News Headlines - 16 August 2020

▽NASA eyes Oct. for SpaceX ship liftoff with Japanese astronaut aboard - The Mainichi

NASA said Friday that it is targeting Oct. 23 at the earliest for the next launch of a spacecraft developed by U.S. company SpaceX, which is scheduled to carry four astronauts including Japan's Soichi Noguchi.
The mission, previously considered for late September, will follow the first crewed test flight by SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle to the International Space Station. Two U.S. astronauts returned from the ISS earlier this month aboard the capsule, ending their two-month mission.
Noguchi, a 55-year-old veteran Japanese astronaut, and three U.S. astronauts are tasked with carrying out a six-month science mission aboard the ISS, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

▽Taiwan finalises purchase of F-16 jets from Lockheed Martin - CNA

Taiwan finalised the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin on Friday (Aug 14), a source confirmed to AFP, in a deal previously reported to be worth US$8 billion.
The Pentagon announced on Friday a 10-year, $62 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for the new production of F-16 Foreign Military Sale aircraft. Underscoring the sensitivity of the transaction, the announcement did not specify the buyer or buyers, but a source familiar with the matter confirmed to AFP that Taiwan was one of them.

▽Trump: 'A lot of people' think Edward Snowden 'not being treated fairly'

President Trump polled his aides on Thursday about whether he should let anti-surveillance whistleblower and leaker Edward Snowden return to the US from Russia without going to prison, saying he was open to it... Trump commented on Snowden for the first time as president after accusing former President Barack Obama of spying on his 2016 campaign.

▽NJ Couple Dies From COVID-19, 2 Days After Losing Son to Virus - NBC New York

A Fairfield couple married for 62 years died from the coronavirus hours apart, just two days after they lost a son to the virus in the first months of the pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy said during his daily briefing this past week.
Larry and Vicki Freda died from the coronavirus on April 24, Murphy said, two days after their 51-year-old son John died on April 22.

▽Unilever to rename German 'gypsy sauce' after complaints - Reuters

Unilever’s German food company Knorr will rename its popular “Zigeuner” - or gypsy - sauce as Hungarian-style paprika sauce after complaints that the name is offensive, becoming the latest brand to shift after a wave of protests over racism.