Newly discovered comet ZTF is the closest to Earth visible to the naked eye in 50,000 years and is making big headlines. Some are calling it a “super rare” and “bright green” comet, but does it live up to the hype? We explain.

Comet ZTF facts

Comet ZTF was discovered on March 2, 2022 by a robotic camera attached to a telescope called the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). Palomar Observatory In Southern California. ZTF scans the entire northern sky every two days and captures hundreds of thousands of stars and constellations in a single shot. Many comets have been discovered with this instrument. The most recent, abbreviated C/2022 E3 (ZTF), is listed as Comet ZTF.

Why is it rare?

Comet ZTF has traveled 2.8 trillion miles and will make its closest approach to Earth in 50,000 years on February 1, 2023. Orbital calculations suggest that comet ZTF cannot return.

What makes ZTF a green comet?

The green color may be due to a molecule consisting of two carbon atoms bonded together dicarbon. This unusual chemical process is mainly confined to the head, not the tail. If you look at Comet ZTF, that greenish tint is very faint (if it’s visible). The appearance of green comets due to dicarbon is very unusual.

Recent images show that the head (coma) is distinctly green and trailed by an impressively long thin blush patch (tail). But that’s what a long exposure camera sees. The hue is much less green to the naked eye.

When and where to watch Comet ZTF

In late January to early February, the ZTF becomes bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. Use a reliable star chart to track night-to-night changes in position relative to background stars and constellations. Here are the dates and approximate locations.

January 12-14

See the constellation Corona Borealis before sunrise.

January 14-20

Look toward the Boötes constellation before sunrise.

January 21

The comet is visible in the night sky (previously only visible in the early morning). Look north, up and to the left of the Big Dipper.

January 22-25

Look closer to the constellation Draco (Dragon).

January 26-27

Look several degrees east of the Little Dipper’s bowl. On the evening of the 27th, the two outer stars in the Little Dippers bowl will be about three degrees to the upper right of the bright orange gochap.

January 29-30

Look towards Polaris.

February 1

Look closer to the constellation Camelopardalis.

February 5

Look toward the brilliant yellow-white star Capella (of the constellation Gemini).

February 6

Look directly overhead at 8pm local time, within the triangle known as “The Kids” star system in Auriga.

February 10

Look two degrees to the upper left of Mars.

Note: If you live in a large city or in the outer suburbs, seeing this comet will be difficult—if not impossible. Even for those blessed with dark and starry skies, finding the ZTF can be a challenge.

Watch Comet ZTF live now:

More information on viewing ZTF

As for tails, comets can shed two types of dust and gas. Dust tails are much brighter and more pleasing to the eye than gas tails because dust is a more effective reflector of sunlight. The most spectacular comets are dusty and can produce long, bright tails that create spectacular and impressive celestial spectacles.

Gas tails, on the other hand, appear much fainter and glow blue. The gas is activated by the sun’s ultraviolet rays, making the tail glow in the same way that black light makes phosphorescent paint glow. Unfortunately, the gas tails produced by most comets appear long, thin, and very faint; Impressive in photos but visually lacking. That is what we are currently seeing at ZTF.

Finally, when the ZTF is at its brightest in late January and early February, it must compete with another celestial object: the Moon. At the same time, the Moon will be near full phase (Th Full snow moon 5th February). A full moon burning the night sky like a giant spotlight will make it even more difficult to try to see a relatively faint and diffuse object like Comet ZTF.

Other visible comets

There are nearly a dozen comets to see in the sky tonight. However, most of these are only visible with moderately large telescopes. You’ll need a good star atlas and accurate coordinate positions to know where to point your instrument to see any of these. Most amateurs call such comets “dim fuzzies” because they look so beautiful through the eyelids: a faint, fuzzy blob of light. These are called “common comets”.

Every once in a while, maybe two or three times every 15 or 20 years, a bright or “big comet” comes along. These are the types that excite us, binoculars or no binoculars – all you have to do is step outside, look up and exclaim: “Oh look! That!” Such comets tend to be larger than average. Most of these have a core or core of less than two or three miles. But there are others that are many times larger.

