East | Common News Update

Nov42022 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX launches broadcast satellite to serve Europe, Africa, Middle East

Science

Nov. 3 (UPI) -- SpaceX Thursday put the Hotbird 13G satellite into orbit for Eutelsat to bolster broadcast systems across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In a statement Eutelsat said, "Once into orbit and positioned, the satellite Eutelsat Hotbird 13G will, with its twin Eutelsat Hotbird 13F launched on Oct. 15, reinforce and enhance the broadcast of more than a thousand television channels into homes across Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, the two satellites will offer advanced features in terms of uplink signal protection and resilience." The Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched at 1:22 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to Eutelsat. Eutelsat's statement said that the satellite "was successfully launched into Geostationary Transfer Orbit." It was...

Feb22021 by adminNo Comments

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East tests positive for COVID-19

Sports

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East announced she has tested positive for COVID-19, just weeks after revealing she is pregnant. Johnson East and her husband, former Washington Football Team long snapper Andrew East, are expecting their second child later this year. Advertisement "Got my results back [Sunday] and they came back positive for COVID," the former Olympic gymnast wrote on her Instagram story Sunday night. "Not going to lie ... I'm nervous knowing I'm positive. It's been a long two weeks of RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] with Drew and now this ... my body is exhausted." Johnson, who has dealt with asthma for most of her life, said she is experiencing a cough, sore throat, fatigue and a headache. She also noted that she had a close family member "fight for...

Dec222020 by adminNo Comments

Submarine USS Georgia transits Strait of Hormuz as Middle East tensions rise

Business

Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The guided-missile submarine USS Georgia passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said Monday in a rare disclosure. The submarine, which can carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, was escorted by the guided missile cruisers USS Port Royal and USS Philippine Sea through the strait as it entered the Persian Gulf. Advertisement The U.S. military rarely announces the movements of its submarines, and the disclosure comes as U.S. officials are on alert for heightened tensions in the Middle East. Jan. 3 marks the first anniversary of the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who died in a U. S. drone strike in Iraq. "We are prepared to defend ourselves, our friends and partners in the region, and we're prepared to react, if necessar...

Dec212020 by adminNo Comments

U.S. troops to leave Somalia but remain in East Africa

Business

Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Although U.S. troops are leaving Somalia, they will be deployed elsewhere in East Africa, the U.S. Africa Command leader said. The Pentagon announced Dec. 4 that, under orders from President Donald Trump, U.S. personnel and assets will be removed from Somalia by early 2021. Advertisement The troops are involved in combating the Islamist terrorist group al-Shabab, training local forces and protecting Baledogle Airfield in southern Somalia. The U.S. forces will likely go to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti or Manda Bay in Kenya, two countries that are adjacent to Somalia, but AFRICOM commander Gen. Stephen Townsend did not mention locations in his statement. "I directed the activation of a joint task force, JTF-Quartz, built around the headquarters of Special Operations Command-A...

Sep132020 by adminNo Comments

Officials say east Libya government resigns amid protests

World

Libyan officials say the interim government of eastern Libya has resigned amid street protests that erupted across the divided country over dire living conditionsBy BY SAMY MAGDY Associated PressSeptember 13, 2020, 9:14 PM• 3 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleCAIRO -- An interim government in eastern Libya resigned on Sunday amid street protests that erupted across the divided country over dire living conditions, officials said.Prime Minister Abdallah al-Thani submitted the resignation of his government to Aguila Saleh, speaker of the eastern-based House of Representatives, said the government's spokesman, Ezzel-Deen al-Falih.Abdallah Abaihig, a spokesman for the parliament, confirmed the government's resignation, saying lawmakers would review it in their next meet...