Hot air balloons take off during the mass ascension at the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

'Magical' flotilla of hot air balloons take flight at international fiesta amid warm temperatures

The gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico for the rare opportunity to be within arm's reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated

by · National Post

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A flotilla of hot air balloons ascended into a clear desert sky on Saturday to kick off a colorful mass ascension at the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.

Opposition parties demand answers as Liberals say little about Chinese balloonOTTAWA — Opposition parties say the public deserves answers about a Chinese balloon’s incursion over Canadian territory as the Trudeau government remains largely mum about its time in Canada.06 Feb 2023Nelson Wiseman: Was the 'spy balloon' really spying?The Chinese Communist regime is evil. Look at its treatment of Tibetans in their homeland and the Uyghurs in the ostensibly independent Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Or consider China’s management of Hong Kong and its violation of an undertaking to maintain existing democratic institutions for 50 years after Britain departed the colony. Then there is China’s intimidation of Taiwan and breach of international law after a United Nations tribunal ruled against it in a maritime dispute with the Philippines. Closer to home, the Chinese regime has tried to influence our elections, stolen our technology, established “police stations” to intimidate Canadian citizens, and engaged in hostage diplomacy as in the “Two Michaels” and other cases.Nelson Wiseman,  Special to National Post, 27 Feb 2023