00:01NASA's four Artemis II astronauts have officially begun their journey towards the moon after spending a day in Earth's orbit
00:08following their historic liftoff on Thursday.
00:11The astronauts said they were glued to the window as they left Earth in the rearview mirror, taking in the
00:16phenomenal views.
00:18Experienced incredible views of planet Earth and seeing the entire planet out the window in one pane, knowing that we're
00:27about to have some similar views of the moon in that same way is definitely getting me more excited for
00:34it.
00:34There is nothing normal about this. Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a Herculean effort, and we are
00:41now just realizing the gravity of that.
00:43NASA had the Artemis II crew stick close to home for a day to test their capsule's life support systems
00:49before clearing them for lunar departure.
00:51They're now on a free return trajectory, which uses the moon's gravity to slingshot around it before heading back towards
00:57Earth without propulsion.
00:59The mission is part of a longer-term plan to repeatedly return to the moon, with the goal of establishing
01:04a permanent base that will offer a platform for further exploration.
01:10The U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Randy George, to
01:18step down, the Pentagon said on Thursday, without giving a reason for the departure.
01:23In a statement, the Pentagon's top spokesperson, Sean Pano, said George will be retiring from his position as the 41st
01:32Chief of Staff of the Army, effective immediately.
01:34He had held the post, which typically runs for four years since August 2023, having been appointed under the Biden
01:43administration.
01:44American news channel CBS quoted a source as saying Hegseth wanted someone who would implement his and President Donald Trump's
01:53vision for the Army.
01:57The French President, Emmanuel Macron, was not amused by Donald Trump's comments about his marriage.
02:04During a private lunch on Wednesday, the U.S. President remarked about the French President that his wife treats him
02:10extremely badly and that he was still recovering from the right to the jaw.
02:14The White House had shared the video before taking it down.
02:17The U.S. President was referring to a May 2025 news video that appeared to show Brigitte Macron shoving the
02:25French President's face on a trip to Vietnam.
02:28The words that I could hear, that you are referring to, are neither elegant nor high.
02:34So I won't answer it, it doesn't deserve any answers.
02:36Emmanuel Macron said also that the U.S. President was undermining NATO by creating daily doubt about his commitment to
02:44the North Atlantic Alliance.
02:45In a newspaper interview on Wednesday, Trump said that he is considering pulling his country out of NATO, slamming the
02:52Defense Alliance as a paper tiger.
02:55Trump has repeatedly railed against Western partners for not responding to his call to assemble a naval force to help
03:02reopen the crucial Strait of Ormuz.
03:10For many people, decorating eggs is an essential part of Easter, often colourful, sometimes a little chaotic.
03:17But at the Leipzig ILI Festival, the craft is taken to another level.
03:22Each year, artists from Germany and across Europe come together to showcase their skills.
03:27The festival offers a rare glimpse into regional traditions, many of which have been preserved for generations.
03:33And we have this year 29 artists from in and out of the country, who show their exhibits here.
03:40But you have to imagine that every artist has a special technique.
03:44At long tables, visitors can watch as simple eggs are transformed into small works of art, sometimes geometric, sometimes minimalistic,
03:52sometimes richly decorated.
03:55Beyond the techniques, the cultural roots vary as well.
03:58Artist Agnes Martin, for example, works in the Ukrainian tradition.
04:02I work with instruments, which are traditionally used in Ukraine, to describe the eggs with hot wax.
04:09And they are then colored in different colors.
04:12And with the wax is always reserved what should remain in the color.
04:16It's not just small eggs on display.
04:19Visitors can also discover elaborately crafted and unusual pieces.
04:23Many artists invest hours of work into a single egg.
04:27Smaller ones can take 8 to 10 hours, while larger creations may even take up two weeks to complete.
04:33For visitors, the festival offers more than just decorative art.
04:37It's a chance to experience traditions that have become rare.
04:41And along the way, one might even find a special souvenir to take home for Easter.
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