World

NASA has set March 6 as the earliest possible launch date for Artemis II, the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, contingent on the outcome of final checks and reviews following a full-scale launch rehearsal at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Lori Glaze, a senior official with the U.S. space agency, said work remains before the date can be confirmed, including pad preparations, a flight readiness review and analysis of data from the dress rehearsal. "We need to successfully navigate all of those but…

An Israeli drone strike hit Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp on Friday, killing one person and wounding others, state media said, as the Israeli military claimed it targeted a Hamas command center in the Ain al-Helweh camp near the southern city of Sidon. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported the strike on a neighborhood inside the densely populated camp on Sidon’s outskirts. An AFP correspondent saw smoke rising from a building as ambulances rushed to the scene. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said its…

U.S. Supreme Court curbs Trump’s tariff powers, teeing up potential $175 billion in refunds The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled 6-3 that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by imposing sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a decision that curbs the White House’s latitude on trade and could trigger tens of billions of dollars in refunds to importers. Writing for the conservative-majority court, the justices concluded that IEEPA “does not authorize the president to…

BANGKOK — Thai police disguised as a red-and-yellow lion during Lunar New Year festivities tackled and arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of stealing Buddhist artifacts after weeks of surveillance, authorities said. The Wednesday evening arrest followed a report earlier this month of a home burglary in a suburb of the capital that involved “numerous Buddhist objects and two 12-inch Buddha statues,” according to a statement from Bangkok’s metropolitan police. Investigators also found evidence of repeated attempts to break…

UK Athletics pleads guilty to corporate manslaughter over death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei LONDON — UK Athletics Ltd has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter over the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei, who was fatally struck on the head by a metal pole during a training session in east London in 2017. Hayayei, 36, who represented the United Arab Emirates, died on July 11, 2017, at Newham Leisure Centre after part of a throwing cage fell on him. He had been preparing to compete in the F34 classification in the…

Investigators are examining whether criminal negligence played a role in the avalanche that killed at least eight people during a guided backcountry ski trip in California, but emphasized it is too early to determine whether any charges are warranted, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said. The slide, which struck a group near Castle Peak outside Truckee, was the deadliest U.S. avalanche in 45 years. The sheriff’s office said in a written statement that, in addition to the coroner’s death investigations, it is conducting a…

Trump orders federal agencies to identify, release UFO and alien files; accuses Obama of sharing classified info President Donald Trump said he has directed federal agencies to begin “identifying and releasing” government files related to UFOs, aliens and unidentified aerial phenomena, a transparency push that has energized believers and skeptics alike amid renewed scrutiny of unexplained sightings. “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant departments and agencies,…

Florida lawmakers approve renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Trump; DeSantis expected to sign TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s Republican-led legislature has approved a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport, state records show, setting the stage for one of the country’s most prominent travel hubs to bear the sitting president’s name. Gov. Ron DeSantis, once a political rival of Trump, is expected to sign the measure into law. Palm Beach International sits…

Epstein estate agrees to pay up to $35 million to settle remaining victim claims The estate of convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35 million (€29.7 million) to resolve outstanding legal claims from potentially dozens of victims, according to a proposed court judgment filed in New York. The agreement would create a class encompassing people who said they were sexually assaulted, abused or trafficked by Epstein between Jan. 1, 1995, and Aug. 10, 2019, the date of his death in a New York jail,…

Eric Dane, the U.S. actor who rose to fame on Grey’s Anatomy and later earned a new generation of fans on Euphoria, has died at 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), his representatives said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. Dane spent his final days surrounded by friends and family, including his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, and their daughters, Billie and Georgia, his representatives said. No additional details were immediately released. Dane became a household name as Dr. Mark…