FirstUp: Artemis II crew to return to Earth; EU's new travel rules to kick in... The news today

Good morning.

You are reading Firstpost’s FirstUp edition for April 10, 2026.

After completing their mission around the Moon, the four astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft are expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego today (April 10).

Also, French President Emmanuel Macron will hold talks with Pope Leo today, and the conflict in West Asia is expected to dominate the meeting.

Let’s take a closer look at today’s biggest stories.

Artemis II to return to Earth

"Many more pictures and many more stories," said the Artemis II crew as they returned to Earth. The four astronauts on board will splash down off the coast of San Diego today (April 10).

While speaking to the media, the mission's pilot, Victor Glover, asserted that the crew was eager to share what they had seen with the world.

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Four astronauts on Artemis II reached their maximum distance from the Earth, which is the deepest point in space ever travelled by humans, passing the record set by Apollo 13.

Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman, taking to his X, shared the remarkable milestone, congratulating the crew members and the Nasa team on the success.

Macron to meet Pope Leo

French President Emmanuel Macron is in France. Macron is set to hold talks with Pope Leo today. They will be the first in-person discussions between the duo since Leo assumed office last May.

Events in West Asia are set to take centre stage, with Macron and Pope Leo XIV welcoming the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, aimed at pausing fighting for two weeks while further negotiations take place.

However, recent reports suggest that Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz again following the continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

Macron's office said in a statement that Lebanon is a particular concern for both France and the Vatican.

EU's new EES rules to take full effect

The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) began operations on 12 October 2025, with a progressive rollout across 29 European countries. Today (April 10), the EES will become fully operational.

The EES will track the movement of non-EU citizens within the Schengen area. The Schengen Zone, established in 1985, comprises 29 members – 25 of the 27 European Union member states as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It is the world’s biggest area without internal border controls, where more than 400 million people can travel freely inside the zone.

Under this system, non-EU citizens will have to register by having their fingerprints and photograph taken while entering and leaving the zone. Their passport will also have to be scanned. It will apply only to those persons staying in the Schengen zone for a short while. It does not apply to EU citizens.

Queen Elizabeth II's fashion to take centre stage

A new exhibition entitled "Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style" will open at The King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace today (April 10th).

The largest exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe ever staged features around 200 pieces, with around half on display for the first time.

Caroline de Guitaut, Exhibition curator, said that she hopes people will come to fathom better the vital role the late Queen played in "supporting British design, even from a young age in the 1940s when couture was in its fledgling state here in London", as reported by mtv.

Nitish’s oath as an RS member today

Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as a Rajya Sabha member today (April 10), and he is expected to resign as the Bihar Chief Minister on April 14.

According to a JDU leader, "He is anyway taking oath as an RS member on April 10. After that, only three days are left for Kharmas to end. So, it is better to let the inauspicious month go by and then resign."

"It is a matter of three days. Also, there is no legal requirement for him to resign before taking the oath as an RS member. He has already resigned as an MLC, which is good enough," the Indian Express reported.

Lufthansa cabin crew strike

Lufthansa cabin crew to strike today, the latest strike to hit Germany's flagship carrier.

The Independent Flight Attendants’ Organisation (UFO) has called for the strike, raising concerns over working conditions and redundancy policies. Travellers are likely to face disruptions to flight schedules, especially on routes departing from Frankfurt and Munich.

The strike will run from 12:01 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.

With inputs from agencies