Articles about Mission

• The U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, led by Dr. Dario Gil (formerly IBM senior vice president), is deploying AI supercomputing infrastructure to transform American science and engineering across fusion, energy, and national security. • Argonne National Laboratory will deploy approximately 10,000 state-of-the-art GPUs this year via Nvidia and Oracle, with a comparable AMD-HPE cluster launching at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, and a planned 100,000-GPU cluster at Argonne in 2027. • The mission aims to produce 50 to 100 comparable breakthroughs across all scientific domains within three to five years, creating a durable platform of AI supercomputers and next-generation quantum computers for the scientific community.

McCartney and her husband faced objections including fears over threat to local otters and ‘hideous’ designThe fashion designer Stella McCartney has been granted permission to build a £5m home on a spectacular Highland peninsula after a three year planning battle over the threat to local otters and the “hideous” modernist design.McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, a creative director at Adidas, want to build the split level property with a turf roof and natural stone walls on the rocky outcrop overlooking Loch Ailort, west of Fort William, 30 metres above sea level. Continue reading...

Fully crewed rocket will head to moon from Florida – first time since 1972 that humans will have left lower Earth orbitA little more than an hour before sunset on Florida’s space coast, up to 400,000 people packed on beaches and causeways will look to the heavens on Wednesday to witness a fiery spectacle not seen in almost 54 years: a fully crewed Nasa rocket heading back to the moon.The launch of Artemis II, scheduled for 6.24pm ET if weather and any late technical gremlins grant their consent, marks the first time since the Apollo 17 mission of December 1972 that humans will have left lower Earth orbit. Continue reading...

• NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, has cleared its final hurdle and remains on track for launch no earlier than April 1, 2026. • The mission will send four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch—on a 10-day orbital test around the Moon, validating systems for future lunar landings. • This milestone follows rigorous technical reviews, ensuring crew safety and vehicle performance after lessons from uncrewed Artemis I in 2022.

Trans and gender-diverse people experience ‘significant and preventable barriers to their safety and dignity’, report findsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe sex discrimination commissioner says there has been a concerted disinformation campaign against transgender rights since Australia’s postal survey on same-sex marriage.The Australian Human Rights Commission released a report on Tuesday – coinciding with international trans day of visibility – finding that trans and gender-diverse people experience “significant and preventable barriers to their safety, dignity and full participation in society” spanning healthcare, housing, education, employment and public life. Continue reading...

• President Trump is considering a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, described by U.S. officials as a complex and risky mission, according to the Wall Street Journal. • The extraction operation would likely require American forces to remain inside Iran for days or longer, adding substantial operational complexity and risk to personnel. • This mission represents one of several military options being weighed by the Trump administration as tensions escalate with Iran.

• France's defense ministry announced 35 countries participating in military discussions for a defensive mission to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. • The talks address Iran's threats to toll or block the vital waterway, critical for global energy flows. • Initiative gains traction amid US pressure on allies, potentially easing oil price spikes affecting US consumers.

• Senators introduced the Fiscal Commission Act mirroring House version to create commission recommending fiscal health policies. • Commission aims to tackle rising U.S. debt through targeted policy proposals amid ongoing budget concerns. • Bill provides structured approach for bipartisan fiscal reforms without specifying exact recommendations upfront.

• The Military Health System's March 26, 2026 update covers research submissions and awards for the Department of War’s primary scientific gathering during March 23-27. • Features teamwork and tools for field medic training, plus new research on preventing dangerous diseases in U.S. Army and Navy contexts. • Army Reserve 'Connect to Protect' initiative emphasizes health protections amid weekly military medical news.

Broadcaster takes Kiis FM to court to argue licensee was wrong to terminate him for serious breach of contractFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter hereKyle Sandilands’ court case was not an occasion for a “royal commission” into his career and he just wants to get back to work quickly, the shock jock’s lawyers have told the federal court.Sandilands, who was earning $10m a year to front the Kyle and Jackie O Show, has taken Kiis FM to court to argue the licensee, Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), was wrong to terminate him for serious breach of contract earlier this month. Continue reading...

Watchdog issues formal guidance to trustees at top AI research institute after staff expressed concernsThe board of the UK’s leading AI research institute has been reminded of its legal duties in areas such as financial oversight and managing organisational change by the charity watchdog after a whistleblower complaint.The Charity Commission has issued formal regulatory advice and guidance to trustees at the Alan Turing Institute (ATI) – the organisation’s board – after it was contacted by a group of staff with a list of concerns. Continue reading...

• NASA released initiatives on March 24, 2026, to advance America's National Space Policy, including an RFI for payloads supporting 2027-2028 lunar flights and the Rosalind Franklin Rover launch to Mars in 2028 with a mass spectrometer for organic matter analysis. • A new Earth science mission launching next year will measure convective storm dynamics to predict extreme weather up to six hours in advance; near-term lunar payloads include VIPER rover and LuSEE-Night, with up to 30 robotic landings from 2027. • These efforts ensure U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, expedite lunar science via commercial partnerships, and release new Saturn images from James Webb and Hubble telescopes, underpinning future Moon and Mars exploration.

