World

Iranian authorities have executed two men convicted of membership in the banned People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) opposition group, in the latest action targeting dissidents. Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian were hanged on Saturday morning after the country’s Supreme Court upheld earlier sentences that convicted them of PMOI/MEK membership and "armed rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts," according to the Iranian judiciary website Mizan Online.

The Artemis II mission has successfully continued its lunar flyby path, passing the halfway point between Earth and the Moon, NASA announced. Mission control in Houston held a call with the four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule late Friday, informing them of their significant location—now 219,000 kilometers (136,080 miles) from Earth, closer to the Moon than to our planet. This milestone occurred just two days, five hours, and 24 minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Customs officers in Samara stopped a microbus traveling from Uzbekistan to the Moscow region via Kazakhstan for inspection. Inside the vehicle, they found cages containing 93 rare parrots, Bahama ducks, and mountain turkeys.

US President Donald Trump allegedly stated that the federal government should allocate more funding to defense rather than childcare and healthcare, asserting that these responsibilities should fall to individual states. According to CNN, these remarks were made during a closed-door Easter dinner, with a recording later published and subsequently removed.

Ukrainian authorities have claimed that Russia is deploying "new tactics" in its aerial assaults on the country. On Friday, Ukraine came under extensive daytime attacks involving missiles and drones fitted with jet engines, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people across multiple regions, including Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr, and Dnipropetrovsk.

America's beloved national parks and public lands are confronting conservation rollbacks and potential sell-offs as the Trump administration pushes for increased fossil fuel and timber extraction. From the majestic valleys of the Grand Canyon to the granite peaks of Yosemite National Park and ancient trees of Alaska's Tongass National Forest, US President Donald Trump has pledged to make the country's federal nature reserves "beautiful again." National parks comprise one part of over 600 million acres (243 million hectares) of US public lands, spanning forests, deserts, waterways, and wildlife refuges.

Uzbek grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov is delivering impressive results at the 2026 Candidates Chess Tournament. After five rounds, he has accumulated 4.5 points, maintaining sole leadership. This performance has propelled him to 5th place in the world rankings, fulfilling one of his stated goals from earlier in the year. Sindarov's success is attributed not only to his playing skill but also to his unconventional preparation methods.

K-beauty is more than just a cosmetics trend. South Korea has combined popular culture, innovation, and national strategy to create a business model where beauty products serve as an economic and political tool. First came cars and electronics, then pop music and films, and now the beauty industry: skincare and cosmetics "made in Korea" are in demand worldwide.

Prominent singer Jahongir Otajonov expressed his views on the new tax order, expected to take effect from September 1, during a press conference on April 2. He stated his readiness to pay income tax from each event he performs at, but emphasized that afterward, the "Uzbekconcert" organization should leave artists in peace. Otajonov said: "As a child of Uzbekistan, I have no problem paying taxes to my own state, my home. But then let no one bother me; I want to be an independent person as a taxpayer. Don't tell me to go to such-and-such concert or someone's wedding."

The United States military is engaged in a race against time and Iranian forces to recover a missing crew member from an F-15 fighter jet that was downed over Iran, amid escalating military tensions between the two nations. This incident marks a new phase in the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, highlighting the deepening crisis in the region.

Lawyers have estimated that up to 75 women who were victims of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein may have a stake in the $72.5 million settlement reached with Bank of America. United States District Judge Jed Rakoff called on the lawyers to compile a broad list of publications by Friday to notify Epstein’s victims, who are believed to number in the hundreds. Rakoff explained he wanted to ensure that “nobody is left out” of the settlement. A final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for August 27.

NASA has unveiled the first images captured from inside the Artemis II mission's Orion spacecraft, where four astronauts are currently traveling on a journey around the Moon. In a photograph shared on Friday, mission commander Reid Wiseman captured a view of Earth through the capsule's window. The image shows the planet veiled in sweeping cloud formations, appearing to rise beyond the spacecraft as the crew continues its voyage.