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Frustration on Capitol Hill is mounting after a string of aerial objects were shot down over U.S. and Canadian airspace in the last few days, raising a long list of questions that lawmakers say President Biden should publicly address. 

Three unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have been shot down over North America since Friday, and the Pentagon has provided little information on what the objects were or where they came from. 

“The president owes the American people an explanation, direct and on camera, of what we know about these ‘objects’ and what steps he’s taking to protect America’s sovereign airspace,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said in a Monday statement.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, also joined in the calls for President Biden to address the nation, noting the unprecedented nature of the military shooting down aircraft in U.S. airspace. 

“NORAD’s been around almost 65 years,” he said of the command in charge of patrolling U.S. and Canadian airspace. “We’ve never shot anything down, and in eight days we’ve shot down four things. That’s a pretty big deal. It doesn’t happen every day.”

Rubio added in a tweet: “Americans need to hear directly about this from their President today.”

The White House wouldn’t commit to a public address from Biden during a briefing on Monday afternoon. 

“We have been, I think, as transparent as we can be,” The White House’s national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “I won’t speak for the President’s personal speaking schedule. But, I mean, he has been deeply engaged in every one of these decisions.”

Kirby added that Biden is “directing his team to make sure we are properly consulting and briefing not just members of Congress, but state leaders as well.”

In a vacuum of information about the objects, the White House said Monday there is no evidence of “aliens or extraterrestrial activity” with the incidents. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said people were “scared” and “believing crazy things being said on the internet.”

“There is a lack of transparency from the Biden admin and simple explanations are owed to the people,” Greene wrote on Twitter.

The first UFO was shot down on Friday afternoon over Alaska, the second was taken out on Saturday over the Yukon in northwest Canada and the third over Lake Huron in Michigan on Sunday. 

All three incidents came about a week after a Chinese spy balloon capable of collecting communications intelligence was shot down off the coast of South Carolina after passing over much of the nation.

While the calls for answers are mostly from Republicans, Democrats from states that experienced a UFO incursion are joining in on the frustration.

Michigan lawmakers Sen. Gary Peters (D) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) echoed requests for more information, as did Sen. Jon Tester from Montana, where the Chinese balloon had lingered earlier this month.

Asked if Biden should speak out about the aerial objects, Tester said Monday, “That’s up to him.” He added that he still hoped to glean more information on “what they know, when they knew it, and what the plan is,” through hearings of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which he chairs.

A number of Democratic senators said they remain unsatisfied by the answers coming from the administration so far, but were hopeful that a briefing of all senators on Monday might shed more light on the situation.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said he’s “not satisfied yet” with information provided by administration, while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) added: “They’ve been doing a good job so far, but I do have a lot of questions.”

The remarkable series of UFO shoot-downs has befuddled Americans, who are wondering why the U.S. is suddenly recognizing and shooting down a flurry of these objects. 

Melissa Dalton, the assistant secretary of Defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, told reporters on Sunday the military has “been more closely scrutinizing our air space at these altitudes” with enhanced radar.

That “may at least partly explain the increase in objects that we’ve detected over the past week,” Dalton said.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) said in a Monday statement if it was true the U.S. has just now opened up its radar technologies to detect UFOs, that would amount to “staggering intelligence failures.”

“How long have these objects operated in our airspace with impunity?” Gallagher asked, demanding “answers” from Biden. 

“There are times to err on the side of secrecy in national security operations. But when our fighter pilots are shooting down presumably hostile aerial objects all across America, it’s long past time for transparency.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) raised similar questions while speaking on the floor on Monday.

“What in the world is going on? Has the Biden administration just dialed the sensitivity of our radars all the way up? If so, what are the objects that we are just now noticing for the very first time?” McConnell asked. “Are they benign science projects and wayward weather balloons, or something more nefarious that we’ve somehow been missing all this time?”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters on a trip to Belgium that the objects did not pose a military threat. 

“They do, however, present a risk to civil aviation and potentially an intelligence collection threat, and we’ll get to the bottom of it,” he added. 

Canadian and U.S. crews are in the midst of recovering the downed UFOs for closer inspection. The Biden administration on Monday also announced an interagency task force to investigate the UFOs.

There are no known links of the UFOs to China or any other country or entity. 

There have been some indications that some of the objects shot down were balloons, however that has not been confirmed by the Pentagon or White House. 

CNN reported Monday on a Pentagon memo that the object shot down over Canada on Saturday appeared to be a “small, metallic balloon with a tethered payload below it.”

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) suggested in a Sunday interview with ABC’s “This Week” the two UFOs shot down on Friday and Saturday were balloons.

