NEWSLETTER
Thursday / September 29Sep 29
Wednesday / December 29
China goes after SpaceX
China has accused the United States of acting irresponsible and unsafe in space due to two "close encounters" between the Chinese space station and Starlink satellites owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX company.
China's new space station, Tiangong, had to maneuver to avoid colliding with a Starlink satellite in July and another in October, according to a representation that Beijing submitted to the United Nations space agency this month.
China said in a note to the UN that the events "posed a danger to the life or health of astronauts aboard the Chinese Space Station."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also accused the United States of posing a serious threat to the lives and safety of astronauts by ignoring its obligations under international agreements at a press briefing on Tuesday.
SpaceX is a private American company, but China said in a note to the UN that member states of the Outer Space Treaty, which is the foundation of international space law, are responsible for the actions of their non-governmental entities.
US- Iran indirect talks
The US played a cautious tone on Tuesday in response to optimistic comments about Iran and Russia's talks in Vienna to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The US State Department argued that it is too early to say whether Tehran is returning to the negotiations with a constructive approach.
Iran and Russia gave optimistic views on talks that started this week, although Western countries said the talks were progressing very slowly.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian said an agreement is possible in the near future if other parties show "goodwill", while Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov said the working group had made "indisputable progress" in the eighth round of negotiations.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said some progress had been made in the final round of talks, but it was too early to say whether Tehran is back at the table in the current round to build on those gains.
Samsung in Texas
South Korean tech giant Samsung said it has chosen Taylor, Texas, as the location for a new $17 billion facility to manufacture advanced chips for functions such as mobile, 5G, high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
The Samsung facility promises blue and white-collar employment in thousands, with construction to begin in the first half of next year and production to begin in the second half of 2024.
Samsung joins rivals TSMC and Intel in the race to expand chip production in the United States, which has a strategic rivalry with China in the industry.
The Biden administration has pledged billions of dollars through federal funding to boost chip production and research to gain an edge over China in advanced technologies and address shortcomings in critical industries like automobiles.
"Securing America's supply chains is a top priority for President Biden and his Administration," said Brian Deese, Director of the US National Economic Council, and Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, in a statement welcoming Samsung's investment.
US stocks
US stocks were mixed on Tuesday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 36,398.21 points, gaining for the fifth day in a row, up 95.83 points, or about 0.3%. The S&P500 fell 0.1% to 4,786.35 after hitting a new intraday high at the start of the session.
The Nasdaq Composite Index fell nearly 0.6% to 15,781.72.
Media and governments' widespread fear of omicrons and new socio-economic restrictions will bring about the declines in sectors such as travel.
China has accused the United States of acting irresponsible and unsafe in space due to two "close encounters" between the Chinese space station and Starlink satellites owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX company.
China's new space station, Tiangong, had to maneuver to avoid colliding with a Starlink satellite in July and another in October, according to a representation that Beijing submitted to the United Nations space agency this month.
China said in a note to the UN that the events "posed a danger to the life or health of astronauts aboard the Chinese Space Station."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also accused the United States of posing a serious threat to the lives and safety of astronauts by ignoring its obligations under international agreements at a press briefing on Tuesday.
SpaceX is a private American company, but China said in a note to the UN that member states of the Outer Space Treaty, which is the foundation of international space law, are responsible for the actions of their non-governmental entities.
US- Iran indirect talks
The US played a cautious tone on Tuesday in response to optimistic comments about Iran and Russia's talks in Vienna to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The US State Department argued that it is too early to say whether Tehran is returning to the negotiations with a constructive approach.
Iran and Russia gave optimistic views on talks that started this week, although Western countries said the talks were progressing very slowly.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian said an agreement is possible in the near future if other parties show "goodwill", while Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov said the working group had made "indisputable progress" in the eighth round of negotiations.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said some progress had been made in the final round of talks, but it was too early to say whether Tehran is back at the table in the current round to build on those gains.
Samsung in Texas
South Korean tech giant Samsung said it has chosen Taylor, Texas, as the location for a new $17 billion facility to manufacture advanced chips for functions such as mobile, 5G, high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
The Samsung facility promises blue and white-collar employment in thousands, with construction to begin in the first half of next year and production to begin in the second half of 2024.
Samsung joins rivals TSMC and Intel in the race to expand chip production in the United States, which has a strategic rivalry with China in the industry.
The Biden administration has pledged billions of dollars through federal funding to boost chip production and research to gain an edge over China in advanced technologies and address shortcomings in critical industries like automobiles.
"Securing America's supply chains is a top priority for President Biden and his Administration," said Brian Deese, Director of the US National Economic Council, and Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, in a statement welcoming Samsung's investment.
US stocks
US stocks were mixed on Tuesday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 36,398.21 points, gaining for the fifth day in a row, up 95.83 points, or about 0.3%. The S&P500 fell 0.1% to 4,786.35 after hitting a new intraday high at the start of the session.
The Nasdaq Composite Index fell nearly 0.6% to 15,781.72.
Media and governments' widespread fear of omicrons and new socio-economic restrictions will bring about the declines in sectors such as travel.
