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TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying at night over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns the unmanned aircraft. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday, as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh has said they are not U.S. military drones. In a joint statement issued Thursday afternoon, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they and their federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, “continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings.” The agencies said they have not corroborated any of the reported sightings with electronic detection, and that reviews of available images appear to show many of the reported drones are actually manned aircraft. “There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space,” according to the statement. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey appeared to be larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear and misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. John Duesler, president of the Pennsylvania Drone Association, said witnesses may be confused about what they are seeing, especially in the dark, and noted it’s hard to know the size of the drones or how close they might be. “There are certainly big drones, such as agricultural drones, but typically they are not the type you see flying around in urban or suburban spaces,” Duesler said Thursday. Duesler said the drones — and those flying them — likely cannot evade detection. “They will leave a radio frequency footprint, they all leave a signature," he said. "We will find out what kind of drones they were, who was flying them and where they were flying them.” Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Duesler said the public wants to know what's going on. “I hope (the government agencies) will come out with more information about this to ease our fears. But this could just be the acts of rogue drone operators, it’s not an ‘invasion’ as some reports have called it,” Duesler said. “I am concerned about this it but not alarmed by it.” Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.AP News Summary at 1:00 p.m. EST

Undeterred, military court convicts another 60 over May 9 riots involvement

Clayton scores 34 as Ohio knocks off Portland 85-73JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in the cities of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to questions about Tedros' post but issued a statement saying it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively.” The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014 . Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv . Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that the council condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying weapons to the rebels. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight , the territory's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants . The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Separately, Israel's military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Manmohan Singh Death: Former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, passed away on Thursday evening at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He died hours after he was admitted to the emergency department of the hospital. According to multiple media reports, the veteran congressman’s health condition was reported to be critical. The senior Congress leader’s death has left a profound impact on the political landscape, with leaders, celebrities and citizens alike expressing their deep sorrow at the loss of one of India’s most respected statesmen. Taking to his X handle, Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, expressed his sorrow. Vadra in his now deleted post wrote, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji. My deepest condolences for his family and loved ones. Thank you for your service to our Nation. You will always be remembered for your Economic revolution and progressive changes, you brought to the country.” PM Narendra Modi extending his condolences wrote, "India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives." India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic... pic.twitter.com/clW00Yv6oP Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi expressed her deep sorrow and wrote that few people in politics inspire the kind of respect that the former PM had. She added, "His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation despite being subjected to unfair and deeply personal attacks by his opponents.He was genuinely egalitarian, wise, strongwilled and courageous until the end. A uniquely dignified and gentle man in the rough world of politics." Few people in politics inspire the kind of respect that Sardar Manmohan Singh ji did. His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation... pic.twitter.com/BXA6zHG2Fq The official X handle of Congress expressing its grief wrote, "The demise of renowned economist and former Prime Minister of the country, respected Manmohan Singh ji is an irreparable loss to Indian politics. May God give peace to the departed soul and strength to his family to bear this sorrow. The Delhi Congress family pays homage to the memories of respected Manmohan ji and expresses gratitude for his contribution to nation building. Om Shanti." ALSO READ: Manmohan Singh No More: A Look At Key Decisions By Hero Of India’s Economic Liberalisation Reacting to the news, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha wrote, "I still cannot believe this sad news. This is not just the end of an era but also a sign of the end of a trend where critics/opponents of government policies were not labelled as 'anti-nationals'. Goodbye Sir!! History shall not only be kind but provide you a higher pedestal forever.... #ManmohanSingh." इस दुखद खबर पर अभी भी भरोसा नहीं है.