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Spacex Set for Starship's Next Flight, Trump Expected to Attend

NASA's SpaceX Europa mission on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, 14 October 2024. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
NASA's SpaceX Europa mission on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, 14 October 2024. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
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Spacex Set for Starship's Next Flight, Trump Expected to Attend

NASA's SpaceX Europa mission on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, 14 October 2024. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
NASA's SpaceX Europa mission on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, 14 October 2024. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH

SpaceX is poised for its next Starship megarocket test flight on Tuesday, with US President-elect Donald Trump expected to witness the second ever attempt to catch its descending booster stage in the launch tower's "chopstick" arms.
It comes just over a month after the company first pulled off the technical tour de force that underscored its position as the world leader in reusable rocketry.
"It was a beautiful thing to see," Trump declared in his election night victory speech, dramatically recounting the feat.
US media outlets have reported on Trump's plans to attend -- further backed by Federal Aviation Administration orders showing flight restrictions for VIP movement have been imposed around the area during the launch window, which opens at 4:00 pm (2200 GMT) from the company's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
Meanwhile, the usual air traffic restrictions over Trump's Florida residence will be lifted at the same time.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been a constant presence at Trump's side since the Republican's election victory, joining him at meetings with Argentina's President Javier Milei and even at a UFC fight. Trump's decision to travel to Musk's home turf is the latest sign of the burgeoning bond between the billionaire duo.
SpaceX will be looking to prove the first catch wasn't a fluke, after Musk revealed -- indirectly, through audio shared on X of a discussion with engineers days later -- that the Super Heavy booster had come perilously close to crashing.
The world's richest man shared a three-minute video flaunting his hack-and-slash skills in the "Diablo IV" video game, during which sharp-eared viewers caught an employee briefing him that "we were one second away" from a system failure that could have ended in catastrophe.
Tuesday's launch will mark the fastest turnaround between test flights for the world's most powerful rocket, a gleaming, stainless steel colossus central to Musk's vision of colonizing Mars and making humanity a multiplanetary species.
NASA is also counting on a specialized version of Starship to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade under its Artemis program.
Daylight splashdown
Flight six will revisit many of the goals from flight five, with some updates.
If all goes as planned, the returning booster will decelerate from supersonic speeds, creating sonic booms as it nears the launch tower. There, a pair of massive mechanical arms will reach out to catch it and bring it to a halt, around eight to ten minutes after liftoff.
Starship's upper stage will make a partial orbit of Earth, reenter the atmosphere and splash down in the Indian Ocean a little over an hour later, but this time in the daylight, providing better conditions for visual analysis.
Technical goals include reigniting Starship's Raptor engines for the first time in space, and carrying out new heat shield experiments in what will be the final flight for the current generation of Starship prototypes.
The next bloc will feature redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and new-generation tiles and thermal protection layers as the company strives towards a fully reusable heat shield.
Musk riding high
The flight comes as Musk is riding high on Trump's November 5 White House win, having campaigned extensively for the returning Republican leader, as well as donating tens of millions of dollars from his own fortune to the cause.
He has been appointed to co-lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency" -- whose acronym DOGE is a reference to an internet meme and a cryptocurrency that Musk heavily promotes.
That in turn has led to concerns Musk will face possible conflicts of interest if he's seen to influence government regulators to the benefit of his six companies, including SpaceX and its flagship project, Starship.
Ahead of the fifth flight, SpaceX wrote a lengthy post complaining that "the licensing process has been repeatedly derailed by issues ranging from the frivolous to the patently absurd," singling out a "superfluous environmental analysis" for a launch delay.
 

