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The United States will destroy any&nbsp;Iranian drones that fly too closely to its ships and has "clear evidence" that it shot down such a drone on Thursday, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday.

"If they fly too close to our ships, they’ll continue to be shot down," the official told reporters at a briefing.

Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they would release images to disprove <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-navy-destroyed-iranian-drone-in-strait-of-hormuz-says-donald-trump-236999">US President Donald Trump</a>'s assertion that the US Navy has destroyed an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-deputy-foreign-minister-says-tehran-has-not-lost-any-drones-237039">Iranian drone in the Gulf</a>,&nbsp;Iranian news agencies reported.

"Soon, images captured by the Guards drones from the US warship Boxer will be published to expose to world public opinion as lies and groundless the claim ... of shooting down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by news agencies.

Tensions in the Gulf region mounted Thursday after Trump announced that the USS Boxer, an&nbsp;amphibious assault ship, "took defensive action" against the Iranian drone as it was "threatening the safety of the ship and the ship's crew."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied on Friday that Iran had lost a drone in the&nbsp;Strait of Hormuz&nbsp;after US President Donald Trump said that a US Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone, reported news agency Reuters.

"We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else. I am worried that USS Boxer has shot down their own UAS [Unmanned Aerial System] by mistake!," Araqchi said on Twitter, referring to a US warship in the strategic waterway.

First US military action

The drone shootdown comes after a series of low-level attacks in the region blamed on Tehran's forces, including placing limpet mines on several tankers and actions by what Washington calls Iranian proxies in Syria and Yemen.

Watch:&nbsp;US ship destroyed Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz: President Donald Trump

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In May the Pentagon announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to waters near Iran in response to "indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces."

Tehran downed an American surveillance drone in June, prompting Trump to order airstrikes against Iran. But he called them off at the last minute, saying the plan was not "proportionate" and casualties would have been too high.

On July 4 Britain seized a fully loaded Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar, allegedly headed for Syria in violation of sanctions.

Iran furiously branded the seizure "piracy, and one week later armed Iranian boats menaced a British tanker in the Gulf before they were driven off by a Royal Navy frigate.

That led to US calls for an international flotilla to escort hydrocarbon-laden vessels from Gulf oil fields through the Hormuz Strait.

US Central Command chief Kenneth McKenzie pledged Thursday to work "aggressively" with partners to ensure freedom of navigation in Gulf waters.

Broader conflict feared

The incidents have raised fears of a regional conflict involving the US and&nbsp; 
its allies in the Gulf region, through which nearly a third of the world's oil is transported.

It comes amid a threatened breakdown of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, with Washington steadily ratcheting up economically debilitating sanctions on Tehran a year after unilaterally quitting the deal.

Earlier this month Tehran purposely surpassed the deal's caps on uranium enrichment, aiming to pressure the other parties -- France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia -- to break with the US sanctions escalation and defend the economic benefits Iran was promised for agreeing to drastic limitations on its nuclear program.

On Wednesday at the United Nations in New York, Zarif accused Washington of waging "economic terrorism."&nbsp;

The "unlawful, extraterritorial" sanctions "represent the greatest threat to the achievement of sustainable development goals of Iran and many of our neighbours," he said.

Washington nevertheless announced fresh sanctions Thursday on what it called a "network" of companies in Iran, Belgium and China supplying crucial materials to Tehran's enrichment program.&nbsp;

Door open for negotiations?

Yet both sides kept open the possibility of talks. The Guardian reported Thursday that Zarif said he had offered a new deal for enhanced inspections of Iran's nuclear program if Washington agrees to remove sanctions.&nbsp;

Trump appeared to be receptive as well to negotiations.

He told reporters that the pressure on Iran had forced the country to reduce regional activities and suggested that could lead to negotiations.

"You look at them pulling back, and they're not pulling back because they love us. They're pulling back because they don't have money," Trump said.

"All we want to do is have a fair deal. The deal that was made was a bad deal... We can do something quickly or we can take our time. I'm in no rush."

The United States will destroy any Iranian drones that fly too closely to its ships and has "clear evidence" that it shot down such a drone on Thursday, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday.

The United States will destroy any Iranian drones that fly too closely to its ships and has "clear evidence" that it shot down such a drone on Thursday, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday. "If they fly too close to our ships, they’ll continue to be shot down," the official told reporters at a briefing. Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they would release images to disprove US President Donald Trump's assertion that the US Navy has destroyed an Iranian drone in the Gulf, Iranian news agencies reported. "Soon, images captured by the Guards drones from the US warship Boxer will be published to expose to world public opinion as lies and groundless the claim ... of shooting down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by news agencies. Tensions in the Gulf region mounted Thursday after Trump announced that the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, "took defensive action" against the Iranian drone as it was "threatening the safety of the ship and the ship's crew." Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied on Friday that Iran had lost a drone in the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump said that a US Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone, reported news agency Reuters. "We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else. I am worried that USS Boxer has shot down their own UAS [Unmanned Aerial System] by mistake!," Araqchi said on Twitter, referring to a US warship in the strategic waterway. First US military action The drone shootdown comes after a series of low-level attacks in the region blamed on Tehran's forces, including placing limpet mines on several tankers and actions by what Washington calls Iranian proxies in Syria and Yemen. Watch: US ship destroyed Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz: President Donald Trump In May the Pentagon announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to waters near Iran in response to "indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces." Tehran downed an American surveillance drone in June, prompting Trump to order airstrikes against Iran. But he called them off at the last minute, saying the plan was not "proportionate" and casualties would have been too high. On July 4 Britain seized a fully loaded Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar, allegedly headed for Syria in violation of sanctions. Iran furiously branded the seizure "piracy, and one week later armed Iranian boats menaced a British tanker in the Gulf before they were driven off by a Royal Navy frigate. That led to US calls for an international flotilla to escort hydrocarbon-laden vessels from Gulf oil fields through the Hormuz Strait. US Central Command chief Kenneth McKenzie pledged Thursday to work "aggressively" with partners to ensure freedom of navigation in Gulf waters. Broader conflict feared The incidents have raised fears of a regional conflict involving the US and its allies in the Gulf region, through which nearly a third of the world's oil is transported. It comes amid a threatened breakdown of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, with Washington steadily ratcheting up economically debilitating sanctions on Tehran a year after unilaterally quitting the deal. Earlier this month Tehran purposely surpassed the deal's caps on uranium enrichment, aiming to pressure the other parties -- France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia -- to break with the US sanctions escalation and defend the economic benefits Iran was promised for agreeing to drastic limitations on its nuclear program. On Wednesday at the United Nations in New York, Zarif accused Washington of waging "economic terrorism." The "unlawful, extraterritorial" sanctions "represent the greatest threat to the achievement of sustainable development goals of Iran and many of our neighbours," he said. Washington nevertheless announced fresh sanctions Thursday on what it called a "network" of companies in Iran, Belgium and China supplying crucial materials to Tehran's enrichment program. Door open for negotiations? Yet both sides kept open the possibility of talks. The Guardian reported Thursday that Zarif said he had offered a new deal for enhanced inspections of Iran's nuclear program if Washington agrees to remove sanctions. Trump appeared to be receptive as well to negotiations. He told reporters that the pressure on Iran had forced the country to reduce regional activities and suggested that could lead to negotiations. "You look at them pulling back, and they're not pulling back because they love us. They're pulling back because they don't have money," Trump said. "All we want to do is have a fair deal. The deal that was made was a bad deal... We can do something quickly or we can take our time. I'm in no rush."

