LOS ANGELES – A NASA-led international satellite mission was set for blastoff from Southern California early on Thursday on a major Earth science project to conduct a comprehensive survey of the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers for the first time.

JAKARTA – Indonesia summoned a United Nations official on Monday after the organisation expressed concerns over threats to civil liberties posed by the newly-ratified revisions to its criminal code, its foreign ministry said.

BRUSSELS – European Union foreign ministers on Monday imposed new sanctions on Iran over its crackdown of anti-government protests and its drone deliveries to Russia, but pushed the adoption of a new package of measures against Moscow to later this week.

WASHINGTON – China’s ambassador to the United States Qin Gang on Monday rejected charges that Beijing had mired African countries in debt during a forum ahead of a U.S.-Africa summit, citing a report that African countries owe three times more debt to Western institutions.

HAVANA  – Crisis-hit Cuba on Monday forecast economic growth of 3% for 2023 and reported 2% in 2022, half of what it had previously predicted and down 8% from the pre-pandemic level.

ISTANBUL – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Black Sea grain export agreement on Sunday with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, as both sides seek changes that would boost their exports.

Hamas authorities in Gaza have announced the discovery of over 60 tombs in an ancient burial site dating back to the Roman era

TORONTO – Canada is preparing to expand its medically assisted death framework to become one of the broadest in the world, a change some want to delay due to concerns vulnerable people have easier access to death than to a life without suffering.

A Tokyo company is aiming for the moon with its own private lander

Japan has announced it will jointly develop its next-generation fighter jet with the U.K. and Italy