Tech billionaire pulls off first private spacewalk high above Earth
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — A tech billionaire performed the first private spacewalk hundreds of kilometers above Earth on Thursday, a high-risk endeavor reserved for professional astronauts — until now. Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman teamed up with SpaceX to test the…
Ukraine businesses hire more women and teens as labor shortages bite
KYIV, Ukraine — After spending years in what she described as “boring, sedentary” roles in the offices of several Ukrainian companies, Liliia Shulha landed her dream job as a truck driver with Ukraine’s leading retailer, Fozzy Group. “I always dreamed…
Ukraine destroys 44 Russian drones
Officials in northeastern Ukraine said Thursday a Russian drone attack injured at least 14 people in the town of Konotop. The attack targeted energy and civilian infrastructure facilities, the officials said. Russian forces also directed drone attacks at the Kherson…
Botswana, US firm partner to conduct border pathogen monitoring
Gaborone, Botswana — Botswana and an American biotech firm, Ginkgo Bioworks, have partnered to conduct pathogen surveillance at the country’s entry points. Health officials say the proactive move is meant to safeguard public health as the world faces emerging disease…
Blinken to discuss support for Ukraine in visit to Poland
WARSAW, Poland — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with senior Polish government officials on Thursday to discuss support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia and deepening U.S. defense cooperation with Warsaw. Washington’s top diplomat travels to…
Soyuz craft heads to space station with 2 Russians, 1 American
MOSCOW — A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American blasted off Wednesday for an express trip to the International Space Station. The space capsule atop a towering rocket set off at 1623 GMT from Russia’s manned space launch…
Analysts see options for US despite China’s mineral export controls
China’s launch of export controls on antimony and certain superhard materials starting September 15 is a reminder, analysts say, that the United States needs to expand its sourcing of the critical mineral as the tech rivalry between the world’s two…
Spain PM asks EU to ‘reconsider’ EV tariffs plan on Chinese electric cars
As he wrapped up a visit to China, Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s prime minister, has asked the EU to “reconsider” its plan to impose tariffs of up to 36 percent on Chinese electric cars. He says Brussels and Beijing need to…
AI not a US election gamechanger yet, officials say
Washington — When the U.S. announced the seizure of 32 internet domains tied to Russian efforts to ply American voters with disinformation ahead of November’s presidential election, prosecutors were quick to note the use of artificial intelligence, or AI. The…
US inflation reaches 3-year low as Federal Reserve prepares to cut interest rates
Washington — The post-pandemic spike in U.S. inflation eased further last month as year-over-year price increases reached a three-year low, clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates next week. Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed…