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"Nihao Mars": China Spacecraft Touches Down On Red Planet, Makes History

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The mission "successfully landed in the pre-selected area", state broadcaster CCTV said
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Beijing, China:
China's probe to Mars touched down on the Red Planet early Saturday to deploy its Zhurong rover, state media reported, a triumph for Beijing's increasingly bold space ambitions and a history-making feat for a nation on its first-ever Martian mission.
The lander carrying Zhurong completed the treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute to navigate the "seven minutes of terror" as it is known, aiming for a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia.
The mission "successfully landed in the pre-selected area", state broadcaster CCTV said, launching a special TV programme dedicated to the mission called "Nihao Mars".
The official Xinhua news agency cited the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in confirming the touchdown.
It makes China the first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operation during its first mission to Mars -- a feat unmatched by the only other two nations to reach the Red Planet so far, the US and Russia.
China has now sent astronauts into space, powered probes to the Moon and landed a rover on Mars, the most prestigious of all prizes in the competition for dominion of space.
Three-month mission
Zhurong, named after a Chinese mythical fire god, arrives a few months behind America's latest probe to Mars -- Perseverance -- as the show of technological might between the two superpowers plays out beyond the bounds of Earth.
Six-wheeled, solar-powered and roughly 240 kilograms, the Chinese rover is on a quest to collect and analyse rock samples from Mars' surface.
The launch of China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe which carried the rover last July marked a major milestone in China's space programme.
The spacecraft entered Mars' orbit in February and after a prolonged silence state media announced it had reached the "crucial touchdown stage" on Friday.
The landing was set to be a nail-biter for the China National Space Administration (CNSA), with state media describing the process of using a parachute, rocket to slow descent and buffer legs as "the most challenging part of the mission".
It is expected to spend around three months there taking photos and harvesting geographical data.
The complicated landing process is called the "seven minutes of terror" because it happens faster than radio signals can reach Earth from Mars, meaning communications are limited.
Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft.
The latest successful arrival came in February, when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet. 
The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first ever powered flight on another planet.
The country has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.
China successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon.
Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March 5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth.
That drew criticism from the United States and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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The mission "successfully landed in the pre-selected area", state broadcaster CCTV said Beijing, China: China's probe to ...

