February 12, 2023 (Sunday)

1.3 minutes to read

Armed conflits and attacks

A United States Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon shoots down an unidentified flying object over Lake Huron near the Canada–United States border. The Department of Defense describe the object as octagonal and flying at roughly 20,000 feet.

(Forbes)

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The Pentagon holds a press briefing on the shootdowns with NORAD Commander Glen D. VanHerck stating it is currently unclear how the objects were "staying aloft", and "we're calling them objects, not balloons, for a reason".

(Bharat Times)

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China says that it has detected an unidentified flying object over the Yellow Sea, and warns that it is prepared to shoot down the object. The Qingdao Marine Development Bureau issues an alert to fishermen in the waters to be "on alert" and "avoid risks".

(South China Morning Post)

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Disasters and accidents

Thousands of people are left without power as Cyclone Gabrielle makes landfall over North Island, New Zealand. The regions of Northland and Auckland are currently under a state of emergency.

(BBC News)

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Law and crime

Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen orders the closure of one of the country's last independent news outlets, The Voice of Democracy, saying that its publications have hurt him and his son Hun Manet.

(Reuters)

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Politics and elections

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announces that he will not extend his mandate to serve a fourth term and is expected to step down in October.

(AFP via South China Morning Post)

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In a run-off election, Nikos Christodoulides is elected as President of Cyprus, defeating Andreas Mavroyiannis.

(Reuters)

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Science and technology

Researchers at the Konkoly Observatory in Hungary discover 2023 CX1, a 1-metre (3.3-foot) asteroid predicted to fall harmlessly as a fireball over the English Channel at 03:00 UTC, making it the seventh asteroid to be discovered before impacting Earth.

(JPL Center for NEO Studies)

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