As a general rule, the closer a comet gets to the Sun, the brighter it gets. Larger ones that pass closer than Earth’s distance from the Sun (92.9 million miles) are much brighter. Comet Hale-Pop in the spring of 1997 and comet NEOWISE (discovered by a robotic space telescope) in the summer of 2020 are good examples.

So what category does ZTF belong to? In many ways it is a very common comet, but compared to other faint obscurities, ZTF is very bright.

Related articles

Comets, Asteroids and Meteors – Difference Between Them

January Night Sky Guide

Join the discussion

Will you be watching the skies for the “green” comet ZTF?

Let us know in the comments below!

BRUSSELS, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Microsoft (MSFT.O) EU likely to receive antitrust warning over its $69 billion bid for “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O)Another challenge could be closing the deal, people familiar with the matter said.

The European Commission is preparing a statement of objections, known as a statement of objections, that will be sent to Microsoft in the coming weeks, the people said.

The EU antitrust watchdog, which has set an April 11 deadline for a decision on the deal, declined to comment.

Microsoft said: “We continue to work with the European Commission to address any market issues. Our goal is to bring more games to more people, and this deal furthers that goal.”

The US software company and Xbox maker announced the acquisition in January last year to help it better compete with leaders Tencent. (0700.HK) And Sony (6758.T).

However, US and UK regulators have expressed concerns, with the US Federal Trade Commission going to court to block the deal.

Microsoft is expected to try to avoid reporting a fee to EU regulators and shorten the regulatory process, other sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in November.

However, the EU competition enforcer is not expected to be open to settlements without first sending its indictment, although informal discussions about offers are ongoing, the people said.

Microsoft reached a 10-year deal with Nintendo last month (7974.D) Nintendo has said it is open to a similar deal with Sony to make “Call of Duty” available on consoles, which is key to the acquisition.

The deal has been given the green light without conditions in Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Serbia.

Reporting by Mark Potter Editing by Fu Yun See

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN
—

Joe Biden Delivering remarks Sunday from Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. became the first sitting president to deliver a Sunday sermon from the historic church he pastored. Massacre in 1968.

“You’ve been around for 136 years — I know I’m like that, but I’m not,” Biden joked, calling King “one of my only political heroes” since entering public service.

In remarks from the sermon, the president referred to the current moment in American history as a “choice time.”

“Are we a people who choose democracy over autocracy? You couldn’t have asked this question 15 years ago, could you? You would have thought that democracy was solved—not for African Americans, but for democracy as an institutional system. But it’s not, it’s not,” he said.

“We must choose community from chaos. Are we the people…are we going to choose love over hate? These are the important questions of our time, and I believe they are the reason I am here as your President. Dr. King’s life and legacy show us the way, and we must pay attention,” Biden said.

He praised King and his legacy, noting that the civil rights pioneer was “born in a nation where segregation was a sad fact of life.”

Biden’s arrival came amid a A steady drip of revelations Later it is connected with his handling of secret documents During his tenure as Vice President. The White House has faced growing criticism for its lack of transparency with the public over the discovery of classified materials at Biden’s home and his former private office. Attorney General Merrick Garland Appointed Special Advocate Take the investigation into classified documents found in two locations linked to Biden.

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, the current pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, invited Biden to speak Sunday on what would have been King’s 94th birthday. Warnock was there Recently elected for a full six-year term Following an election in Georgia where he pulled away from Biden on the campaign trail, polls showed a majority of voters. Disapproved of the President’s work.

At the church, Biden spoke about King’s legacy and a number of issues, including civil and voting rights.

“He had every reason to believe, as others of his generation did, that history had already been written, that secession was America’s destiny — but he rejected that conclusion,” Biden said. “Often, when people hear about Dr. King, they think most of his ministry and movement, the epic struggle for civil rights and the right to vote. But we do well to remember that his work is something deeper—it is spiritual. It was decent.”

