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The deployment of reflective mirrors on satellites and the launch of thousands more satellites into low Earth orbit could have significant consequences for human health and ecosystems. Leading sleep and circadian rhythm researchers have raised concerns about the potential disruption to natural night-time light environments.The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering plans by Reflect Orbital to illuminate parts of the Earth at night using reflective satellites, as well as applications from SpaceX that could dramatically expand satellite numbers in low Earth orbit.2,500 researchers from over 30 countries have expressed concerns that altering the light-dark cycle could disrupt biological clocks that regulate sleep and hormone secretion in humans and animals, migration in nocturnal species, seasonal cycles in plants, and the rhythms of marine phytoplankton.Prof Charalambos Kyriacou, president of the European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS), emphasized that "plants need the night" and that eliminating it could have global implications for food security.Reflect Orbital aims to use satellites equipped with large reflective mirrors to redirect sunlight onto areas roughly 5km to 6km wide "on demand", with brightness adjustable "from full moon to full noon".Meanwhile, SpaceX has proposed launching up to 1m satellites to create a giant solar-powered computing network in orbit designed to run artificial-intelligence workloads.Ruskin Hartley, chief executive of DarkSky International, noted that scientific studies have already shown that the existing number of satellites in orbit has increased diffuse night sky brightness by roughly 10%.Experts warn that if current trends in satellite launches and debris generation continue, night sky brightness could increase substantially over the coming decade, approaching the threshold astronomers have set for preserving naturally dark skies.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has promised that a large number of Leeds fans will travel to London for the team's FA Cup semi-final match against Chelsea. The team secured their spot in the semi-finals after a thrilling penalty shootout win against West Ham on Sunday.The match at the London Stadium saw West Ham mount a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down, forcing extra time with stoppage-time goals from Mateus Fernandes and Axel Disasi. However, Lucas Perri's saves in the penalty shootout sealed a 4-2 win for Leeds.Farke expressed his pride in the team's achievement, highlighting the significance of reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 1987. He emphasized that the team's journey has not been easy, but they are on a positive path after being promoted to the top flight.The Leeds manager also acknowledged that Chelsea is a top team with top players and that his side will need an outstanding performance to succeed. Despite this, Farke is confident that over 30,000 Leeds fans will travel to London to support their team.In contrast, Nuno Espírito Santo, the West Ham manager, was disappointed with the loss, stating that it will be tough for his team to recover quickly. He urged his players to prepare for their upcoming Premier League match against Wolves.

On Sunday, Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar captured his third Tour of Flanders title, matching the historic record after dropping his main rival Mathieu van der Poel with 18 km left to ride.Van der Poel had been chasing a fourth victory in the Monument, but Pogacar, fresh from a Milan‑San Remo win last month, completed a flawless spring‑classic double.The triumph raises Pogacar’s Monument tally to 12 victories, cementing his place second on the all‑time list behind Eddy Merckx. Having won all three of his races this season, a Paris‑Roubaix win next weekend would make him only the fourth rider ever to claim all five Monuments.Describing the race as “crazy” and “super‑hard”, Pogacar told Belgian TV that limited racing opportunities increase the pressure to win, but he was “more than happy” with how the day unfolded and will head to Roubaix “motivated” while trying to enjoy the cobbles.Last year’s Roubaix debut saw Pogacar finish runner‑up to Van der Poel, who secured his third consecutive victory there.Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel secured third place, ahead of fellow Belgian Wout van Aert, after more than six hours covering 278 km of Flanders’ hilly, cobbled terrain.The event unfolded as a showdown among four of cycling’s biggest stars. Pogacar’s decisive move came on the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, 57 km from the finish, where he shed all rivals except Van der Poel and Evenepoel.Evenepoel was subsequently left behind on the next climb, the Paterberg, eventually finishing over a minute after Pogacar.After riding together for roughly 40 km, Pogacar launched his race‑winning attack on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont, gaining a six‑second edge that expanded to a comfortable margin at the line.In the women’s race, European champion Demi Vollering mirrored Pogacar’s tactics, breaking away on the Oude Kwaremont and winning by 19 seconds, with a 45‑second gap to second‑placed Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot.Vollering’s victory marks her third Monument win, adding to two Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège titles, while Lotte Kopecky finished fourth.

