India to Pass China This Week as World’s Most Populous Nation, According to UN

According to projections by the United Nations, India is poised to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by the end of this month. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs released a statement saying: “By the end of this month, India’s population is expected to reach 1,425,775,850 people, matching and then surpassing the population of mainland China.” Executive director of Population Foundation of India Poonam Muttreja said, “We have also reduced our population growth and reached population stabilization faster than we had imagined, and it will continue to slow down as long as we stay on the right track. So I don’t think there’s any need for alarm.”

President Biden Announces 2024 Re-Election Bid

In a video announcement on Tuesday, President Joe Biden began his re-election campaign. In the video, Biden focused on a theme of freedom, stating: “Every generation of Americans has faced a moment when they’ve had to defend democracy, stand up for our personal freedoms, stand up for our right to vote and our civil rights. And this is our moment.” Currently, 56 percent of voters disapprove of Biden, dissatisfied with his handling of nearly all major issues such as the economy and immigration.

WHO Warns of “Biological Risk” After Fighters Seize Laboratory in Sudan

On April 25, one of the fighting parties in Sudan took over a laboratory in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum. The World Health Organization said there’s a “high risk of biological hazard.” Fighting began between the Sudanese armed forces and Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries on April 15. While WHO has declined to specify which side overtook the facility, there is clarification on the consequences. The occupying force has kicked out all laboratory technicians, making it impossible to manage stored biological materials. The laboratory contains isolates of polio, measles, and cholera. UN officials have labeled this as an “extremely dangerous” development.   

  Japanese Company Attempts Moon Landing  

Japanese company ispace aimed to be the first private company to successfully land a robot on the moon this week. The robot, named Hakuto-R, carried two tiny rovers and deployed a larger wheeled rover. Live animation showed the spacecraft coming as close as 295 feet (89 m) from the lunar surface. However, around 12:40 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, communication was lost with the lunar lander. ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada commented: “We have to assume that we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface.” The company has stated that the lander most likely crashed. 

Ukraine Calls on World to Pressure Russia Over Black Sea Grain Deal 

This past week, Ukraine called for global powers to pressure Russia to agree to the renewal of the Black Sea grain deal. The deal will expire on May 18 if not supported by Russia. The deal was arranged by Türkiye and the UN this past July to provide Ukraine with resumption of grain exports from Black Sea ports. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak commented that a way forward can only succeed “if the international community collectively pressures Russia.”