The speech comes as the president prepares plans for his re-election bid with his advisers and decides on his political future. Biden flipped Georgia in 2020, buoyed by support from black voters, and the state could prove crucial in next year’s presidential campaign.

Ahead of Biden’s trip to Georgia, White House Senior Advisor for Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms and Former Mayor of AtlantaThe visit has been called “an inflection point” as the president’s voting rights agenda has stalled in Congress.

“If you’ve been through the East Side, you’ve seen pictures of Dr. King meeting with Lyndon Johnson, meeting with other civil rights leaders, getting the vote out of the White House — so we’re still here. Talking about this in 2023, I know we need action, and we need that action from Congress. Literally,” Bottoms said.

“The President has done all he can in his executive powers and will continue to do so, but there is only so much he can do. We need Congress to act,” he added.

A democratically controlled house The Suffrage Bill was passed in 2021, but Senate Democrats are trying to change filibuster rules to pass the legislation failed Amid opposition from moderate Democrats Sens. Joe Manchin and Kirsten Sinema. It comes from the cinema Become independentWhile caucuses continue with Democrats and Republicans won control of the House The November midterm elections followed, further shattering hopes of a compromise on voting rights.

Bottoms supported the administration’s handling of the voting rights issue, telling reporters Friday that the Biden White House has “done everything we can do from the executive branch,” but added that if there are additional steps that would exacerbate the issue, “we welcome these recommendations . . .”

While in Atlanta, Biden is expected to meet with royal family members and civil rights organizations, the White House said.

King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968 at the age of 39.

On Monday, as the nation honors King on the holiday named after him, the National Action Network’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast in Washington, DC, with Rev. Biden will deliver the keynote address at the invitation of Al Sharpton.

This story has been updated.

Kathmandu, Nepal
CNN
—

At least 68 people were killed when a plane crashed near the central Nepal city of Pokhara on Sunday, a government official said, in the country’s worst aviation accident. For more than 30 years.

Seventy-two people — four crew members and 68 passengers — were on board the ATR 72 flight, operated by Nepal’s Eti Airlines, when it crashed, Eti Airlines spokesman Sudarsan Bardaula said. Thirty-seven were men, 25 were women, three were children and three were infants, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.

Army spokesman Krishna Prasad Bandar said search efforts were called off after dark and would resume Monday morning. Bandar said hundreds of first responders were already working to find the remaining four people.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, at least one of the dead is a child.

Sunday’s incident was the third worst in the Himalayan nation’s history, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network. July and September 1992 saw the highest number of casualties. 113 and 167 people died in the crashes of flights operated by Thai Airways and Pakistan International Airlines respectively.

The Civil Aviation Authority said 53 passengers and four crew members were Nepalis. There were fifteen foreigners on board: five Indians, four Russians and two Koreans. The rest are individual citizens of Australia, Argentina, France and Ireland.

The plane was flying from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara, the country’s second most populous city and the gateway to the Himalayas, the country’s state media The Rising Nepal reported. Bokahara is located 129 kilometers (80 mi) west of Kathmandu.

About 18 minutes after take-off, the flight made its last contact with Pokhara airport at around 10:50 am local time. It then fell into the nearby Seti river valley. Civil aviation officials said in a statement that first responders from the Nepal Army and various police departments were dispatched to the crash site and are engaged in rescue operations.

A video clip on social media on Sunday shows the moments of the plane crash. The footage, which appears to have been taken from the rooftop of a house in Pokhara, shows the plane flying low over a populated area and rolling on its side before the plane is seen in the clip. A loud explosion is heard at the end of the video.

CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the clip.

A 5-member committee has also been constituted to investigate the cause of the accident. According to Bishnu Patel, Nepal’s deputy prime minister and government spokesperson, the five-member committee will submit a report to the government within 45 days.

Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said, “I am deeply saddened by the sad and tragic accident.”

“I sincerely request the security personnel, all agencies of the Government of Nepal and the public to start effective rescue operations,” Dahl said on Twitter.

