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Trump threatens 25% tariffs on EU, claims bloc was formed to ‘screw’ US

Around The Globe - Thu, 02/27/2025 - 02:52
European Commission says it will react 'firmly and immediately' against unjustified trade barriers.

Private company's craft rockets toward moon in latest rush of lunar landing attempts

Technology - Thu, 02/27/2025 - 02:21
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — A private company launched another lunar lander Wednesday, aiming to get closer to the moon's south pole this time with a drone that will hop into a black crater where the sun never shines.  Intuitive Machines' lander, named Athena, caught a lift with SpaceX from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It's taking a fast track to the moon, with a landing on March 6. The company hopes to avoid the fate of Athena's predecessor, which tipped over at touchdown.  Never before have so many spacecraft angled for the moon's surface all at once. Last month, U.S. and Japanese companies shared a rocket and separately launched landers toward the moon. The lander from the U.S. company, Firefly Aerospace of Texas, should get there first this weekend.  The two U.S. landers are carrying tens of millions of dollars' worth of experiments for NASA as it prepares to return astronauts to the moon.  "It's an amazing time. There's so much energy," NASA science mission chief Nicky Fox told The Associated Press a few hours ahead of the launch.  Last year, Texas-based Intuitive Machines made the first U.S. touchdown on the moon in more than 50 years. But an instrument that gauges distance did not work, and the lander came down too hard and broke a leg, tipping onto its side.  Intuitive Machines said it has fixed that issue and dozens of others. A sideways landing like last time would prevent a drone and a pair of rovers from moving out. A NASA drill that's aboard also needs an upright landing to be able to pierce the lunar surface and gather soil samples for analysis.  "Certainly, we will be better this time than we were last time. But you never know what could happen," said Trent Martin, senior vice president of space systems.  It's an extraordinarily elite club. Only five countries have pulled off a lunar landing over the decades: Russia, the U.S., China, India and Japan. The moon is littered with wreckage from many past failures.  The 4.7-meter (15-foot) Athena will target a landing 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the lunar south pole. Just 400 meters (a quarter mile) away is a permanently shadowed crater — the ultimate destination for the drone named Grace.  Named after the late computer programming pioneer Grace Hopper, the 1-meter (3-foot) drone will make three increasingly higher and longer test hops across the lunar surface using hydrazine-fueled thrusters for flight and cameras and lasers for navigation.  If those excursions go well, it will hop into the nearby pitch-black crater, an estimated 20 meters (65 feet) deep. Science instruments from Hungary and Germany will take measurements at the bottom while hunting for frozen water.  It will be the first up-close peek inside one of the many shadowed craters dotting both the north and south poles. Scientists suspect these craters are packed with tons of ice. If so, this ice could be transformed by future explorers into water to drink, air to breathe and even rocket fuel.  NASA is paying $62 million to Intuitive Machines to get its drill and other experiments to the moon. The company, in turn, sold space on the lander to others. It also opened up the Falcon rocket to ride-sharing.  Tagalongs included NASA's Lunar Trailblazer satellite, which will fly separately to the moon over the next several months before entering lunar orbit to map the distribution of water below. Also catching a ride was a private spacecraft that will chase after an asteroid for a flyby, a precursor to asteroid mining.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh – Champions Trophy: Match start time, teams, stream

Around The Globe - Thu, 02/27/2025 - 01:59
Hosts Pakistan aim to end Champions Trophy on a high against Bangladesh following underwhelming group-stage exit.

Real Madrid win marred by more racism directed towards Vinicius Junior

Around The Globe - Thu, 02/27/2025 - 01:38
Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in their Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg tie, but match marred by racist abuse.

Trump nixes Venezuelan oil concessions granted by predecessor Joe Biden

Around The Globe - Thu, 02/27/2025 - 00:28
Trump took harsh stance towards Venezuela during first term but has shown interest in collaboration in recent months.

Eli Lilly plans $27bn in new plants as Trump threatens pharma tariffs

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 22:22
The new plants will be built in the US over the next five years and create 3,000 jobs for skilled workers.

Lebanon’s new government wins confidence vote in parliament

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 22:00
Nawaf Salam's government wins the backing of 95 lawmakers in the 128-seat parliament.

How Europe carved up Africa at the Berlin Conference 140 years ago

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 21:53
This month marks 140 years since Western powers sidelined Africans and carved up the continent to “own” it themselves.

Key takeaways from Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting with Elon Musk

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 21:53
Musk defended DOGE attempts to fire federal employees, while Trump said Russia would have to make concessions for peace.

Can the Gaza ceasefire hold? And what threats does it face?

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 21:16
Israel-Hamas agreement needed to move to phase two of multi-stage deal.

Washington Post opinion head departs as Jeff Bezos shifts focus for paper

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 21:02
The section will not include viewpoints that oppose personal liberties and free markets, Bezos said in a staff memo.

Trump memo calls on US federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 20:17
The US president and his allies continue their efforts to dismantle agencies long viewed with ire by conservatives.

Bosnian Serb President Dodik sentenced to prison for defying peace envoy

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 19:26
The Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison by a Bosnian court.

Trump administration appeals deadline to release US foreign aid funding

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 19:19
Nonprofits and businesses have argued that a 90-day foreign aid freeze under Trump has left US government bills unpaid.

BP drops climate targets in pivot back to oil and gas

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 18:53
BP slashes planned investment in renewable energy and is increasing annual oil and gas spending.

No security guarantees yet in US-Ukraine minerals deal, Zelenksyy says

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 18:51
Ukraine's president says the success of the US-Ukraine deal could hinge on talks with President Donald Trump.

Father describes baby daughter’s death from the cold in Gaza

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 16:20
A Palestinian father has described how his 6-week-old baby daughter died from the cold in their tent in northern Gaza.

‘Everyone wants to go back home’: Inside Catatumbo’s displacement crisis

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 16:11
In Catatumbo, fighting has forced over 55,000 people from their homes. What does it mean for Colombia’s peace process?

‘No one talks about this’: Remembering Germany’s role in colonising Africa

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 15:53
How do Germans remember - or forget - their colonial history and role in the Berlin Conference that carved up Africa?

The US Constitution was not made to protect against Trump

Around The Globe - Wed, 02/26/2025 - 15:39
The belief that the US Constitution can protect against despotism has always been an illusion.

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