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Space Shuttle Endeavour Hoisted for Installation in Vertical Display at LA Museum

Space Shuttle Endeavour is lifted at the California Science Center, where it will be paired with its iconic orange external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters inside the soon-to-be-completed Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, in Los Angeles, California, US January 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Space Shuttle Endeavour is lifted at the California Science Center, where it will be paired with its iconic orange external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters inside the soon-to-be-completed Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, in Los Angeles, California, US January 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake
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Space Shuttle Endeavour Hoisted for Installation in Vertical Display at LA Museum

Space Shuttle Endeavour is lifted at the California Science Center, where it will be paired with its iconic orange external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters inside the soon-to-be-completed Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, in Los Angeles, California, US January 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Space Shuttle Endeavour is lifted at the California Science Center, where it will be paired with its iconic orange external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters inside the soon-to-be-completed Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, in Los Angeles, California, US January 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake

NASA's retired Space Shuttle Endeavour was carefully hoisted late Monday to be mated to a huge external fuel tank and its two solid rocket boosters at a Los Angeles museum where it will be uniquely displayed as if it is about to blast off.
A massive crane delicately began lifting the orbiter, which is 122 feet (37 meters) long and has a 78-foot (24-meter) wingspan, into the partially built Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center in Exposition Park, The Associated Press reported.
The building will be completed around Endeavour before the display opens to the public.
The 20-story-tall display stands atop an 1,800-ton (1,633-metric ton) concrete slab supported by six so-called base isolators to protect Endeavour from earthquakes.
All parts of the vertical launch configuration are authentic components of the shuttle system, including the rust-colored external tank, which was flight-qualified.
Endeavour flew 25 missions between 1992 and 2011, when NASA’s shuttle program ended.
The shuttle was flown to Los Angeles International Airport in 2012 atop a NASA Boeing 747 and then created a spectacle as it was inched through tight city streets to Exposition Park. The external tank arrived by barge and made a similar trip across the city.
The shuttle was initially displayed horizontally in a temporary exhibit hall. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Air and Space Center was held in 2022 on the 11th anniversary of Endeavour’s final return from space.
The process of assembling the shuttle system in vertical configuration was dubbed “Go for Stack,” an informal term for putting together rocket components for launch.
It began in July with precise installation of the bottom segments of the side boosters, known as aft skirts, for the first time outside of a NASA facility. In use, the boosters would be attached to the external tank to help the shuttle's main engines lift off.
The 116-foot-long (35.3-meter-long) rocket motors were trucked to Los Angeles from the Mojave Desert in October and were installed the following month.
In all, NASA operated five shuttles in space. Shuttle Challenger and its crew were lost in a launch accident Jan. 28, 1986. Columbia and its crew were lost during return from orbit Feb. 1, 2003. Retired shuttles Atlantis and Discovery and the test ship Enterprise, which did not go to space, are on display across the country.
Atlantis is at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, where it is displayed as if in orbit with its payload doors open and robotic arm extended. Discovery rests on its landing gear at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Enterprise, which was released from a carrier aircraft for approach and landing tests, is displayed at the Intrepid Museum in New York.

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Varieties

Children's Art Supplies Enter into Gaza for First Time in Two Years

A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Children's Art Supplies Enter into Gaza for First Time in Two Years

A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
A painting drawn by artists is seen at a house destroyed by Israel, in recent Israeli-Gaza fighting, in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

The UN children's agency (UNICEF) told AFP on Friday that it was able to bring recreational supplies including notebooks, crayons and art materials into the war-scarred Gaza Strip for the first time in more than two years.

Since the start of the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, humanitarian organizations have repeatedly denounced major difficulties bringing equipment and supplies into the Palestinian territory, blaming Israeli restrictions.

Israel rejects those accusations, saying it oversees the entry of goods into Gaza to ensure its security.

UNICEF's announcement comes after the United States announced in mid-January the launch of phase two of President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in effect since October 2025.