If they fly too close to our ships, they’ll continue to be shot down: US on shooting down Iranian drone

Tensions Escalate In The Gulf As Iran Shoots Down U.S. Drone. Here's What Happened?

Gravitas: Iran shoots down U.S drone as tensions intensify in the gulf

Iranian state television on June 21 aired a video of a U.S. military drone downed by Iran. Watch this video to know more.

Iranian TV AIRS video of downed U.S. drone

The commander of the Iranian Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that the downing of a US drone was a warning to an American military jet, he also said that Iran refrained from downing U.S. military Jet. Watch this video to know more.

Iran: We warned 'U.S. terror forces'

RQ-4 Global Hawk: How Iran's Revolutionary Guard shot down America's most 'sophisticated unmanned' drone

The Saudi-led coalition launched an air raid Saturday on a cave in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, used by Huthi rebels to stockpile drones, a spokesman said.

The cave near the presidential palace in Huthi-held Sanaa contained drones to be used in "terrorist operations", Colonel Turki al-Maliki said.

The "military target, a cave used by the terrorist Huthi militia to stockpile drones was destroyed," he said, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Earlier this month, the coalition said that Saudi air defences intercepted two drones launched by Huthi rebels from Yemen that targeted Khamis Mushait, home to a major airbase in the southwest of the kingdom.

And in January the Huthis launched a drone attack on Yemen's largest airbase, Al-Anad, north of the southern port of Aden, during a military parade.

Eleven people were wounded in the attack, including Yemen's deputy chief of staff Major General Saleh al-Zandani who later died of his injuries.

Seven other loyalists -- including a high-ranking intelligence official -- were killed in the attack.

Yemen is mired in a grinding conflict between the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels and a government-backed up by a Saudi-led coalition.&nbsp;

The Saudi-led coalition launched its first raids on rebel strongholds in March 2015 in a bid to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who now lives in Riyadh.

Since then the conflict has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the toll could be five times higher.

The unrest has also pushed the country to the brink of famine.

The Saudi-led coalition launched an air raid Saturday on a cave in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, used by Huthi rebels to stockpile drones, a spokesman said. The cave near the presidential palace in Huthi-held Sanaa contained drones to be used in "terrorist operations", Colonel Turki al-Maliki said.

The Saudi-led coalition launched an air raid Saturday on a cave in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, used by Huthi rebels to stockpile drones, a spokesman said. The cave near the presidential palace in Huthi-held Sanaa contained drones to be used in "terrorist operations", Colonel Turki al-Maliki said. The "military target, a cave used by the terrorist Huthi militia to stockpile drones was destroyed," he said, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Earlier this month, the coalition said that Saudi air defences intercepted two drones launched by Huthi rebels from Yemen that targeted Khamis Mushait, home to a major airbase in the southwest of the kingdom. And in January the Huthis launched a drone attack on Yemen's largest airbase, Al-Anad, north of the southern port of Aden, during a military parade. Eleven people were wounded in the attack, including Yemen's deputy chief of staff Major General Saleh al-Zandani who later died of his injuries. Seven other loyalists -- including a high-ranking intelligence official -- were killed in the attack. Yemen is mired in a grinding conflict between the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels and a government-backed up by a Saudi-led coalition. The Saudi-led coalition launched its first raids on rebel strongholds in March 2015 in a bid to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who now lives in Riyadh. Since then the conflict has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the toll could be five times higher. The unrest has also pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Saudi Arabia coalition destroys Yemen rebels' drone cave

US: UPS launches drone service to transport medical samples

Sources: Indian Army shoots down Pakistani drone in Rajasthan

The Indian Army on Saturday shot at another&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/iaf-shoots-down-pakistani-drone-that-violated-airspace-in-rajasthan-201136">Pakistani drone</a> that had entered Indian airspace along the&nbsp;international border in Rajasthan.&nbsp;The drone was shot at in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar sector.

This is the third Pakistani drone India says has entered the country's airspace since India's air strike&nbsp;on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

The first drone was shot down on the morning of February 26 after it entered Indian airspace in the Kutch district of Gujarat.&nbsp;

The second was shot down on March 4 by an Indian Air Force Sukhoi 30MKI.