Peter Achterstraat says protections are essential as apartments increasingly become ‘the only place people can afford to buy’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales productivity commissioner wants exorbitant commissions for strata managers banned “sooner rather than later”, with apartments expected to make up half of all Sydney homes by 2041.The NSW government is yet to commit to implementing the recommendations contained in Peter Achterstraat’s report. He has advised outlawing commissions on insurance premiums and other services. Continue reading...

Gavin Burrows said claimants in case against Daily Mail publisher ‘very misled’ over his workA private investigator whose disputed confessions of illegal activity form a key part of the case brought by Prince Harry and others against the Daily Mail’s publisher has said the admissions were “a thing of fiction”.Giving highly anticipated evidence at the high court, Gavin Burrows said the claimants in the case, as well as their lawyers, had been “very misled” over his work, adding that the supposed admissions in his name were “a pack of lies”. Continue reading...

• Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published findings on March 19 in Environmental Health Perspectives linking fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure to a 3.2% increase in cardiovascular hospital admissions within two days in major US metropolitan areas. • The analysis of 15 million hospital records across 50 US cities over 12 years found that a 10 microgram per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 correlates with approximately 4,200 additional cardiovascular hospitalizations annually across studied cities. • The research supports EPA air quality standards and highlights urgent need for pollution control measures, as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States affecting 126 million Americans.

• New research reveals the Crab Pulsar's puzzling radio emission patterns result from a 'tug-of-war' between its magnetic field and gravity acting as lenses on plasma in the magnetosphere. • Gravity focuses emissions while magnetospheric plasma defocuses them, explaining the pulsar's unique behavior observed in this well-studied supernova remnant. • This physics discovery advances understanding of neutron star dynamics, with implications for interpreting signals from thousands of known pulsars across the galaxy.

• An Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet believed to have been struck by enemy fire during a combat mission over Iran has been reported, with sources telling ABC News of the incident. • The pilot is in stable condition following the engagement, demonstrating the continued operational challenges faced by US forces in the Iran conflict zone. • The incident underscores the active air defense capabilities remaining available to Iranian forces despite claims of significant degradation through the sustained US-Israeli bombing campaign.

Fed officials expected to lower capital requirements for banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase by 4.8%Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxUS federal regulators are trying to soften bank requirements, loosening the amount of capital US banks must have in what would be some of the biggest changes to bank restrictions since the 2008 financial crisis and a huge win for financial institutions.On Thursday, US Federal Reserve officials are expected to vote to lower capital requirements – the funds they need to cover risky assets – for the biggest banks by 4.8%, which could free up capital for banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Continue reading...

• Political operatives tied to Trump, including those from Safe America Media and People Who Think, secured DHS contracts for a $220 million public awareness ad campaign launched amid urgent needs. • The March 3 DHS memo justified limited competition with 10-12% commissions below the 15% industry norm, marking it as the most expensive U.S. government marketing effort in the past decade outside military and COVID campaigns. • The campaign featured Gov. Kristi Noem in a cowboy hat at Mount Rushmore, sparking White House friction and perceptions of her positioning for a future political run without Trump's direct approval.

• The U.S. Department of Energy announced $293 million in funding to advance the Genesis Mission's efforts to tackle the nation's most complex science and technology challenges. • The funding represents a significant federal commitment to supporting breakthrough scientific research and innovation across multiple fields.

• On March 13, 2026, the EPA proposed repealing a 2024 Biden administration rule limiting ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizer facilities, which sterilize about half of U.S. medical devices like heart valves and pacemakers. • The rule aimed to reduce cancer risks to nearby communities but is criticized for threatening domestic supply chains and relying on flawed risk models, per the Trump administration. • Ethylene oxide debate pits public health protections against medical supply reliability, with evidence suggesting alternative risk assessments like Texas models better match human data.

Greenhouse gases dropped just 0.1% last year as environment minister criticises lack of improvementGreenhouse gas emissions in Germany have again missed targets set by the Climate Protection Act and barely fell at all in 2025.Emissions decreased by just 0.1% last year compared to the previous year, according to data from the German Environment Agency. Continue reading...

NASA crew members practise emergency rescue drills in a 40-foot-deep pool simulating the lunar surface, as part of tests on a new generation of spacesuit, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit

The move, which lowers fees to 25%, is a breakthrough for Chinese developers Tencent and ByteDanceSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxApple announced late on Thursday it would lower the commission fees collected in its App Store in mainland China. The move follows pressure from regulators in the tech company’s second-largest market, as well as global scrutiny of its payment requirements.Fees for in-app purchases and paid transactions will be lowered to 25% from 30% starting on Sunday, Apple said in a statement on its blog for developers. Continue reading...

The Trump administration announced the Genesis Mission on March 13, 2026, aiming to leverage AI and emerging technologies across energy, drug discovery, national security, and science in the US. Key ambitions include quantum computing advances, expanding the trained technical workforce, and delivering a new supercomputer blueprint by the end of 2026, with involvement from Dell CEO Michael Dell and Energy Department officials. This initiative ties AI policy to tangible outcomes like energy systems and defense, creating opportunities for startups in scientific AI and industrial software. Federal investments in compute and national labs are expected to boost US competitiveness against global rivals.