"Since Thursday 15 January, 5,168 recreational kits have entered the Strip, supporting more than 375,000 children -- including 1,000 children with disabilities," UNICEF said in a statement.

COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, told AFP it was not in a position to comment immediately.

Phase two of Trump's peace plan aims at paving the way for Gaza's reconstruction including the gradual restoration of public services, but does not include specifics about the school system which has been largely paralysed for more than two years.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, US officials presented their vision for a "New Gaza" that would turn the shattered Palestinian territory into a glitzy resort of skyscrapers by the sea, saying the transformation could emerge in three years.

The issue of education was not mentioned among priorities for "the next 100 days".

UNICEF official Ted Chaiban, who visited Gaza this week, called for the authorisation to bring all other educational and early childhood development supplies into the territory.

Quoted in the UNICEF statement, he said these would provide children "with the most basic materials they need to be able to learn".

Humanitarian officials have told AFP they have not obtained authorisation from Israel to bring in school supplies.

AFP correspondents in the Gaza Strip say they have seen school supplies sold on the private market at exorbitant prices.

Varieties

Massive Winter Storm Threatens Heavy Snow, Freezing Rain, to More than 170 million People Across US

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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Massive Winter Storm Threatens Heavy Snow, Freezing Rain, to More than 170 million People Across US

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Texas and Oklahoma braced for heavy snow and ice that could make roadways treacherous Friday in what is expected to be some of the initial effects of a huge, dayslong winter storm threatening catastrophic damage, extensive power outages and bitterly cold weather to more than 170 million people across the nation, the National Weather Service says — about half the population.

A combination of heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet is in store from the Southern Rockies to New England through Monday, the agency said.

And even when that's over, a round of extremely cold air will hit areas of the Southern Plains to the Northeast next week, the weather service said.

More than 800 flights within, into, or out of the United States were delayed or canceled for Friday in advance of the storm, including at airports in Dallas, Atlanta, and Oklahoma, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware, according to The AP news.

Oklahoma's Department of Transportation pretreated roads with salt brine. The state Highway Patrol canceled days off for troopers so more will be out assist and said it was partnering with the National Guard to send teams out to help stranded drivers.

“Travel is going to become more and more treacherous starting late Friday afternoon and lasting through the rest of the weekend,” the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, posted online.

Oklahoma City Public Schools officials canceled all classes and activities Friday due to predicted deteriorating road conditions. Frigid temperatures closed Houston schools Friday with an e-learning day for public school students. In Dallas, schools were expected to open, but officials said after-school activities were canceled Friday and throughout the weekend.

In the Houston area, a utility company had 3,300 employees ready to work the winter storm.

“It’s all hands on deck,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire posted online. “We’re hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.”

Snow, freezing rain, sleet and low temps for many The massive storm system is expected to bring a crippling ice storm from Texas through parts of the South, potentially more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Oklahoma through Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, and then a final punch of bitterly cold air that could drop wind chills to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 Celsius) in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Forecasters are warning the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival a hurricane. Many people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings — and in many places both.

Cold air streaming down from Canada caused Chicago Public Schools and Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa to cancel classes Friday, as well. Wind chills predicted to be as low as minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 37 Celsius) could cause frostbite within 10 minutes, making it too dangerous to walk to school or wait for the bus.

The cold punch coming after means it will take a while to thaw out, an especially dangerous prospect in places where ice and snow weighs down tree branches and power lines and cuts electricity, perhaps for days. Roads and sidewalks could remain icy well into next week.

Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially in windy weather.

Freezing temperatures are expected all the way to Florida, forecasters said.

A severe cold snap five years ago took down much of the power grid in Texas, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths. Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that won't happen again, saying the power system “has never been stronger.”

Winter storms can be notoriously tricky to forecast, with forecasters saying the places with the worst weather can't be pinned down until the event starts.