India hit the JeM training camp on February 26. The strike was in retaliation for the suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force security convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which killed at least 40 CRPF personnel. The attack was claimed by the JeM.&nbsp;

A day later, on February 27, Pakistan dropped bombs on the Indian side of the Line of Control. India said the bombs were aimed at military installations but that they missed their targets.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

&nbsp;

The Indian Army on Saturday shot at another Pakistani drone that had entered Indian airspace along the international border in Rajasthan. The drone was shot at in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar sector.

The Indian Army on Saturday shot at another Pakistani drone that had entered Indian airspace along the international border in Rajasthan. The drone was shot at in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar sector. This is the third Pakistani drone India says has entered the country's airspace since India's air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot. The first drone was shot down on the morning of February 26 after it entered Indian airspace in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The second was shot down on March 4 by an Indian Air Force Sukhoi 30MKI. India hit the JeM training camp on February 26. The strike was in retaliation for the suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force security convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which killed at least 40 CRPF personnel. The attack was claimed by the JeM. A day later, on February 27, Pakistan dropped bombs on the Indian side of the Line of Control. India said the bombs were aimed at military installations but that they missed their targets. (With inputs from ANI)

Indian Army shoots at another Pakistani drone in Rajasthan

Action-packed Drone Olympics on Day 2 of Aero India 2019

Flights from London's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-2-arrested-in-connection-with-gatwick-airport-drone-disruption-185743">Heathrow airport were halted</a> for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale.

"We are responding to a drone<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/video-gatwick-airport-in-london-reopens-for-limited-flights-after-drone-scare-185635"> sighting at Heathrow," the airport</a> said. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause."

London's Metropolitan Police said they had received reports of a drone near the airport at about 1705 GMT on Tuesday, which they were investigating with airport authorities.

It said police officers were among those who reported seeing a drone and it had launched a full criminal investigation.

The airport confirmed about an hour later that take-offs had resumed. Flight tracker websites showed flights departing from 1811 GMT.

A witness in a plane on the runway at Heathrow said multiple aircraft were waiting for permission to take off before being later told that things were starting to move.

London's second busiest airport, Gatwick, was severely disrupted when drones were sighted on three consecutive days in December, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers.

Gatwick's drone nightmare - the most disruptive yet at a major airport - exposed a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces, airlines and airport operators across the world.

The British army was forced to deploy military technology to guard the area around Gatwick, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly.

Police said they were carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone.

"We are deploying significant resources - both in terms of officers and equipment - to monitor the airspace around Heathrow and to quickly detect and disrupt any illegal drone activity; some of which are as a result of learning from the incidents at Gatwick," police commander Stuart Cundy said in a statement.

He said military assistance has been implemented after the sighting but he would not give any further details as it could undermine the effectiveness of the measures.

British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he had been in contact with Heathrow Airport concerning the drone sighting.

"I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly should it prove necessary," he said.

Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology.

Heathrow said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones. 
&nbsp;

Flights from London's Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale.

Flights from London's Heathrow airport were halted for about an hour on Tuesday after a drone was sighted near Europe's busiest air hub, raising fears that the chaos that affected rival Gatwick last month could be repeated on an even larger scale. "We are responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow," the airport said. "As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause." London's Metropolitan Police said they had received reports of a drone near the airport at about 1705 GMT on Tuesday, which they were investigating with airport authorities. It said police officers were among those who reported seeing a drone and it had launched a full criminal investigation. The airport confirmed about an hour later that take-offs had resumed. Flight tracker websites showed flights departing from 1811 GMT. A witness in a plane on the runway at Heathrow said multiple aircraft were waiting for permission to take off before being later told that things were starting to move. London's second busiest airport, Gatwick, was severely disrupted when drones were sighted on three consecutive days in December, resulting in about 1,000 flights being cancelled or diverted and affecting 140,000 passengers. Gatwick's drone nightmare - the most disruptive yet at a major airport - exposed a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces, airlines and airport operators across the world. The British army was forced to deploy military technology to guard the area around Gatwick, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly. Police said they were carrying out extensive searches around the Heathrow area to identify any people who may be responsible for the operation of the drone. "We are deploying significant resources - both in terms of officers and equipment - to monitor the airspace around Heathrow and to quickly detect and disrupt any illegal drone activity; some of which are as a result of learning from the incidents at Gatwick," police commander Stuart Cundy said in a statement. He said military assistance has been implemented after the sighting but he would not give any further details as it could undermine the effectiveness of the measures. British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he had been in contact with Heathrow Airport concerning the drone sighting. "I have already spoken to both the Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and the military are preparing to deploy the equipment used at Gatwick at Heathrow quickly should it prove necessary," he said. Both airports responded to the Gatwick incident by ordering military-grade anti-drone technology. Heathrow said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones.

Heathrow airport closed for 1 hour over drone sighting

The 100th Wing Loong multifunction<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-to-sell-48-high-end-military-drones-to-pakistan-170326"> unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) </a>produced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China&nbsp;was delivered to a foreign user in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday.

The drone passed the tests for acceptance <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-army-conducts-live-fire-drill-with-drones-howitzers-in-tibet-report-159826">before it was delivered in Chengdu</a>, setting a new record for China’s high-end UAV export.

Independently developed by China, the Wing Loong is a series of medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance.

Since 2010, it has been delivered in bulk and has been exported to several countries. It has withstood high-intensity combat tests in various harsh environments. The delivery of the 100th Wing Loong UAV marks new progress in China's exploration of the international high-end UAV market.

"One ability is to continuously monitor the battlefield situation and the other is to strike time-sensitive targets timely. Those features attract many clients in the context of modern warfare. At present we still have orders for over 100 aircraft and we estimate that there will be several hundred more in the future," said Li Yidong, chief designer of the Wing Loong series of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

In order to meet the huge international market demand, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China&nbsp;has built the country's largest domestic high-end UAV manufacturing export base in Chengdu to comprehensively promote the development of China's UAV technology, equipment and industrial system.

