All posts tagged: readies

The U.S. men’s national team readies for the World Cup : NPR

The U.S. men’s national team readies for the World Cup : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Players of the United States pose for a team photograph prior to their World Cup tune-up match against Germany at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Saturday. Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jamie Squire/Getty Images It’s here, folks: The FIFA World Cup kicks off this week, and the U.S. men’s national soccer team is ready for its Friday opener in Los Angeles, the players say. A pair of international friendlies over the past two weekends has given the Americans and their fans plenty of reasons to dream big. Star forward Christian Pulisic broke his monthslong goal drought against Senegal, and defender Antonee Robinson wowed with his offensive playmaking. And above all, the U.S. showed they are unwilling to be intimidated by quality opponents with their own serious aspirations for the World Cup. “We’re really starting to hit our stride,” said midfielder Tyler Adams after Saturday’s game against Germany. Gone are the anxieties about scoring chances In the 2022 World Cup, the Americans only managed to score three goals in their four games. That was enough …

France Readies UN Resolution on Hormuz as Vote on US Text Stalls

France Readies UN Resolution on Hormuz as Vote on US Text Stalls

Published by Sam Flores

PARIS, May 21 (Reuters) – France has drafted ⁠a ⁠U.N. Security Council resolution on ⁠setting up an international mission to restore movement in the Strait ​of Hormuz and could submit it if conditions are right, the foreign ministry said on Friday, ‌as Washington struggles to bring to ‌a vote a text Russia and China may say is biased against Tehran. Control of ⁠the narrow ⁠waterway, a vital artery for global energy trade whose virtual closure ​has led to spiralling oil prices, is a major obstacle in talks to end the three-month-old U.S.-Iran war.   A U.S.-Bahraini resolution on the strait has been under discussion for more than two weeks, with ​a vote repeatedly delayed as China and Russia signal they could veto it. The U.S.-Bahraini ⁠draft ⁠resolution demands Iran halt attacks ⁠and mining ​in the strait. China and Russia vetoed a similar U.S.-backed text in April, arguing it was ​biased against Tehran. Washington has ⁠secured almost 140 countries to co-sponsor its text in the hope of avoiding a veto, two European diplomats said.  France, another veto-wielding power, …

Spain readies for evacuations as a hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for Canary Islands : NPR

Spain readies for evacuations as a hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for Canary Islands : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Health workers in protective gear arrive to evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Misper Apawu/AP hide caption toggle caption Misper Apawu/AP MADRID — Spanish authorities on Friday were preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands, where health officials have said they will perform careful evacuations. The vessel is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, on Saturday or Sunday. “They will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” said Virginia Barcones, Spain’s head of emergency services, on Thursday. The MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged vessel and Dutch officials said Friday they were also in close contact with the ship’s owner and authorities of countries whose citizens are on board. The United States has agreed to send a plane to the Canary Islands to repatriate its 17 citizens from the cruise ship, Barcones said. The British government also said it will charter …

NASA’s Artemis II crew readies for Monday’s lunar flyby : NPR

NASA’s Artemis II crew readies for Monday’s lunar flyby : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

A photo of NASA’s Orion space capsule taken by a remote camera mounted on one of its solar arrays as it sped towards the moon. The four astronauts will loop around the moon on Monday and also venture farther into space than any humans before. NASA via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption NASA via Getty Images The crew of NASA’s Artemis II will make its closest approach to the moon Monday afternoon after launching from Kennedy Space Center last week. It marks a critical milestone of the agency’s Orion space capsule, sending humans on a mission to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. As the capsule loops around the moon, the astronauts will reach farther into space than humans have ever ventured. The Orion spacecraft is now in the lunar sphere of influence, meaning the moon’s gravity has more pull on the vehicle than the Earth. At 1:46 p.m. ET, the crew will surpass the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, which was set by …

Hong Kong Readies for Art Week With Optimism and a Healthy Caution

Hong Kong Readies for Art Week With Optimism and a Healthy Caution

Published by José Betancourt

Hong Kong’s art market is staging a cautious comeback in 2026, as industry players bet that collectors will return for the city’s marquee art week after years of political upheaval and pandemic-driven isolation. At the macroeconomic level, signs of recovery have emerged since late 2025, spanning high-end residential real estate in the city to equity markets. A recent report by Morgan Stanley suggested that prolonged instability in the Middle East could prompt further capital and talent to migrate to Hong Kong, drawn by its low-tax policies and relative stability. Such a move would provide a boost to the city, after years of economic stagnation and an exodus of expats since 2020. Yet any early optimism faces an immediate test, as the repercussions of the US–Israel–Iran War continue to ripple through the global supply chain. Related Articles Sabrina Amrani Gallery, a perennial exhibitor at Art Basel Hong Kong, told ARTnews it was forced to change its plans for the fair due to the ongoing war. The Madrid-based gallery, which champions artists from the Middle East and …

