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The crew of Artemis II is preparing to return to Earth on Friday, following their historic 10-day lunar flyby mission. Nasa leaders have outlined the critical steps needed to ensure a safe splashdown off the coast of San Diego. The Orion capsule will travel at nearly 24,000mph before making a final splashdown several miles off the coast of San Diego. The operation requires multiple teams and careful coordination to safely extract the crew from the spacecraft. Nasa's associate administrator Amit Kshatriya emphasized the importance of the mission, stating, "To every engineer, every technician that's touched this machine, tomorrow belongs to you. The crew has done their part. Now we have to do ours." Jeff Radigan, lead flight director of the mission, highlighted the precision required for re-entry, noting the team has "less than a degree of an angle" to hit the correct flight path. "Let's not beat around the bush. We have to hit that angle correctly – otherwise we're not going to have a successful re-entry," he said. The splashdown is expected to occur at 5:07pm PT, with the USS John P Murtha ready to assist with recovery operations. The crew will undergo post-mission medical evaluations before being flown to Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Pilot Victor Glover, the first Black man to travel beyond low Earth orbit, reflected on the journey, saying, "We have to get back. There's so much data that you've seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There are so many more pictures, so many more stories."

Northampton Saints' JJ van der Mescht is a force to be reckoned with on the rugby field. Standing at an impressive 6ft 7in and weighing 23st, he is the joint-heaviest player in the Premiership. His size and strength make him a major collision threat, and his skills have earned him a spot in South Africa's alignment squad.Van der Mescht, 26, has a unique playing style that has drawn comparisons to Australia's Will Skelton. He is too heavy to be lifted regularly in the lineout, but his ability to give his team vital post-contact metres makes him a valuable asset. His director of rugby, Phil Dowson, describes him as 'a fly-half trapped in a second-row's body.'The South African lock has a personal connection with Bath prop Thomas du Toit, with whom he played as a youngster at the Sharks in Durban. He is eager to bump into his old friend during the match, and he expects a fierce encounter. Van der Mescht has dropped seven kilos since joining Northampton and currently weighs 146kg. He credits the club with rekindling his love for rugby, saying that he now enjoys the game again and feels happy.Van der Mescht's impressive performance has put him back on the South African radar, and he may be considered for the Springboks in the future. For now, he is focused on helping Northampton overcome Bath in the Champions Cup quarter-final. The match could be a prelude to another battle between England's top two sides in the Premiership final.

Rebecca Solnit's latest book, 'The Beginning Comes After the End', serves as a powerful reminder that change is inevitable and that we have the power to shape our future. Drawing on her previous work, Hope in the Dark, Solnit emphasizes the importance of hope and resilience in the face of uncertainty.In her 2004 book, Hope in the Dark, Solnit offered a vision of solidarity and tenacity in response to the war in Iraq. The book experienced a surge in popularity after the 2016 election of Donald Trump, and its message of hope and humility continues to resonate today. As Solnit notes, 'Hope is not a door, but a sense that there might be a door at some point, some way out of the problems of the present moment even before that way is found or followed.'Solnit's new book picks up this thread, arguing that 'you do not have to picture the destination to reach it or at least draw closer to it, you just need to choose a direction and keep on walking'. She draws on a wide range of sources, including history, philosophy, and contemporary writing, to explore moments of reparation and progress.One of the key takeaways from Solnit's work is the importance of acknowledging the enormous gains that have been made in recent decades in areas such as women's rights, racial justice, and environmental protections. As she notes, 'Our world has changed more than almost anyone imagined, in ways both wonderful and terrible, often in ways no one anticipated'. By focusing on these successes, Solnit encourages readers to adopt a more optimistic and forward-thinking mindset.Solnit also explores the idea of interconnectedness and independence, arguing that this worldview has the power to shape our future. She writes, 'whether or not it is true, a lot of us want it to be true, and that desire says a lot about who we are right now'. By embracing this idea, readers can begin to see the world in a new light and work towards creating a better future.While some readers may be disappointed by the lack of policy prescriptions or organizing strategies, Solnit's book is a deliberate exercise in reframing our approach to change. As she notes, 'change happens so subtly, so slowly, that only a milestone lets you know that it has been taking place all along'. By adopting a more nuanced and hopeful view of the world, readers can begin to see the small changes that add up to a large one.