The government has declared Monday a public holiday to mourn the victims, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President both offered their condolences, as did the Australian Ambassador to Nepal.

Nepal’s Eti Airlines has announced that it will cancel all scheduled flights on Monday, January 16, to mourn the victims of the plane crash.

The Himalayan country of Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Everest. There is a record of plane crashes. Its weather can change suddenly and airstrips are usually located in difficult-to-reach mountainous areas.

Last May, A Tara Air flight with 22 people on board It crashed into the Himalayas at an altitude of about 14,500 feet. It says it is the country’s 19th plane crash in 10 years and its 10th fatality in the same period. Aviation Safety Network database.

The plane involved in Sunday’s crash was an ATR 72-500, a twin-prop turbojet often used in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly by low-cost carriers. The aircraft, manufactured by ATR as a joint venture partner of European aerospace giants Airbus and Leonardo, Usually has a good name.

However, they have been involved in accidents before. Two ATR 72s operated by now-defunct Taiwanese airline Transasia crashed. July 2014 And February 2015. The second prompted Taiwanese authorities to temporarily ground all ATR 72s registered on the island.

In total, various models of ATR 72 were involved in 11 fatal incidents before Sunday’s crash in Nepal. According to the Aviation Safety Network.

ATR informed about the accident in a statement on Sunday.

“Our first thoughts are with all those affected,” the statement said. “ATR specialists are fully engaged in supporting both the investigation and the client.”

Kathmandu, Jan. 15 (Reuters) – At least 44 people were killed on Sunday when a domestic plane crashed in Nepal’s Pokhara, a civil aviation authority official said.

Hundreds of rescue workers were searching the hillside where the Eti Airlines flight carrying 72 people from the capital Kathmandu went down. The weather was clear, said Jagannath Nirola, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

“Thirty bodies have been recovered and sent to hospital,” Nirola told Reuters. Another 14 bodies are still lying at the crash site and authorities are bringing in a crane to move them.

Local television showed rescue workers scrambling around the wreckage of the plane. Some land near the crash site was burnt and flames were visible.

“The plane is on fire,” said police officer Ajay KC, as rescue workers struggled to reach the spot in a valley between two hills near the tourist town’s airport.

The plane made contact with the airport from Seti Gorge at 10:50 am (0505 GMT), the civil aviation authority said in a statement. “And then it crashed.”

“Half of the plane is on the hillside,” said local resident Arun Thamu, who told Reuters he reached the spot minutes after the plane went down. “The other half has fallen into the valley of the river Seti.”

Khum Bahadur Chhetri said he saw the plane approaching from the roof of his house.

“I saw the plane shaking, moving left and right, then suddenly its nose dipped and it went into the valley,” Chhetri told Reuters, adding that locals took the two passengers to hospital.

The government has set up a committee to probe the cause of the crash and it is expected to report within 45 days, Finance Minister Bishnu Patel told reporters.

A series of accidents

It was Nepal’s worst accident since March 2018, when a US-Bangla Dash 8 turboprop plane from Dhaka crashed on landing in Kathmandu, killing 51 of the 71 people on board, the Aviation Safety Network said.

At least 309 people have died since 2000 in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal – eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Everest – and sudden weather changes can cause dangerous conditions.

The European Union has banned Nepali flights from its airspace since 2013 due to security concerns.

Two infants and four crew members were among those on board the twin-engine ATR 72, airline spokesman Sudarshan Bardaula said.

The passengers included five Indians, four Russians and one Irish, two South Koreans, one Australian, one French and one Argentine.

The ATR72 by European aircraft manufacturer ATR is a widely used twin-engine turboprop aircraft produced by a joint venture with Airbus. (AIR.PA) and Leonardo of Italy. Eti Airlines has six ATR72-500 aircraft, according to its website.

“ATR experts are fully engaged in supporting both the investigation and the customer,” the company said on Twitter, adding that its first thoughts were for the victims after being notified of the crash.

Airbus and Leonardo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 tweeted that the Eti Airlines plane was 15 years old and fitted with an old transponder with unreliable data.

