There is a second space race, with America on the back foot The Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle has once again been rolled out to the launchpad, preparing to send the Artemis II spacecraft into orbit. This mission, first reported at the end of January, is meant to mark a milestone: the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, launched during Donald Trump’s first presidency and designed to return Americans to the Moon. For the astronauts involved, it will also be a first. They will fly aboard the SLS, a super-heavy rocket assembled from Space Shuttle-era components, and travel in the Orion spacecraft, which has been in development for years as NASA’s vehicle for deep-space missions. For the first time in half a century, humans are expected to venture beyond Earth’s orbit. Even if, for now, the plan is only to fly past the Moon without entering its orbit. Yet behind the symbolism lies a program under pressure. Years of underfunding and shifting priorities have left Artemis strugg...
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A brigade of some 3,000 paratroopers could join the conflict in the Middle East, the paper has reported Senior US military officials are looking into the possibility of deploying airborne troops to capture Kharg Island, responsible for 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, the New York Times has reported, citing American defense sources. The US struck military targets on the island sitting around 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf in mid-March, but refrained from hitting the energy infrastructure. Reports have been circulating since then, claiming that Washington could launch a ground operation to take control of the key oil hub in an attempt to cripple Tehran’s economy after three weeks from the start of the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic. Iran has been warning that it would set oil and gas facilities in the Gulf nations “on fire” if the move against Kharg Island is made. On Monday, it also threatened to retaliate by mining the Strait of Horm...
Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal provides leverage against American “terrorism and aggression,” the nation’s leader has said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country can pose a credible nuclear threat to the US as opposed to being a target for American attempts to project power. Speaking during a policy address to newly elected lawmakers on Monday, Kim emphasized the role of nuclear weapons in ensuring national security. He accused Washington of carrying out “state terror and aggression” globally, arguing that such actions justify Pyongyang’s concerns about the US military presence in the region, including deployments involving nuclear-capable assets. According to Kim, North Korea’s nuclear arsenal provides a strong safeguard against potential attacks. “Our nation is no longer a country under threat,” he said. “We possess the power to pose a threat if necessary.” Read more Between fatwa and the bomb: Is Iran rethinking its nuclear doctrine? North Korea withdrew from ...
Islamabad has reportedly proposed holding discussions involving top aides from Washington and Tehran Pakistan could host talks between the US and Iran on ending the Middle East conflict, according to reports. The South Asian nation has offered to host talks in its capital, Islamabad, as early as this week, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The talks would likely involve senior officials from Washington and Tehran, the report said. Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir spoke with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with H.E. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Prime Minister extended Eid ul Fitr and Nowruz greetings to the Iranian President, and the brotherly people of Iran. The feelings… pic.twitter.com/TMpg99X1EG — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) March 23, ...
The US president has ordered the Department of War to postpone attacks on such facilities after “productive” talks with Tehran The US Department of War has been ordered to temporarily suspend plans for military strikes on Iranian energy facilities, President Donald Trump announced on Monday following negotiations with Tehran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the two sides had had “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days regarding a “complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.” He stated that based on the “tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed and constructive conversations,” he has ordered the Department of War to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.” On Saturday, Trump had vowed to “obliterate” Iran’s power facilities unless Tehran restored navigation in the crucial Strait o...
The mid-air interception of an Iranian drone led to 32 people being wounded early in the conflict A US-fired Patriot missile was connected to the injury of dozens of civilians in Bahrain on March 9, Reuters reported on Sunday. Washington and Manama initially attributed the casualties to an Iranian drone strike. According to the agency, analysis by researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies found that the interceptor was launched from a battery located approximately four miles (7 km) southwest of the Mahazza neighborhood on Sitra island. Bahraini authorities previously said 32 people, including children, were wounded. In response to requests for comment, the Bahraini government acknowledged that the injuries “were not a result of a direct impact to the ground of either the Patriot interceptor or the Iranian drone,” stating that the mid-air interception helped prevent greater casualties. Read more US dragged by Israel into ‘unlawful war’ with Iran – Gulf stat...