International News
Artemis II Nears Pacific Splashdown Finale
Their dramatic grand finale fast approaching, Artemis II’s astronauts aimed for a splashdown in the Pacific on Friday to close out humanity’s first voyage to the moon in more than half a century.
The tension in Mission Control mounted as the miles melted away between the four returning astronauts and Earth.
All eyes were on the capsule’s life-protecting heat shield that has to withstand thousands of degrees during reentry. On the only other test flight of the spacecraft — in 2022, with no one on board — the shield’s charred exterior came back looking as pockmarked as the moon.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen were on track to hit the atmosphere traveling Mach 32 — or 32 times the speed of sound — a blistering blur not seen since NASA’s Apollo moonshots of the 1960s and 1970s.
They didn’t plan on taking manual control except in an emergency. Their Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, is completely self-flying.
Like so many others, lead flight director Jeff Radigan anticipated feeling some of that “irrational fear that is human nature,” especially during the six minutes of communication blackout preceding the opening of the parachutes. The recovery ship USS John P. Murtha awaited the crew’s arrival, along with a squadron of military planes and helicopters.
The last time NASA and the Defense Department teamed up for a lunar crew’s reentry was Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis II was projected to come screaming back at 34,965 feet (10,657 meters) per second — or 23,840 mph (38,367 kph) — not a record but still mind-bogglingly fast before slowing to a 19 mph (30 kph) splashdown.
Artemis II’s record flyby and lunar views
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Launched from Florida on April 1, the astronauts racked up one win after another as they deftly navigated NASA’s long-awaited lunar comeback, the first major step in establishing a sustainable moon base.
Artemis II didn’t land on the moon or even orbit it. But it broke Apollo 13’s distance record, making Wiseman and his crew the farthest that humans have ever journeyed from Earth when they reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers). Then, in the mission’s most heart-tugging scene, the teary astronauts asked permission to name a pair of craters after their moonship and Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll.
During the record-breaking flyby, they documented scenes of the lunar far side never seen before by the naked eye and savored a total solar eclipse courtesy of the cosmos thanks to their launch date. The eclipse, in particular, “just blew all of us away,” Glover said.
Their sense of wonder and love awed everyone, as did their breathtaking pictures of the moon and Earth. The Artemis II crew channeled Apollo 8’s first lunar explorers with Earthset, showing our blue marble setting behind the gray moon. It was reminiscent of Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise shot from 1968.
“It just makes you want to continue to go back,” Radigan said on the eve of splashdown. “It’s the first of many trips, and we just need to continue on because there’s so much” more to learn about the moon.
Their moonshot drew global attention as well as star power, earning props from President Donald Trump; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; Britain’s King Charles III; Ryan Gosling, star of the latest space flick “Project Hail Mary;” Scarlett Johansson of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and even Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner of TV’s original “Star Trek.”
Artemis II was a test flight for future moon missions
Despite its rich scientific yield, the nearly 10-day flight was not without technical issues. Both the capsule’s drinking water and propellant systems were hit with valve problems. In perhaps the most high-profile predicament, toilet trouble prevented the crew from using it for No. 1 most of the trip, forcing them to resort to old-time bags and funnels.
The astronauts shrugged it all off.
“We can’t explore deeper unless we are doing a few things that are inconvenient,” Koch said, “unless we’re making a few sacrifices, unless we’re taking a few risks, and those things are all worth it.”
Added Hansen: “You do a lot of testing on the ground, but your final test is when you get this hardware to space, and it’s a doozy.”
Under the revamped Artemis program, next year’s Artemis III will see astronauts practice docking their capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will attempt to land a crew of two near the moon’s south pole in 2028.
The Artemis II crew’s allegiance was to those next Artemis crews, Wiseman said.
“But we really hoped in our soul is that we could for just for a moment have the world pause and remember that this is a beautiful planet and a very special place in our universe, and we should all cherish what we have been gifted,” he said.
Ghana said Friday it was repatriating 327 nationals from Ivory Coast after they were displaced by demolitions in Abidjan, where authorities have been clearing settlements in a push to “restore urban order”.
Ghana’s foreign ministry said 228 Ghanaians had arrived on Thursday after being evacuated from the Port-Bouët district of the Ivorian economic capital.
