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Monday, 6 April 2026 marks the most consequential day for human spaceflight in over half a century, as NASA’s Artemis II mission prepares to eclipse the Apollo 13 distance record.At 13:56 EDT (17:56 GMT) the Orion spacecraft will pass the 400,171 km (248,655 mi) mark set by Apollo 13, and by 19:07 EDT (23:07 GMT) it is slated to reach a maximum of 406,773 km (252,760 mi) from Earth – roughly 6,600 km farther than any human has ever traveled.The Artemis programme is NASA’s multi‑decade effort to return people to the Moon, establish a sustainable presence there, and use the lunar foothold as a springboard to Mars. The initiative currently comprises five missions (Artemis I‑V).Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight launched on 16 November 2022, spent 25 days orbiting Earth and validating Orion’s performance, paving the way for the crewed flight.Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Centre on 1 April 2026 at 18:35 EDT (22:35 GMT) with a four‑astronaut crew for a ten‑day deep‑space test.Crew members:Reid Wiseman (50), commander – veteran ISS commander and test pilot.Victor Glover (49), pilot – first Black astronaut assigned to a lunar mission; previously flew on SpaceX Crew‑1.Christina Koch (47), mission specialist – holds the record for longest single women’s spaceflight (328 days) and has extensive EVA experience.Jeremy Hansen (50), mission specialist – Canada’s first astronaut to travel to the Moon, former fighter pilot.The crew will manually pilot Orion at key phases, verify life‑support, propulsion, power, thermal control, navigation and proximity‑operations systems, and rehearse critical procedures such as course corrections, long‑range communications, re‑entry and splashdown.Scientific work will include lunar observations, human‑health experiments, and extensive photography. On 2 April, Commander Wiseman captured a striking “Hello, World” image of Earth from Orion, showing upside‑down continents, vivid auroras, city lights across Africa, Europe and South America, and a faint zodiacal glow.Nutrition for the ten‑day flight comes from a fixed menu of 189 shelf‑stable items – tortillas, nuts, beef brisket, macaroni‑and‑cheese, cookies, chocolate, and rehydratable drinks – all prepared without a refrigerator, using a water dispenser and a small heater to keep crumbs from floating in microgravity.NASA plans the splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at about 20:07 EDT on 10 April 2026. Recovery helicopters will retrieve the crew for medical checks aboard the USS John P Murtha before they return to Johnson Space Center in Houston.The Moon lies an average 384,400 km (238,855 mi) from Earth – roughly ten Earth‑equator circumferences. Its diameter is about one‑third that of Earth; if Earth were a basketball, the Moon would be a tennis ball. Surface temperatures swing from –173 °C (–180 °F) at night to 127 °C (260 °F) in daylight, and gravity is only one‑sixth of Earth’s, so a 60 kg person would feel the weight of a 10 kg mass.Between 1961 and 1972 NASA’s Apollo programme conducted 33 missions (11 crewed, 22 uncrewed), achieving six successful lunar landings. The last humans to walk on the Moon were Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on 14 December 1972 (Apollo 17).Other nations have also left their mark: the Soviet Luna 9 (1966) delivered the first soft‑landing images, China’s Chang’e 4 (2019) explored the far side, and India’s Chandrayaan‑3 (2023) achieved the first soft landing near the lunar south pole – a region rich in permanently shadowed craters that may hold water ice.Looking ahead, Artemis III (targeted for 2027) will test integrated operations in low Earth orbit with commercial landers, Artemis IV (early 2028) aims for the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 at the south pole, and Artemis V (late 2028) will begin construction of a lunar base.

The Israeli war on Gaza has resulted in a catastrophic economic collapse, leaving 70 percent of Gaza's residents under 30 without work or opportunities. The unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip has soared to 80 percent, with the local gross domestic product (GDP) plummeting by 87 percent over the past two years.Mahmoud Shamiya, a university graduate, exemplifies the struggles of Gaza's youth. He had dreams of becoming a teacher but now spends his days surviving in a tent, fetching water, and scavenging for firewood. The destruction of Gaza's educational infrastructure has effectively paused the lives of students trapped inside the besieged enclave.The systematic destruction of universities and schools has erased 22 years of development in Gaza, leaving the territory's youth cut off from the outside world and denied the ability to study, work, or secure their basic survival. Economists warn that the situation is a generational catastrophe.Mona Al-Mashharawi, who was scheduled to travel to Algeria for her university studies, is now trapped in Gaza. She laments, 'Two years of my life have been lost, and I am now entering the third. These years are automatically vanishing from our lives.'The private sector, once Gaza's main economic engine, has been shattered, with 90 percent of all sectors, including housing and infrastructure, wiped out. The total economic losses are estimated to be $70 billion.The blockade has drained the territory of essential goods and raw materials, with 80 percent of the population relying entirely on international humanitarian assistance to stay alive. However, aid entering the territory falls drastically short of the daily target of 2,000 tonnes.