ये महज युगांत नहीं है बल्कि उस धारा के अवसान का भी संकेत है जहाँ आलोचक/सरकार की नीतियों के विरोधी 'राष्ट्रद्रोही' नहीं करार दिये जाते थे. Goodbye Sir!! History shall not only be kind but provide you a higher pedestal forever.... #ManmohanSingh pic.twitter.com/O6u0ZmJVRo Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra also took to his X handle to express his condolences. He wrote, "Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh. From pioneering economic reforms that opened India’s gates to global markets, to steering the nation through turbulent times as Prime Minister, his contributions remain monumental. He will be remembered for his dignity, his intellect, and his unwavering commitment to India’s progress. May his soul rest in peace, and may his family find strength in this difficult hour. Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh. From pioneering economic reforms that opened India’s gates to global markets, to steering the nation through turbulent times as Prime Minister, his contributions remain monumental. He will be remembered for his dignity, his... pic.twitter.com/yYld3mH4E9 Indian comedian and television host Kapil Sharma expressing his grief wrote, “India has lost one of its finest leaders today. Dr. Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms and a symbol of integrity and humility, leaves behind a legacy of progress and hope. His wisdom, dedication, and vision transformed our nation. Rest in peace, Dr. Singh. Your contributions will never be forgotten."Belfast traffic gridlocked on Bedford Street with nearby Ormeau Avenue and Dublin Road also at a standstill (Image: Belfast Live) The Department for Infrastructure has refused to respond to a series of questions from Belfast Live regarding ongoing traffic congestion issues in the city centre. Earlier this month, in a series on congestion in the city , we asked people who have been impacted by the ongoing congestion what they would do to fix the traffic issues. We spoke to some of those working in retail, hospitality, and public transport about what we can do to alleviate some of the congestion issues, especially in the run-up to Christmas . Read more: Translink statement on tackling Belfast's traffic chaos in run up to Christmas Read more: 'We need to improve moving around Belfast for people - not cars' It comes just over two months since the phased opening of Belfast Grand Central Station with bus services only, followed by the commencement of rail services in mid-October. Recent weeks have seen traffic chaos in the city centre, with ongoing work surrounding the new £340 million public transport hub and a major resurfacing scheme of the A2 Sydenham Bypass contributing to serious congestion in the city. The gridlock has led to Translink advising of delays during the evening rush hour in recent weeks. It has prompted the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to introduce a moratorium on works from late November to early January, ahead of the busy Christmas trading period. On Friday, November 8, we contacted the Department for Infrastructure with five questions that came up frequently with those we interviewed about city centre congestion issues. Missing our initial response deadline of Monday, November 11, a Department spokesperson confirmed we would receive a response the following day [November 12]. However, this deadline was also missed, with three requests for comment to the DfI press team remaining unanswered over the course of the following week. Here are the questions we put to the Department for Infrastructure: Does the DfI believe an earlier moratorium on roadworks [before 25th November] could help towards slightly freer flowing traffic for the peak festive period? What is the latest response from the DfI on the new phase of the Glider [North to South Belfast], and are there further public realm works planned for the city centre to improve the walking experience? There have been calls for a temporary road realignment during the 12 month Durham Street closure. A suggestion is traffic exiting the city down Bedford Street and onto Ormeau Ave/Road, instead of Dublin Road, to take pressure off Great Victoria Street, alongside a temporary right turn on Hope Street/Bruce Street. Could we get a response from the DfI on whether such suggestions could be implemented? There have been calls for late night transport to be rolled out for the full year, as opposed to just at Christmas. What is the latest response from the DfI to these calls? What is the direct message from the DfI to encourage more people to 'hop on board' over the coming weeks in a bid to try and help reduce city centre congestion in the run up to Christmas? Last week, Translink responded to our questions on how traffic issues in the city can be tackled ahead of Christmas, to encourage more people to visit the city centre. Translink said it recognises the importance of the critical infrastructure projects in roads and utilities currently underway across the city and “continues to work with DfI to find solutions to help ease the congestion and keep people moving around the city.” For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BelfastLive Facebook Twitter Comment More On Belfast City Centre Traffic and travel Department for Infrastructure Politics South Belfast Stormont

