Space Day events to spotlight China's latest space exploration feats in Chengdu

China will unveil its latest achievements in deep space exploration, commercial space activities, and research on lunar samples at the launch ceremony of the main events of Space Day, according to China National Space Administration (CNSA) in Beijing on Friday.

April 24 marks the 11th Space Day of China.

The main events for the occasion, including a launch ceremony, a series of space science popularization exhibitions, and a space culture and arts forum, will be held in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Concurrent activities will also include the China Space Conference, space science popularization programs in schools, and technical exchanges.

The launch ceremony will be held in the morning of April 24, during which a promotional video and theme song will be released, along with major announcements regarding the space sector.

"At the space science popularization exhibition, lunar samples collected from both the near side and far side of the Moon by Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6, respectively, will be displayed side by side. The large-scale space VR (virtual reality) science popularization and science fiction show Footprints in the Stars: Rendezvous on the Lunar Far Side will also invite public participation. The launch ceremony will also feature the release of a series of major announcements, including the latest achievements in deep space exploration, commercial space activities, and research on lunar samples collected by Chang'e-5," said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the CNSA's system engineering department, at a press conference on the upcoming Space Day of China.

More than 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country will host activities such as space open houses, science popularization lectures, knowledge competitions, and exchange and discussion sessions to mark the Space Day.

Outstanding space-themed films and television programs, including Missions to the Moon - China's first documentary on its lunar exploration - will be broadcast in succession.

Space Day events to spotlight China's latest space exploration feats in Chengdu

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said early Wednesday that it has suspended all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran following the detection of two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, while Tehran rejected such claims.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Afra Al Hameli, director of the UAE foreign ministry's strategic communications department, said the decision came in light of regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security.

The statement reiterated the UAE's commitment to dialogue, cooperation and regional integration as essential means of advancing peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Earlier in the day, the UAE's Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country, adding that the missiles were targeting maritime traffic.

The ministry said that the first missile fell outside the UAE's territorial waters, while the second fell within the country's territorial waters.

So far, no casualties or damage have been reported in connection with the missiles.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on early Wednesday rejected such claims.

Baghaei made the denial in a statement, saying the UAE's behavior was in contradiction with the principle of good neighborliness and disrupted ongoing efforts to promote trust among regional countries and prevent the intensification of insecurity.

He called on regional countries to refrain from making "baseless" accusations "given the existing complications owing to the continued malicious acts by the United States and Israel against peace and security in the region."

UAE halts trade with Iran after detecting 2 ballistic missiles, Tehran denies claims