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Flying object hits plane at German airport as drone discovered carrying explosive device

By CNN

(CNN) — An unidentified flying object hit a a cargo plane at a German airport on Wednesday, as the discovery of a drone carrying an explosive device caused disruption and the suspension of flights.

An airport staff member discovered the drone in a secure area of the cargo flight operations near the airport’s south runway, according to a statement from state police in Saxony. A bomb disposal robot was deployed as part of the investigation, and the detonator attached to the drone was removed.

A second, unidentified flying object, collided with a cargo plane after the aircraft aborted its landing due to the runway being closed, police said. The plane sustained minor damage but landed safely at Hannover airport instead.

Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of the top cargo hubs in Europe. It has hosted Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines transport aircraft since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 destroyed their home base.

An investigation has been launched involving counter-terrorism police and state prosecutors.

Flight operations were temporarily suspended following the discovery of the drone just before midnight. The north runway was reopened later in the night, following an inspection, while the south runway remained closed into Wednesday.

Several aircraft, including a passenger plane, were forced to divert to other airports, according to authorities.

Following the discovery of the explosive device, German state prosecutors have now taken over the investigation, alongside the Central Office for Extremism Saxony (ZESA) and officers from the Police Terrorism and Extremism Defense Center (PTAZ) counter-terrorism law enforcement unit.

Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster described the overnight developments as a “very serious security incident.”

Germany has been on heightened alert in recent months over unauthorized drone activity following a string of incidents near airports, military sites and other sensitive infrastructure.

The-CNN-Wire
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8-year-old dies from rare brain-eating amoeba likely contracted while swimming in Louisiana lake

By CNN
(CNN) — An 8-year-old has died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba believed to have been encountered while swimming in a lake near her home, her family and health officials said.Lillian Smart, who lived in Ruston in northern Louisiana, died in the hospital over the weekend, shortly after turning 8, according to her parents.“Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus,” her family said in a post on Facebook Sunday morning. “The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from,” the post read.The family earlier wrote Lillian had experienced significant brain swelling “as a result of the parasite.”The Louisiana Department of Health announced last week a resident had likely contracted the organism, known as Naegleria fowleri, while swimming in Lake Claiborne which is about 30 miles northwest of Ruston.The microscopic amoeba thrives in warm freshwater and can cause a neurological infection when water containing the amoeba rushes through the nose and reaches the brain, according to the state health department. It can’t cause infection if swallowed and does not spread from person to person.“The infection is extremely rare, but nearly always fatal,” the department said.Health officials did not name Lillian as the infected resident, but friends and family identified her to several local news outlets.Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare, with only 180 confirmed between 1937 and 2025, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The state has only seen three cases during that period, the department said.While most cases have been concentrated in southern and central states due the warmer weather, recent research suggests climate change is warming water in northern and midwestern states, expanding the areas where the amoeba can be found.Early symptoms of contracting the amoeba can include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The infection can be hard to detect and progresses rapidly, leading to stiff neck, confusion, hallucinations and loss of balance, it said.Lillian had been in intensive care since last week after being admitted for a fever that progressed into double vision, according to a post on her mother’s Facebook.Before her death, several Ruston businesses participated in a fundraiser to celebrate Lillian’s birthday and donate part of their proceeds to the family, according to CNN affiliate KNOE. Residents said Smart was well known in the community for her joy.“She’s just always a happy child,” one local business owner told KNOE. “Every time you see her, she has a smile on her face.”“Everyone did everything they could to keep her here,” Lillian’s parents said on Facebook. “We are heartbroken and honestly do not know what to do next.”In 2023, a Georgia resident died after contracting the amoeba, and a child in 2022 was Nebraska’s first reported death linked to the amoeba, CNN previously reported.In both cases, health officials said the patients became infected after swimming in fresh water.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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