The global oil trade is facing a chokepoint crisis, with Libya's oil disputes mirroring the situation in the Hormuz Strait. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil transportation, was briefly closed after US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, causing Brent crude oil prices to soar to nearly $120 a barrel.Libya, with its strategically located oil terminals on the northeastern coast, has become a crucial player in the global oil trade. The country's light, sweet grades of oil are particularly valuable to European refiners. However, Libya's political instability and factional oil deals are threatening to disrupt oil supplies, with Europe's energy security hanging in the balance.The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar, controls the territory where Libya's oil is located, while the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli signs oil contracts. This has led to a situation where Tripoli may sign oil contracts, but Haftar decides whether oil actually flows. The Arkenu agreement, a private oil company linked to the Haftar family, was recently terminated due to corruption allegations, leaving the future of Libya's oil supplies uncertain.The US is attempting to broker new talks between Tripoli and Haftar's camp, but a deal is not yet certain. Meanwhile, European energy security is at risk, with the Mediterranean Sea becoming a battleground for proxy wars between Russia and Ukraine. The sabotage of oil infrastructure and attacks on tankers are exacerbating the situation, highlighting the need for a stable and secure oil supply to Europe.

NASA's Artemis II mission has made history by breaking the record for the farthest human travel from Earth. The four astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft surpassed the previous record of 400,171km (248,655 miles) on Monday at 15:58 GMT, a feat previously achieved by Apollo 13 in April 1970.The mission, which is currently travelling around the far side of the moon, is expected to reach its maximum distance of roughly 406,788km (252,760 miles) from Earth at 23:07 GMT. During this journey, the crew will spend more than six hours analysing and documenting lunar surface features.The astronauts began their landmark day with a message from the late Jim Lovell, who took part in the Apollo 8 and 13 missions. Lovell recorded the message shortly before his death, saying, “It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view. Welcome to my old neighbourhood. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the moon.”Travelling around the moon's far side, the astronauts will witness previously hidden lunar territory, including the Orientale basin, a massive crater that had only been viewed by orbiting cameras on uncrewed missions. Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis II mission, highlighted the importance of human observation, stating, “The human eye is basically the best camera that could ever or will ever exist.”The Artemis II crew includes several firsts: Victor Glover will be the first person of colour to fly around the moon, Christina Koch will be the first woman, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American. The mission is a crucial step towards preparing for subsequent missions like Artemis III in 2027 and a lunar landing as part of the Artemis IV mission in 2028.

The quest to find Australia's oldest playable musical instrument has led to the discovery of several remarkable pieces. A 16th-century double bass crafted by Gasparo da Salò, a renowned luthier, has been found to be one of the oldest playable instruments in the country. Currently on loan to Max Bibeau, principal double bass for the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO), this instrument was made around 1580 in Brescia, Italy. Only a handful of such instruments exist globally, and Bibeau's relationship with the double bass was not immediate. He notes that it took considerable time and effort to 'wake it up' and make it playable again. The instrument had been stored in an abbey in northern Italy for centuries before being discovered by German bass player Prof Günter Klaus in the late 1960s. Culturally, the yidaki (didgeridoo), a sacred instrument to the Yolŋgu people, is likely Australia's oldest instrument, with a history spanning thousands of years. For an exhibition in 2017, curators at the South Australian Museum worked with Yolŋgu community members to restore a selection of the oldest and most unique yidaki to playing condition. The oldest restored yidaki was made around 1890. Another contender for the oldest instrument is a piano from the First Fleet, a 'square' piano made by Frederick Beck in 1780. This instrument, now housed at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, has a softer and smaller sound compared to modern pianos. The oldest instrument found in Australia is an ocarina from Colombia, estimated to have been made around AD 1200. This ancient vessel flute is part of a collection of 830 musical instruments donated to the Queensland Museum. While it can produce a sound, its original sound and playability are uncertain due to its fragility and age. The wood used for the front of Bibeau's da Salò bass has been dated to a tree growing as early as 1266. According to Bibeau, age can enhance an instrument's sound, but it requires careful preservation and play to maintain its quality. He notes that 'instruments need to be played' and that 'the more it vibrates, the better it vibrates.'

Deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a tireless conservationist is working to safeguard the future of the critically endangered Grauer's gorilla. Dominique Bikaba, founder and executive director of Strong Roots Congo, has dedicated his life to protecting these majestic creatures and their habitats.Bikaba's journey into conservation began in 1992, driven by a desire to mediate tensions between park authorities and displaced communities. His work is deeply personal, rooted in his own experiences growing up near Kahuzi-Biega national park, where his family was displaced in the 1970s. The park, a sanctuary for Grauer's gorillas, elephants, and a rich array of wildlife, is a landscape of immense biological wealth and political fragility.The Grauer's gorilla, the largest subspecies of primates, can weigh up to 250kg (39st). However, their numbers have drastically declined due to conflict, slash-and-burn agriculture, and hunting for bush meat. Before the conflicts, there were approximately 17,000 Grauer's gorillas; by 2016, that number had dwindled to around 3,800.Bikaba's organization, Strong Roots Congo, aims to create a biodiversity corridor linking Kahuzi-Biega national park with Itombwe nature reserve. This ambitious project seeks to secure 1m hectares of land for wildlife and Indigenous communities, formalizing customary land rights and promoting coexistence. So far, Strong Roots has helped establish 23 community forests, covering about 600,000 hectares.Bikaba emphasizes the importance of community-led conservation. "What we are doing is putting communities back together, so they can thrive together as they have done for centuries," he says. His approach contrasts with traditional conservation models that often cast local people as threats. Bikaba believes that humans are part of nature and that there is much wisdom to be learned from communities living in forests.Despite the challenges posed by ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, Bikaba remains committed to his work. "If there is one thing we should avoid in life, it's war," he says. "If there is a way we can stop war in this region, we should do it. No matter the cost."

A federal appeals court has ruled that New Jersey gaming regulators cannot prevent Kalshi from allowing people in the state to use its prediction market to place financial bets on the outcome of sporting events. The decision marks a significant victory for Kalshi and similar prediction market operators.The three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based third US circuit court of appeals ruled 2-1, finding that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has exclusive jurisdiction over the sports-related event contracts that Kalshi allows people to trade on its platform.This ruling is a major setback for states like New Jersey, which had argued that firms like Kalshi were operating without required state licenses, in violation of gaming laws, including bans on wagers by those under 21. New Jersey had sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter last year, stating that its listing of sports-related event contracts on its platform violated state gambling laws.Kalshi had sued the state, arguing that its event contracts qualify as “swaps”, a type of derivative contract, that under the Commodity Exchange Act can only be regulated by the CFTC, which had granted the company a license to operate a designated contract market (DCM).The ruling was in line with the position advanced by the CFTC under Donald Trump’s administration. The regulator sued Arizona, Connecticut, and Illinois last week to prevent them from pursuing what it called unlawful efforts to regulate prediction markets.“Congress gave the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over trades on DCMs, and this decision affirms the goals of Congress,” said Brooke Nethercott, a CFTC spokesperson.However, US circuit judge Jane Richards Roth dissented, saying Kalshi was facilitating gambling and that its “offerings were virtually indistinguishable from the betting products available on online sportsbooks, such as DraftKings and FanDuel”.The New Jersey attorney general's office said it was evaluating its options, including potentially asking the full third circuit to rehear the case.

A Guardian investigation has shed light on the dark reality of child sex trafficking on Facebook and Instagram, prompting a landmark lawsuit against Meta. The tech giant has been fined $375m in a New Mexico court case, highlighting its failure to prevent criminal exploitation on its platforms.The investigation, led by reporter Katie McQue, began with a tip-off about surging child sexual abuse trafficking in the US. It uncovered evidence of traffickers using Facebook Messenger and private Instagram accounts to target, groom, and exploit children. Meta was found to be struggling to prevent these crimes, despite warnings from experts and law enforcement.The probe involved extensive research, including analysis of court documents and interviews with former Meta contract workers. These workers reported that their efforts to flag and escalate possible child trafficking often went unaddressed, and harmful content was rarely removed.The investigation's findings were published in April 2023, revealing how Facebook and Instagram had become marketplaces for child sex trafficking. The case was cited in a US supreme court amicus brief, and New Mexico's office of the attorney general filed a lawsuit against Meta for failing to protect children.The lawsuit went to trial, and Meta lost the court battle in March, being ordered to pay $375m in civil penalties. The company has said it will appeal the ruling, maintaining its stance on protecting teens online.This case marks a significant milestone in the ongoing scrutiny of social media platforms' role in combating child exploitation. Meta faces further trials, including one with a coalition of 33 attorneys general alleging the company designed features that 'purposefully addict children and teens.'

Italy's World Cup qualifying playoff woes continued as they lost to Bosnia on penalties, following a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland. Alessandro Bastoni's first-half red card in the Bosnia game was pivotal.Bastoni had been jeered by fans in away games for Inter Milan due to his actions in February's Derby d'Italia against Juventus, where he got Pierre Kalulu sent off. He apologized for his behavior, calling it 'really ugly'.Inter Milan bounced back from their slump with a convincing 5-2 win over Roma, Lautaro Martínez scoring. Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu also shone, with the latter scoring a goal of the season contender from 30 yards.The win eased Inter's nerves ahead of Serie A title contention, keeping their lead intact. Alessandro Bastoni received a standing ovation when substituted, with fans chanting his name.