States of emergency declared in Georgia and Mississippi Governors in Georgia and Mississippi have declared states of emergency.

In Huntsville, Alabama, employees from Jomo’s Power Equipment, Parts & Service Inc. sold dozens of generators within about a day and ordered an emergency shipment to meet customer demand.

“I’d say 95% of the calls were generator-related or either service or ‘Do you have any generators in stock,’” Bryan Hill, the store's manager, said Thursday.

Lindsay Sylvester in Toney, Alabama, stocked up early in the week on bread and other supplies at her home and sent her son, who is in college, bread, gloves, candles and hand warmers.

Sylvester said she went to the store early in the week because she knew supplies would be depleted close to the weekend.

“A couple of people I heard talking about they had gone to Walmart and there was no milk, no bread,” she said. “All the necessities were gone.”

As a precaution, North Carolina’s largest public school system prepared for potentially several days out of physical classrooms next week, telling its teachers to create three days of assignments accessible online or through paper copies.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger told residents to prepare for days without power or the ability to leave their neighborhoods. And in a nod to the politics of the time, the newly inaugurated Democrat said people should not be scared to call 911 in an emergency just because of the immigration crackdowns going on in places like Minnesota.

Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesperson Dave Parker pleaded for people to be patient and stay home if possible once the storm hits.

At a busy grocery store near downtown Dallas, Kennedi Mallard and Frank Green loaded two shopping carts full of supplies into their car. They said there were some bare shelves inside.

“No water, no eggs, no butter, no ground meat,” Green said.

 

 

 

Varieties

Long-Awaited First Snowfall Brings Relief to Water-Scarce Kabul

An Afghan man rides a bicycle along a road during snowfall in the green zone area of Kabul on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
An Afghan man rides a bicycle along a road during snowfall in the green zone area of Kabul on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
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Long-Awaited First Snowfall Brings Relief to Water-Scarce Kabul

An Afghan man rides a bicycle along a road during snowfall in the green zone area of Kabul on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
An Afghan man rides a bicycle along a road during snowfall in the green zone area of Kabul on January 22, 2026. (AFP)

Children sliding around on plastic bags, boys engaging in lively snowball fights, and families taking selfies on white-covered streets: residents of Kabul rejoiced on Friday at the long-awaited first snowfall of the winter.

Snow usually comes to the Afghan capital in December, but its six million inhabitants are increasingly feeling the effects of climate change, which has brought rising temperatures and water shortages that have disrupted daily life.

"In recent years, snow in Kabul has felt like nothing less than a blessing," 22-year-old Rukhsar Adel told AFP.

She and her family eagerly checked the weather forecast the night before and felt "happy and relieved" when white flakes started to fall on Thursday morning.

Kabul may run out of ground water by as early as 2030 due to climate change and rapid urbanization, studies show.

A United Nations projection also indicates that nearly half of Kabul's boreholes -- the primary source of drinking water for residents -- are already dry.

"More than half of the winter had already passed without snowfall. People became worried and even prayed for snow," Adel said.

- Hope for water -

"We all need water, and there is a lack of water in Kabul," said 32-year-old Hekmatullah Ahady, adding that a 100-meter-deep (330-foot) well at his house dried up last year.

He said he hoped the snow would help to replenish water levels and make it easier for his family to get water.

Plus, he said, seeing the city blanketed in white was "so nice", even though his commute to work took longer.

Severe storms and heavy rains have killed at least 15 people, including children, across Afghanistan in the last three days, officials have said, though there have been no reported casualties in Kabul.

Heavy snow both in the provinces and the capital has caused traffic accidents, with rescue teams mobilized all night to give assistance, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

In a change from Kabul's traffic-clogged streets, people enjoyed a rare dose of quiet as some drivers left their cars unused.

Boys took full advantage, hurling snowballs at each other along roadsides and in alleys, while small crowds gathered at street stalls to buy warm soup or coffee.