"Relying on the strong technical reserve and human resources of the aviation industry, the company will build an intelligent and digital UAV production and service base to realize the annual output of 100 high-end UAVs," said Li Yongguang, president of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

The 100th Wing Loong multifunction unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) produced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China was delivered to a foreign user in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday.

The 100th Wing Loong multifunction unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) produced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China was delivered to a foreign user in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday. The drone passed the tests for acceptance before it was delivered in Chengdu, setting a new record for China’s high-end UAV export. Independently developed by China, the Wing Loong is a series of medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance. Since 2010, it has been delivered in bulk and has been exported to several countries. It has withstood high-intensity combat tests in various harsh environments. The delivery of the 100th Wing Loong UAV marks new progress in China's exploration of the international high-end UAV market. "One ability is to continuously monitor the battlefield situation and the other is to strike time-sensitive targets timely. Those features attract many clients in the context of modern warfare. At present we still have orders for over 100 aircraft and we estimate that there will be several hundred more in the future," said Li Yidong, chief designer of the Wing Loong series of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. In order to meet the huge international market demand, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China has built the country's largest domestic high-end UAV manufacturing export base in Chengdu to comprehensively promote the development of China's UAV technology, equipment and industrial system. "Relying on the strong technical reserve and human resources of the aviation industry, the company will build an intelligent and digital UAV production and service base to realize the annual output of 100 high-end UAVs," said Li Yongguang, president of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Watch: China sells hundredth Wing Loong UAV to foreign user

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-2-arrested-in-connection-with-gatwick-airport-drone-disruption-185743">Two persons, a man and woman arrested</a> in connection with the drone scare at London's Gatwick airport, were released without charge on Sunday, police said.

"Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police detective chief superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement.

Gatwick airport was partially opened on Friday morning for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season.

Gatwick, situated in west London is Britain's second biggest airport after Heathrow. Flight activity was hit after two drones were spotted on Thursday leading the airport to be shutdown.&nbsp;

Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield.

Flying drones within the 1 km airport boundary is illegal in Britain, punishable by five years in prison. Police officals had said on Thursday that it was a deliberate attempt by someone to fly the drones as it shutdown the airport.

(With inputs from AFP)

Two persons, a man and woman arrested in connection with the drone scare at London's Gatwick airport, were released without charge on Sunday, police said. "Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police detective chief superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement.

Two persons, a man and woman arrested in connection with the drone scare at London's Gatwick airport, were released without charge on Sunday, police said. "Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Sussex Police detective chief superintendent Jason Tingley said in a statement. Gatwick airport was partially opened on Friday morning for flight operations as thousands of passengers remained stranded in London during the Christmas holiday season. Gatwick, situated in west London is Britain's second biggest airport after Heathrow. Flight activity was hit after two drones were spotted on Thursday leading the airport to be shutdown. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airfield. Flying drones within the 1 km airport boundary is illegal in Britain, punishable by five years in prison. Police officals had said on Thursday that it was a deliberate attempt by someone to fly the drones as it shutdown the airport. (With inputs from AFP)

Gatwick airport drone probe: Arrested pair released without any charge

Drone scare forces Gatwick airport to shut again

Two persons have been arrested&nbsp;in connection with the drone scare at London' Gatwick airport which caused major disruption for commuters; news agency AFP reported.

According to a media report, the arrested were made over the "criminal use of drones".

"As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10:00 pm (2200 GMT) on December 21", AFP quoted the force's Superintendent James Collis as saying.

London's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/video-gatwick-airport-in-london-reopens-for-limited-flights-after-drone-scare-185635">Gatwick Airport reopened</a>&nbsp;on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army.

The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack.

After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations.

The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal.

"Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield."

Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said.

Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world.

The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday.

(With inputs from news agencies)

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the drone scare at London' Gatwick airport which caused major disruption for commuters; news agency AFP reported.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the drone scare at London' Gatwick airport which caused major disruption for commuters; news agency AFP reported. According to a media report, the arrested were made over the "criminal use of drones". "As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10:00 pm (2200 GMT) on December 21", AFP quoted the force's Superintendent James Collis as saying. London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army. The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack. After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations. The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal. "Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield." Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said. Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world. The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday. (With inputs from news agencies)

London: 2 arrested in connection with Gatwick airport drone disruption

London's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/video-gatwick-airport-in-london-reopens-for-limited-flights-after-drone-scare-185635">Gatwick Airport reopened</a> on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army.

After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations.

The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal.

"Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield."

Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said.

The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack.

Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world.

The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday.

The perpetrator has not yet been detained but the police said they had a number of possible suspects. No group has claimed responsibility publicly and police said there was no evidence another state was involved.

Sussex Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said they were keeping an open mind about who was responsible.

"In terms of the motivation, there's a whole spectrum of possibilities, from the really high-end criminal behaviour that we've seen, all the way down to potentially, just individuals trying to be malicious, trying to disrupt the airport," he said.

After a boom in sales, unmanned aerial vehicles have become a growing menace at airports across the world. In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year.

Thermal imaging?

The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said it understood "detection and tracking equipment" had been installed around Gatwick's perimeter.

BALPA said that it was extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. Flying drones within 1 km (0.6 mile) of a British airport boundary is punishable by five years in prison.

The defence ministry refused to comment on what technology was deployed but drone experts said airports needed to deploy specialist radar reinforced by thermal imaging technology to detect such unmanned flying vehicles.

Other ways to tackle them is typically by frequency jamming that can disable or disrupt control signals and the GPS signals that allow the drones to navigate.

The drone sightings caused misery for travellers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings.

Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airport. The disruption affected at least 120,000 people on Wednesday and Thursday but flights were restarted at 0614 GMT on Friday.

At 1740 GMT flights were suspended again but restarted in less than an hour.

It was not immediately clear what the financial impact would be on the main airlines operating from Gatwick including easyJet, British Airways&nbsp;and Norwegian.

Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered the event to be an "extraordinary circumstance" meaning airlines are not obliged to pay compensation to affected passengers.

Airlines will have to refund customers who no longer wish to travel, however, and try to reschedule flights to get passengers to their destinations.

Some airport staff handed out chocolate and Christmas elf toys to stranded passengers.

Some, like Sarah Garghan-Watson, chose to stick it out at the airport overnight, having arrived at 8 a.m. on Thursday.

"It's now 2 o'clock in the morning at Gatwick, and it's very bright and very noisy. It's now also very cold," she said in a video shown on Sky.

"All I can see tonight ... is a sign that says 'no more sleeps until the beach'. And here we are, sleeping, in the stairs at Gatwick, because there's no flights."

London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army.

London's Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a mystery saboteur wrought 36 hours of travel chaos for more than 100,000 Christmas travellers by using drones to play cat-and-mouse with police snipers and the army. After the biggest disruption at Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, since a volcanic ash cloud in 2010, Gatwick said around 700 planes were due to take off on Friday, although there would still be delays and cancellations. The airport briefly closed again on Friday to investigate a new drone sighting but was soon operating as normal. "Flights have resumed," a spokeswoman said. "The military measures we have in place at the airport have provided us with reassurance necessary to re-open our airfield." Britain deployed unidentified military technology to guard the airport against what transport minister Chris Grayling said were thought to be several drones. "This kind of incident is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said. The motivation of the drone operator, or operators, was unclear. Police said there was nothing to suggest the crippling of one of Europe's busiest airports was a terrorist attack. Gatwick's drone nightmare is thought to be the most disruptive yet at a major airport and indicates a new vulnerability that will be scrutinised by security forces and airport operators across the world. The army and police snipers were called in to hunt down the drones, thought to be an industrial-style craft, which flew near the airport every time authorities tried to reopen it on Thursday. The perpetrator has not yet been detained but the police said they had a number of possible suspects. No group has claimed responsibility publicly and police said there was no evidence another state was involved. Sussex Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said they were keeping an open mind about who was responsible. "In terms of the motivation, there's a whole spectrum of possibilities, from the really high-end criminal behaviour that we've seen, all the way down to potentially, just individuals trying to be malicious, trying to disrupt the airport," he said. After a boom in sales, unmanned aerial vehicles have become a growing menace at airports across the world. In Britain, the number of near misses between private drones and aircraft more than tripled between 2015 and 2017, with 92 incidents recorded last year. Thermal imaging? The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said it understood "detection and tracking equipment" had been installed around Gatwick's perimeter. BALPA said that it was extremely concerned at the risk of a drone collision. Flying drones within 1 km (0.6 mile) of a British airport boundary is punishable by five years in prison. The defence ministry refused to comment on what technology was deployed but drone experts said airports needed to deploy specialist radar reinforced by thermal imaging technology to detect such unmanned flying vehicles. Other ways to tackle them is typically by frequency jamming that can disable or disrupt control signals and the GPS signals that allow the drones to navigate. The drone sightings caused misery for travellers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holidays and Christmas family gatherings. Flights were halted at 2103 GMT on Wednesday after two drones were spotted near the airport. The disruption affected at least 120,000 people on Wednesday and Thursday but flights were restarted at 0614 GMT on Friday. At 1740 GMT flights were suspended again but restarted in less than an hour. It was not immediately clear what the financial impact would be on the main airlines operating from Gatwick including easyJet, British Airways and Norwegian. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said it considered the event to be an "extraordinary circumstance" meaning airlines are not obliged to pay compensation to affected passengers. Airlines will have to refund customers who no longer wish to travel, however, and try to reschedule flights to get passengers to their destinations. Some airport staff handed out chocolate and Christmas elf toys to stranded passengers. Some, like Sarah Garghan-Watson, chose to stick it out at the airport overnight, having arrived at 8 a.m. on Thursday. "It's now 2 o'clock in the morning at Gatwick, and it's very bright and very noisy. It's now also very cold," she said in a video shown on Sky. "All I can see tonight ... is a sign that says 'no more sleeps until the beach'. And here we are, sleeping, in the stairs at Gatwick, because there's no flights."

London's Gatwick airport reopens again after drones sow travel chaos

China has successfully tested the world's largest unmanned transport drone which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes, official media reported on Wednesday.

A large commercial drone Feihong-98 (FH-98) developed and modified by the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology made a successful test flight at Baotou test site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Tuesday, state-run China Daily reported.

Feihong-98 (FH-98) is now the world's largest unmanned transport aircraft, with a maximum payload of up to 1.5 tonnes, it said.

It was adapted from the prototype of the Shifei Y5B, a China-developed transport plane.

As China's first fully domestically-built transport aircraft, the Shifei Y5B has a history of over 60 years since its first flight in 1957 and has been widely used.

According to Liu Meixuan, president of the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology, the FH-98 features simple take-off and landing, simple operation, advanced technology, at an affordable cost.

The FH-98 has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 tonnes, a maximum capacity of 1.5 tonnes and 15 cubic metres, a flight height of 4,500 metres, a cruising speed of 180 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of 1,200 kms, the report said.

China has been making advances in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

On October 9, state media reported that China will sell 48 of its Wing Loong II high-end reconnaissance and multi-role Chinese drones to its all-weather ally Pakistan.

China has successfully tested the world's largest unmanned transport drone which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes, official media reported on Wednesday. A large commercial drone Feihong-98 (FH-98) developed and modified by the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology made a successful test flight at Baotou test site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Tuesday, state-run China Daily reported.

