Two lunar landers built by private companies in the US and Japan have left Earth aboard a SpaceX rocket as part of a rideshare to the Moon.The Falcon 9 took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 01:09 local time (06:09 GMT) on Wednesday, carrying landers belonging to America’s Firefly Aerospace and Japan’s ispace.The landers will eventually separate once they reach the Moon’s orbit and conduct independent explorations.They are the latest in a growing number of commercial missions to the Moon.Firefly’s rover, Blue Ghost, is expected to take about 45 days to reach the Moon, once it has...
House Votes out Transgender from Participating in Women’s and Girls’ Sport, Passes Bill.
The House on Tuesday passed legislation that would ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports at schools and institutions receiving federal funds.The bill, which would also amend federal law to say that “sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” was approved largely along party lines in a 218 to 206 vote.Only two Texas Democrats voted for the measure: Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted present, and no Republicans opposed the measure.The bill now heads to the Senate.Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., who sponsored the legislation, said it was...
3600 People to Lose Their Jobs at Meta over Low Performance, “Will Receive Generous Severance”
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is preparing to cut about 5% of its global workforce, as the company looks to drop “low performers faster”.In a memo to staff, boss Mark Zuckerberg said he had made the decision to speed up the firm’s regular performance-based cuts in anticipation of an “intense year”.He said the company would “backfill” the roles later in 2025.The company, which employs about 72,000 people globally, did not say how the cuts would be distributed around the world.Workers in the US who are affected will know by 10 February, according to Mr Zuckerberg’s memo. Those...
Authorities Arrest South Korea Impeached President after Weeks Long Standoff
South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol has become the country’s first sitting president to be arrested, ending a weeks-long standoff between investigators and his presidential security team.Yoon, whose failed attempt to impose martial law plunged the country into turmoil and saw him impeached by parliament, is being investigated on charges of insurrection.He is, however, still technically the president as a constitutional court has to decide whether his impeachment is valid.Investigators used ladders and wirecutters in the freezing cold to get to Yoon, whose Presidential Security Service (PSS) personnel had erected barricades in a bid to thwart his arrest.AdvertisementThe CIO had previously attempted...
President Masoud Pezeshkian Reveals Iran ‘Never’ Plotted To Kill Trump During Last Year’s U.S. Election Campaign
Iran “never” plotted to assassinate Donald Trump during last year’s U.S. election campaign and never will in the future, President Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC News’ Lester Holt in an exclusive interview in Tehran. Asked about the reported plot against Trump outlined by U.S. authorities, Pezeshkian said: “This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia. … Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.” Holt then asked Pezeshkian: “You’re saying there was never an Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump?”“None whatsoever,” Pezeshkian replied. Asked whether Iran is...
Poland Itching To Sell Its 13th-Cetury Castle to Elon Musk as Its European Headquarter
The Mayor of Glogowek, Piotr Bujak in an invite of X social media has advocated for Elon Musk the CEO of the platform as well as Telsa to buy his country’s vast 13th-century castle and turn it into his European headquarters.Bujak disclosed that he has sent letters to Musk companies in respect of this but yet to receive a reply from the multibillionaire.This is coming after the Mayor of Glogowek stated that he made the move when he saw a media report in Europe suggesting the Telsa CEO and U.S. president-elect strong ally is scouting for a sizeable location, possibly...
Michelle Obama to Skip the Second Outings of Former U.S. Presidents and Their Spouses at Trump’s Inauguration.
In what appear to be the second absence in the gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, Michelle Obama will not be in attendance of the President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on the 20th of January.Though no explanation was given, recall that she was missing at the former president Jimmy Carter’s State burial.However her husband former president Barack Obama in a press statement from their office has confirmed his attendance: ““Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration.”Michelle Obama was the only spouse absent at...
