World

NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch tomorrow evening (at 6:24 p.m. local time) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the first time humans will leave Earth's orbit since 1972 and bring them close to the moon. Four astronauts – NASA's Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen – will embark on a 10-day journey around the moon, though they will not land on it, instead traveling several thousand miles beyond it, performing a U-turn, and returning to Earth.

Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has elected former broadcaster and self-proclaimed socialist Avi Lewis as its new leader, as the party seeks to rebuild following a devastating federal election last year that saw it lose official party status. A record number of members voted in the three-day leadership convention, giving Lewis a first-ballot win that underscored widespread support. Lewis pledged to convert the “tremendous momentum” of the convention into an “NDP comeback”.

A two-year report on Germany's partial cannabis legalization, introduced in 2024, has been published, revealing several issues in the law's implementation. While consumption statistics show only a moderate increase, driven by pre-existing trends of declining use among youth and slow growth among older adults, the report identifies key problems that have drawn criticism from conservative politicians.

Following over a week of high drama on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, local authorities have decided to cease rescue attempts for a humpback whale. At a press conference, Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, announced that the whale's current condition is extremely critical, and no further assistance is possible. The whale is lying in shallow waters off the island of Poel, showing very weak and irregular breathing, with minimal movement.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have declared Wednesday a public holiday after the national football team qualified for their first World Cup in 52 years. The Leopards secured their place in the finals on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in a play-off match, thanks to an extra-time goal.

Four astronauts are preparing for NASA's Artemis II mission, which will mark the first human journey around the Moon in more than five decades. The crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. Their flight is set to be the most closely watched since the Apollo era, as it tests critical systems and pathways for returning humans to the lunar surface and eventually to Mars, amidst significant technological and safety challenges.

NASA's Artemis II mission, scheduled for launch tonight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marks a pivotal event as it will bring humans close to the moon for the first time since 1972 and set a record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled in space. Four astronauts – NASA's Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen – arrived in Florida from Houston after a two-week quarantine and are set to embark on a 10-day journey around the moon aboard the 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule. Liftoff is planned for 6:24 p.m. local time (2224 GMT), with weather conditions currently favorable, though NASA has until April 6 to retry if conditions worsen or must wait until April 30 for another attempt.

India has commenced the world's largest population census, a monumental exercise covering 1.4 billion people and, for the first time in nearly a century, including caste enumeration. This $1.24 billion undertaking will see over three million officials spend a year surveying households across the nation about their composition, living conditions, and access to basic amenities. The last census was conducted in 2011, with the subsequent one scheduled for 2021 delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving India's data on demographics, housing, and welfare programs outdated.

According to Cambodian authorities, Li Xiong was arrested in Cambodia and deported at the request of Chinese authorities. He is linked to an accused scam center kingpin, Chen Zhi, who was extradited in January, and was identified as "a core member of Chen Zhi's criminal gang" in a report by state-run CCTV.

Brazilian Judge Blocks Zipline Project at Rio's Sugarloaf Mountain UNESCO Site

An argument between a man and his sister in a city near Tehran, witnessed and recounted by one of their relatives, provides a telling insight into the painful rows erupting among families and friends as US and Israeli strikes continue. The relative, whom we are calling Sina, says that when his family recently gathered at his grandmother's house, emotions quickly exploded, exposing stark divisions. His uncle, a member of the Basij—a volunteer militia often deployed to suppress dissent in Iran—refused to even greet his own sister, who is opposed to the ruling regime.

Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon this week, striking areas outside Hezbollah's control on Tuesday, including the predominantly Christian residential neighborhood of Mansourieh north of Beirut and the Jnah neighborhood in the heart of the capital. The strikes were conducted without warning, resulting in numerous casualties and forced displacement.