Home to an estimated six million to seven million people, about double its population in the late 1990s, Abidjan has undergone a construction boom, including in neighbourhoods vulnerable to deadly seasonal flooding.
Ivorian officials say the demolition operation targets informal settlements built in disaster-prone areas and aims to prevent loss of life from flooding and landslides.
But it has displaced dozens of families, raising concerns about its humanitarian impact and access to shelter for those who have been uprooted.
“The Government of Ghana is repatriating… 327 Ghanaians who were affected by the ongoing mass demolition exercise,” the ministry said in a statement.
The remaining evacuees were expected to return on Friday, with authorities providing buses and trucks free of charge to transport them and their belongings.
The repatriated Ghanaian nationals “were previously residing in areas affected by the demolition exercise and became stranded having lost their sources of livelihood”, the statement added.
Ghana said its diplomatic mission in Abidjan was coordinating the evacuation and would remain engaged with Ivorian authorities, who have indicated plans to compensate those affected.
West African countries share strong migration ties, with many Ghanaians living and working in Ivory Coast.
AFP
UEFA has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup just days after he was denied entry into the United States and ruled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup clash between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12.
Announcing the appointment on Thursday, UEFA said the decision followed discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) under a recently signed cooperation agreement between the two bodies.
The 34-year-old has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025. Among the biggest matches of his career was the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin praised the Somali official, describing him as one of the leading young referees in world football.
“Omar Artan is an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football,” Čeferin said.
“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination.”
CAF President Patrice Motsepe also welcomed the decision, saying Artan had made Somalia and Africa proud through his achievements on the international stage.
“Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African continent extremely proud,” Motsepe said.
“This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide.”
The appointment comes amid continuing debate over Artan’s exclusion from the FIFA World Cup. The Somali referee was among the officials selected for the tournament but was denied entry at Miami International Airport despite holding a valid visa and FIFA accreditation.
Artan later revealed he underwent an 11-hour immigration interview before being detained and placed on a return flight. FIFA subsequently confirmed that he would be unable to officiate at the World Cup, making his case one of several controversies surrounding the tournament, alongside Iran’s complaints over revoked fan ticket allocations and visa-related concerns affecting participating nations.
Kieran McKenna, the Manager of Ipswich football club has reportedly made the shock decision to step down at newly promoted Ipswich and will take a break from football.
McKenna, 40, has been a revelation at Ipswich, taking them from League One to the Premier League before relegation back to the Championship in 2024-25.
The Northern Irishman has now brought them back to the English top flight, but has been heavily linked with a move away to Fulham.
Per The Athletic, McKenna has now made the shock decision to step down at Ipswich and will take a break from football.
The former Man United coach still had two years left to run on his deal at the club, and Ipswich are understood to be financially protected should he decide to take a new job within the next 12-months.
Speaking on the club’s side, McKenna said: “It is with a mixture of gratitude, pride, sadness and contentment that I have decided to step down from the honour of managing this historic football club.
“When you have the connection that we have built at this club there is never a good time to say goodbye.
“However, having achieved a second promotion to the Premier League last season, with another memorable final day in our stadium, and after reflection over the last couple of weeks, I feel this is the right time for me to step aside.
“I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club.
“To manage this club has been an absolute privilege. Over the last five seasons we have been on an incredible journey that has brought so many of the best experiences in my professional and personal life.
“After giving so much to the role over the previous five seasons, I now look forward to taking a break from management and dedicating some time to my family, who have been with me every step of my career so far.
“There are so many people I would like to thank who have played their part in this journey. Firstly, to Mark Ashton and the Board for giving me the opportunity, at 35 years old, to manage such a massive football club, and for the unwavering support and trust they have shown ever since.
“To my coaching staff and all the wonderful staff at Portman Road and our Playford Road training centre, who work tirelessly to progress the club in every way. To all of the players who have represented the club with professionalism and passion over the past five years.
“Most importantly, thank you to the amazing fans and supporters of Ipswich Town. You have followed this football club through wonderful highs and difficult lows.
“I will be forever grateful for the way that you welcomed myself and my family, both to the football club and to the county of Suffolk. I will cherish the memories that we have shared together for the rest of my life.
“Ipswich Town will always have a special place in our hearts.”
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