Terror groups hail Trump win

Washington, Nov 10: Islamic State and al-Qaeda jihadists have 'hailed' Donald Trump's win in presidential polls as the beginning of "dark times" for the US with some extremists predicting America's "demise" at the hands of the billionaire businessman, according to media reports.

Shortly after Trump was declared the victor, a number of prominent ideologues linked to jihadist outfits in the Middle East took to social media to cheer the prospect of a Trump presidency, The Washington Post reported.

Social-media sites associated with both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda hailed Trump's success as the beginning of "dark times" for the United States, marked by domestic unrest and new foreign military campaigns that would sap the strength of the American superpower, the report said.

"Rejoice...and find glad tidings in the imminent demise of America at the hands of Trump," Islamic State-affiliated Al-Minbar Jihadi Media network was quoted as saying.

The remarks of jihadists signaled their apparent belief that the victory of a candidate like Trump, who has suggested blocks on Muslim immigration and advocated torture, undermines the US' moral standing in the world.

"Trump's win of the American presidency will bring hostility of Muslims against America as a result of his reckless actions, which show the overt and hidden hatred against them," said an essay, provided by the SITE Intelligence group, a private organisation that monitors jihadists' web sites.

Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intelligence Group, on Twitter said, "AQ (al-Qaeda) & ISIS supporters on election: Trump exposes US' hatred of Muslims, will contribute to America/West's downfall -- likening to brexit."

She quoted pro-al-Qaeda accounts on social media as saying, "On 9-11, US struck with disaster at the hands of AQ (al-Qaeda). On 11-9, US struck with disaster at the hands of their own voters."

"Jihadists warn that Trump will unite the mujahideen; Announce: 'Bring it on, Donald'; 'The mujahideen are ready!'," another tweet by Katz said.

A pro-al-Qaeda al-Maqalaat Twitter account predicted that Trump would "make the US Enemy No.1 again," in the Muslim Middle East.

"Trump will serve as the perfect straw man for the next four years, like Bush did before him," it said.

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, a jihadist ideologue linked to al-Qaeda, gloated about Trump's victory, suggesting that it "may be the beginning of America's fragmentation and the era of its breakup," according to the Post.

Just ahead of polls, the Islamic State terror group had called for "slaughter" of American voters on election day and urged Muslims not to participate in the democratic process.

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Powerful solar storm hits earth; will it disrupt communication, power grids?

News Network

May 11,2024

Washington, May 11: The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular celestial light shows from Tasmania to Britain -- and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) -- expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun -- came just after 1600 GMT, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center.

It was later upgraded to an "extreme" geomagnetic storm -- the first since the "Halloween Storms" of October 2003 caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa. More CMEs are expected to pummel the planet in the coming days.

Social media lit up with people posting pictures of auroras from northern Europe and Australasia.

"We've just woken the kids to go watch the Northern Lights in the back garden! Clearly visible with the naked eye," Iain Mansfield in Hertford, England, told AFP.

That sense of wonder was shared in Australia's island state of Tasmania.

"Absolutely biblical skies in Tasmania at 4 am this morning. I'm leaving today and knew I could not pass up this opportunity," photographer Sean O' Riordan posted on social media platform X alongside a photo.

Authorities notified satellite operators, airlines, and the power grid to take precautionary steps for potential disruptions caused by changes to Earth's magnetic field.

Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite internet operator has some 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, described the solar storm as the "biggest in a long time."

"Starlink satellites are under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far," Musk posted on his X platform.

Unlike solar flares, which travel at the speed of light and reach Earth in around eight minutes, CMEs travel at a more sedate pace, with officials putting the current average at 800 kilometers (500 miles) per second.

The CMEs emanated from a massive sunspot cluster that is 17 times wider than our planet. The Sun is approaching the peak of an 11-year cycle that brings heightened activity.

'Go outside tonight and look'

Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, told AFP that how far the effects would be felt over the planet's northern and southern latitudes would depend on the storm's final strength.

"Go outside tonight and look would be my advice because if you see the aurora, it's quite a spectacular thing," he said. People with eclipse glasses can also look for the sunspot cluster during the day.

In the United States, this could include places such as Northern California and Alabama, officials said.

NOAA's Brent Gordon encouraged the public to try to capture the night sky with phone cameras even if they couldn't see auroras with their naked eyes.

"Just go out your back door and take a picture with the newer cell phones and you'd be amazed at what you see in that picture versus what you see with your eyes."

Spacecraft and pigeons

Fluctuating magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic storms induce currents in long wires, including power lines, which can potentially lead to blackouts. Long pipelines can also become electrified, leading to engineering problems.

Spacecraft are also at risk from high doses of radiation, although the atmosphere prevents this from reaching Earth.

NASA has a dedicated team looking into astronaut safety and can ask astronauts on the International Space Station to move to places within the outpost that are better shielded.

Following one particularly strong flare peak, the US Space Weather Prediction Center said users of high-frequency radio signals "may experience temporary degradation or complete loss of signal on much of the sunlit side of Earth."

Even pigeons and other species that have internal biological compasses could also be affected. Pigeon handlers have noted a reduction in birds coming home during geomagnetic storms, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Officials said people should have the normal backup plans in place for power outages, such as having flashlights, batteries, and radios at hand.

The most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history, known as the Carrington Event after British astronomer Richard Carrington, occurred in September 1859.

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