Iranian drones have launched a series of attacks on Kuwait's oil infrastructure, resulting in severe material damage and posing a significant threat to oil supplies that are already strained due to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.The drone strikes, which took place on Sunday, happened just hours before members of the Opec+ group of major global oil suppliers convened to discuss strategies for increasing output, despite Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that they had targeted petrochemical plants in Kuwait, as well as in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported damage and fires at its subsidiaries, including at the Shuwaikh oil sector complex, which houses the oil ministry and KPC headquarters.The attacks on Kuwait's oil infrastructure are part of a broader escalation of tensions in the Middle East, with Iranian drones also reportedly striking an office complex for Kuwaiti government ministries and two power and water desalination plants.The conflict has led to the largest disruption to oil supplies in history, with the price of Brent crude surging more than 50% since the start of the year to a peak of $119.50 a barrel in March. It is currently trading at about $109 a barrel.The disruptions have had a significant impact on energy costs for consumers, with the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol in the UK reaching 154.45p on Sunday, and the average US fuel price passing $4 a gallon for the first time in four years.Opec+ members have agreed in principle to raise output by 206,000 barrels a day in May, but the agreement remains largely symbolic while Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade artery through which about 20% of the world's total crude oil passes.

The historic Artemis II mission is on track to reach the far side of the moon on Monday, with NASA reporting satisfaction with the progress made since the team's launch on Wednesday. The crew, comprising three Americans and one Canadian, will break the record for maximum range from Earth.The astronauts, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen, are the first to bound for the moon in over half a century, picking up where the Apollo program left off in 1972. The mission aims to establish a permanent lunar base, with NASA targeting a landing by two crew members near the lunar south pole in 2028.During their journey, the crew has reported persistent issues with the Orion capsule's toilet, which has been malfunctioning since liftoff. Despite this, morale remains high, with the astronauts describing their experiences and sharing images of the moon's surface.The next significant milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, when the astronauts will enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the moon's gravity will have a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's. If successful, the Artemis II crew will have traveled further from Earth than any human before.The mission promises breathtaking views of the moon's far side, which was too dark or difficult to see for the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them. The crew will observe the celestial body with their naked eyes and cameras onboard during the flyby, which will last approximately six hours.

PSV Eindhoven were crowned Dutch champions for the 27th time on Sunday, with five matches left in the season. This came after second-placed Feyenoord drew 0-0 with Volendam. The Eindhoven-based team bounced back from successive defeats with a 4-3 victory against Utrecht on Saturday, solidifying their position at the top of the table with a 17-point lead. Under the management of Peter Bosz, PSV quickly took control of the title race this season, dropping just four points before the winter break. This victory marks their third successive title for the first time since 2008. Feyenoord, the previous champions in 2023 under Arne Slot, now managing at Liverpool, were unable to catch up. Meanwhile, Dutch giants Ajax, who sit fifth this season, have gone four years without lifting the trophy. PSV's latest title guarantees them a place in the Champions League league phase next season.

The Sydney Kings secured their sixth NBL championship after a dramatic 113‑101 overtime victory over the Adelaide 36ers in the decisive fifth game of the series.In front of a record‑breaking crowd of 18,589 spectators at the Sydney venue on Easter Sunday, Kings guard Kendric Davis delivered a stellar performance, tallying 35 points and 14 assists, which earned him the series MVP honor.Adelaide’s star guard Bryce Cotton matched Davis with 35 points, fueling a fierce duel that defined the series and kept the 36ers within striking distance until the final minutes.The 36ers entered the last quarter of regulation holding a seven‑point lead and appeared poised to capture their first title since 2002. However, Davis sank a crucial basket with 30 seconds left, and Tim Soares’s tip‑in forced a 95‑95 tie with six seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime.During the extra period, Davis set the tone by stealing the ball early and adding seven more points, while 36ers forward Nick Rakocevic fouled out after a contested play. The Kings built a decisive 13‑point advantage, highlighted by Makuach Maluach’s emphatic dunk in the final minute.The triumph also marks the first championship for the Kings since legendary coach Brian Goorjian returned to revitalize the club last season, fulfilling expectations after a season highlighted by a record‑breaking 44‑point Game 1 win.For Adelaide, the loss ends a heart‑breaking campaign that saw the 36ers rally from a heavy Game 1 defeat to level the series twice, only to fall short of ending their 24‑year title drought.