But the Pentagon has said those objects were much smaller than the Chinese spy balloon, which weighed about 2,000 pounds. And the Lake Huron object was an octagonal shape.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon expressed high confidence in identifying the Chinese spy balloon, which Beijing admitted was theirs but has referred to as a weather balloon. Idris Elba rules himself out as James Bond: ‘I’m not going to be that guy’ US warns it will defend Philippines after China laser report

Also in contrast to the UFOs, the Chinese spy balloon was tracked for days before the U.S. decided to take it down. 

Unlike the Chinese spy balloon, which was hovering about 60,000 feet in the air, the UFOs were flying at about 40,000 feet or below and posed a threat to civilian airspace, according to the Pentagon, leading to a swift decision each time to take them out.

Emily Brooks and Al Weaver contributed.

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Jury shown CCTV and bodycam footage of brothers allegedly assaulting police at Manchester Airport

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Jury shown CCTV and bodycam footage of brothers allegedly assaulting police at Manchester Airport

CCTV and police bodycam footage allegedly showing three police officers being assaulted at Manchester Airport has been played to jurors.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, are said to have struck out after police were called to the airport on 23 July last year, following Amaaz allegedly headbutting a customer at a Starbucks in Terminal 2.

Minutes later, three police officers approached the defendants at the paystation in the terminal’s car park.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court today watched CCTV footage from opposite angles, which captured what the prosecution says was a “high level of violence” being used by the siblings.

The prosecution says Amaaz resisted as officers tried to move him to arrest him, and Amaad then intervened.

Junior counsel Adam Birkby suggested Amaaz threw 10 punches, including one to the face of PC Lydia Ward, which knocked her to the floor.

His brother Amaad is then said to have aimed six punches at firearms officer PC Zachary Marsden.

Amaaz also allegedly kicked PC Marsden and struck firearms officer PC Ellie Cook twice with his elbow.

He is said to have punched PC Marsden from behind and had a hold of him, before PC Cook discharged her Taser.

Human Rights lawyer Aamer Anwar (centre) arrives with Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (left) and Muhammed Amaad (right) at Liverpool Crown Court, where
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Mohammed Fahir Amaaz (left) and Muhammed Amaad (right) arrive at the court with their lawyer. Pic: PA

The bodycam and CCTV footage, submitted as evidence by the prosecution, allegedly shows the officers’ arrival in the Terminal 2 car park and their attempts to arrest the siblings, as well as their exchanges with them.

PC Ward can be heard saying “Oi, you b*****d” in footage from her bodycam, the prosecution evidence appears to show.

She then appears to fall to the floor and screams.

PC Cook, who is pointing her Taser at one of the defendants, then allegedly says: “Stay on the floor, stay on the floor whatever you do.”

“Get back, get back,” PC Ward appears to say.

The bodycam footage, shown to the jury by the prosecution, shows PC Marsden, who is also pointing his Taser, appear to approach the defendant who is lying on the ground and kick out at him.

Mr Birkby said: “Mr Amaaz, while prone, lifts his head towards the officers. PC Marsden kicks Mr Amaaz around the head area.

“PC Marsden stamps his foot towards the crown of Mr Amaaz’s head area but doesn’t appear to connect with Mr Amaaz.”

Amaaz denies three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to the three police officers and one count of assault to Abdulkareem Ismaeil, the customer at Starbucks.

Amaad denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to PC Marsden.

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Stephen Doohan: Paramedic who secretly gave pregnant woman abortion drug jailed for more than 10 years

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Stephen Doohan: Paramedic who secretly gave pregnant woman abortion drug jailed for more than 10 years

A paramedic who secretly gave a pregnant woman an abortion drug during sex has been jailed for more than 10 years. 

Stephen Doohan, 33, was married when he met the woman on holiday in Spain in 2021 and began a long-distance relationship.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how the victim travelled to Edinburgh in March 2023 to visit Doohan after learning she was pregnant.

During consensual sex, Doohan twice secretly administered the tablets which led to the woman suffering a miscarriage.

In May, Doohan pleaded guilty to sexual assault and causing the woman to have an abortion. He returned to the dock on Monday where he was jailed for 10 years and six months.

Lord Colbeck said Doohan caused “long-term psychological injury” to his victim.

The judge said: “You put her through considerable pain over a number of days and left her facing a lifetime of pain and loss.”

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The court heard how the woman found tablets hidden under the mattress after she became suspicious over Doohan’s behaviour in bed.

Lord Colbeck said: “The complainer then carried out an internet search for abortion tablets and confronted you over your actions.”

After the woman fell ill, Doohan convinced her to lie to medics at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh amid fears he would be arrested if she told the truth.

The victim later attended another hospital with her sister and was told she was having a miscarriage.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said Doohan sent the woman gifts including perfume, socks, facial cleansing oil, money to get her hair done and bought tickets for them to attend a football match.