As rising temperatures push snakes and humans into closer contact, the world faces an estimated 5.5 million snakebites each year, resulting in 138,000 deaths and 400,000 lasting disabilities. In response, a Wisconsin‑based amateur scientist has taken an extreme route to help solve the crisis.For almost 20 years, Tim Friede, a former window cleaner, allowed some of the planet’s most lethal snakes to bite him, accumulating over 200 intentional bites. His goal: to provoke his own immune system into producing antibodies that could be harvested for a near‑universal antivenom.The endeavor has been perilous. Friede survived a coma after being bitten by two cobras within an hour, endured anaphylactic shocks, lost tissue in a finger, and even had to cut necrotic muscle from his leg. Yet he persisted, eventually becoming immune to the inland taipan—the world’s most venomous snake, whose single bite can kill more than 100 people.In 2019, California biotech firm Centivax hired Friede to extract his antibodies. Early laboratory work showed that his serum can neutralise toxins from 19 elapid species, including cobras, mambas, taipans, coral snakes and kraits—roughly half of all venomous snakes worldwide.The next step is a veterinary trial in Australia, slated for later this year, before any human application. If successful, the antivenom could dramatically reduce the burden of snakebite in low‑income regions across Asia and Africa, where most victims live.Climate scientists warn that warming climates will expand snake habitats and increase human exposure, as illustrated by the recent surge of rattlesnake bites in California’s Ventura County. This amplifies the urgency for scalable, affordable antivenoms, especially as international aid budgets face cuts and manufacturing capacity remains insufficient.Friede’s unconventional path underscores a broader lesson: confronting emerging health threats may require bold, unconventional science, but the potential payoff—a life‑saving treatment for millions—could be transformative.

Korean fried chicken, also known as yangnyeom chicken, has become a global phenomenon, with a presence in over 60 countries and more than 1,800 stores worldwide.The dish, which originated in South Korea, was introduced by American soldiers after the Korean War. However, it wasn't until the 1980s that a Korean chicken shop owner, Yoon Jong-gye, developed a sweet and spicy recipe that made it distinctly Korean.The cultural breakthrough for Korean fried chicken came in 2014 with the Korean drama My Love from the Star, which became a sensation in China and triggered a surge in popularity for Korean chicken restaurants.Today, Korean fried chicken is the most popular Korean food among international consumers, according to a South Korean government survey. The dish has become a staple in many countries, with chimaek, the portmanteau meaning 'fried chicken and beer,' entering the Oxford English Dictionary.The success of Korean fried chicken can be attributed to its simplicity, technique, and adaptability. Korean chicken brands have expanded internationally, with many offering a range of recipes tailored to local tastes.At the heart of Korean fried chicken's success is its unique cooking technique, which involves double-frying the chicken to achieve extra crispiness. The batter, typically made with potato or corn starch, holds up well under the sauce, allowing it to stay crisp even after being boxed up for delivery.Prof Joo Young-ha, a cultural anthropologist, argues that Korean chicken's global success stems from its simplicity and universal appeal. 'Unlike pork, chicken crosses religious prohibition boundaries,' he says. 'And unlike kimchi, which is treated like a side dish, or bibimbap, which isn't immediately obvious as a dish, fried chicken is immediately recognizable as a meal.'

Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Wishah lost his life on Wednesday when an Israeli drone strike struck the car he was traveling in on al‑Rashid Street, a coastal road west of Gaza City.The air strike ignited the vehicle, causing it to burst into flames, according to sources cited by Al Jazeera.Since the onset of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, the Israeli military has increasingly targeted media personnel. The Gaza Government Media Office reports that at least 262 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks on the enclave.This latest fatality highlights the heightened risk faced by reporters covering the conflict and raises serious concerns about press freedom in a war zone where information is both a strategic asset and a perilous pursuit.Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Databricks Co‑Founder Secures Prestigious ACM PrizeMatei Zaharia, co‑founder and CTO of Databricks, learned on April 8, 2026 that he had won the ACM Prize in Computing. The surprise announcement highlighted his decades‑long influence on big‑data processing and the emerging AI ecosystem.From Spark to AI Foundations: Zaharia’s Technical JourneyWhile completing his PhD at UC Berkeley under Ion Stoica in 2009, Zaharia released Apache Spark as an open‑source project that dramatically accelerated big‑data workloads. Spark became the engine that powered the early data‑science wave, and its success seeded the creation of Databricks, which has since evolved into a cloud‑native AI and data platform.2009 – Spark open‑source launch2013 – Databricks founded2026 – ACM Prize awardedFinancial Scale of Databricks and the ACM PrizeDatabricks has raised more than $20 billion in venture funding, reaching a valuation of $134 billion and a revenue run‑rate of $5.4 billion. The ACM award includes a cash prize of $250,000, which Zaharia intends to donate to an as‑yet‑undetermined charity.Funding: > $20 BValuation: $134 BRevenue run‑rate: $5.4 BACM cash prize: $250 KImplications for AI Development and Industry Perception of AGIZaharia’s bold statement—“AGI is here already”—challenges the conventional view that artificial general intelligence is a distant goal. He argues that current models already exhibit general‑purpose capabilities, but humans tend to judge them by human standards, which can obscure their true potential.He also warned about the security risks of AI agents that mimic trusted human assistants, citing the example of the “OpenClaw” agent that could inadvertently expose passwords or spend money without user consent.Future Outlook: AI‑Driven Research and Security ChallengesLooking ahead, Zaharia envisions AI becoming a universal research assistant—automating biology experiments, enhancing data compilation, and providing “AI for search” tailored to engineering and scientific inquiry. He stresses the need for robust security frameworks as AI agents become more autonomous.AI‑augmented research across biology, engineering, and data scienceEmphasis on non‑hallucinating, reliable modelsUrgent call for security standards for AI agents