China has successfully tested the world's largest unmanned transport drone which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes, official media reported on Wednesday. A large commercial drone Feihong-98 (FH-98) developed and modified by the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology made a successful test flight at Baotou test site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Tuesday, state-run China Daily reported. Feihong-98 (FH-98) is now the world's largest unmanned transport aircraft, with a maximum payload of up to 1.5 tonnes, it said. It was adapted from the prototype of the Shifei Y5B, a China-developed transport plane. As China's first fully domestically-built transport aircraft, the Shifei Y5B has a history of over 60 years since its first flight in 1957 and has been widely used. According to Liu Meixuan, president of the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology, the FH-98 features simple take-off and landing, simple operation, advanced technology, at an affordable cost. The FH-98 has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 tonnes, a maximum capacity of 1.5 tonnes and 15 cubic metres, a flight height of 4,500 metres, a cruising speed of 180 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of 1,200 kms, the report said. China has been making advances in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. On October 9, state media reported that China will sell 48 of its Wing Loong II high-end reconnaissance and multi-role Chinese drones to its all-weather ally Pakistan.

China successfully tests world's largest unmanned transport drone

Magsaysay Prize winner Mahabir Pun of Nepal has set out to achieve a task that can aptly be described as a breakthrough in the field of wireless technology.

Pun's National Innovation Center (NIC) empowers Nepal's young engineers and technology enthusiasts to put their knowledge to practice, ideate and innovate. Pun's new initiative involves a group of young, driven engineers who have successfully constructed a medicopter&nbsp;prototype -- drones that will be deployed to deliver medicines to remote, rural areas of Nepal.

The drone is named 'Puspak' after the name of the flying machine used by Ravana in the mythological tale of Ramayana.&nbsp;

One of the earliest of Pun's pilot projects includes a telemedicine programme that aimed at connecting rural Nepal with certified doctors and hospitals in Kathmandu for better healthcare.&nbsp;

Pun's only aim is to channelise the youth of the country and create innovative technological inventions that can not only make the lives of Nepalese easy but also more productive. His idea is to catapult the nation to the path of economic growth and prosperity over letting the young go to waste or have them leave the country only to add value to some other nation.&nbsp;

63-year-old Pun is a University of Nebraska graduate. The medicopter prototype built to deliver medicines is just one of the small steps Pun and his team managed to take fighting challenges like financial instability and lack of optimum support and funds from the government.

His vision is much greater than simply empowering Nepal digitally in an era that comes up with technological innovations every minute.

The drone is named 'Puspak' after the name of the flying machine used by Ravana in the mythological tale of Ramayana

Magsaysay Prize winner Mahabir Pun of Nepal has set out to achieve a task that can aptly be described as a breakthrough in the field of wireless technology. Pun's National Innovation Center (NIC) empowers Nepal's young engineers and technology enthusiasts to put their knowledge to practice, ideate and innovate. Pun's new initiative involves a group of young, driven engineers who have successfully constructed a medicopter prototype -- drones that will be deployed to deliver medicines to remote, rural areas of Nepal. The drone is named 'Puspak' after the name of the flying machine used by Ravana in the mythological tale of Ramayana. One of the earliest of Pun's pilot projects includes a telemedicine programme that aimed at connecting rural Nepal with certified doctors and hospitals in Kathmandu for better healthcare. Pun's only aim is to channelise the youth of the country and create innovative technological inventions that can not only make the lives of Nepalese easy but also more productive. His idea is to catapult the nation to the path of economic growth and prosperity over letting the young go to waste or have them leave the country only to add value to some other nation. 63-year-old Pun is a University of Nebraska graduate. The medicopter prototype built to deliver medicines is just one of the small steps Pun and his team managed to take fighting challenges like financial instability and lack of optimum support and funds from the government. His vision is much greater than simply empowering Nepal digitally in an era that comes up with technological innovations every minute.

Nepalese man and team build drones to deliver medicines to remote rural areas

Iran and Israel traded blame on Sunday for an unprecedented, weeks-long surge in hostilities between their forces over Syria but played down prospects of a spillover into war.

A showdown between the arch-foes has loomed since Feb. 10, when Israel said an armed Iranian drone launched from a Syrian base penetrated its territory. Israel downed the drone and, during a reprisal raid, lost an F-16 jet to Syrian ground fire.

On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at the Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a U.S. television interview that further Israeli sorties in Syria would have "consequences". But he deemed major escalation as unlikely.

"I do not believe that we are headed towards regional war but I do believe that unfortunately, Israel has continued its violations with international law, hoping to be able to do it with impunity because of the U.S. support and trying to find smokescreens to hide behind," Zarif told CBS News.

"The easiest answer would be to stop - to stop these acts of aggression, to stop these incursions."

Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Russia have been reinforcing Damascus against a 7-year-old Syrian rebellion. The Israelis worry that Iran's garrison will remain, linking with Hezbollah to form a broad Syrian-Lebanese front against them.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated his government's policy of preventing Iranian entrenchment in Syria.

"No matter the price, we will not allow a noose to form around us," he told Israel Radio in an interview.

DETERRENCE

But asked if that meant war was imminent, he said: "I hope not. I think that our primary role is prevent war, and that requires concrete, real deterrence as well as readiness to act."

Israel Katz, the Israeli intelligence minister, suggested world powers might intervene to curb Iranian activity in Syria.

Israel is "not interested" in escalation, Katz told the Ynet news site. But Israeli power-projection, he said, "can challenge the Iranians, can clarify to the Russians, who seek stability, that it is worth it for them to apply their influence, and the same goes for the United States, for France and all the others".

The Syria face-off comes as the Trump administration mulls reimposing U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran by May 12, a move that could deal a blow to an international 2015 deal under which the Iranians capped their nuclear projects.

Zarif said Iran might respond to any unravelling of the deal by "resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities".

Israel has savaged the deal and encouraged a U.S. review, but Katz appeared to acknowledge the outcome could be costly.

"The United States is changing policy. Israel is determined to prevent this (Iranian nuclear) red-line, a crossing of this red-line," he said. "These are testing times for us. I hope that we won't pay prices."