“We are downloading high-resolution data and checking data quality,” it said.

On its website, Eti describes itself as a leading domestic carrier. Its fleet consists of six ATR 72-500s, including the one that crashed. It also owns Tara Air, and the two together offer a “broad network” in Nepal, the company says.

Report by Gopal Sharma; Additional reporting by Jamie Freed; Written by Devajyot Ghoshal and Aditya Kalra; Editing: William Mallard

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After a tight first half, the San Francisco 49ers scored 25 unanswered points to start the second half and beat the Seattle Seahawks 41-23 on Saturday at Levi’s Stadium. The NFC wild-card win was the 11th in a row for the 49ers, who will face a to-be-determined opponent in the divisional round next weekend.

San Francisco 49ers

49ers quarterback to start a playoff game, lowest-drafted rookie quarterback Brock Birdie For the first time in his young career he appeared to show some understandable nerves.

Purdy played into Saturday’s wild-card matchup against Seattle with some missed throws and late plays that he’s made over the past month. But once again, Purdy didn’t flinch in the face of adversity.

As Purdy settled in and his players gained plenty of yards after the catch, the Niners entered the NFC divisional round the following week. They will host the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium.

Everything that initially affected Birdie disappeared after a quick stop in the locker room. He was nearly perfect over the final two quarters, going 9-for-11 for 185 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score.

Purdy finished 18-for-30 for 332 yards with four total touchdowns. In the process, he became the third rookie quarterback to throw for three scores in a playoff game and tied for the seventh consecutive time with multiple touchdowns in a game. Justin Herbert For the longest streak by a freshman quarterback since 1950.

The biggest question facing these Niners once the postseason begins is how Purdy will fare when the lights are on. Just as he’s aced every test he’s ever been thrown, Birdy excelled.

Main play: With 2 minutes, 31 seconds left in the third quarter, the Seahawks trailed by six and took the ball at San Francisco’s 19-yard line, threatening to regain the lead.

But when the Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith Throwing back, he received immediate pressure from the Niners defensive linemen Charles Omenihu right side. As Smith advanced, Omenihu swiped the ball.

A warning Nick Bosa fumbled for the first takeaway of the game, and the Niners promptly drove for a touchdown that essentially put the game away.

Not only did the takeaway swing the points in San Francisco’s favor, but the 49ers had no prizes. The Niners are now 14-0 this season in which they commit one or zero turnovers.

Eye-popping NextGen Stats: For the first time this season, the Niners are falling behind Christian McCaffrey Not touched on the first drive of the game. But he tallied his first attempt on the second possession, racing 68 yards down the left sideline for the third-longest rush of his career.

On the run, McCaffrey hit 20.8 mph, his fastest as a ball carrier since Week 8 of 2019.

— wagon

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are building on Birdie under the pressure of his first playoff start. The 49ers and their run-after-catch playmakers could have been tied for Seattle due to extremely bad weather. And the silly notion that it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season.

The 49ers made it look easy in the second half, as they turned a one-point halftime deficit into a victory that showed — yet again — the size of the gap between them and the Seahawks. San Francisco has outscored Seattle 89-43 in three games this season.

As ugly as the final two quarters were for the Seahawks, perspective is key. They don’t have to be at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Hanging tough with the No. 2 seed, they also held a 17-16 halftime lead over a team that had won 10 straight games. They shouldn’t even be in the playoffs in the first place after the quarterback trade Russell WilsonCutting linebacker Bobby Wagner And commits to playing young players on both sides of the ball.

Even with Smith unsigned beyond this season and a defense that needs a lot of work up front, the arrow points toward the Seahawks. They acquired a promising young center and a boatload of 2023 draft capital, including the fifth overall pick via the Wilson trade. But the 49ers sent them into the offseason with another reminder that the Seahawks need to take a big step forward before they can recapture the new bully in the NFC West block.

