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James Webb Space Telescope Lifts Off on Historic Mission The $10bn James Webb telescope has left Earth on its mission to image the first stars to light up the Universe. The observatory was lifted skyward by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59782057

More Than 70 Killed in Kentucky’s Worst Ever Tornadoes The governor of the US state of Kentucky has said that more than 70 people were killed by tornadoes on Friday night. Andy Beshear said the figure could rise to more than 100 in what he called the worst tornadoes in the state’s history. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59620091

Dozens Killed in Mexico Road Accident At least 49 people were killed when a trailer collided with a truck and overturned in southern Mexico on Thursday, with most of the victims believed to be migrants, according to local authorities. The Civil Protection service of Chiapas state, which borders Guatemala, said at least 58 people were injured in the accident, three of them seriously. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/americas/mexico-road-accident-intl-hnk/index.html

Myanmar Military Seizes Power, Detains Elected Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Myanmar’s military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National…

First Confirmed US Case of Omicron Coronavirus Variant Detected in California The United States’ first confirmed case of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been identified in California, according to a source familiar. The World Health Organization designates Omicron a “variant of concern.” In a technical brief released this week, WHO noted that the variant poses a “very high” global risk. The variant was first identified by scientists in South Africa, and has since been detected in several countries. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/health/us-omicron-variant-confirmed-case/index.html

SpaceX Launches 4 Amateurs on Private Earth-Circling Trip SpaceX’s first private flight blasted off Wednesday night with two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor, the most ambitious leap yet in space tourism. It was the first time a rocket streaked toward orbit with an all-amateur crew — no professional astronauts. https://apnews.com/article/spacex-lifestyle-health-florida-travel-31a07f6a9f35d4a33880cb971f78452f

Last Troops Exit Afghanistan, Ending America’s Longest War The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war. https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81

US, Afghan Officials: At Least 72 Killed in Airport Attack An Afghan official says at least 60 Afghans were killed and another 143 were wounded in the attack outside Kabul airport. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. U.S. officials say 12 military service members were also killed in the attack outside the airport. https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1

Taliban Sweep into Afghan Capital after Government Collapses The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country. https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5

At Least 304 Dead, 1,800 Hurt as Powerful Quake Slams Haiti A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, killing at least 304 people and injuring at least 1,800 others as buildings tumbled into rubble. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients. https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-haiti-earthquakes-e067bc2ba933fb40c6d98d34a41a7729

New York AG Says Gov. Cuomo Sexually Harassed Multiple Women, Broke Laws A five-month investigation has found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and violated federal and state laws while creating a “climate of fear” in the workplace…

‘Code Red’: UN Scientists Warn of Worsening Global Warming Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations called a “code red for humanity.” https://apnews.com/article/europe-science-climate-environment-and-nature-united-nations-1d89d5183583718ad4ad311fa2ee7d83