USA: Omicron, weather ground more than 1,300 U.S. flights on Sunday

.S. airlines called off more than 1,300 flights on Sunday as surging COVID-19 infections due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus grounded crews and forced tens of thousands of Christmas weekend travellers to change their plans.

Commercial airlines cancelled 1,318 flights within, into or out of the United States on Sunday, according to a tally on flight-tracking website FlightAware.com.

It was the third straight day of travelling pain, after a total of 997 flights were scrapped on Christmas Day and nearly 700 on Christmas Eve. Thousands more were delayed on all three days.

Read more at: Omicron, weather ground more than 1,300 U.S. flights on Sunday | CBC News

French Guiana - Kourou: Nasa to launch newest space telescope with an ESA Ariane 5 rocket on Christmas Day

Dangerously high winds will keep Nasa’s newest space telescope on the ground for at least an extra day, with the launch now targeted for Saturday – Christmas Day – at the earliest. Nasa announced the latest delay Tuesday. Upper-level high wind could force a rocket off-course or even damage or destroy it.

The James Webb space telescope will soar from French Guiana on South America’s northeastern coast, aboard a European Ariane rocket. Launch managers will meet again Wednesday to assess the weather.

The $10bn infrared observatory is considered the successor to the Hubble space telescope, in orbit since 1990.

Read more at: Nasa to launch newest space telescope on Christmas Day | Nasa | The Guardian