CAPE CANAVERAL: Four astronauts from four countries rocketed toward the International Space Station on Saturday.
They should reach the orbiting lab in their SpaceX capsule Sunday, replacing four astronauts living up there since March.
A NASA astronaut was joined on the predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center by fliers from Denmark, Japan and Russia.
It was the first US launch where every spacecraft seat was occupied by a different country — until now, NASA had always included two or three of its own on its SpaceX taxi flights. A fluke in timing led to the assignments, officials said.
NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, a Marine pilot serving as commander, said her crew’s makeup demonstrates “what we can do when we work together in harmony.” With her on the six-month mission are the European Space Agency’s Andreas Mogensen, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and Russia’s Konstantin Borisov.
“To explore space, we need to do it together,” the European Space Agency’s director general, Josef Aschbacher, said minutes before liftoff. “Space is really global, and international cooperation is key.”
The astronauts’ paths to space couldn’t be more different.
Moghbeli’s parents fled Iran during the 1979 revolution. Born in Germany and raised on New York’s Long Island, she joined the Marines and flew attack helicopters in Afghanistan. The first-time space traveler hopes to show Iranian girls that they, too, can aim high. “Belief in yourself is something really powerful,” she said before the flight.
Mogensen worked on oil rigs off the West African coast after getting an engineering degree. He told people puzzled by his job choice that “in the future we would need drillers in space” like Bruce Willis’ character in the killer asteroid film “Armageddon.” He’s convinced the rig experience led to his selection as Denmark’s first astronaut.
Furukawa spent a decade as a surgeon before making Japan’s astronaut cut. Like Mogensen, he’s visited the station before.
Borisov, a space rookie, turned to engineering after studying business. He runs a freediving school in Moscow and judges the sport, in which divers shun oxygen tanks and hold their breath underwater.
One of the perks of an international crew, they noted, is the food. Among the delicacies soaring: Persian herbed stew, Danish chocolate and Japanese mackerel.
Liftoff was delayed a day because of extra data reviews for the capsule’s life-support system.
Another NASA astronaut will launch to the station from Kazakhstan in mid-September under a barter agreement, along with two Russians.
SpaceX has now launched eight crews for NASA. Boeing was hired at the same time nearly a decade ago, but has yet to fly astronauts. Its crew capsule is grounded until 2024 by parachute and other issues.
New crew for the space station launches with 4 astronauts from 4 countries
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New crew for the space station launches with 4 astronauts from 4 countries
- Astronauts to reach the orbiting lab Sunday for a half-year stay, replacing four astronauts living up there since March
- A NASA astronaut was joined on the predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center by fliers from Denmark, Japan and Russia
Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump can represent himself at trial, judge says
Routh said during the hearing that his attorneys were diligent, but they didn’t listen to him and were afraid of him
FLORIDA: A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida can represent himself during his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Ryan Routh’s request but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Earlier in the week, the federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them.
Routh said during the hearing that his attorneys were diligent, but they didn’t listen to him and were afraid of him.
“How are they supposed to represent me and say I’m not a dangerous person when they don’t believe that?” Routh said.
Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a US Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Reiterating her message from a July 10 hearing, Cannon told Routh that she doesn’t intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. She also once again told Routh that she believes it’s a bad idea for Routh to represent himself.
Routh, who said he completed two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understands the potential challenges and would be ready for trial.
Cannon said Thursday that she decided to hold the second hearing after receiving a June 29 letter from Routh that did not arrive at the courthouse until after that hearing. In that letter, Routh said he and his attorneys were “a million miles apart” and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also wrote that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia.
“I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,” Routh wrote.
Cannon told Routh that she believed the federal public defenders assigned to Routh’s case were excellent attorneys.
“I find no basis to believe that there has been ineffective assistance of counsel,” Cannon said.
The judge also reminded Routh that she will not be able to assist Routh or provide legal advice during the trial.
Cannon also briefly addressed Routh’s suggestion of a prisoner exchange, saying, “I have no power or any opinion of anything you’ve written there.”
On Wednesday, the federal public defender’s office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, saying “the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.” Attorneys said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team, including a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami.
“It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,” the motion said.