Problematic trend: Most of the Seahawks’ defensive problems this season stem from their overhyped front seven, but their tackling has been poor at all three positions. That’s a big reason why they ranked 31st in the regular season in yards allowed after one reception. It made for a tough matchup against a 49ers offense that has led the NFL in YAC the last six seasons, and as you might expect, it went badly for Seattle. Thibo SamuelThe 74-yard, game-sealing touchdown catch was the most obvious example of Seattle’s poor tackling. The 49ers finished the game with 181 yards after the catch, their third most in a game this season.

QB Breakdown: Smith had the kind of up-and-down performance that characterized his game in the final stretch of the regular season. He threw a deep ball TK Metcalf A 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter gave Seattle the lead. He completed 71.4% of his passes, right around his franchise-record season average. But he made another costly return with a lost fumble that killed a third-quarter scoring drive. He threw an interception in the fourth quarter, but Seattle was desperate by then. Smith finished 25-of-35 for 253 yards and two touchdown passes, both to Metcalf.

Main play: Late in the third quarter, the Seahawks could have had a go-ahead touchdown or at least a field goal to cut the 49ers’ lead to three points. But their 12-play streak ended when Smith was picked off while trying to climb into the pocket on third down. The 49ers then took a 14-point lead on their next possession. Seattle’s pass defense held up well against an excellent San Francisco front four until Smith’s strip-sack. It was the 49ers’ fifth pressure of the game on 22 Seattle dropbacks (23%), according to ESPN Stats and Information Research. They pressured the Seahawks on a 38% dropback during the regular season.

— Henderson

KYIV, Jan. 14 (Reuters) – Russia launched a major missile attack on Ukraine on Saturday, smashing a nine-story apartment building in the city of Dnipro, killing at least five people and hitting key energy facilities across the country, officials said.

German Kalushchenko, the country’s energy minister, warned that strikes targeting most of the region would make the coming days “difficult”.

Fifteen people buried under part of an apartment block in the east-central city of Dnipro as smoke billowed into the sky have been rescued, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office said.

“Sad. I’ve gone to the base…. We’ll be going through the rubble all night,” said Boris Filatov, mayor of the rocket-making town on the Dnipro River.

The regional governor said at least 27 people, including six children, were injured in the attack and many others were trapped under the rubble.

Pictures show firefighters putting out flames around the wreckage of some of the cars. A large part of the apartment is missing. The exterior of the rest of the building was heavily damaged.

The wounded were carried away on stretchers in footage broadcast by Ukrainian public broadcaster Zaspilne.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine last February, has been attacking its energy infrastructure with missiles and drones since October, causing severe blackouts and disruptions to central heating and running water as winter bites.

Missiles on Saturday hit critical infrastructure facilities east of Kharkiv, which borders Russia, and west of Lviv, which borders Poland, officials said.

The entire Kharkiv region lost power after authorities were forced to order an emergency power cut. In Lviv, disruptions in electricity and water supply are possible, regional governor Maksim Kositsky said.

“Thanks to efficient air defense work in Kyiv, damage to critical infrastructure objects was avoided,” said Serhii Babko, head of the city’s military administration.

Moldova’s interior ministry said missile debris had been found in the country’s north, near the border with Ukraine, following an airstrike.

Morning Attack

Saturday’s attack came hours after a small-scale missile strike hit critical infrastructure in Kiev and the eastern city of Kharkiv. The first attack was unusual because the missiles hit their targets before the air raid sirens sounded. No one was reported injured, but missile debris caused fires in an area and damaged homes outside the capital, officials said.

Ukrainergo, which operates Ukraine’s power grid, said its workers were racing to repair the damage and that the network was struggling with power shortages caused by earlier attacks, even though it was -2 Celsius (28 Fahrenheit), mildly cold in Kyiv.

Cold weather generally puts more stress on the system because energy consumption increases.

DTEK, the largest private power company, introduced emergency blackouts in many areas.

Residential infrastructure was also affected in the village of Kopiliv outside the capital. The windows and roofs of 18 privately owned houses were broken or damaged by the blasts, regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Commenting on the first strike, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said Russia’s missiles may have been launched from the north on a high, rotating ballistic trajectory, which would explain why the air raid sirens did not sound.

