FirstUp: China's launch of crewed spaceship, PM Modi's rallies in UP... Today's big headlines

Major events are expected to happen across the world over on 25 April.

There are two big space-exploration related events lined up for the Thursday. As part of Expedition 71, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will embark on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). China will launch the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship.

In the United States, the Supreme Court will hear former President Donald Trump’s claim about his presidential immunity from persecution in ongoing cases.

In Portugal, it will be a day of commemoration of the Carnation Revolution.

In India, Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to hold rallies.

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Here’s an in-depth look at the upcoming events of the day.

China to launch Shenzhou-18

China is set to launch the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. This mission will transport astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu to China’s space station, with Ye serving as the commander. The Shenzhou-18, marking the 32nd flight of China’s manned space program and the third manned mission of the space station’s application and development stage, will undertake a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe core module within approximately six-and-a-half hours after launch. The crew is expected to spend about six months in orbit.

Russian cosmonauts to begin spacewalk

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will embark on a spacewalk outside the ISS on Thursday. This event, part of Expedition 71, will be streamed live on platforms like NASA+ and YouTube. The cosmonauts aim to deploy an additional panel on a synthetic radar system and install new equipment on the Poisk module to study corrosion on station surfaces. The spacewalk is expected to last up to seven hours.

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Trump’s “presidential immunity” claim to be heard by US top court

The US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear former President Donald Trump’s claim that his presidential status grants him immunity from prosecution regarding charges that stem from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. This session, marking the last day of oral arguments for the term, follows the Court’s decision to pause the criminal prosecution led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The justices will review a lower court’s decision that denied Trump’s immunity claim related to actions he took while president to challenge President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

In Portugal, 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution

Portugal will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution on Thursday. The 1974 military coup that ended the longest-lived dictatorship in Europe and 13 years of colonial wars in Africa. Initiated by young military captains, the revolt quickly escalated into a widespread popular uprising, culminating in less than 24 hours with the overthrow of the authoritarian regime that had ruled since 1926 under Antonio de Oliveira Salazar and later Marcelo Caetano. Known for its peaceful nature, the uprising earned its name from the carnations that protesters placed in the military’s guns and tanks, symbolizing a rare military coup aimed at establishing democracy.

PM Modi, Amit Shah to conduct rallies

PM Narendra Modi will address four rallies on 25 April. He will start from Murena in Madhya Pradesh and will end the day in Uttar Pradesh, after covering six Lok Sabha seats.Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a public meeting in Sonepur, Odisha, as part of the BJP’s campaign efforts ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on Thursday. The event, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, will take place under the Bolangir Parliamentary constituency.

It is about to be a jam-packed day.