Author: Gulf News Week
SpaceX’s mammoth Starship rocket blasted off Friday on another test flight stretching halfway around the world, this time carrying 20 of the most advanced Starlinks.Towering 407 feet (124 meters), Starship soared from the company’s base at the southern tip of Texas. NASA monitored the flight, a critical step toward using the Starship as a lunar lander for moon crews.Elon Musk’s SpaceX replaced six of the 33 engines on the first-stage booster after they failed to ignite last week, resulting in a last-second launch abort. The previous Starship flight in May also experienced engine trouble, which prevented the booster from making…
ReutersKarim Khan denies all the allegations against himMembers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Karim Khan as chief prosecutor for alleged sexual misconduct.Elected the ICC’s third prosecutor in 2021, Khan was suspended last month. The decision to remove him was passed with 82 votes in favour.The court’s oversight body found in June he had committed a “serious breach of duty and serious misconduct” by engaging in an improper sexual relationship with a junior ICC staff member and seeking to stop her pursuing her complaint.Khan has repeatedly denied all the allegations against him. His lawyer said he…
The number of measles cases in the U.S. has surpassed the record-breaking tally for all of 2025, with five more months of 2026 still to come.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged 2,318 cases of measles as of Thursday, according to an agency update on Friday.The nation had 2,289 cases in 2025, the worst year for measles in more than three decades. Now, 2026 has easily become the U.S.’s worst year for measles since 1991, as major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds and smaller clusters of cases sparked in other states.In November, international…
Getty ImagesThe US has hit a 35-year high in measles cases, according to new figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The US has seen 2,318 confirmed cases of measles in 2026, just seven months into the year, up from last year’s high of 2,289, when two unvaccinated children died of the disease. The rising number of cases have come as vaccine hesitancy in the US has increased in recent years, leading to lower immunisation rates. In November, a panel is set to decide whether the US will lose its status of having eliminated measles, which…
NBA superstar LeBron James to join Philadelphia 76ersBasketball superstar LeBron James announces he will join the Philadelphia 76ers for what he says will be his final contract in the NBA.3 hrs agoBasketball
Getty ImagesThe children say joining Shakira and Burna Boy on stage was a dream come trueUgandan dance group the Ghetto Kids are celebrating another milestone after appearing at the football World Cup final half-time show on Sunday – a life-changing experience summed up by 10-year-old Sierra as “very, very, very, very, very good”.Despite critics bemoaning the addition of a Superbowl-style show to the beautiful game’s biggest event, the children’s performance alongside global stars Burna Boy and Shakira was viewed by many millions around the world.Speaking to the BBC’s Newsday programme, members of the dance troupe and their manager say that…
Watch: Police boat towed away after Westminster Bridge crashFive Metropolitan Police officers have been injured after a police boat struck Westminster Bridge in central London.The Met said the incident occurred at about 15:40 BST and involved a boat from the Marine Policing Unit which was carrying armed officers. In a statement, it said “a number of officers entered the water, but were recovered” adding it was waiting for an “update on the extent of their injuries”.No members of the public are thought to have been involved or injured in the crash.Officers who had been recovered from the river were seen…
Watch: Another day, more Trump tariffs – but are they working?The BBC’s Samira Hussain explains how President Trump’s tariffs affect US economy, who pays the price, and whether they’re working.6 hrs agoUS & Canada
Ukrainian President ZelenskyEmergency services clear through the rubble following the Russian missile strike just outside KyivAt least 15 people have been killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine, including 10 dead in ballistic missile strikes on an exhibition near Kyiv showcasing drone technology. Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said some 100 people had been injured in the daytime attack on the exhibition, attended by prominent members of the defence sector.Elsewhere, five people were killed in the eastern city of Sloviansk by Russian glide bombs.Meanwhile, an overnight Ukrainian strike killed six people and wounded 26 in the Russian city…
WASHINGTON (news agencies) — Federal health officials on Friday said they have linked cases of a diarrhea-causing parasite tied to shredded lettuce to an additional four states, expanding the scope of the largest U.S. outbreak of cyclospora.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak first tied to Taco Bell restaurants now includes Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Previously the agency’s investigation included five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and state health officials have been tracing the supply of the lettuce and interviewing people across the nation about the foods they…