World

New NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has announced a major pivot in the US space agency's lunar program, stating that NASA will cancel plans for an orbiting lunar station, the Lunar Gateway, and instead focus on constructing a roughly $20 billion base on the moon's surface over the next seven years. This overhaul comes as part of changes to the flagship Artemis II project, which has faced a series of setbacks and delays in recent months, amid a renewed 21st-century race with Russia and China to return to Earth's satellite.

United Nations special rapporteurs Tlaleng Mofokeng and Ben Saul issued a statement on Tuesday, urging Israel to immediately release Dr Hussam Abu Safia, a Palestinian physician detained from Gaza. The experts warned that they had received reports indicating the doctor has been subjected to “severe torture” and other abuses in Israeli detention, with his health condition “remaining dire” due to systematic denial of critical medical examination and treatment.

Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, with a single final match seat reselling for as much as €163,000 (approximately $190,000) on secondary markets. According to Football Supporters Europe (FSE), this is over seven times the cost of the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket, highlighting a dramatic surge that has sparked outrage among fans.

Geopolitical rivalries involving Gulf and Middle Eastern states are significantly altering security dynamics in the Horn of Africa, with analysts warning that the region could be drawn into the conflict with Iran. The competition pits countries often aligned with Saudi Arabia or Turkey against those allied with the UAE and Israel, creating flashpoints such as Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which risks exacerbating regional tensions.

Nearly a month after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began, many who hoped the regime would soon fall have been left disappointed. DW spoke to Iranians about how the regime's survival has dashed those early hopes. At the start of the war in Iran, many Iranians saw the US-Israeli attacks as a chance to weaken or even overthrow the Islamic Republic. US President Donald Trump went so far as to call on the Iranian people to "take over your government," cautioning that they might not get a better shot at regime change "for generations."

United States President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is pausing attacks on Iran’s power infrastructure for five days and claimed that Washington and Tehran had held “very good and productive conversations” aimed at ending their war. The same day, Trump told reporters that his envoys were talking to a senior Iranian official, though he did not name them. Israeli and US news outlets reported that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, are in contact with Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated on Tuesday that a military drone that crashed near the border with Belarus originated from Ukraine and was intended to attack Russian oil assets before going astray. The drone crashed the previous day close to the Belarusian border, with the military initially reporting that a suspected military drone had entered its airspace and crashed.

Buenos Aires, Argentina – In 1977, Argentine teacher Taty Almeida, desperate to find her missing son Alejandro, a 20-year-old medical student and political activist, made a decision that would change her life forever. Her son was last seen on a street near his home in Buenos Aires, and Almeida suspected he had been snatched by government-backed paramilitary forces as part of a crackdown on political dissidents. Yet, no one could locate Alejandro, as if he had simply vanished.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated the country is ready to host talks between the United States and Iran, following claims by US President Donald Trump of ongoing negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told Al Jazeera: "If the parties desire, Islamabad is always willing to host talks." He emphasized Pakistan's consistent advocacy for dialogue and diplomacy to promote regional peace and stability.

According to the annual report published on Tuesday by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, Pakistan was identified as the world's most polluted country in 2025. The report found that concentrations of hazardous fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Pakistan were up to 13 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended level, averaging 67.3 microgrammes per cubic metre. The WHO standard for healthy air quality is no more than 5 microgrammes of PM2.5 per cubic metre.

A second set of mountain gorilla twins has been born in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an event conservationists are celebrating as "extraordinary" for the endangered primates. This follows the discovery of another rare twin birth just two months ago, highlighting a significant development for the species.

Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have announced they will keep 11 seats vacant at their M Chinnaswamy Stadium as a tribute to fans crushed to death during title celebrations last year. RCB CEO Rajesh Menon stated, "This is a tribute to our fans, who will always remain a part of our journey."