Four SpaceX tourists returned to Earth safely on Saturday after spending three days in space, successfully concluding the first orbital mission in history with no professional astronauts on board. The SpaceX Dragon capsule, whose heat shield allowed it to withstand descent, was slowed down by four large parachutes before splashing into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida at 7:06 pm (2306 GMT), according to a video feed by the company. “That was a […]
Tag: US
Biden to host Covid-19 summit on Wednesday: White House
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden will host a virtual summit with world leaders on the coronavirus pandemic next Wednesday, a day after he addresses the United Nations General Assembly, the White House said Friday. “This meeting is about expanding and enhancing our shared efforts to defeat Covid-19” and will seek to “align on a common vision” against the virus, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. The summit will […]
US panel recommends Covid boosters for people 65 and older
by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A panel of leading US medical experts advising the government voted in favor of authorizing boosters of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for everyone aged 65 and up, as well as people at high risk of developing severe Covid. The same committee however rejected an initial proposal, submitted by Pfizer and backed by President Joe Biden’s administration, to fully approve boosters to everyone aged 16 […]
US admits strike in Kabul killed 10 civilians, including 7 children, not IS militants
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A top general admitted the United States had made a “mistake” when it launched a drone strike against suspected Islamic State militants in Kabul, killing 10 civilians including children instead during the frenzied final days of the US pullout from Afghanistan last month. The strike, a macabre coda to the 20-year US war in Afghanistan, was meant to target a suspected IS operation that US intelligence had “reasonable certainty” […]
Giant sequoias wrapped in foil to protect from US forest fires
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The world’s biggest trees were being wrapped in fire-proof blankets Thursday in an effort to protect them from huge blazes tearing through the drought-stricken western United States. A grove of ancient sequoias, including the 275-foot (83-meter) General Sherman Tree — the largest in the world — were getting aluminum cladding to fend off the flames. Firefighters were also clearing brush and pre-positioning engines among the 2,000 ancient trees in […]
US medical experts to vote on Pfizer Covid boosters
WASHINGTON, United states (AFP) — US medical experts will meet Friday to debate and vote on the controversial question of giving out booster doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to the general population. President Joe Biden’s administration announced in August a plan to roll out third shots to everyone, not just the immune compromised already able to receive them, starting from September 20. But experts have since expressed reservations about whether they are required, amid concerns […]
Australia to acquire US Tomahawk cruise missiles: PM
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Thursday the country would acquire long-range US Tomahawk cruise missiles, as it strengthens military defenses in the face of a rising China. “We will be enhancing our long-range strike capability including Tomahawk cruise missiles to be fielded on the Royal Australian Navy Hobart class destroyers and joint air-to-surface standoff missiles extended range for our Royal Australian Air Force capabilities,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra. […]
Australia submarine decision ‘regrettable’: France
PARIS, France (AFP) — Australia’s decision to build nuclear-powered submarines in a new partnership with the United States and Britain rather than buy them from a French firm was “regrettable”, the French government said Thursday. “This is a decision contrary to the letter and the spirit of the cooperation that prevailed between France and Australia,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The American choice, which leads to the removal of an ally and a […]
US condemns N.Korea launch but calls for dialogue
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States said Wednesday that North Korea violated UN Security Council resolutions by firing two ballistic missiles into the sea but reiterated its willingness to engage the nuclear-armed state. “The United States condemns the DPRK’s missile launch. This launch is in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions and poses a threat to the DPRK’s neighbors and other members of the international community,” a State Department spokesperson said, referring […]
In first, SpaceX to send all-civilian crew into Earth orbit
by Lucie AUBOURG Can four people who’ve never been to space before spend three days spinning around Earth after only a few months of training? That’s the challenge SpaceX has set for itself when it launches its first tourism mission on Wednesday, the first time a crew of exclusively private citizens will orbit our planet. A five-hour launch window for “Inspiration4” opens from 8:02 pm (0002 GMT Thursday). A Falcon 9 rocket, with a Dragon […]
Arizona first state to file suit against Biden vaccine mandate
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Arizona on Tuesday became the first US state to file suit against President Joe Biden’s Covid vaccination mandate for federal employees and businesses with more than 100 employees. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, announced the filing of the suit against what he described as an “unconstitutional” move by the Democratic president. “The federal government cannot force people to get the Covid-19 vaccine,” Brnovich said in a statement. “The […]
US approaching Delta wave peak but virus expected to become endemic
by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The latest coronavirus wave in the United States driven by the Delta variant could soon peak, but experts warn against complacency and expect the virus will be part of everyday life for years to come. The seven-day-average of daily cases as of Monday was 172,000, its highest level of this surge even as the growth rate is slowing and cases are headed down in most states, according […]