Confusion Reigns After US Lifts Mask Guidance

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CDC had said it was lifting mask-wearing guidance for people who are fully vaccinated (File)
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Washington, United States:
To mask or not to mask?
That is the question facing US states, businesses and people in their everyday lives in the wake of the bombshell announcement by the top health authority lifting most restrictions for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
President Joe Biden hailed the change in guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling it a "great day" for America.
But if the idea sounded straightforward in theory, it has raised questions about how to implement it practically -- the foremost being, how do you tell if a person is fully vaccinated?
Then there is the trauma felt by many reluctant to let go of safety measures in the world's hardest-hit country, where more than 580,000 have lost their lives to the virus.
The CDC's recommendations are non-binding, and actual policy is left for the relevant local authorities or employers to decide.
It also doesn't apply to planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, or to medical settings such as hospitals.
The situation has left CEOs and local officials caught in a dilemma -- whether to follow the scientific recommendations right away, or make sure people are comfortable with it.
"Before, masks were important, and all of a sudden they are not," remarked Ivan Matta, a 47-year-old from New York who works in a travel company.
Matta is still wearing his mask outside, despite being fully vaccinated.
"I believe there are lots of people who won't use the mask even if they aren't vaccinated," he added.
Mask use is also a politically divisive issue, with conservative-leaning parts of the country much quicker to go without than liberal areas.
Matters came to a head in Congress Friday, when an aide to far right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted at Democratic representative Eric Swalwell to take off his mask.
"No one should be bullied for wearing a mask. So I told the bully what I thought of his order," Swalwell later tweeted.
Regulatory patchwork 
The states of Maryland and Virginia said Friday they were following the new CDC guidance and lifting their indoor mask mandates, while places like New York state and Washington have said they are "reviewing" the new recommendation, but haven't yet moved to change rules on indoor masking.
Symbolizing the disconnect, first lady Jill Biden on Friday was photographed with her mask on during a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the capital.
A day earlier, she quipped "We feel naked!" without a mask.
The rest of the country is a patchwork of regulations. Minnesota and Pennsylvania are standing by their current rules, Connecticut says it will update next week.
In Texas, and half the states of the union, nothing will change -- 14 states had already lifted their mask mandates, and 11 never had them in the first place, according to data collected by the health group AARP.
Then there's the question of what major companies will do.
Retail giant Walmart said Friday it was lifting its mask mandate for fully vaccinated customers and staff, except where mandated by local authorities. Big box retailer Costco announced a similar policy.
Contacted by AFP, General Motors said it was reviewing the guidance, pharmacy chain CVS said it was "reevaluating" its in-store mask policy, while rival Walgreens said it was keeping its regime in place for the time being.
The Wynn casino in Las Vegas will likely change its stance, but United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 1.3 million people, came out unequivocally against.
The "CDC guidance is confusing," complained the union.
"Essential workers are still forced to play mask police for shoppers who are unvaccinated and refuse to follow local COVID safety measures. Are they now supposed to become the vaccination police?"
Encouraging vaccination
The union's point was backed by Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo.
"This is why masks will likely still be required for all in public spaces like stores," she tweeted.
"But employers can use new guidelines for their employees. As cases fall and vaccinations rise, we will see mask requirement go away."
Many scientists, who thought that the CDC's guidance lagged too far behind the latest data, have applauded the new recommendations.
Accumulating data has shown the extremely high efficacy of authorized vaccines, not just to prevent symptomatic Covid-19 but also asymptomatic infection and onward transmission.
Fully vaccinated people -- who comprise 36 percent of the population -- are neither at danger personally nor do they present a risk to others. Cases meanwhile are dropping drastically.
Authorities are hoping the new guidance will help motivate remaining holdouts, in a country where supply is now greatly outstripping demand.
Some experts remain cautious, particularly for places where transmission rates are higher.
"My initial reaction was supportive, but the more I think about it, I wish they had said, 'Let's do this on July 1. If you aren't vaccinated yet, this is your chance to go do it,'" said airborne disease specialist Linsey Marr. "Give people time to plan."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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CDC had said it was lifting mask-wearing guidance for people who are fully vaccinated (File) Washington, United States: To mask or not ...

Expect "Choppiness" In US Economic Recovery: White House

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People receive food outside of a Brooklyn mosque and cultural center on in New York City.
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Washington, United States:
Expect "choppiness" in the US economic recovery as different sectors bounce back at varying speeds, but inflation will not be a longterm problem, a top White House official said Friday.
Cecilia Rouse, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, said the current turbulence is unpredictable.
For example, she joked, the government health authority's ruling on Thursday that vaccinated people can safely drop their coronavirus masks suddenly means "we now anticipate an oversupply of masks and an undersupply of lipstick."
"In all seriousness, different sectors of the economy will come back online at different times," she told reporters. "Given the extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, it will remain difficult for analysts to accurately forecast economic data."
Rouse said this week's figures showing a leap in consumer prices, as well as last week's hugely disappointing employment data, need to be seen in context.
An average of half a million jobs have been created every month since January, she said, while the inflation figures reflected wild, yet temporary swings in economic activity as Americans emerge from partial lockdowns -- particularly a return to air travel and buying cars.
"Airline prices ticked up because they had completely cratered last year," she said.
Those ticket prices still have some way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels -- heralding more inflation -- but the increases will eventually plateau, as pent-up demand is satiated.
"I do not expect those prices to continue... because at some point people will stop," she said. "I don't think people take multiple vacations."
"There's going to be some choppiness," Rouse said.
Runaway inflation, however, is not on the White House's horizon.
"People fully expect this inflation to be temporary," Rouse said. "There are not the sort of structural factors that should lead to an inflation that the Federal Reserve cannot control."
Rouse pointed out that the current recovery was in response to significant gains in taming the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccinations.
However, she cautioned that there is a long way to go, meaning more economic uncertainty.
"We are making fabulous progress in this country, in terms of controlling the virus, but I'd like to remind you that only 58 percent of adults have had one shot at least," she said. Only a quarter of 18- to 29-year-olds are fully inoculated.
"We are still eight million jobs down from where we were last year. We have a long way to go."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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People receive food outside of a Brooklyn mosque and cultural center on in New York City. Washington, United States: Expect "chopp...