When Corentin Roudaut arrived in Paris a decade ago, he swapped his student‑era bike for a car, daunted by the city’s traffic and lack of cyclist protection. After a protected lane opened on Boulevard Voltaire in the 11th arrondissement, he reclaimed his two‑wheel commute and now volunteers with the cycling advocacy group Paris en Selle, witnessing a city that has shed its car‑centric image.Roudaut notes that the shift “started slowly but really accelerated in the last ten years,” with a growing network of bike routes that is becoming safe and nearly complete in many districts.Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s 12‑year agenda reshaped Paris’s urban fabric. Since taking office in 2014, her administration planted 155,000 trees, created several hundred kilometres of segregated bike lanes, pedestrianised 300 school streets, and banned cars from the banks of the Seine. Former parking spaces have been turned into green plazas and café terraces, reducing the risk of children being hit while walking to school.As Hidalgo departs on Sunday, her legacy is touted as a blueprint for progressive European cities, especially as some national governments retreat from green initiatives.Nevertheless, the reforms have sparked pushback. Motorists object to the loss of road space, and recent referendums on higher parking charges for SUVs and further school‑street pedestrianisation suffered low voter turnouts. Right‑wing mayoral candidate Rachida Dati described the new public‑space regime as “anxiety‑inducing,” though she stopped short of promising a reversal.In a candid interview, Hidalgo described the Seine‑bank pedestrianisation as “a tough battle” that, once won, left residents reluctant to revert to car traffic. She highlighted a generation of children who have never known cars on those riverbanks, prompting awe‑filled reactions from visitors.Urban scholars attribute the rapid change to Paris’s tight administrative boundaries, which limit suburban influence on city transport decisions, and to groundwork laid by previous mayors. Yet they stress that political courage was essential to implement measures that inconvenienced drivers while delivering social and environmental benefits.Environmental epidemiologist Audrey de Nazelle of Imperial College London, a Paris native, praised the transformation as “fabulous” and warned that many cities lack the bravery to pursue similar legacies.A recent report placed Paris among 19 global cities that cut two major toxic air pollutants between 2010 and 2024. While Brussels and Warsaw saw faster declines in fine‑particle matter, London outpaced Paris in reducing nitrogen‑dioxide levels.By contrast, Berlin—despite opening a new inner‑city motorway and scrapping 30 km/h speed limits on key streets—still records a higher share of cyclists than Paris.Transport researcher Giulio Mattioli argues that Paris simply needed to add bike lanes to unlock latent demand, noting that the city started from a lower baseline but quickly caught up with peers.However, the transformation remains uneven. The extensive suburbs continue to be dominated by cars, hemmed in by the 35 km Boulevard Périphérique ring road. Analyst Jean‑Louis Missika of think‑tank Terra Nova stresses that “as long as this motorway encircles Paris, the Greater Paris metropolis will remain an administrative construct devoid of urban reality.” He calls for dismantling or repurposing the ring road to achieve a truly post‑car metropolis.

On Easter Sunday, a group of monks gathered in the Old City of Jerusalem to perform traditional prayers. The ceremony took place under an uncharacteristically quiet backdrop, as the historic quarter was largely deserted.The presence of the monks underscored the enduring religious significance of the site, even as the usual crowds were absent. Observers noted the stark contrast between the solemn ritual and the empty streets, a scene that emphasized both the spiritual continuity and the unique circumstances of this year's celebration.