Ukraine was unable to identify and shoot down the ballistic missiles, Ukrainska told Pravda online outlet.

Missiles hit Kargi

In Ukraine’s northeast, two S-300 missiles hit the city of Kharkiv near the Russian border early Saturday, regional governor Oleg Sinehupov said.

The attacks hit important energy and industrial targets in the region’s Kharkiv and Suhuvev districts, he said.

Saturday’s strikes came as Ukrainian and Russian forces battled for control of Solader, a small salt-mining town in eastern Ukraine that has been the focus of a relentless Russian offensive for days.

In what would be a rare victory for Moscow after months of battlefield setbacks, Russia said on Friday that its forces had taken control of the city, but said its troops were still fighting there.

Reuters could not immediately verify Soledar’s condition.

Writing by Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich, Frances Kerry and Tomasz Janowski Editing by Tom Balmforth

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

In front of A A record crowd at the Alamodome Friday night, the Golden State Warriors Theirs was Best road game of the seasonbeating San Antonio Spurs 144-113.

It was a lot of fun and most of the players deserve credit for their performance. So let’s do that by ranking the shows. As always, we rank each player based on expectations, with a “B” grade representing that player’s average performance.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a measure of scoring efficiency that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Friday’s games, the league average was 57.7%.

Draymond Green

29 minutes, 6 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 60.0% TS, +20

A clinic from Draymond. It felt like every shot the Spurs took was contested by Dre and rebounded by Dre, resulting in a Dre-led fast break.

In my view, Green is the most important player on the team for this five-game road trip. They will be warriors Third in the league in defense at home and 29th on the road. If they want to reverse their road woes — their fourth win in 20 road games — it starts on defense. As long as Dre is a warrior, their defense starts with him.

Grade: A

Post-match bonus: Equals team lead in plus/minus.

Kevon Looney

21 minutes, 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-of-7 shooting, 2-of-3 free throws, 84.1% TS, +6

Looney has seen his minutes drop slightly since the return of Andre Iguodala, with Jamichel Green and James Wiseman sidelined. Steve Kerr seems more comfortable going small ball when Iguodala is around.

But Looney has been fantastic in the minutes he’s been given. As the Warriors went smaller, they thrived. When they went big, Looney scored efficiently, hauled in rebounds, and played strong defense (Jakob Baldl shot 2-for-9). That he had the team’s worst plus/minus isn’t an indictment of him, just an indication of which lineups performed better against San Antonio.

Grade: A

Post-match bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Andrew Wiggins

27 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 7-of-17 shooting, 2-of-8 threes, 47.1% TS, +18

Wiggins struggled a bit with performance, but I thought this was his best game since returning to the lineup. The scoring may have been a bit lackluster, but he was aggressive in every facet of the game and played some fine defense.

Grade: B+

Step curry

23 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 fouls, 6-of-12 shooting, 2-of-7 threes, 1-of-1 free throws, 60.3% TS, +12

Curry putting up 15 points in just 23 minutes better than the league average is kind of hilarious, and our first thought is “he’s still rusty.”

But how good is he? Despite the donut in the turnover column, the trio of assists doesn’t accurately depict how well he ran the offense.

Watch out folks. He’s getting hot again.

Grade: B

Clay Thompson

23 minutes, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 7-of-10 shooting, 2-of-3 threes, 80.0% TS, +19

Clay had a very important performance in this game. Outside of the first two minutes, it wasn’t until the start of the second half that the Warriors felt in control of the game. The Dubs had a few turnovers in the opening minute (one conceded by Thompson), and the Spurs made some shots. It felt like going into the San Antonio game.

Then Clay turned it on and put a quick end to any hopes and dreams San Antonio had.

One of the best performances of the year. He’s really finding his rhythm.