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World

Iranians Chant Slogans Against Supreme Leader at Memorials for Slain Protesters

An Iranian man holds the Iranian national flag during a memorial ceremony for those killed in anti-government protests earlier last month, at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2026. (EPA)
An Iranian man holds the Iranian national flag during a memorial ceremony for those killed in anti-government protests earlier last month, at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2026. (EPA)
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Iranians Chant Slogans Against Supreme Leader at Memorials for Slain Protesters

An Iranian man holds the Iranian national flag during a memorial ceremony for those killed in anti-government protests earlier last month, at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2026. (EPA)
An Iranian man holds the Iranian national flag during a memorial ceremony for those killed in anti-government protests earlier last month, at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2026. (EPA)

Iranians shouted slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday as they gathered to commemorate protesters killed in a crackdown on nationwide demonstrations that rights groups said left thousands dead, according to videos verified by AFP.

The country's clerical authorities also staged a commemoration in the capital Tehran to mark the 40th day since the deaths at the peak of the protests on January 8 and 9.

Officials acknowledge more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, but attribute the violence to "terrorist acts", while rights groups say many more thousands of people were killed, shot dead by security forces in a violent crackdown.

The protests, sparked by anger over the rising cost of living before exploding in size and anti-government fervor, subsided after the crackdown, but in recent days Iranians have chanted slogans from the relative safety of homes and rooftops at night.

On Tuesday, videos verified by AFP showed crowds gathering at memorials for some of those killed again shouting slogans against the theocratic government in place since the 1979 revolution.

In videos geolocated by AFP shared on social media, a crowd in Abadan in western Iran holds up flowers and commemorative photos of a young man as they shout "death to Khamenei" and "long live the shah", in support of the ousted monarchy.

Another video from the same city shows people running in panic from the sounds of shots, though it wasn't immediately clear if they were from live fire.

In the northeastern city of Mashhad a crowd in the street chanted, "One person killed, thousands have his back", another verified video showed.

Gatherings also took place in other parts of the country, according to videos shared by rights groups.

- Official commemorations -

At the government-organized memorial in Tehran crowds carried Iranian flags and portraits of those killed as nationalist songs played and chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" echoed through the Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended a similar event at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

Authorities have accused sworn enemies the United States and Israel of fueling "foreign-instigated riots", saying they hijacked peaceful protests with killings and vandalism.

Senior officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Revolutionary Guards commander Esmail Qaani, attended the ceremony.

"Those who supported rioters and terrorists are criminals and will face the consequences," Qaani said, according to Tasnim news agency.

International organizations have said evidence shows Iranian security forces targeted protesters with live fire under the cover of an internet blackout.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 killings in the crackdown, the vast majority protesters, though rights groups warn the toll is likely far higher.

More than 53,500 people have been arrested in the ongoing crackdown, HRANA added, with rights groups warning protesters could face execution.

Tuesday's gatherings coincided with a second round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Geneva, amid heightened tensions after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following Iran's crackdown on the protests.

World

Independent UN Body Condemns ‘Vicious Attacks’ on UN Expert on Palestinian Rights

United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese looks on at the end of a press conference on the human rights situation in Gaza in Geneva on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese looks on at the end of a press conference on the human rights situation in Gaza in Geneva on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Independent UN Body Condemns ‘Vicious Attacks’ on UN Expert on Palestinian Rights

United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese looks on at the end of a press conference on the human rights situation in Gaza in Geneva on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese looks on at the end of a press conference on the human rights situation in Gaza in Geneva on September 15, 2025. (AFP)

An ‌independent United Nations body on Tuesday condemned what it described as vicious attacks based on disinformation by several European ministers against the organization's special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese.

In the past week several European countries, including Germany, France and Italy, called for Albanese’s resignation over her alleged criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, denies making the remarks.

On Friday, the Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Petr Macinka quoted Albanese on X as having called Israel a "common enemy of humanity", and he ‌also called for ‌her resignation.

A transcript of Albanese's remarks ‌made ⁠in Doha on ⁠February 7 seen by Reuters did not characterize Israel in this way, although she has consistently criticized the country in the past over the Gaza conflict.

The UN Coordination Committee - a body of six independent experts which coordinates and facilitates the work of Special Rapporteurs - accused European ministers of relying on "manufactured ⁠facts".

"Instead of demanding Ms. Albanese's resignation ‌for performing her mandate...these government representatives ‌should join forces to hold accountable, including before the International Criminal Court, ‌leaders and officials accused of committing war crimes and ‌crimes against humanity in Gaza," the Committee said.

It said the pressure exerted on Albanese was part of an increasing trend of politically motivated and malicious attacks against independent human rights experts, UN officials ‌and judges of international courts.

US President Donald Trump's administration imposed sanctions on Albanese after she wrote ⁠letters ⁠to US companies accusing them of contributing to gross human rights violations by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.

UN experts are commissioned by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises but are independent of the organization itself.

There is no precedent for removing a special rapporteur during their term, although diplomats said that states on the 47-member council could in theory propose a motion to do so.

However, they said strong support for Palestinian rights within the body means that such a motion was unlikely to pass.

World

US Plans to Deploy More Missile Launchers to the Philippines Despite China’s Alarm 

A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise at the joint military exercise called "Balikatan", Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder in a Naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP)
A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise at the joint military exercise called "Balikatan", Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder in a Naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP)
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US Plans to Deploy More Missile Launchers to the Philippines Despite China’s Alarm 

A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise at the joint military exercise called "Balikatan", Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder in a Naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP)
A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise at the joint military exercise called "Balikatan", Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder in a Naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP)

The United States plans to deploy more high-tech missile systems to the Philippines to help deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on Tuesday condemned what they called China’s "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities."

Beijing has repeatedly expressed alarm over the installation in the northern Philippines of a US mid-range missile system called the Typhon in 2024 and of an anti-ship missile launcher last year. It said the US weapons were aimed at containing China’s rise and warned that these were a threat to regional stability.

China has asked the Philippines to withdraw the missile launchers from its territory, but officials led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have rejected the demand.

US and Philippine officials held annual talks Monday in Manila on broadening security, political and economic engagements and boosting collaboration with regional security allies.

The US and the Philippines outlined in a joint statement Tuesday specific defense and security plans for this year, including joint military exercises, Washington's support to help modernize the Philippine military and efforts "to increase deployments of US cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines."

The longtime allies "underscored their support for preserving freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and other lawful uses of the sea for all nations," the statement said.

"Both sides condemned China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities in the South China Sea, recognizing their adverse effects on regional peace and stability and the economies of the Indo-Pacific and beyond," it added.

Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard forces have spiked in the disputed waters in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in the territorial standoffs.

Neither side elaborated on the planned missile deployments but Philippine ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, who took part in Monday’s talks, said US and Filipino defense officials discussed the possible deployment this year of "upgraded" types of US missile launchers that the Philippines may eventually decide to purchase.

"It’s a kind of system that’s really very sophisticated and will be deployed here in the hope that, down the road, we will be able to get our own," Romualdez told The Associated Press.

The Typhon missile system that the US Army deployed to the main northern Philippine region of Luzon in April 2024 and an anti-missile launcher called the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System that was deployed in April last year also to Luzon have remained in the Philippines, Romualdez said.

During joint drills, US forces have exhibited the missile systems to batches of Filipino forces to familiarize them with the weapons’ capabilities and usage, military officials said.

Romualdez said the US missile deployments to the Philippines did not aim to antagonize any country.

"It’s purely for deterrence," he said. "Every time the Chinese show any kind of aggression, it only strengthens our resolve to have these types."

The Typhon missile launchers, a land-based weapon, can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. Tomahawk missiles can travel over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), which places China within their target range, from the northern Philippine region of Luzon.

Last year, the US Marines deployed the anti-ship missile launcher, the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, to Batan island in the northernmost Philippine province of Batanes, which faces the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan.

The sea passage is a critical trade and military route that the US and Chinese militaries have tried to gain strategic control of.