Also, South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza at ICJ, with hearings on Jan. 11-12
For January 07, 2024 | |
Welcome to the first 'Week Ahead' issue of the year. Here's what you need to know: - Peregrine Mission 1, launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, Jan. 8, marks the first private lunar landing mission.
- On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses will feature only Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis as Donald Trump opts for a FOX News town hall.
- Hunter Biden is due to make his first court appearance in Los Angeles on tax charges on Thursday, Jan. 11.
Thank you! Vildana p/vildana-b | |
1 | Peregrine Mission 1, launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 8, marks the first private lunar landing mission led by Astrobotic under a $79.5M NASA contract. The mission's payload includes NASA instruments for lunar studies, a Mexican Space Agency's rover fleet, and the German Aerospace Center's radiation detector. More: - Peregrine will also transport Celestis and Elysium Space's human remains for space memorials, with starting prices for such flights at under $13,000.
- Criticisms have arisen over the ethical implications of turning the moon into a memorial site, raising questions about cultural and spiritual respect.
| | |
2 | On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses will feature only Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis as Donald Trump opts for a FOX News town hall. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, participants in the last debate, failed to meet CNN's qualification criteria for this debate. More: - In a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, Trump leads with 58% support among likely GOP caucus-goers in Iowa, followed by DeSantis at 22% and Haley at 13%.
- Ramaswamy, after failing to qualify, announced a live-audience show on the same night with journalist Tim Pool and criticized CNN's reporting and qualification process.
| | |
3 | Hunter Biden is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Los Angeles on tax charges on Thursday, Jan. 11. This appearance follows the contempt of Congress hearings planned for Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. More: - Hunter Biden was subpoenaed for a private deposition last month, which he did not attend, leading to the contempt charges.
- His lawyers argue that the subpoena for closed-door testimony could lead to selective leaks and manipulation, insisting on public testimony.
| | |
4 | South Africa has filed an 84-page submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with the court set to hear the case on Jan.11. While South Africa's submission claims Israel's actions in Gaza show specific intent to destroy Palestinians, violating the 1948 Genocide Convention, Israel and the White House have dismissed the allegations as baseless. More: - The U.N.'s human rights agency has called for investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
- The case, supported by the African National Congress and nations like Turkey and Malaysia, compares Israel's treatment of Palestinians to apartheid.
- Proceedings begin Jan. 11 and will be streamed live.
| | |
5 | Wayne LaPierre's fraud trial, stemming from his tenure as NRA president, begins on Monday, Jan. 8, amidst allegations of misusing NRA funds. His resignation highlights the gravity of the accusations and the potential impact on the NRA. More: - LaPierre's civil fraud trial, initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses him of lavish personal spending using NRA resources.
- Joshua Powell, former NRA operation director, pled guilty to fraud and agreed to pay $100,000 to the NRA and testify against the NRA.
| | |
6 | Taiwan's president, ahead of the Jan. 13 presidential election, warns of an escalating risk of war with China. The election will significantly impact Taiwan's strategy and U.S.-China relations, with regional stability at stake. More: - In recent polls, 66% of the population identifies solely as Taiwanese, 28% as Taiwanese and Chinese, and 4% as Chinese exclusively.
- China regards Taiwan as a rebellious province to be reunified, with President Xi Jinping emphasizing this as a "historical inevitability" in his recent New Year's address.
| | |
7 | QUICK HITS - From AI Experimentation to AI-Driven Business. Join AI Lab as they discuss their 3-month journey to becoming pioneers with 1k+ customers. Register Now.*
- The world's largest national security and defense conference for professional women and their allies starts Monday.
- CES 2024 is scheduled for Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas and features global tech companies presenting their latest and upcoming technological innovations.
- The U.S. Justice Department is nearing the end of its antitrust investigation into Apple, potentially leading to a major lawsuit targeting the company's use of its products and services to maintain the iPhone's market dominance.
- China intends to impose sanctions on five U.S. defense manufacturers in response to ~$300M in military sales last December to Taiwan.
- House Republicans are considering impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over surging migrant crossings.
*This is sponsored content. | | |
|
Upcoming Events | JAN 30 | Join TruEra for an expert discussion about the impact of the EU AI Act on US and Canadian firms | | | | | * This is a sponsored event | | | |
| Freelance | This newsletter was curated by Vildana. A London School of Economics graduate, Vildana's expertise encompasses a range of topics, including global politics and technological advancements. Besides the Daily Brief, Vildana also covers Metaverse for Inside.com. You can reach her at vildana@inside.com or connect with her on Twitter or LinkedIn. | This newsletter was edited by Vibha Chapparike | |
|
|
Comments
Post a Comment