Chinese spy balloons have targeted several countries, including India: Report
Washington (PTI): China has operated a fleet of spy balloons targeting several countries including India and Japan, a media report has said, days after the US military shot down a Chinese surveillance craft floating over sensitive installations in the country.
US officials have briefed its friends and allies including India on the finds of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by a fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.
On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed officials from about 40 embassies here about it.
"The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China's south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines," The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The Post's report was based on interviews with several anonymous defence and intelligence officials.
Officials have said these surveillance airships, operated in part by the PLA (People's Liberation Army) air force, have been spotted over five continents, the daily reported.
"These balloons are all part of a PRC ( People's Republic of China) fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, which also violated the sovereignty of other countries," a senior defence official was quoted as saying.
According to the daily, in recent years, at least four balloons have been spotted over Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Guam in addition to the one tracked last week.
Three of the four instances took place during the Trump administration but were only recently identified as Chinese surveillance airships, it said.
The Pentagon on Tuesday released a series of pictures recovering the high-altitude surveillance balloon.
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Karnataka: Woman delivers baby on train after emergency halt in Dakshina Kannada
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): A woman travelling from Mangaluru to Mysuru delivered a baby on board a train after it was halted at a station in Dakshina Kannada district, officials said on Monday.
According to railway sources, the passenger began experiencing labour pain during the journey on Sunday. The train was stopped at B C Road station in Bantwal taluk of this district to facilitate medical assistance. However, no doctor reached the spot for over 30 minutes after the halt.
In the absence of immediate medical support, two co-passengers stepped in to assist the woman. The delivery was conducted in the train's toilet compartment. Both the mother and the newborn were reported to be safe following the delivery, they said.
Railway police officials had arranged for the woman to be shifted to a medical facility. She was admitted to the Government Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangaluru for postnatal care.
According to the OBG (Obstetrics and Gynecology) department officials at the hospital, the child and mother will be discharged after the initial observation period is over.
They told PTI that the delivery was done in trying conditions. The two ladies who carried out the operation had done a good job. The child and mother arrived at the facility 22 kilometers from the spot. Also, the mother experienced no blood loss or any other complications.
The neonate has been incubated and the mother is undergoing normal observational procedure at the hospital, the hospital officials said.
Officials said the woman is a resident of Mysuru and had been travelling home at the time of the incident.
