FirstUp: Germany’s Merz to meet Trump, Japan’s ispace to attempt Moon landing… Headlines today

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is in the United States, while Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is visiting France – both leaders have major engagements lined up today

Merz is scheduled to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump . Meanwhile, Lula da Silva’s visit marks the first official trip to France by a Brazilian president since Dilma Rousseff in 2012.

In another development, Japan’s ispace is aiming to create history by attempting a private lunar landing today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will relaunch the Aravalli Green Wall Project today, which also happens to be World Environment Day.

The Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Darbar at Ayodhya’s Ram temple is set to conclude today, in line with Ganga Dussehra.

Here’s a look at all of these events:

Germany’s Merz to meet Donald Trump

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to meet US President Donald Trump today in their first in-person meeting.

The discussions are expected to focus on key global matters, including the war in Ukraine and ongoing trade tensions. As per the German government, they will talk about bilateral ties and broader international issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war in West Asia, and trade policies.

Since taking office, Merz has been actively involved in diplomatic talks aimed at pushing for a ceasefire and ensuring continued Western backing for Ukraine. Just last week, he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin.

Germany is especially keen to ease the growing trade strain between the European Union and the United States. Trump had earlier threatened to introduce a 50% tariff on EU goods starting Sunday, though this has now been delayed until July 9.

Brazilian President to visit France

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva begins a state visit to France today, which will run until June 9. Trade and climate are expected to be key points of discussion.

This is the first visit of its kind by a Brazilian leader since former President Dilma Rousseff went to France in 2012.

Lula is expected to sign 20 cooperation agreements with French President Emmanuel Macron during their meeting. These will span areas such as vaccines, public safety, education, and science and technology, according to reports.

He will also attend private talks with Macron and take part in the third United Nations Conference on the Ocean in Nice, joining more than 60 world leaders. Topics on the table include climate action, the blue economy, and reform of global governance.

Japan’s ispace Resilience to attempt Moon landing

Tokyo-based firm ispace is aiming to make history today by landing a private spacecraft on the moon.

The Resilience lander, which is ispace’s second private lunar mission, is expected to touch down around midday in the moon’s northern region.

This mission is seen as a comeback for the company, which faced a setback in April 2023 when its first lunar attempt, Hakuto-R Mission 1, failed. Resilience was launched in January by SpaceX and carries a lander developed by US-based Firefly Aerospace.

Resilience is flying a mission of redemption for ispace, which failed a similar moon landing attempt with its first effort, called Hakuto-R Mission 1, in April 2023. SpaceX launched Resilience with US-based Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander in January.

Notably, the lander includes a small rover equipped with a scoop to collect lunar soil samples for research, along with other onboard experiments.

World Environment Day: PM Modi to launch ‘Aravalli Green Wall’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will relaunch the Aravalli Green Wall Project today, which also marks World Environment Day .

According to an NDTV report, the project will be launched from South Delhi, one of the 29 districts across four states where the scheme will be carried out.

The corridor will pass through districts in the Aravalli range covering Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.

The initiative aims not just at plantation but also at restoring the ecological health of the ancient Aravalli hills.

As reported by ThePrint, the project also includes setting up safaris, nature parks and trekking routes to involve local communities. Authorities will take steps to remove invasive plant species and reintroduce native vegetation along the range.

Pran Pratishtha of Ram Darbar in Ayodhya

The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Darbar at Ayodhya’s Ram temple is set to conclude today, coinciding with Ganga Dussehra, an important date in the Hindu calendar.

The idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman are being installed on the first floor of the temple following traditional Vedic rituals.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to attend the Saryu Jayanti Janmotsav celebrations in Ayodhya today.

The Anjaneya Sewa Trust will host the event from June 5 to 11, featuring devotional programmes, rituals, and spiritual talks throughout the week.

Security across Ayodhya has been increased. The temple area has been marked as a red zone, and measures include Anti-Terrorism Squad deployment, armoured vehicles, and round-the-clock surveillance to ensure the safety of pilgrims and saints.

With inputs from agencies