US Trade Representative Meets WHO Chief, Discusses Vaccine Production

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The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production (Representational)
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Washington:
US trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday virtually met World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss increasing vaccine production and the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver on COVID-19 vaccines for the pandemic.
According to a readout from her office, Tai explained the Biden-Harris administration's support for the waiver of intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines and explained that this fits the United States' comprehensive effort to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution around the world.
She also asked Ghebreyesus for his views on the immediate steps to collectively increase access to vaccines.
Tai asked how the WHO declares the existence, and the end, of a pandemic, and the steps the global health body is taking to increase pandemic preparedness. She and Ghebreyesus also agreed to stay in regular communication in the days ahead.
Earlier, the US Trade Representative also met Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss on the same issues.
As per the readout from her office, Tai conveyed her deep sympathy for the people of India as they battle a wave of COVID-19 cases and reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to help India during its time of need.
She also explained her support for the TRIPS waiver and text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), which are part of the Biden-Harris Administration's comprehensive effort to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution around the world.
Tai recognized the WTO Members who have expressed support for future negotiations and welcomed an update from Goyal about India's efforts to revise and resubmit their waiver proposal. She and the Union Minister agreed to stay in regular communication in the days ahead.
The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives.
In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 members of WTO proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for prevention, containment, and treatment of COVID-19.
The WTO agreement on TRIPS is a comprehensive multilateral agreement on intellectual property. US President Joe Biden's administration had on May 6 announced its support for a global waiver on patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines and said it will negotiate the terms at the WTO.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production (Representational) Washington: US trade Representative Katherine Tai on Fri...

Walmart To End Mask Mandate For Vaccinated Shoppers, Staff

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Walmart mandated customers wear face masks starting last July (File)
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Washington, United States:
US retail giant Walmart on Friday said customers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer have to wear masks in their stores, and staff can do the same starting next week.
"Beginning today, vaccinated customers and members are welcome to shop without a mask, and we will continue to request that non-vaccinated customers and members wear face coverings in our stores and clubs," the company said in a statement, while adding that masks would still be required where mandated by local authorities.
Employees who are more than two weeks past their vaccination can stop wearing masks from May 18, the company said, and all employees are eligible for a $75 bonus if they prove they have got their jab.
"These are positive developments. We can do this. We've been through a lot this year, and now we need to do our part to finish this," Walmart said in a statement signed by corporate leadership.
The announcement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's lifting on Thursday of mask-wearing guidance for people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a decision that came over a year after it was first issued at the beginning of the pandemic that has killed more than 585,000 people in the United States.
Walmart mandated customers wear face masks starting last July, and is now among the first major American corporations to end the requirement.
"We are also reviewing whether masks may still be required for certain job codes for health and sanitation purposes and will share additional guidance soon. Some associates may choose to continue to wear masks, and as part of our value of respect for the individual we should all support their right to do so," the company said.
The largest private employer in the United States, Walmart has a staff of about 1.5 million people in the country and saw soaring sales throughout 2020 despite the pandemic's business disruptions.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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news world Walmart To End Mask Mandate For Vaccinated Shoppers, Staff

Walmart mandated customers wear face masks starting last July (File) Washington, United States: US retail giant Walmart on Friday said ...

Second Year Of Pandemic Set To Be 'Far More Deadly': WHO Chief

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WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (File)
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Geneva:
The WHO said Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic's second year was on track to be its deadliest, as he urged rich countries to donate vaccines rather than jab children.
"We're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first," the World Health Organization's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference, adding: "I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to Covax."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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news world Second Year Of Pandemic Set To Be 'Far More Deadly': WHO Chief

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (File) Geneva: The WHO said Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic's second year was on track to b...