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hints-it-could-hit-irans-air-force-in-syria-132058"> Israel hints it could hit Iran's 'air force' in Syria</a>

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said however deemed major escalation as unlikely

Iran and Israel traded blame on Sunday for an unprecedented, weeks-long surge in hostilities between their forces over Syria but played down prospects of a spillover into war. A showdown between the arch-foes has loomed since Feb. 10, when Israel said an armed Iranian drone launched from a Syrian base penetrated its territory. Israel downed the drone and, during a reprisal raid, lost an F-16 jet to Syrian ground fire. On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at the Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a U.S. television interview that further Israeli sorties in Syria would have "consequences". But he deemed major escalation as unlikely. "I do not believe that we are headed towards regional war but I do believe that unfortunately, Israel has continued its violations with international law, hoping to be able to do it with impunity because of the U.S. support and trying to find smokescreens to hide behind," Zarif told CBS News. "The easiest answer would be to stop - to stop these acts of aggression, to stop these incursions." Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Russia have been reinforcing Damascus against a 7-year-old Syrian rebellion. The Israelis worry that Iran's garrison will remain, linking with Hezbollah to form a broad Syrian-Lebanese front against them. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated his government's policy of preventing Iranian entrenchment in Syria. "No matter the price, we will not allow a noose to form around us," he told Israel Radio in an interview. DETERRENCE But asked if that meant war was imminent, he said: "I hope not. I think that our primary role is prevent war, and that requires concrete, real deterrence as well as readiness to act." Israel Katz, the Israeli intelligence minister, suggested world powers might intervene to curb Iranian activity in Syria. Israel is "not interested" in escalation, Katz told the Ynet news site. But Israeli power-projection, he said, "can challenge the Iranians, can clarify to the Russians, who seek stability, that it is worth it for them to apply their influence, and the same goes for the United States, for France and all the others". The Syria face-off comes as the Trump administration mulls reimposing U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran by May 12, a move that could deal a blow to an international 2015 deal under which the Iranians capped their nuclear projects. Zarif said Iran might respond to any unravelling of the deal by "resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities". Israel has savaged the deal and encouraged a U.S. review, but Katz appeared to acknowledge the outcome could be costly. "The United States is changing policy. Israel is determined to prevent this (Iranian nuclear) red-line, a crossing of this red-line," he said. "These are testing times for us. I hope that we won't pay prices." Also read: Israel hints it could hit Iran's 'air force' in Syria

Further Israeli sorties in Syria will have consequences: Iran

"Drones have become my passion," says Noursely Doumbia, who holds a degree in electronics and is currently learning to pilot drones as part of a pioneering programme in Ivory Coast`s economic capital Abidjan. The training is being offered at a new "drone academy" which has been set up by the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE) in order to revolutionise the inspection of its infrastructure and ultimately to reduce costs. Although common in Europe, the use of drones is still in its infancy in West Africa although the commercial market for unmanned aircraft is expanding. The aim is for CIE -- which is majority-owned by France`s Eranove Group, a key provider of water and electricity in West Africa -- to train around 20 local pilots to inspect its high-voltage lines which criss-cross the country, stretching more than 25,000 kilometres (15,500 miles). "We have a lot of problems with vegetation, we need to clear it all the time and it`s difficult because it`s all across the whole country," explains Benjamin Mathon, a pilot who is in charge of CIE`s drone and youth training programme. Dirt tracks that are impassable following heavy rain, widespread areas of lush tropical vegetation and a patchy road network often conspire to make access to electricity pylons difficult in a country which covers 322,000 square kilometres (124,000 square miles) -- nearly two-thirds the area of France. After overflying an area with a drone equipped with cameras and thermal and laser sensors, "we use artificial intelligence programmes which analyse the images for any defects, a rusty bolt on a pylon, a damaged cable," explains Mathon."The drone allows us to analyse a large number of lines in a short space of time, across great distances," he says. Not only do students learn how to fly drones, as well as how to assemble and repair them, but are they also trained to use different software packages for analysing the images and resulting data, as well as geolocalisation and mapping. "This is a major technological leap forward for CIE" and its 4,500 employees, says CIE Director General Dominique Kakou. The drones enable CIE to "to inspect our infrastructure and ensure its safety in a much more pinpointed way, and also to optimise our costs and expenses," he says. Before now, all inspections were done by helicopter or by teams on the ground, Mathon explains. "Using helicopters is expensive, and on foot, you have to send out teams to areas which can be difficult to reach, which can create problems."The financial savings are undeniable: the cost of purchasing a helicopter is around 500,000 euros, with each one hour flight costing another 1,200 euros. A drone, however, costs between 2,000 and 100,000 euros to buy, its upkeep is simple and flight costs are negligible. The company is hoping to improve its quality of service by reducing the average length of power outages -- which are still relatively frequent in parts of the country -- for its 1.3 million customers in Ivory Coast. And it hopes to do the same for its customer base in neighbouring Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. Since 2011, following a decade of political and military crisis, Ivory Coast has invested heavily in rebuilding its electricity grid, with the authorities planning to plough another 16 billion euros into the sector by 2030. "The electricity sector is evolving very fast, we must adopt new technologies and innovation," said Kakou who says the company has already invested in electronic payment schemes and solar energy.But the drone academy is not just serving the electricity sector: it is open to any business in West Africa which could benefit from the technology, from farming to mining, says Paul Ginies, director of the Centre for Electrical Professions, CIE`s training division. "These new professions provide a way in for young people," he says. "I`m sure that young Africans are going to grab hold of this and surprise us by developing applications which we have not thought of. It`s their generation." Alice Kouadio, another trainee pilot from the first group of students, has no doubt. "The world is a drone, it`s the promise of tomorrow."

