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SpaceX's giant rocket, the third Starship test flight, has been "lost".

SpaceX's huge Starship rocket, which will eventually be used for journeys to the Moon and Mars, was "lost" during re-entry into the atmosphere on its way back down to Earth, the company said on Thursday. However, it flew much longer on this third test flight, as the previous ones ended in explosions.

"The craft has been lost," announced a commentator on the live video feed from billionaire Elon Musk's company. "So no water landing today", he added. According to the flight plan, the spacecraft was to end its journey in the Indian Ocean.

The head of SpaceX acknowledged that his rocket would have to carry out hundreds of unmanned missions before eventually carrying its first humans.

Take-off for this third test flight took place shortly after 8 a.m. local time (2 p.m. in Switzerland) from SpaceX's "Starbase" spaceport in Boca Chica, in the far south of Texas, and lasted almost half an hour. The flight nevertheless enabled the spacecraft to reach low-Earth orbit for the first time.

Putting mankind on Mars

At 120 metres high, Starship is the world's largest rocket. It is also the most powerful. SpaceX is counting on it to achieve its stated goal: to make humankind a multi-planetary species by putting it on Mars.

Its development is also very important for NASA, which is counting on this spacecraft to land its astronauts on the Moon during its mission. Artemis IIIscheduled for 2026.

The rocket has two stages: the Super Heavy propulsion stage and, above it, the Starship, which by extension gives its name to the entire rocket.

Two unsuccessful tests

The last test took place four months ago. The two stages of the rocket separated successfully in flight for the first time, but then both exploded. The flights lasted just four minutes in the first test and eight minutes in the second.

However, the spacecraft had reached an altitude of around 150 kilometres, crossing the boundary of space.

SpaceX then proposed 17 "corrective measures" to the US aviation regulator, the FAA, which had to be put in place in order to obtain a new flight licence, which was finally obtained on Wednesday.

"Ambitious objectives

For this third test, SpaceX had said it wanted to achieve several "ambitious objectives". One of these was to carry out a "controlled re-entry" of the spacecraft, which should have fallen back into the Indian Ocean to end the test after about an hour.

SpaceX also wanted to test the opening of the hatch, which could be used in the future to release cargo, such as satellites, into space.

The company also wanted to "demonstrate a fuel transfer" in flight. According to the specialist press, this transfer should have taken place between two tanks inside the spacecraft. Developing this function is essential, because to reach the Moon, Starship will have to refuel once in space, using a vessel that has already been filled by others, and acting as a kind of space service station.

In addition to its inordinate size, Starship's real innovation is that it should eventually be fully reusable. Currently, only the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket returns to land after each launch to be reused.

Text by RTS afp/juma

Best film, best director, best actor: "Oppenheimer" triumphs at the Oscars

The predicted landslide did indeed occur: "Oppenheimer" won the Oscar for Best Picture on Sunday, along with six other statuettes, on a night that also saw Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Creatures" rewarded handsomely. As for the French film "Anatomie d'une chute", it walked away with the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Buoyed by rave reviews and an impeccable cast, Christopher Nolan's portrait of the father of the atomic bomb dominated the evening. "I can't emphasise enough the incredible team we've assembled for this film", said the director, taking advantage of his award for Best Director to thank all the actors.

Cillian Murphy, masterful as Robert Oppenheimer, a nuclear genius full of contradictions and doubts, won the Oscar for Best Actor. "For better or for worse, we live in the world of Oppenheimer" and the atomic bomb, observed the Irishman. "So I'd really like to dedicate this award to peacemakers around the world.

Robert Downey Jr, his on-screen antagonist, who plays a conservative bureaucrat orchestrating the public humiliation of the scientist, won the Best Supporting Actor award.

The film's accolade was complemented by other technical statuettes - editing, cinematography, soundtrack - in keeping with its reputation as a popular masterpiece since its theatrical release this summer.

Robert Downey Jr, his on-screen antagonist, who plays a conservative bureaucrat orchestrating the public humiliation of the scientist, won the Best Supporting Actor award.

A whole world. [RTS] — Oppenheimer seen from Japan / A whole world / 20 mins / yesterday at 08:10

Emma Stone, a triumphant "poor creature

Actress Emma Stone was the other big winner of the evening. After "La La Land" in 2017, she picked up her second Best Actress Oscar for "Poor Creatures". This baroque tale by Yorgos Lanthimos won a total of four statuettes, praised in particular for its retro-futuristic aesthetic.

Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter, a suicidal woman brought back to life by a mad scientist who implants the brain of the baby she was carrying inside her. She delivers a joyously regressive performance as a creature who discovers sex and a thousand other pleasures in life without shame or prejudice.

This role was "the gift of a lifetime", the actress reacted, thanking her director and expressing her admiration for all her competitors. This category was the tightest: Lily Gladstone, remarkable as a Native American woman poisoned by her husband in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon", went home empty-handed.

"Anatomie d'une chute" settles for a second-place finish

The French film Anatomie d'une chute was unable to prevent this predicted triumph. A legal thriller about the downfall of a dysfunctional artistic couple, in which an ambiguous writer played by Sandra Hüller finds herself accused of murdering her husband, it had to make do with just one Oscar out of the five categories in which it was nominated, for Best Original Screenplay.

"It will help me get through my mid-life crisis," joked an emotional French filmmaker Justine Triet, who worked alongside Nolan and Martin Scorsese on the film. "It's been a crazy year," she huffed, alongside her partner Arthur Harari, with whom she co-wrote the script. Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, Anatomy of a Fall won two Golden Globes and a Bafta - the equivalent of the British Césars.

His work is the best example of French cinema abroad since "Amour", which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2013, and "The Artist", which won five statuettes in 2012.

Hayao Miyazaki, 21 years after "Chihiro".

The British film "The Zone of Interest" won the Oscar for Best International Film for its chronicle of the carefree life of a Nazi family just outside Auschwitz. Director Jonathan Glazer took the opportunity to send a message of peace to the Middle East, which is currently being undermined by Israel's war in Gaza.

"Our film shows how dehumanisation leads to the worst", said the Jewish film-maker, adding that the Israelis who died on 7 October in the Hamas attack and the 31,000 Palestinians who died are "all victims of this dehumanisation" (see also the box).

Among the other major awards, Da'Vine Joy Randolph ("Winter Break") was voted Best Supporting Actress. "The Boy and the Heron", by Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki, won the Oscar for Best Animated Film, his second, 21 years after "Chihiro's Journey".

Text by RTS .ch afp/vic

Akira Toriyama, creator of "Dragon Ball", has died aged 68

The mangaka, whose series are known the world over, died of a subdural haematoma

Son Goku fans are in mourning. The mangaka Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and Dr SlumpThe world-famous series of the same name, died at the age of 68 from a subdural haematoma, his publisher and studio announced on Friday.

"At Shueisha and within the editorial department, we are deeply saddened by the sudden news of his death," reads a statement from the publisher.

Dragon Ball "is like a miracle

Born in Nagoya, Japan, in 1955, Akira Toriyama was best known for his manga Dragon Ballcreated in 1984, recounting the life and adventures of martial arts prodigy Son Goku from his childhood onwards. It was loosely based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Peregrination to the West. The manga has sold at least 260 million copies worldwide, according to the specialist website Mangazenkan. It has spawned numerous adaptations for television, film and video games, as well as sequels such as Dragon Ball Z or more recently Dragon Ball Super.

"For me, Dragon Ball is like a miracle", said its creator in an interview with the daily newspaper Asahi in 2013. "It has helped someone like me, who has a twisted and difficult personality, to do a decent job and be accepted by society". In the interview, however, he said that he had "no idea" why the series was such a global success. "When I drew the series, all I wanted was to please the boys in Japan".

Akira Toriyama was also the author of many other manga series, including Dr Slumppublished between 1980 and 1984 in the weekly magazine Shonen Jumpabout a little android girl with formidable strength created by a scientist. He had also created characters for several video games, including the series Dragon Quest or the 1990s role-playing game Chrono Trigger.

Eiichiro Oda's tribute

In 2013, the mangaka was awarded the Special Prize at the 40th Angoulême International Comics Festival for his body of work. Eiichiro Oda, creator of the manga One PieceIn a statement, Akira Toriyama expressed his regret at his "too early" death, which leaves "a great void". "To think that I'll never see him again... I'm overwhelmed with sadness", he added.