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The woman complained to the Scottish Ambulance Service in May 2023, sparking an investigation.

The court heard that on 14 March 2023, the day the woman told Doohan she was pregnant, the paramedic used a work intranet to search for abortion drugs.

Lord Colbeck said: “You planned out what you did to your victim using resources available to you as a paramedic.”

In addition to his prison sentence, Doohan was also added to the sex offenders’ register and banned from contacting his victim.

Fiona Kirkby, procurator fiscal for high court sexual offences, said: “Stephen Doohan’s calculated and heinous actions caused the loss of the victim’s pregnancy, robbing her of plans she had for the future.

“He has now been held accountable for this fundamental breach of trust.

“While offences like this are thankfully rare, I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to all those who seek to inflict sexual harm towards women.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim, who must be commended for reporting her experience and seeking justice.

“We recognise that reporting sexual offending can be difficult but would urge anyone affected to come forward and seek support when they feel ready to do so.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service branded it an “appalling case”.

A spokesperson added: “We recognise the courage it must have taken for the victim to come forward and speak out.

“As soon as we learned of these very serious allegations and charges, we immediately took action, providing ongoing support to her whilst liaising with Police Scotland throughout the investigation.

“We know nothing will change what has happened to the victim and all we can hope is this sentence provides some comfort to them.”

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UK farmers have ‘nothing more to give’ as they fear govt will compromise welfare in US-UK trade deal

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UK farmers have 'nothing more to give' as they fear govt will compromise welfare in US-UK trade deal

UK farmers have “nothing more to give” as they fear the government will use agriculture to further reduce US tariffs in a trade deal with the White House.

The UK is trying to reduce steel tariffs to zero, from a current reduced rate of 25%, but Downing Street refused to confirm if it was confident ahead of Donald Trump’s deadline of 9 July.

Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said UK agriculture had already been used to reduce Trump-imposed tariffs on cars but any other concessions would have serious repercussions for farmers, food security and the UK’s high animal welfare standards.

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He told Sky News: “It just feels like we, as the agricultural sector, had to shoulder the responsibility to reduce the tariffs on cars from 25%.

“We can’t do it anymore, we have nothing more to give.

“It’s clear the steel quotas and tariffs aren’t sorted yet, so we just want to be very clear with the government: if they’re sitting around the negotiating table – which we understand they are – they can’t expect agriculture to give any more.”

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Tom Bradshaw, the head of the NFU, speaking to Sky News
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Tom Bradshaw, the head of the NFU, said farmers cannot give any more

‘Massively undermine our standards’

Since 30 June, the US has been able to import 13,000 tonnes of hormone-free British beef without tariffs under a deal made earlier this year, which farmers feel was to reduce the car import levy Mr Trump imposed.

The UK was also given tariff-free access to 1.4bn litres of US ethanol, which farmers say will put the UK’s bioethanol and associated sectors under pressure.

Allowing lower US food standards would “massively undermine our standards” and would mean fewer sales to the European Union where food standards are also high, Mr Bradshaw said.

It would leave British farmers competing on a playing field that is “anything but fair”, he said, because US food can be produced – and sold – much cheaper due to low welfare which could see a big reduction in investment in UK farms, food security and the environment.

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‘The US will push hard for more access’

He said the US narrative has always suggested they want access to British agriculture products “as a start and they’ll negotiate for more”.

“The narrative from the White House on 8 May, when a US-UK trade deal was announced, was all about further access to our agriculture products – it was very different to what our government was saying,” he added.

“So far, the UK has stood firm and upheld our higher welfare standards, but the US will push very hard to have further access.

“No country in the world has proved they can reduce the 10% tariffs further.”

US poultry welfare is lower than the UK, with much more intensive farming that means the meat has to be washed with antimicrobials. Pic: AP
Image:
US poultry welfare is lower than the UK, with much more intensive farming that means the meat has to be washed with antimicrobials. Pic: AP

US ‘will target poultry and pork’

The Essex farmer said he expects the US to push “very hard” to get the UK to lower its standards on poultry and pork, specifically.

US poultry is often washed with antimicrobials, including chlorine, in an attempt to wash off high levels of bacteria caused by poor hygiene, antibiotic use and low animal welfare conditions not allowed in UK farming.

US pig rearing methods are also quite different, with intensive farming and the use of feed additive ractopamine legal, with both banned in the UK.

A government spokesperson told Sky News: “We regularly speak to businesses across the UK to understand the impact of tariffs and will only ever act in the national interest.

“Our Plan for Change has delivered a deal which will open up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market for the first time ever and all agricultural imports coming to the UK will have to meet our high SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) standards.”

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