NEW YORK (AP) — As she anticipates her estranged uncle's return to the White House, Mary Trump isn't expecting any future book to catch on like such first-term tell-alls as Michael Wolff's million-selling “Fire and Fury” or her own blockbuster, “Too Much and Never Enough.” “What else is there to learn?” she says. “And for people who don't know, the books have been written. It's all really out in the open now.” For publishers, Donald Trump's presidential years were a time of extraordinary sales in political books, helped in part by Trump's legal threats and angered tweets. According to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the hardcover and paperback market, the genre's sales nearly doubled from 2015 to 2020, from around 5 million copies to around 10 million. Besides books by Wolff and Trump, other bestsellers included former FBI Director James Comey's “A Higher Loyalty,” former national security adviser John Bolton's “The Room Where it Happened” and Bob Woodward's “Fear.” Meanwhile, sales for dystopian fiction also jumped, led by Margaret Atwood's “A Handmaid's Tale,” which was adapted into an award-winning Hulu series. But interest has dropped back to 2015 levels since Trump left office, according to Circana, and publishers doubt it will again peak so highly. Readers not only showed little interest in books by or about President Joe Biden and his family — they even seemed less excited about Trump-related releases. Mary Trump's “Who Could Ever Love You” and Woodward's “War” were both popular this fall, but neither has matched the sales of their books written during the first Trump administration. “We’ve been there many times, with all those books,” HarperCollins publisher Jonathan Burnham says of the various Trump tell-alls. He added that he still sees a market for at least some Trump books — perhaps analyzing the recent election — because “there's a general, serious smart audience, not politically aligned in a hard way,” one that would welcome “an intelligent voice.” “It’s like the reboot of any hit TV show,” says Eric Nelson, publisher and vice president of Broadside Books, a conservative imprint of HarperCollins that's released books by Jared Kushner, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump Cabinet nominees Pete Hegseth and Sen. Marco Rubio. “You’re not hoping for ratings like last time, just better ratings than the boring show it’s replacing.” In the days following Trump's victory, “The Handmaid's Tale” and George Orwell's “1984” returned to bestseller lists, along with more contemporary works such as Timothy Snyder's “On Tyranny," a 2017 bestseller that expanded upon a Facebook post Snyder wrote soon after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. Books appealing to pro-Trump readers also surged, including those written by Cabinet picks — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s “The Real Anthony Fauci” and Hegseth's “The War on Warriors” — and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's “Hillbilly Elegy,” his 2016 memoir that's sold hundreds of thousands of copies since Trump selected him as his running mate. First lady Melania Trump's memoir, “Melania,” came out in October and has been high on Amazon.com bestseller lists for weeks, even as critics found it contained little newsworthy information. According to Circana, it has sold more than 200,000 copies, a figure that does not include books sold directly through her website. “The Melania book has done extraordinarily well, better than we thought,” says Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. “After Election Day, we sold everything we had of it.” Conservative books have sold steadily over the years, and several publishers — most recently Hachette Book Group — have imprints dedicated to those readers. Publishers expect at least some critical books to reach bestseller lists — if only because of the tradition of the publishing market favoring the party out of power. But the nature of what those books would look like is uncertain. Perhaps a onetime insider will have a falling out with Trump and write a memoir, like Bolton or former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, or maybe some of his planned initiatives, whether mass deportation or the prosecution of his political foes, will lead to investigative works. A new “Fire and Fury” is doubtful, with the originally only possible because Wolff enjoyed extraordinary access, spending months around Trump and his White House staff. Members of the president-elect's current team have already issued a statement saying they have refused to speak with Wolff, calling the author a “known peddler of fake news who routinely concocts situations, conversations, and conclusions that never happened.” A publicist for Wolff said he was declining comment. Woodward, who interviewed Trump at length for the 2020 bestseller “Rage,” told The Associated Press that he had written so much about Trump and other presidents that he wasn't sure what he'd take on next. He doesn't rule out another Trump book, but that will depend in part on the president-elect, how “out of control he gets,” Woodward said, and how far he is able to go. “He wants to be the imperial president, where he gets to decide everything and no one's going to get in his way,” Woodward said. “He's run into some brick walls in the past and there may be more brick walls. I don't know what will happen. I'll be watching and doing some reporting, but I'm still undecided.” 1. “Too Much and Never Enough,” by Mary Trump: 1,248,212 copies 2. “Fire and Fury,” by Michael Wolff: 936,116 copies 3. “Fear,” by Bob Woodward: 872,014 copies 4. “The Room Where It Happened,” by John Bolton: 676,010 copies 5. “Rage,” by Bob Woodward: 549,685 copies These figures represent total sales provided by Circana, which tracks about 85% of the print market and does not include e-book or audiobook sales.

Nebraska medical marijuana petitions ruled valid; law set to go into effect Dec. 12