Grade: A+

Andre Iguodala

18 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-3 shooting, 1-for-2 three, 83.3% TS, +16

Iguodala’s third game of the season was undoubtedly his best. Showed he still has some athleticism and he can still play defense. More importantly, he showed that a small-ball lineup with him can still thrive. And, as in his first two games, he proved to those who thought he was a glorified assistant coach that he could play real minutes.

Grade: A-

Anthony Lamb

24 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 5-of-7 shooting, 3-of-4 threes, 92.9% TS, +18

I was really surprised that Lamb “only” took three shots from downtown, because I felt like he had at least five shots. He made a huge difference in the first half as the Warriors turned a small lead into a blowout.

The fouls weren’t great, sometimes a sign of a lack of position, but everything else about his game was absolutely fantastic.

Grade: A

Donte DiVincenzo

25 minutes, 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 7-of-17 shooting, 4-of-12 threes, 4-of-4 free throws, 58.4% TS, +20

Anyone still skeptical of DiVincenzo’s offseason addition? No?

Did not think like that.

It was fitting that DTV revealed it at the Alamodome, the same venue where he delivered an incredible performance as the lead. Villanova to an NCAA Championship. He did everything in this game. seriously, Everything.

Grade: A

Post-match bonus: Equals best plus/minus on team.

Jordan Poole

31 minutes, 25 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 8-of-16 shooting, 2-of-6 threes, 7-of-8 free throws, 64.0% TS, +19

Which team did Vincenzo face in the national championship game at the Alamodome? Poole’s Michigan team. So it was fitting that they were the two leading scorers in this game. Some things make sense.

This tournament is everything you think of when you imagine a beautiful pool performance. It was equal parts flashy and substantial. He is very funny.

JP was very talented, while also carrying the show with a wonderful inside-out game. When security cut off his legs, he drove. When they cut off the path, he retreated. When they took his shot, he found an open man.

Brilliant.

Grade: A+

Post-match bonus: Led the team in points and assists.

Moses Moody

18 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4-of-7 shooting, 2-of-5 threes, 2-of-4 free throws, 68.5% TS, +7

I thought it was one of the best games of Moody’s career, full stop.

As I often point out, the lid doesn’t make good and bad. He doesn’t make many mistakes, but he doesn’t make many plays. In this game he replaced the latter … with the former. He was aggressive on offense, not just settling for the three, but penetrating, drawing contact, finishing and finding open teammates. And he did it all without committing a turnover or foul.

More of this, please!

Grade: A

Friday Inactive: Patrick Baldwin Jr., JaMichael Green, Ty Jerome, Jonathan Cuminga, Ryan Rollins, James Wiseman

New competitors are also coming. This year, General Motors is set to begin production of electric versions of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup and Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox sport utility vehicles.

Tesla has too Problem in China, its largest market, where a local manufacturer, BYD, is now the No. 1 electric vehicle brand. Tesla recently cut prices in China and a statement Total Global Sales to 2022 This was lower than analysts’ expectations.

While Tesla is still praised for the advanced technologies installed in its cars and their sleek styling, Tesla has been slow to add to its model line. It only offers four vehicles, and the two luxury models are out of reach for most mainstream consumers. It last launched a car in 2020, when the Model Y went into production.

Starting in 2019, Tesla promised to introduce a pickup called the Cybertruck, but delayed its production several times. The company now hopes to launch it this year. The Cybertruck has an angular, futuristic design and is expected to be sold as a luxury vehicle, which will reduce its appeal. In the past, Mr. Musk has expressed interest in building an electric car that could sell for about $25,000, but he hasn’t laid out any formal plans.

In December, Tesla began delivering a limited number of battery-powered semi trucks to its first customer, PepsiCo.

“We see demand issues remaining until Tesla introduces lower-cost offerings in 2025, which will probably only be in 2025,” Bernstein analyst Tony Sacconaghi said in a statement this month.

Tesla has indicated that it is willing to concede some profit in lowering prices of its current models to increase sales volume. The company typically shows gross profit margins of 26 percent — double that of some rival automakers — which has led investors to bid up its shares, making it the world’s most valuable car company.