The training is being offered at a new "drone academy" which has been set up by the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE) in order to revolutionise the inspection of its infrastructure and ultimately to reduce costs

"Drones have become my passion," says Noursely Doumbia, who holds a degree in electronics and is currently learning to pilot drones as part of a pioneering programme in Ivory Coast`s economic capital Abidjan. The training is being offered at a new "drone academy" which has been set up by the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE) in order to revolutionise the inspection of its infrastructure and ultimately to reduce costs. Although common in Europe, the use of drones is still in its infancy in West Africa although the commercial market for unmanned aircraft is expanding. The aim is for CIE -- which is majority-owned by France`s Eranove Group, a key provider of water and electricity in West Africa -- to train around 20 local pilots to inspect its high-voltage lines which criss-cross the country, stretching more than 25,000 kilometres (15,500 miles). "We have a lot of problems with vegetation, we need to clear it all the time and it`s difficult because it`s all across the whole country," explains Benjamin Mathon, a pilot who is in charge of CIE`s drone and youth training programme. Dirt tracks that are impassable following heavy rain, widespread areas of lush tropical vegetation and a patchy road network often conspire to make access to electricity pylons difficult in a country which covers 322,000 square kilometres (124,000 square miles) -- nearly two-thirds the area of France. After overflying an area with a drone equipped with cameras and thermal and laser sensors, "we use artificial intelligence programmes which analyse the images for any defects, a rusty bolt on a pylon, a damaged cable," explains Mathon."The drone allows us to analyse a large number of lines in a short space of time, across great distances," he says. Not only do students learn how to fly drones, as well as how to assemble and repair them, but are they also trained to use different software packages for analysing the images and resulting data, as well as geolocalisation and mapping. "This is a major technological leap forward for CIE" and its 4,500 employees, says CIE Director General Dominique Kakou. The drones enable CIE to "to inspect our infrastructure and ensure its safety in a much more pinpointed way, and also to optimise our costs and expenses," he says. Before now, all inspections were done by helicopter or by teams on the ground, Mathon explains. "Using helicopters is expensive, and on foot, you have to send out teams to areas which can be difficult to reach, which can create problems."The financial savings are undeniable: the cost of purchasing a helicopter is around 500,000 euros, with each one hour flight costing another 1,200 euros. A drone, however, costs between 2,000 and 100,000 euros to buy, its upkeep is simple and flight costs are negligible. The company is hoping to improve its quality of service by reducing the average length of power outages -- which are still relatively frequent in parts of the country -- for its 1.3 million customers in Ivory Coast. And it hopes to do the same for its customer base in neighbouring Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. Since 2011, following a decade of political and military crisis, Ivory Coast has invested heavily in rebuilding its electricity grid, with the authorities planning to plough another 16 billion euros into the sector by 2030. "The electricity sector is evolving very fast, we must adopt new technologies and innovation," said Kakou who says the company has already invested in electronic payment schemes and solar energy.But the drone academy is not just serving the electricity sector: it is open to any business in West Africa which could benefit from the technology, from farming to mining, says Paul Ginies, director of the Centre for Electrical Professions, CIE`s training division. "These new professions provide a way in for young people," he says. "I`m sure that young Africans are going to grab hold of this and surprise us by developing applications which we have not thought of. It`s their generation." Alice Kouadio, another trainee pilot from the first group of students, has no doubt. "The world is a drone, it`s the promise of tomorrow."

In Ivory Coast, 'drone academy' offers youth the chance to soar

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-presidential-election-2018-voting-underway-as-vladimir-putin-set-to-win-fourth-term-36193" target="_blank">Russian presidential election 2018: Voting underway as Vladimir Putin set to win </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-presidential-election-2018-voting-underway-as-vladimir-putin-set-to-win-fourth-term-36193" target="_blank">fourth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-presidential-election-2018-voting-underway-as-vladimir-putin-set-to-win-fourth-term-36193" target="_blank"> term</a>

Russians began voting Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to cement President Vladimir Putin&#39;s power for another six years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-vice-president-mike-pence-urges-pakistan-to-do-more-against-taliban-36190" target="_blank">US Vice President Mike Pence urges Pakistan to &#39;do more&#39; against Taliban</a>

US Vice President Mike Pence told Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that his country &quot;must do more&quot; against the Taliban and other militants, the White House said on Saturday.

<a href="http://India makes written complaint to Pakistan on harassment of its diplomatic staff" target="_blank">India makes written </a><a href="http://India makes written complaint to Pakistan on harassment of its diplomatic staff" target="_blank">complaint</a><a href="http://India makes written complaint to Pakistan on harassment of its diplomatic staff" target="_blank"> to Pakistan on harassment of its diplomatic staff</a>

Officials of the Indian high commission in Pakistan, who had gone for shopping in Islamabad&#39;s Blue Area, were on Saturday harassed with two persons aggressively following them and hurling abuses.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/drone-strike-kills-6-is-terrorists-in-afghanistan-36200" target="_blank">Drone strike kills 6 IS terrorists in Afghanistan</a>

At least six terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group have been killed in the latest drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mauritius-president-resigns-over-credit-card-scandal-36173" target="_blank">Mauritius president resigns over credit card scandal</a>

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned on Saturday after being embroiled in a scandal over her use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items, in an abrupt change of heart after vowing she would not stand down.

Russian presidential election 2018: Voting underway as Vladimir Putin set to win fourth term Russians began voting Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to cement President Vladimir Putin's power for another six years. US Vice President Mike Pence urges Pakistan to 'do more' against Taliban US Vice President Mike Pence told Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that his country "must do more" against the Taliban and other militants, the White House said on Saturday. India makes written complaint to Pakistan on harassment of its diplomatic staff Officials of the Indian high commission in Pakistan, who had gone for shopping in Islamabad's Blue Area, were on Saturday harassed with two persons aggressively following them and hurling abuses. Drone strike kills 6 IS terrorists in Afghanistan At least six terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group have been killed in the latest drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. Mauritius president resigns over credit card scandal Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned on Saturday after being embroiled in a scandal over her use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items, in an abrupt change of heart after vowing she would not stand down.

WION Morning News brief, March 18, 2018

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