that was being constructed in front of our home suddenly went flying.”
Maquiraya said friends who sought shelter at a gymnasium had to relocate to a nearby church after strong winds shattered the building’s glass windows.
A live video seen by AFP on Thursday showed fierce winds blowing merchandise from store shelves in Santa Ana town, where the typhoon made landfall.
As of 8 am Friday (0000 GMT), Typhoon Yinxing’s center was estimated to be northwest of Laoag city and moving out across the South China Sea, according to the state weather agency.
Rapsing, the Cagayan disaster chief, said power lines were being restored as the province shifted into cleanup mode, with police, firemen and rescuers using excavators and other equipment to clear major roads.
Yinxing is the third storm in less than a month to threaten the Philippines after Severe Tropical Storm Trami and Super Typhoon Kong-rey together left 158 people dead, the national disaster agency said, with most of that tally attributed to Trami.
About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the archipelago nation or its surrounding waters each year, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing dozens of people.
A recent study showed that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.