Assam, India – Under the sweltering April sun, Akram Ali stood amid the rubble of his four‑room house, a home he had built over 45 years ago. The demolition, part of a government‑led bulldozing operation on March 14, turned his residence into a pile of debris.Bulldozers descended on Islampur, a Muslim‑majority neighbourhood on the outskirts of Guwahati, and for four hours razed homes across 177 hectares (437 acres). The sweep rendered 400 families homeless, including Ali, who now lives in a tarpaulin shanty a few kilometres from his former home.Ali, a daily‑wage worker, told Al Jazeera that despite identifying as Goriya – “son of the soil” – his house was destroyed. The Goriyas are an Assamese‑speaking Muslim community traditionally settled in the tea‑belt region. In 2022, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially recognised the Goriya, along with four other Muslim sub‑groups, as “Indigenous” to Assam.While this designation has afforded the Indigenous Muslims a degree of cultural safety, it has not shielded them from the state’s aggressive land‑clearance drives. Ali questioned the distinction, asking, “Weren’t our homes demolished because we are Muslims?”Muslims make up more than a third of Assam’s 31 million residents, according to the 2011 census. Of these, roughly 6.3 million are Bengali‑speaking “miyas,” often labelled “outsiders,” while about 4 million belong to Indigenous groups like the Goriya.The BJP, led nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been courting the Indigenous Muslim vote ahead of the April 2026 state elections, where it seeks a third consecutive term after governing since 2016. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has spearheaded the party’s crackdown on “miyas” since 2021, claims the government will “never target” Indigenous Muslims.Political analyst Bonojit Hussain explains that the BJP’s outreach serves two purposes: softening its communal image and capturing decisive vote blocks in constituencies where Indigenous Muslims and Hindus together decide the outcome. In seats such as Nalbari, where Indigenous Muslims account for over 25 % of the electorate, and Barkhetri, with roughly 80,000 Muslim voters, the community’s support can swing the result.Upper Assam, a region with a strong Assamese‑speaking identity, is especially critical. Journalist Firoz Khan notes that Indigenous Muslims influence the outcome in seven or eight of the 39 seats there, prompting the BJP to temper its overtly anti‑Muslim rhetoric in the area.Despite the party’s overtures, many Indigenous Muslims remain skeptical. Moinul Islam, spokesperson for the rights group Sadou Asom Goria Jatiya Parishad, warned that the BJP’s broader anti‑Muslim policies—evictions, voter‑list objections, and alleged deportations—are unlikely to win their votes.Earlier in 2025, similar demolition drives displaced hundreds of Goriya families in Lakhimpur and Golaghat districts, and a systematic campaign to challenge Muslim names on electoral rolls further strained relations.BJP spokesman Kishore Upadhyay dismissed the allegations as “malicious, biased and politically motivated,” but Indigenous groups argue the pattern signals an attempt to erase their cultural legacy.Recent actions by the state government reinforce this perception. Chief Minister Sarma renamed the only medical college in Barpeta—previously bearing the name of Goriya freedom fighter Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed—arguing that institutions should reflect their geographic location. Critics view the move as symbolic of a broader effort to marginalise Muslim contributions to Assam’s history.In December 2025, Sarma also proposed dropping the hyphen in “Sankar‑Azan,” a name that celebrated the syncretic legacy of 15th‑century polymath Srimanta Sankardev and 17th‑century Sufi saint Azan Peer. Communist Party member Isfaqur Rahman warned that such revisions reflect a “slow erasure of Assamese Muslim heritage.”For Ali, the demolition has hardened his political stance. “After being evicted, the chief minister called us illegal immigrants and broke our backs by destroying our homes,” he said. “We are the new miyas.”

Djibouti, a country with a population of less than a million people and no significant natural resources, has become a crucial hub for foreign military bases. The nation's strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea, a vital maritime chokepoint through which roughly 12 percent of global maritime trade passes daily, has made it an attractive location for global powers.The country's President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, has leveraged Djibouti's strategic importance to advance his own aims, welcoming bases from the US, China, France, Japan, and Italy. These countries pay significant fees for the privilege of hosting their bases, with the US paying $65 million annually, France $30 million, China $20 million, and Italy and Japan over $3 million each.The Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a narrow corridor barely 30 kilometers wide, is a critical passage for global trade and communication cables. The region's instability, particularly with the US and Israel at war with Iran, has heightened Djibouti's importance. Federico Donelli, author of 'Power Competition in the Red Sea,' notes that Djibouti sits at the center of many global interests, including trade, shipping, and fiber optic connectivity.Djibouti's base-for-cash model is part of a broader development strategy, including significant infrastructure investment from Chinese firms and a new railway linking landlocked Ethiopia to the coast. However, the country's economic benefits have not trickled down to its citizens, with official unemployment near 40 percent and over one in five people living in extreme poverty.The opposition leader, Daher Ahmed Farah, has criticized Guelleh's rule, stating that the country's strategic position and hosting of military bases have not benefited the Djiboutian people. The US embassy has warned Americans to avoid areas near Camp Lemonnier, citing threats against US interests, while Finance Minister Ilyas Dawaleh has expressed concerns about the Iran war risks pushing Djibouti into deeper economic uncertainty.