Foreign
China’s Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship successfully launched
By Liu Shiyao, Gu Yekai, People’s Daily
At 8:59 p.m. (Beijing Time) on April 25, China’s Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit, marking success of China’s first manned mission in 2024.
The Shenzhou-18 crew members are Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, with Ye as the mission commander. The Shenzhou-18 mission is the third manned mission during the application and development stage of China’s space station and the 32nd flight mission of China’s manned space program.
The Shenzhou-18 crew will rotate with the Shenzhou-17 crew in orbit and stay in the space station for about six months, during which they will carry out space science and application experiments, extravehicular activities (EVAs), and cargo transportation, space debris shelters installation, extravehicular payloads and equipment installation and recovery, and popular science education and public welfare activities, to further improve the operational efficiency of the space station.
During the crew’s stay in orbit, they will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship. The Shenzhou-18 crew are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region in late October this year.
China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said the Shenzhou-18 crew will manage and care for the space station and its payloads during their stay in orbit, and conduct maintenance, repairs, and status inspections to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the space station.
The crew will utilize the scientific experiment cabinets and extravehicular payloads to carry out more than 90 experiments in the fields of basic physics in microgravity, space material science, space life science, space medicine and space technology.
For instance, they will implement China’s first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project. Using zebrafish and goldfish algae to establish a self-cycling aquatic ecosystem in orbit, the project aims to make to a breakthrough in the cultivation of vertebrates in space.
The crew will also make the world’s first in-orbit stem cell study on the plant’s stem tips to explore plant evolutionary adaptation to gravity and provide theoretical support for space cropping.
So far, China has carried out more than 130 scientific research and application projects in its orbiting space station, and more than 300 scientific experiment samples have been brought back from space by manned missions in five batches.
The Shenzhou-18 astronauts will carry out two to three EVAs and implement six cargo outbound deliveries via the station’s cargo airlock module. During the EVAs, based on the existing space debris protection mechanism at the station, the astronauts will install debris protection reinforcements for extravehicular piping, cables, and critical equipment. They will also carry out extravehicular inspections, as appropriate, to further ensure the safety of the space station.
According to Lin, some of the solar panel cables on the space station were damaged by space debris impacts, leading to a partial loss of power supply capacity. The problem was solved by the Shenzhou-17 crew during two spacewalks, which marked China’s first extravehicular maintenance and proved that manned spacecraft can better deal with unexpected issues in orbit.
In 2023, China initiated the lunar landing mission of its manned lunar exploration program, aiming to realize a manned lunar landing by 2030. All component systems are under research and development as planned.
The project development of major flight products, such as the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the manned spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue and the lunar landing suit, has been completed, and their prototype production and tests are being carried out.
The development of mechanical and thermal test products for manned spacecraft and landers has been basically completed; rocket engines of various types are underground tests; and the Wenchang manned lunar exploration launch site is under construction. The proposals for manned lunar rovers and lunar surface payloads solicited from the public are under selection.
Foreign
BREAKING: Trump Orders Investigation into Reported Christian Killings in Nigeria
By: Fabian Apechihin
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has directed lawmakers to launch an immediate investigation into reports of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing the situation as a “Christian genocide.”
In a statement released Friday evening via his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed grave concern over the violence, blaming radical Islamist groups for what he called a “mass slaughter.”
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote.
The U.S. President announced that he is designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alarming figures of killings within the country compared to global totals.
“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria — something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” Trump stated.
He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” pledging that his administration remains ready “to protect Christian populations around the world.”
Defence/Security
Polish MEP Raises Alarm Over Killings of Christians in Nigeria
By: Fabian Apechihin
Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Dominik Tarczyński, has once again drawn global attention to what he described as the ongoing persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria.
In a post on his verified 𝕏 account on Monday, Tarczyński shared an image of a blood-stained Nigerian flag alongside a viral video showing a pastor conducting a burial ceremony for victims of violence.
In the video, the pastor lamented the frequent killings, saying:
“We are tired of performing burial every day, and they expect us to remain silent. It has become an order, and the Nigerian government came out to deny the massacre, saying there is no genocide of Christians in Nigeria. United Nations, you’re watching me. The American Parliament is aware of what we are doing now. My special request is to President Trump to save our lives in Nigeria. They are killing more Christians. If they say they kill Muslims, the Muslims are killed by who? Muslims are killed by Muslims.”
Tarczyński’s post quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to combat banditry and terrorism.
However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of a religiously targeted genocide. In a recent statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described such allegations as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
Idris maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and not driven by religious motives, warning that framing the fight against terrorism as an anti-Christian campaign could deepen existing social and religious divides.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting all Nigerians, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and called on international partners and media outlets to “refrain from narratives that distort the country’s security realities.”
Foreign
Two Dead After Cargo Plane Skids Off Hong Kong Runway Into Sea
By: Fabian Apechihin
Two airport security officers were killed early Monday after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, struck their patrol vehicle, and plunged into the sea.

The incident involved Emirates flight EK9788, a Boeing 747 arriving from Dubai around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT Sunday). The aircraft veered off the north runway, crashed through perimeter fencing, and collided with the patrol vehicle, pushing it into the water. Both occupants of the vehicle died, while the plane’s four crew members survived.
According to officials, the plane ended up partially submerged, making it one of Hong Kong Airport’s deadliest aviation accidents in years. Two other runways remain operational as investigations continue.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said the patrol vehicle had been travelling on a service road outside the runway’s perimeter at a “safe distance” when the plane suddenly turned off course.
“Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said during a press briefing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not enter the runway” and that the aircraft had not sent a distress signal before landing.
Divers later recovered the bodies of the victims—two men aged 30 and 41—about five meters from the shore and seven meters underwater. One was confirmed dead at the scene, and the other died in hospital.
Hong Kong’s transport bureau expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the event as “deeply saddening.”
Emirates confirmed the accident, saying the cargo plane “sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong.” The airline noted there was no cargo onboard and that the aircraft had been wet-leased—meaning operated with crew and insurance—from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines.
Firefighters reached the scene within two minutes, rescuing all four crew members who had escaped via the aircraft’s emergency slides. Photos from the crash site show the plane broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in water.
Authorities are now searching for the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders (“black boxes”). A police spokesperson said criminal investigations have not been ruled out.
The affected runway will remain closed pending the outcome of the investigation. At least 11 incoming cargo flights were cancelled on Monday, according to airport authorities.
This is only the second fatal aviation accident at Hong Kong International Airport since it relocated to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The previous one occurred in 1999, when a China Airlines jet crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.
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