Text by 20 Minutes with AFP

In response to Macron's comments, Putin brandishes the threat of a nuclear conflict

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin warned the West of a "real threat" of nuclear war if the conflict in Ukraine escalates, in his annual address to the nation, the high point of the year at which he defines Russia's priorities.

Putin did not mince his words after Emmanuel Macron's remarks on Monday evening at the end of an international meeting on Ukraine. " There is no consensus today on sending troops on the ground in an official, accepted and endorsed manner. But as a dynamic process, nothing should be ruled out. "The French President said on Monday evening. Germany, the United States and NATO immediately disassociated themselves from his remarks.

Weapons " capable "to reach the territories of Western countries

To regular applause from the audience, the Russian President responded calmly in his address to the nation on Thursday. The master of the Kremlin felt that these threats were creating a " real "It also said that Russia had nuclear weapons. capable "to reach the territories of Western countries.

Western countries must understand that we too have weapons capable of hitting targets on your territory "warned the President Everything they're inventing at the moment, everything they're frightening the world with, is a real threat of a conflict involving the use of nuclear weapons, which would mean the destruction of civilisation. "he added.

Vladimir Putin also welcomed the progress made by his troops in Ukraine, who have scored several successes in recent weeks against Kiev forces on the defensive and short of ammunition. " The military capabilities of the (Russian) armed forces have been multiplied. They are advancing confidently in several directions. "

Russia is " ready for dialogue "with the United States

As a reminder, the Ukrainian army failed in its counter-offensive launched in the summer of 2023 and finds itself on the defensive against more numerous and better armed Russian soldiers. In mid-February, the Russians succeeded in seizing the fortress town of Avdiyevka on the eastern front and are continuing to push forward in this sector, to the satisfaction of Vladimir Putin.

" We kept the country together, we didn't allow it to be torn apart".he also said. He also lashed out at the current American authorities, accusing them of " want to show that they run the world as before In his view, Russia is "a threat" to the United States and "a demagoguery" in the run-up to the American presidential election in November. In his view, Russia is " ready for dialogue "with the United States on issues of strategic stability ".

The speech comes on the eve of the funeral of opposition figure Alexei Navalny

Thursday's speech also comes on the eve of the funeral planned in Moscow for his main opponent, anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, who died in prison on 16 February under murky circumstances. Vladimir Putin, who has never mentioned Alexei Navalny's name in public, has yet to comment on the death, which has shocked Western powers.

In his speeches to the nation, Vladimir Putin traditionally takes stock of the past year and sets out new strategic directions in front of his country's political and military elite. He also usually attacks the West, presented as the depraved enemy of the "traditional values" officially defended by the Kremlin. On the same occasion, in February 2023, he accused the West of using the conflict in Ukraine to " to finish "He reiterated his view that they were supporting neo-Nazi forces in Russia in order to consolidate an anti-Russian state there. He also called for " traitors "In Russia, in the midst of a crackdown on any voice critical of the Kremlin's policies and military intervention in Ukraine, with thousands of fines and dozens of heavy prison sentences.

Paris 2024 Olympics: a computer and USB sticks containing security plans stolen from a train in Paris

The data was stolen from the briefcase of a Paris City Council engineer, who lodged a complaint with the Gare du Nord police station on Monday evening.

Sensitive data stolen just a few months before the competition. A bag containing a computer and two USB sticks containing the security plans for the Paris Olympic Games drawn up by the municipal police was stolen from a train at the Gare du Nord on Monday evening, police sources said on Tuesday, confirming a report by BFMTV.

The bag belonged to an engineer from Paris City Hall, it was added. At Gare du Nord, he had boarded a train going to Creil, in the Oise region. He had put his bag in the luggage compartment above his seat, according to the initial information given to the police by the man, who lodged a complaint with the Gare du Nord police station on Monday evening.

Changing trains

As his train was delayed, he decided to change trains and take another one that was also leaving for Creil, according to the police source reporting the employee's testimony. The owner of the bag explained that his work computer and two USB sticks contained sensitive data, namely the security plans for the Paris 2024 Olympics by the municipal police.

The investigation has been handed over to the regional transport police. Contacted by Le Parisien, Paris City Hall was unable to comment. The city plans to mobilise 2,000 municipal police officers for the Olympic Games, scheduled to run from 26 July to 11 August.

Text by Le Parisien with AFP

Month: March 2024