35 articles from SUNDAY 2.8.2020

NASA astronauts splash down in SpaceX Dragon capsule, capping historic mission

The first mission to send NASA astronauts into orbit on a commercially owned spaceship came back down to Earth today with the splashdown of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in the Gulf of Mexico. "On behalf of the SpaceX and NASA teams, welcome back to planet Earth, and thanks for flying SpaceX,” Mike Heiman, a lead member of SpaceX's operations team, told astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob...

Starwatch: summer triangle's celestial pattern soars in northern sky

Deneb in Cygnus, Vera in Lyra and Altair in Aquila feature in Chinese folk story The Cowherd and the Weaver GirlThe summer triangle is a prominent pattern of stars that soars high in the northern summer sky. Marked out by Deneb in Cygnus, the swan; Vega in Lyra, the lyre; and Altair in Aquila, the eagle, these three stars feature in the Chinese folk story The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The girl...

Secrecy has harmed UK government's response to Covid-19 crisis, says top scientist

Sir Paul Nurse says lack of openness fuelled poor decisions and put public trust at riskCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOne of the country’s most senior scientists has criticised government for the “shroud of secrecy” drawn over major decisions in the coronavirus crisis and urged ministers to be more open about the reasons behind their policies.Sir Paul Nurse,...

SpaceX Dragon Capsule With NASA Astronauts Makes Successful Splashdown

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.) — Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from...

Nasa astronauts aboard SpaceX capsule make first splashdown in 45 years

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley land off Florida after two-month voyage that was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home in nine yearsUS astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday after a two-month voyage that was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home soil in...

Covid-19: government 'considers indoor mixing ban and M25 block' in England

Government reportedly exploring range of measures to stop Covid-19 infections rising Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK government is reported to be exploring a range of measures to stop infections rising and keep Covid-19 in check in England – some of them for use in the event of regional spikes, such as those in Leicester and Oldham, and others that would...

Amitabh Bachchan leaves hospital after catching coronavirus

Bollywood star idolised in India discharged three weeks after contracting ‘mild’ symptomsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has been discharged from hospital, three weeks after being admitted with coronavirus symptoms after testing positive for the disease.Bachchan’s actor-son, Abishek, who was admitted at the same time, remains...

Brazilian Amazon fires surge in July

The number of forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon last month rose 28 percent from July 2019, satellite data showed Saturday, fueling fears the world's biggest rainforest will again be devastated by fires this year.

Virtual school: Teachers want to improve but training varies

After a rocky transition to distance learning last spring, Georgia teacher Aimee Rodriguez Webb is determined to do better this fall. She bought a dry-erase board and a special camera to display worksheets, and she set up her dining room to broadcast school lessons.

UCL has a racist legacy, but can it move on?

University College London has removed the names of eugenicists from three of its buildings. How far this goes to address an abhorrent past is much contested The provost of University College London announced in June this year that its Galton Lecture Theatre, Pearson Lecture Theatre and Pearson Building had all been renamed. They are now known by the perfectly unmemorable names of, respectively,...

Cramped workplaces, parties … the factors fuelling local Covid-19 spikes

What have resurgences around the world taught us about how local clusters emerge?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt is not always possible to pinpoint the origin of a local spike in cases, particularly in countries like the UK, where the disease is still circulating at relatively significant levels.But in countries where overall caseloads are lower, and with rigorous...

London night tsar faces down calls to quit: ‘I will be judged for what I do’

Amy Lamé rejects criticism that she hasn’t done enough to save the capital’s night-time culture hit hard by the lockdownIf Amy Lamé feels bruised by calls for her to quit her job, she is determined not to show it. The UK’s first “night tsar” has faced brutal criticism ever since she was hired in 2016 to champion London’s night-time culture. Nightclubs and music venue owners have...