FirstUp: Isro LVM3-M6 mission to launch and other headlines of the day

It is set to be a busy Wednesday with several events lined up for the day.

Firstly, the Isro LVM3-M6 mission will lift off from Sriharikota today. Pope Leo XIV will lead the Mass on Christmas Eve in preparation for the birth of the Child Jesus.

The ‘Together at Christmas’ carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales will take place today. Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to hold high-level defence talks in a bid to establish a durable ceasefire.

Here is all that is set to take place on this day across the world.

Isro’s LVM3-M6 mission to launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is scheduled to launch the LVM3-M6 BlueBird Block-2 mission. The launch will take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

This mission marks the sixth operational flight of India’s heaviest rocket, the LVM3, and represents a significant milestone in international space commerce. At approximately 6,100 kg, it is the heaviest commercial payload ever launched from Indian soil while featuring a massive 223-square-metre phased array antenna.

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Pope Leo XIV to lead Christmas Eve mass

Pope Leo XIV will preside over the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at St Peter’s Basilica, marking his first Christmas as Pontiff. Pope Leo has set a distinct tone for this year’s celebrations, focusing on the conclusion of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope.

Pope Leo XIV will begin the Christmas Eve Mass at 10:00 pm local time. He is expected to draw from his inaugural themes of “quiet service” and “the silence of Bethlehem,” the Pope’s homily will address a world he recently described as needing a “beacon to illuminate the dark nights”.

On January 6, 2026 (the Solemnity of the Epiphany), the Pope will formally conclude the Holy Year by closing the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica which will remain sealed until 2033.

Princess Kate’s Christmas concert

The 2025 Together at Christmas carol service, hosted by Princess Catherine, will be broadcast on Christmas Eve. The theme revolves around ‘Love in All Its Forms’.

Princess Catherine will be joined by Prince William and their three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who will participate in festive traditions like hanging messages on a ‘Kindness Tree.’

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The evening will also feature performances by Katie Melua, Hannah Waddingham, Dan Smith (Bastille), Griff, and the folk group Fisherman’s Friends. Meanwhile, Oscar-winner Kate Winslet and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor will also deliver readings.

Thailand and Cambodia to hold ceasefire talks

Thailand and Cambodia will hold high-level defence talks today in a bid to establish a durable ceasefire. The decision follows a special meeting of Asean foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur on December 22, aimed at halting the deadliest border conflict between the two nations in decades.

The current hostilities erupted on December 7, shattering a fragile “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord” brokered in October by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump.

Thailand proposed meeting at the border in Chanthaburi province, asserting the area is safe. However, Cambodia recently requested that the venue be moved back to Kuala Lumpur for security reasons.

With inputs from agencies