UK readies aircraft carrier as Middle East crisis explodes after Trump threat | World | News

UK readies aircraft carrier as Middle East crisis explodes after Trump threat | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

The UK is preparing an aircraft carrier for possible deployment to the Middle East, it has been confirmed. It comes after Donald Trump warned Iran that no deal to end the conflict will be made until the country’s “unconditional surrender”. HMS Prince of Wales, which is based in Portsmouth, has had its 10-day notice to move slashed in half to five days. The acceleration of readiness means the aircraft carrier will be able to respond quickly if asked to mobilise. According to the Royal Navy, the giant vessel is one of the most powerful surface warships ever made in the UK. Carrying up to 1,600 crew, she is able to embark 36 F-35 fighter jets and four Merlin helicopters, as well as move 500 miles every day. Crews have also reportedly been alerted about potential deployment as the war in Iran rages on. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our …

SpaceX Readies IPO Paperwork For March, Targeting .75 Trillion Valuation

SpaceX Readies IPO Paperwork For March, Targeting $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Published by Jenni Sidey

SpaceX is preparing to confidentially file for an initial public offering as early as next month, people familiar with the matter said, advancing plans for what could become the largest listing ever, according to Bloomberg. The Starbase, Texas-based rocket and satellite company is expected to submit draft IPO paperwork to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in March, potentially positioning it for a June debut. That timing would make it the first in a possible wave of mega-offerings, with OpenAI and Anthropic PBC possibly following. Deliberations are ongoing and plans could shift, the people cautioned, noting the filing could still be postponed. Bloomberg writes that some of the people said SpaceX may pursue a valuation above $1.75 trillion, speaking anonymously because discussions are private. The company recently acquired xAI, Elon Musk’s AI venture, in a February deal valuing the combined business at $1.25 trillion, Bloomberg News reported. A confidential filing would allow SpaceX to receive regulatory feedback and revise disclosures before they are made public. A representative for the company did not immediately comment. The …

As US Readies Iran Action, Kim Jong Un Vaunts ‘Irreversible & Permanent’ Nuclear Arsenal

As US Readies Iran Action, Kim Jong Un Vaunts ‘Irreversible & Permanent’ Nuclear Arsenal

Published by Jenni Sidey

Kim Jong-un just gave a fresh nuclear speech, vowing that North Korea will expand its atomic arsenal in both scale and sophistication, and that this is necessary given pressure from nuclear-armed “imperialist” superpowers like the United States. Kim presented the strategy during a weeklong congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, declaring that his country’s nuclear-armed status is “irreversible and permanent” (though not for the first time). He pledged that Pyongyang will continue to strengthen its arsenal “as long as nuclear weapons exist on the earth” and as long as the country faces threats from “US imperialists and their followers,” according to state media on Thursday. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP “We have a long-term plan to strengthen the national nuclear force on an annual basis in the future and will concentrate on increasing the number of nuclear weapons and expanding the means and space for nuclear operation,” Kim stated. Kim earlier warned during a military parade in the capital on Wednesday that North Korea would “deliver terrible retaliatory attacks to any forces” …

NASA readies for ‘wet dress rehearsal’ ahead of Artemis II moon launch

NASA readies for ‘wet dress rehearsal’ ahead of Artemis II moon launch

Published by Sam Flores

As NASA makes final preparations to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon, a critical test Monday will reveal whether its enormous moon rocket is truly ready to fly. Known as a “wet dress rehearsal,” the test is essentially an elaborate launch day walkthrough. NASA will fully fuel its next-generation Space Launch System rocket, going through each step as it would on the actual day up until roughly 30 seconds before liftoff. The results will allow engineers and mission managers to assess the performance and readiness of the booster. The much anticipated Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than Sunday and send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon. The path will take the crew farther from Earth than any humans have gone before. But the official launch date is highly contingent on the outcome of the wet dress rehearsal. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at a news conference with the Artemis II crew members at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 17.Joe Raedle / Getty Images “We’ll take some …