Around the moon... Three American and one Canadian astronaut lifted off from Florida yesterday on NASA’s Artemis II mission to orbit the moon. It marks the first time in more than fifty years that humans will be in the moon’s vicinity. They are due to orbit the earth twice before heading to the far side of the moon. NASA aims to put humans back on the moon by 2028.
...and under the sun. Indian firm Adani Green Energy announced plans to complete the world’s largest renewable power plant by 2029. The solar plant, located in the western Indian state of Gujarat, will span more than two hundred square miles, equivalent to nearly ten times the size of Manhattan.
Global economic taskforce on war. The International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank said yesterday they will create a group to jointly monitor and recommend responses to the economic shocks related to the Iran war. They noted that the “highly asymmetric” economic fallout of the war was disproportionately affecting energy-importing and low-income countries.
U.S.-Ukraine talks. Kyiv and Washington agreed to fortify an outline for U.S. postwar security guarantees for Ukraine at virtual talks yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also joined the call. Separately, Zelenskyy proposed an Easter ceasefire, which Russia rejected yesterday.
U.S.-Denmark talks. The United States and Denmark are in talks over U.S. access to three more military bases in Greenland, two of which U.S. forces previously abandoned, the New York Times reported. The director of U.S. Northern Command told lawmakers last month that the talks were progressing well, though the U.S. State Department, Denmark’s foreign ministry, and Greenland’s prime minister’s office did not comment.
Sanctions relief in Venezuela. The United States lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez yesterday that were imposed in 2018 when the United States accused her of undermining democracy in the country. Trump praised Venezuela’s interim government in his speech last night, calling its leaders “joint-venture partners” of the United States.
India’s census kicks off. Indian authorities began a yearlong process yesterday of collecting data about the size of its population and its socioeconomic status. It is India’s first census in more than fifteen years and will record caste data for the first time in almost a century. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party had opposed caste-counting, saying it could increase social divisions, but other political groups advocated for it as a way to track social inequality.
Cook Islands-New Zealand pact. The Cook Islands and New Zealand signed a security declaration today pledging to consult each other on defense matters, reaffirming ties that were strained by the Cook Islands’ partnership deal with China last year. The Polynesian nation is a former New Zealand colony that now self-governs under a free association pact with Wellington.
