Skip to main content

US officials discuss smaller Mideast footprint after Iran conflict: CNN

US military and intelligence officials have begun discussing a potential reduction in personnel and facilities permanently stationed in the Middle East if the Trump administration succeeds in ending the conflict with Iran, CNN reported, citing six sources. The informal discussions could lead to another shift in Washington's military and intelligence posture in a region where the US dramatically expanded its presence following the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to the report. Officials are considering possible cuts even as about 50,000 US troops remain deployed across the Middle East alongside significant military assets, including two aircraft carriers and more than a dozen guided-missile destroyers. The US military has developed several possible options for changing its force structure in the region as early as next year, two sources told CNN. No formal force posture review has been ordered, however. Shifting defence burden to regional partners Senior Pentagon off...
Post a Comment

Indonesia's Anak Krakatau eruption halts flights, schools, fishing

An eruption of Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau caused six airports to suspend flight operations on Sunday, affecting hundreds of flights at Jakarta's main airport, after some school activities and fishing were halted. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flight operations until 5:30pm (1030 GMT) due to volcanic ash, the airport posted on Instagram, stranding hundreds of passengers at the facility. The suspension, extended several times, has affected 301 flights, including 58 international flights, airport operator Angkasa Pura said in a statement. Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines said they had cancelled flights to and from Jakarta for the rest of the day. Anak Krakatau, which is roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia's vast island chain, has been erupting since late on Friday, with volcanic ash detected at the airport early on Sunday, the transport ministry said. Passengers stuck at Soekarno-Hatta International Ash reached as high as 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) on the Sumatra side and some parts of Banten province in Java, meteorological agency BMKG posted on its website. Ersy Laksita Rini, 55, was upset when she arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International and learned that her 8 am flight to Surabaya had been cancelled. She said the airline had not informed her ahead of time. "If the eruption happened last night and there were predictions of flight cancellations, we should have been notified from the start," she told Reuters. "That way, passengers wouldn't have needed to come here so early and could have looked for alternatives instead." Read: Hundreds flee homes after Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupts French national Eloan Tasset, 21, got a text from Batik Air that his flight to his holiday destination of Manado in North Sulawesi had been delayed, but he said it was unclear how long the delay would be. "If they tell me my flight is cancelled, I think I'm going to try to find a hotel in Jakarta," he said. The airport operator said it was providing food and light refreshments for affected passengers and buses to hotels, in coordination with the airlines. The disaster mitigation agency BNPB said it would conduct a weather modification operation, which could include cloud-seeding, on Sunday to promote rain. "If it rains heavily enough, the volcanic ash that has been disrupting our daily lives since yesterday and continuing today will be washed away quickly," BNPB chief Suharyanto told a press conference. The transport ministry named three other airports across Java — Kertajati, Ahmad Yani and Juanda — as alternatives, "should airlines or operators be able to divert their flights", said Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. Five Indonesian volcanoes at alert level three BNPB "urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance. In the event of ashfall, people are advised to wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution when driving, as volcanic ash can reduce visibility," said spokesperson Berton Panjaitan. Ferries in Sunda Strait were operating normally, the transport ministry said, urging vessels to stay at least 3 km (2 miles) away from Anak Krakatau's crater and remain vigilant for volcanic hazards, including volcanic ash and other ejected materials. Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents suffered eye irritations from the ash, while fishermen cancelled fishing trips, local media outlet Kompas reported. Police distributed masks to motorists in Cianjur, West Java, some 200 km (130 miles) from Anak Krakatau, the state news agency Antara reported, while the disaster management agency reported volcanic ash in the city, urging residents to stay indoors. Some 850 km (530 miles) away from Anak Krakatau, Mount Semeru in East Java also erupted on Sunday, sending an ash column 1 km (3,300 feet) above the summit, said volcano monitoring agency PVMBG. It advised residents to stay at least 5 km (3 miles) away from the crater and warned of the risk of hot ash clouds and lava flows up to 17 km (10 miles) from the summit. Also Read: Etna ash disrupts Catania flights Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent. Anak Krakatau has been on alert level three, the second-highest, since July 2. Semeru was also on level three, as were three other volcanoes: Merapi, Lewotobi Laki-laki and Sinabung. The disaster mitigation agency said there was no imminent risk of tsunami from the volcano. A tsunami in 2018 caused by Anak Krakatau eruptions killed more than 400 on Java and Sumatra. Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, began emerging a century ago from the area previously occupied by Krakatau, then known as Krakatoa. The older volcano destroyed itself in mass eruptions in 1883, which killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/yzIDHWG
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

The International Astronomy Centre confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon of Shawwal will be impossible to sight on Saturday, March 29, across all regions of the Arab and Islamic world. This is due to the moon setting before the sun, with the conjunction occurring after sunset. As a result, observing the crescent moon, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or other means, will be unfeasible on March 29. For countries requiring an actual sighting to mark the start of Shawwal, Ramadan will likely extend to 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr falling on Monday, March 31. However, in some regions where the conjunction occurs before sunset, allowing the moon to set after sunset, some countries may choose to declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following traditional moon-sighting practices. Notably, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at noon on Saturday in parts of the western Arab world, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This event serves as definitive proof that the cresce...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vancouver tribunal says 'every dog is entitled to one bite' in injury case

A woman who sought nearly $5,000 in damages after being bitten by a dog on Christmas Eve has had her claim dismissed, after a British Columbia tribunal ruled the incident amounted to an accident — and that “every dog is entitled to one bite.” Ying Shen was bitten on the hand by a mini Australian Shepherd named Juliet as she stepped out of an elevator in her apartment building in Vancouver on 24 December 2022. The dog, which was leashed and accompanied by neighbour Jeffrey Dale Polo, bit Shen as the two passed each other in the corridor. According to the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal’s decision, Polo apologised, saying Juliet was “usually well behaved.” Shen sought medical attention that night at St. Paul’s Hospital, where she was treated for a superficial abrasion and given a tetanus shot. She later filed a report with the City of Vancouver. A bylaw officer determined that Juliet was not considered dangerous under city regulations, though the dog was found to be unlicensed. In his 5 M...
Post a Comment
Read more