Cannon denied their motion on Thursday, explaining that their office was in the best position to prevent delays to the trial.
The US Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.
Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.
Routh will have his first chance to represent himself on Friday during a scheduled hearing on whether certain evidence and testimony can be used at trial. His former attorneys are expected to be present as standby counsel.
In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
- Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, passed away at Florida hospital after suffering cardiac arrest
- His public persona transcended the ring, making him a household name and WWE Hall of Famer 2005
CLEARWATER: Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.
In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”
Hogan’s public persona has transcended the ring, making him a household name. He appeared in numerous movies — including the third “Rocky” film, where he took on the title character, played by Sylvester Stallone. Hogan also had a reality show about his life on VH1, called “Hogan Knows Best” in the early 2000s.
The attention on the intimate details of Hogan’s personal life has not always been welcomed by the superstar. A Florida jury sided with Hogan in 2016, awarding him $115 million in a lawsuit against Gawker Media for posting a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife.
Hogan contended the 2012 post violated his privacy. The lawsuit forced Gawker to shutter and was closely watched by First Amendment experts and media lawyers alike.
WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.
“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” it said.
Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches new UK political party
- In announcement, Corbyn and Sultana called for a “mass redistribution of wealth and power,” said they would “keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel”
LONDON: Former leftist Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced Thursday he was forming a new political party alongside another ex-member of Britain’s ruling party, as the UK’s political landscape continues to splinter.
Corbyn, who lost two elections as Labour leader in 2017 and 2019, and fellow independent MP Zarah Sultana referred to the new left-wing outfit as “Your Party,” but later said its name still had to be decided.
“It’s time for a new kind of political party. One that is rooted in our communities, trade unions and social movements,” they said in a joint statement.
In their announcement, they called for a “mass redistribution of wealth and power” and said they would “keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel.”
They also committed to a “free and independent Palestine.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pulled Labour to the center since succeeding Corbyn as leader, faces growing calls within his party to recognize a Palestinian state.
Corbyn, 76, stepped down as Labour leader after overseeing its worst result in decades, when it was trounced in the 2019 general election by the Conservatives, then led by Boris Johnson.
Labour under Starmer suspended him in 2020 after he refused to fully accept the findings of a rights watchdog’s probe into claims that anti-Semitism had become rampant within Labour’s ranks under his leadership.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission ruled the party had broken equality law when Corbyn was in charge.
Corbyn said anti-Semitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons.”
Last year Corbyn announced he would stand as an independent in the July 2024 general election after Labour failed to put him forward as a candidate.
He was expelled from the party but still went on to win comfortably his Islington North seat in London, which he has represented for more than 40 years.
Sultana, an MP since 2019, was suspended by Labour last year after she and several other members of parliament voted to scrap a controversial cap on child benefits.
While it remains to be seen whether the new movement will take off, its formation appears to confirm a trend in British politics toward a multi-party system.
British politics has long been dominated by Labour and the Conservatives, but three other parties are challenging that order.
The center-left Liberal Democrats won 72 seats in the 650-seat parliament in July 2024, while Nigel Farage’s anti-immigrant Reform UK party won about 14 percent of the vote.
It picked up five seats, an unprecedented breakthrough for a hard-right party in Britain.
Farage’s Euroskeptics swept dozens of council and mayoral seats in local elections in May and are leading national opinion polls, although the next general election is not expected until 2029.
While Reform are picking up support on the right, Labour is also losing votes to the Greens on the left.
Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor who is seen as too right-wing for some left-wingers in his party, recently suspended four lawmakers who rebelled over his attempts at reforming welfare.
They currently sit as independents and Westminster watchers will be keeping a close eye on whether they are tempted to join Corbyn’s new party.
“I do think there is space for a left-wing populist party in the UK with a charismatic leader that could pose an enormous threat to Labour and the other parties, but it’s going to take a lot to convince me that Jeremy Corbyn can be it,” Chris Hopkins, political research director at polling firm Savanta, told AFP.
Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea
- ‘Food Delivery’ was pulled from Philippine premiere in March but will debut on Sunday
- Chinese consulate tried to block it from a New Zealand festival where it won an award
MANILA: Pulled from screens days before its premiere, a Philippine documentary about the daily struggles of Filipino fishermen and coast guards is now winning big abroad, turning the spotlight onto the disputed South China Sea and Manila’s tensions with Beijing.
“Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” by Filipino filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama, was initially set for a Philippine premiere in March. However, it was dropped from the lineup of the PureGold CinePanalo Film Festival in Manila with organizers citing “external factors.”
The film’s title refers to the Philippine part of the South China Sea lying within the country’s exclusive economic zone, an area central to a long-running dispute over the strategic waterway between Manila and Beijing.
Seeking to highlight the “human” side of tensions beyond geopolitical framing, it centers on the story of Filipino fishermen “who risk their lives every day” and the quiet efforts of Philippine coast guard personnel to keep them safe despite limited resources, Villarama told Arab News.
“They see it as their duty, their lifeblood, and their birthright. What struck us most was not anger or fear, but a deep sense of quiet dignity. These are men who wake before sunrise, not minding what dangers await them, yet they sail because they must feed their families and uphold traditions passed down for generations,” she said.
“They don’t use the word ‘patriotism,’ but they live it. For them, the West Philippine Sea isn’t an idea. It’s home. It’s where they survive, dream, and stand their ground. Their courage is unassuming, but it is fierce.”
The documentary went on to have its world premiere at the Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand, where it won the Tides of Change prize earlier this month.
“International recognition gave the film credibility, but it was really the solidarity of communities here and abroad that could make the screening possible on the 27th (of July),” Villarama said. “We’re just hoping for the best.”
Before the film made its international debut in New Zealand, it faced pressure from the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland, which lodged a formal protest to festival organizers and requested the film’s scheduled screenings were canceled.
Despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling in favor of the Philippines’ claims China continues to assert its historical claims to the waters, through which an estimated $5.3 trillion worth of commercial goods transit annually.
In a letter to organizers later posted online, the Chinese consulate said the film was “rife with disinformation and false propaganda, serving as a political tool for Philippines to pursue illegitimate claims in the South China Sea.”
But for its creators, the film was always about the Filipino audience.
“We made ‘Food Delivery’ to hold up a mirror to the truth — not to divide, but to help us see more clearly what is happening in our own waters. Because no matter where we stand on politics or personal beliefs, one thing is certain: The West Philippine Sea is part of our story. It is part of who we are,” Chuck Gutierrez, co-founder of documentary producer Voyage Studios, told Arab News.
“The truth is, we did not make this film to antagonize anyone. Our goal was simple — to show the day-to-day reality faced by Filipinos at the West Philippine Sea. What we captured came from firsthand experiences, not secondhand narratives. These are voices that have long been unheard.”
Winning the award in New Zealand was a “deeply affirming moment” for Gutierrez and his team.
“It means that telling the truth, especially when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable, is still worth fighting for,” he said. “Despite the forces that tried to silence the story we were telling, the truth found its voice and resonated with an international audience.”
Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties
- Australia sees Britain as a critical partner and the two countries are working closely
- Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Britain and Australia were “longstanding friends“
SYDNEY: Australia and Britain’s defense and foreign ministers will hold talks in Sydney on Friday on boosting cooperation, coinciding with Australia’s largest war games and the first visit by a British carrier strike group in three decades, Australia said.
Following the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN), Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey are scheduled to travel to the northern garrison city of Darwin, where the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has arrived for the Talisman Sabre war games.
Australia sees Britain as a critical partner and the two countries are working closely amid “shared strategic challenges in an increasingly complex and uncertain world,” Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.
As many as 40,000 troops from 19 countries are taking part in the Talisman Sabre exercises held from July 13 to August 4, which Australia’s military has said are a rehearsal of joint war fighting that contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Britain has significantly increased its participation in the exercise co-hosted by Australia and the United States, with 3,000 troops taking part.
The talks are expected to focus on progressing the AUKUS partnership for Britain and Australia to build a new class of nuclear-powered submarine, even as the United States reviews the trilateral defense technology agreement and presses Australia to increase defense spending.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Britain and Australia were “longstanding friends” and the two countries wanted to modernize the relationship.
“From building defense capability and boosting economic resilience, to standing up for human rights, advancing gender equality, and defending the international rules and institutions that protect us all,” she said in a statement.
