El Paso Airspace Briefly Shut Down Due to Anti-Drone Laser Deployment
EL PASO, TX - The airspace over El Paso, Texas, was abruptly shut down late Tuesday after Customs and Border Protection officials deployed an anti-drone laser, according to multiple sources. The closure, which was initially expected to last for 10 days, was quickly lifted Wednesday morning following intervention from the White House.
The incident occurred when CBP officials, using a laser on loan from the Department of Defense, deployed the device without adequately informing aviation officials about the potential risks to commercial aircraft, according to a report in the New York Times. This led the Federal Aviation Administration to issue the temporary grounding of the airspace. Top administration officials initially attributed the closure to a sudden incursion of drones from Mexican drug cartels, necessitating a military response.
In other news, an 18-year-old has been identified as the suspect in a shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, that resulted in eight fatalities and dozens of injuries. The suspect, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to BBC World. The motive for the attack is still under investigation. Six people were killed at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, and two others, the suspect's mother and step-brother, were found dead at a nearby home.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, polls closed in the first election since student-led protests ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. More than 2,000 candidates are vying for 350 parliamentary seats, but none from Hasina's banned Awami League, according to BBC World. The election pits the Bangladesh Nationalist Party against a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami. Results are expected on Friday.
In technology news, the media regulator Ofcom fined porn company Kick Online Entertainment SA £800,000 for failing to implement proper age verification measures, according to BBC Technology. The company did not have "highly effective" methods to verify that UK visitors were over 18, according to Ofcom. The regulator stated that the company has since introduced age checks, but was not in compliance with the law between July and December 2025.
Also in the tech sector, Wildlight Entertainment, the developer of the multiplayer shooter "Highguard," laid off multiple staff members just two weeks after the game's release, as reported by BBC Technology. Despite being created by a team of industry veterans who worked on successful titles, the free-to-play game struggled to retain players since its January launch.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment