Web Desk
Tiny Meteorite May Have Caused Leak From Soyuz Capsule
Russian and NASA engineers were assessing a coolant leak on Thursday from a Soyuz crew capsule docked with the International Space Station that could have been caused by a micrometeorite strike. Dramatic NASA TV images showed white particles resembling snowflakes streaming out of the rear of the vessel for hours. The coolant leak forced the last-minute cancellation of a spacewalk by two Russian cosmonauts on Wednesday and could potentially impact a return flight to Earth by three crew members. Leak posed no danger Russia’s space corporation Roscosmos and the U.S. space agency said the leak on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft
HE MINISTRY FOR TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS Żebbuġ-Siġġiewi junction project completed: less congestion, more safety
Works to improve the junction between Żebbuġ and Siġġiewi in Triq l-Imdina have been completed. This was announced by Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Aaron Farrugia together with Infrastructure Malta (IM) CEO Ivan Falzon, Projects and Implementation Executive Director Raphael Abdilla, and Implementation Unit Architect Rebecca Grech. The minister explained that this project alleviated congestion and minimised the risks of accidents on this main route. He said that this project reduced the average travel time in this area by approximately 30%. “This improvement in the junction decreased significantly the circumstances in which cars had
Mars Rover Captures 1st Sound of Dust Devil on Red Planet
What’s a dust devil sound like on Mars? A NASA rover by chance had its microphone on when a whirling tower of red dust passed directly overhead, recording the racket. It’s about 10 seconds of not only rumbling gusts of up to 25 mph (40 kph), but the pinging of hundreds of dust particles against the rover Perseverance. Scientists released the first-of-its-kind audio Tuesday. It sounds strikingly similar to dust devils on Earth, although quieter since Mars’ thin atmosphere makes for more muted sounds and less forceful wind, according to the researchers. The dust devil came and went over Perseverance
British Nurses Set to Begin First-Ever Strike as Pay Dispute Deepens
National Health Service nurses in Britain will strike on Thursday in their first-ever national walkout as a bitter dispute with the government over pay ramps up pressure on already-stretched hospitals at one of the busiest times of year. An estimated 100,000 nurses will strike at 76 hospitals and health centers on Thursday, canceling thousands of non-urgent operations, such as hip replacements, and tens of thousands of outpatient appointments in Britain’s state-funded NHS. Britain is facing a wave of industrial action this winter, with strikes crippling the rail network and postal service, and airports bracing for disruption over Christmas. Inflation running
THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT “NAO officers are a good example of professional and ethical standards” – the President
President George Vella expressed his appreciation for the essential and invaluable work carried out by the National Audit Office – NAO. During the launch of the book “State Audit in Times of Transition – Reflections on Change and Continuity, Challenge and Opportunity from Malta and Beyond” published by the NAO on the 25th anniversary of its establishment, President Vella observed the maturity of the recommendations and criticism with each report published by the NAO. The best reward, said the President, that the Auditor General, the Deputy Auditor General and the NAO staff get is that they are trusted by
New Zealand Imposes Lifetime Ban on Youth Buying Cigarettes
New Zealand on Tuesday passed into law a unique plan to phase out tobacco smoking by imposing a lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes. The law states that tobacco can’t ever be sold to anybody born on or after January 1, 2009. It means the minimum age for buying cigarettes will keep going up and up. In theory, somebody trying to buy a pack of cigarettes 50 years from now would need ID to show they were at least 63 years old. But health authorities hope smoking will fade away well before then. They have a stated goal of