WORLD

U.S. military fighter jets on Sunday shot down an octagonal object over Lake Huron, the Pentagon said, the latest incident since a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon put North American security forces on high alert. It was the fourth unidentified flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week. On President Joe Biden's order, a U.S. F-16 fighter shot down the object at 2:42 p.m. local time over Lake Huron on the U.S.-Canada border, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said in an official statement.

Though it did not pose a military threat, the object could have potentially interfered with domestic air traffic as it was traveling at 20,000 feet (6,100 m), and it might have had surveillance capabilities, Ryder said.

The object appeared to be octagonal in structure, with strings hanging off but no discernable payload, said a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity.

Former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that the government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party was a threat to the country. He claimed if its leader, Imran Khan, continued as the Prime Minister, there would have been no Pakistan as it would have led to the eventual destruction of the country.

In a discussion with journalist Javed Chaudhry, who is thought to have connections with the government, Bajwa alleged that during a Cabinet meeting, Khan used a vulgar Punjabi word to refer to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Syrian Embassy on Thursday requested Indians to donate essential items and contribute to the victims of the catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 19,300 people.

While rescuers continued their race to pull more people alive from thousands of collapsed structures, the window to find trapped survivors continued to close amid freezing temperatures.

“The Syrian government mobilized all its forces to meet the challenges and reach to the affected victims, providing them with shelter and essential supplies,” the Syrian mission in New Delhi stated in a release.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has been slapped with an international-level insult by earthquake hit Turkey.

There has been devastation due to the earthquake in Turkey. Countries around the world are sending relief materials and rescue teams to Turkey.

But, Pakistan tried to capitalize on this disaster as an opportunity, which backfired. In fact, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif announced his visit to Ankara to show solidarity with Turkey. He did not think that the country which is currently facing a natural disaster, resources should not be spent on VIP visits. In such a situation, Turkey

Iran revealed "Eagle 44", an underground air force base on Tuesday. The Iranian state media reported Eagle 44 as the first of its kind large enough underground air force base that can house the fighter jets. The "Eagle 44" base is capable of storing and operating fighter jets and drones, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said. The report did not specify the location of the base.

The IRNA reported that it was one of the country's most important air force bases. It is reportedly built deep underground, housing fighters equipped with long-range cruise missiles.

"Any attack on Iran from our enemies, including Israel, will see a response from our many air force bases including Eagle 44," Iran's armed forces' Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri told state media.