The Pentagon on Wednesday denied a Rebublican congressman's claims that Iran is launching covert drones from a “mother ship” off the US east coast after unidentified items were seen in the skies over New Jersey and New York.
Photos, videos and sightings of the drones were reported in northern and central New Jersey, as well as New York's Staten Island, since the last week of November.
Representative Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey told Fox News that “very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources” told him drones were being launched off what he called an Iranian mother ship near the US.
“Iran launched a mother ship probably about a month ago that contains these drones,” he said. “That mother ship is off the East coast of the United States of America.”
Shortly after Mr Van Drew's TV appearance on Wednesday, the Pentagon and a regional US Defence Department contingent denied the claims.
“We have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary. We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening,” Pentagon spokeswomen Sabrina Singh said at a media briefing.
“There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mother ship launching drones towards the United States.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said last week that his state is investigating the drone sightings and he has been in touch with the federal government.
Mr Murphy reported dozens of sightings by residents, but warned some reports may be miscounted or double-counted and that some sightings were planes flying at night.
The FBI is investigating the “unexplained drone activity over … communities and military installations” and the Federal Aviation Administration has issued flight restrictions, Democratic Senator Cory Booker said in a publicly published letter addressed to White House cabinet members and the FBI director.
Mr Murphy and Mr Booker say there is no known threat to public safety, but Mr Booker spoke of “a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state”.
US Northern Command said it is “aware and monitoring the reports” of drone flights near military installations, and that it has “not been requested to assist with these events”.
The country, under President Joe Biden's orders, shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon after it crossed the continental US in 2023.
The Pentagon also has a task force set up to investigate unidentified flying objects with regular updates for the public.
Thomas Watkins contributed to this report from the Pentagon
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
more from Janine di Giovanni
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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