The crew for Nasa’s Artemis II mission have described seeing the far side of the Moon for the first time.

Nasa astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen have entered the third day of their mission on the Orion spacecraft that will carry them around the far side of the Moon and back to Earth.

“Something about you senses that is not the Moon that I’m used to seeing,” Koch said.

As of 23:00 BST on Saturday, Nasa’s online dashboard showed the Artemis II spacecraft was more than 180,000 miles (28,9681km) from Earth.

Salim Abbas Shah was in the western province of Prachuap in March when the collision happened.

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A 35 year old man from Lancashire lost his life following a road traffic collision in Thailand.

Salim Abbas Shah was in the western province of Prachuap in March when the crash occurred, reports Lancs Live..

Salim, who was originally from Blackburn but had moved to Great Harwood, was subsequently repatriated to the UK and his body was identified by Imran Patel from the Blackburn Muslim Burial Service.

An inquest into Salim’s death was opened and adjourned at Preston Coroners’ Court on Thursday (April 2).

The court was told that Salim was employed as a car valeter at the time of his death and resided on Blackburn Road.

Area Coroner Kate Bisset said during the brief hearing: “This gentleman died following a road traffic collision in Thailand.”

The coroner confirmed that the collision happened on March 18. Salim’s body was identified five days later.

A full inquest will be scheduled in due course, with the case set to be mentioned on June 25.

HOUSTON (AP) — Now more than halfway to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts prepared for their historic lunar fly-around to push deeper into space than even the Apollo astronauts.

On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again.

The three Americans and one Canadian are set to reach their destination Monday, photographing the mysterious lunar far side as they zoom around. It is the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years, picking up where NASA’s Apollo program left off.

“The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger,” pilot Victor Glover reported.

Until the Orion capsule’s bathroom is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to break out more of the backup urine collection bags. The so-called lunar loo malfunctioned following Wednesday’s liftoff and has been hit-and-miss ever since. A version of the Artemis II toilet was tested on the International Space Station several years ago.

Engineers suspect ice may be blocking the line that is preventing urine from completely flushing overboard. The toilet is still open for No. 2 business.

Debbie Korth, NASA’s Orion program deputy manager, said the astronauts have also reported a smell coming from the bathroom, which is buried in the floor of the capsule with a door and curtain for privacy.

“Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can really understand .. it’s always a challenge,” she said, noting that the space shuttle toilet was also often on the fritz.

John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, said it is human nature to be interested in the space commode, and even though it is “in a good state right now,” he’d like it to be working at 100%.

“They’re OK,” he said of the astronauts. “They trained to manage through the situation.”

Artemis II is poised to set a distance record for humans, traveling more than 252,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon and heading home without stopping or entering lunar orbit. The record is currently held by Apollo 13.

The Canadian Space Agency celebrated the country’s role in the mission, speaking from Quebec with astronaut Jeremy Hansen as he headed toward his lunar rendezvous. Hansen is the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.

“Today he is making history for Canada,” Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell said. “As we watch him taking this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada’s future is written by those who dare to reach for more.”

In the live televised linkup, Hansen said he has already witnessed “extraordinary” views from NASA’s Orion capsule.

Hansen, Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch are the world’s first lunar astronauts since Apollo 17’s crew of three in 1972. Koch and Glover are the first female and first Black astronauts to the moon, respectively.

Their nearly 10-day mission — ending with a Pacific splashdown on April 10 — is the first step in NASA’s bold plans for a sustainable moon base. The space agency is aiming for a landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The warning extends from Harrogate to Robin Hood’s Bay on the coast, including Knaresborough, Ripon, Malton, Thirsk, Easingwold, Sutton on the Forest, Whitby and Staithes.

The Met Office has warned that the storm is bringing very strong southwesterly winds across the north, and in some areas, gusts of up to 70 mph.

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Winds are expected to be at their strongest at around 11pm tonight.

In Staithes, these will reach to 39mph at 12am on Easter Sunday (April 5).

The storm will be less intense but still disruptive in Thirsk and Ripon, with winds reaching their peak at 28mph at approximately 12am.

An amber weather warning will be in place from 7pm tonight (April 4) (Image: Met Office)

Over in Harrogate and Knaresborough, these will be roughly 31mph.

The amber warning is due to begin at 7pm and will last until 3am tomorrow morning.

It comes after a separate yellow weather warning for wind was placed on York and North Yorkshire, which will last until 7am tomorrow.

The Met Office has warned the public that driving in high winds may be dangerous and has urged motorists to be mindful of high-sided vehicles, caravans, cyclists and motorcyclists.

Some travel disruptions are to be expected, along with delays, closed roads and bridges, and power cuts.

A statement from the Met Office read: “A spell of very strong southwesterly, then westerly winds is expected across north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland on Saturday evening and overnight before easing early on Sunday.

“Gusts of 60-70 mph are possible widely with some coastal or exposed locations seeing gusts of around 80 mph.”

The Press will be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest weather news this afternoon.

Sixteen people were injured, five critically, after a vehicle struck parade participants at the Louisiana Lao New Year celebration in New Iberia.

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A vehicle has crashed into a parade in the United States, leaving 16 people injured.

According to local news outlet WBRZ2, 16 people were hurt – five of them critically – after a car struck parade participants in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Acadian Ambulance confirmed that ten ambulances and two air ambulances were deployed to the scene of the devastating incident, reports the Mirror.

Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Department has launched an investigation after the vehicle ploughed into a crowd attending a festival in New Iberia.

The gathering had assembled for a parade near Captain Cade and Melancon Road in the town of approximately 30,000 residents.

KPEL reported that the event was the Louisiana Lao New Year celebration in Iberia Parish.

Two casualties were airlifted to hospital, while a further 11 patients were taken by road ambulance to nearby medical facilities in the aftermath.

Footage and photographs circulating on social media captured the chaotic scenes that followed, showing emergency responders attempting to manage visibly distressed crowds at the event.

The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival is a well-established cultural event held annually in Iberia Parish. The three-day celebration, which got under way on Friday, honours Lao traditions, food, music, and community heritage.

It remains unclear what caused the collision or whether it was deliberate, and local authorities are yet to release information regarding the driver or any potential charges.

The full extent of the victims’ injuries is still being assessed as emergency crews continue to work at the scene.

A common mistake could have bad results

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Oven cleaning is arguably among the most neglected chores in kitchen maintenance. And after a busy day at work, it’s the last thing on our minds.

However, when we do tackle this awful chore, some of us are likely doing it incorrectly – and this could result in our oven door shattering unexpectedly.

According to Which?, although bicarbonate of soda can be used for oven cleaning, it’s not about the product itself, but the method. It explains: “No matter what you use, you’ll need decent scrubbing brushes or sponges with scourers. An old toothbrush can help you get grease out of any nooks and crannies.

“Don’t use scourers on a glass oven door, though. These can introduce tiny scratches on the surface of the glass, which could leave it vulnerable to shattering in the future.”

If you want to clean your oven with bicarbonate of soda safely, try the following steps.

1. For a natural cleaning option, use everyday bicarbonate of soda
2. Make a paste by mixing equal parts of bicarbonate of soda and water
3. Apply to greasy or burnt-on spots and leave for a few hours
4. Scrub off to reveal a clean surface

To make the job more manageable, the consumer champions say that you should “clean little and often”. It advises: “Wipe down your oven at least once a month. If you’ve cooked something that you know has splattered everywhere (such as a roast or a bubbling casserole), you should wipe your oven down once it has cooled.”

If you smell something burning while the oven preheats, it’s usually leftover food from a previous spill. After the oven cools, wipe it clean to prevent residue from sticking.

Additional methods to prevent extra kitchen chaos include using a cover or foil to avoid bubbling and splashing. You should also place dishes on a baking sheet rather than directly on the oven shelf to catch any drips.

He told the Press Association: “The SNP is campaigning all out to win this election and to win with an overall majority, and the public are responding positively to the key messages we’re setting out about delivering improvements to the National Health Service, where we’re reducing long waits for treatment, just as I promised would be the case, and by the SNP offering the support in relation to the cost-of-living challenges that people face in Scotland.

Several people were injured when a vehicle struck revelers at a parade celebrating the Lao New Year on Saturday in rural Louisiana, authorities said.

The driver was quickly arrested and charged with impaired driving, police said.

Video shared on social media showed multiple people on the ground at the annual event in Broussard and New Iberia. The videos showed firefighters tending to one person trapped beneath the car, which wound up in a ditch along the parade route.

Around 15 people were hurt, some seriously, according to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, this does not appear to be an intentional act,” said a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, Rebecca Melancon.

Acadian Ambulance, a private ambulance company, said on social media that it responded to the emergency around 2:30 p.m. and sent 10 ambulances and a helicopter to aid the injured. Two patients were airlifted, it said.

The Louisiana State Police said the driver, who is 57 and lived in Jeanerette, appeared impaired when police arrived and later tested positive for a high blood alcohol level. He was charged with impaired, negligent and careless driving and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle.

The parade is part of a three-day New Year celebration set in the Lanxang Village, a Laotian neighborhood near New Iberia with hundreds of families, and near the Buddhist temple grounds of Wat Thammarattanaram.

It features Southeast Asian food, live music, a parade and other family-friendly activities attracting thousands each year.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued a statement about the incident. “Sharon and I are praying for all those affected, and are grateful for the first responders who have responded to the scene,” he said.

The festival’s organizers issued a statement on Facebook saying they were “profoundly saddened” by the incident.

“We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time,” it said.

Afternoon and evening events were canceled, but the festival planned to hold religious services on Sunday, the organizers said.

The rail company said it looked into “everything from walking trails and nearby gardens to the variety of flowering plants and how easy it is to reach each village from the nearest train station” when making the list.

It added: “We also considered how each village comes to life in spring, from bursts of colour to those picture-perfect moments you’ll want to linger in a little longer.”

Downham flies the flag for Lancashire, and LNER has shed light on some key stops you should make in the village on your visit – let’s take a look.

Downham village named among best to visit in the UK this spring

LNER said: “If you’re looking for somewhere that feels a step away from the everyday, Downham is a good place to start.

“Family-owned for generations, the village has kept things simple, no road signs, no aerials, just open views and a quiet sense of history.”

What was filmed in Downham?

The Lancashire village has also been a popular filming spot, with LNER saying “it’s easy to see why”.

It added: “It’s been used as a backdrop for films and TV over the years, including Whistle Down the Wind and The Secret of Crickley Hall.”

The Lancashire village has featured in various TV shows and films (Image: Getty)

Born and Bred, a BBC drama, was also filmed in the village, according to Visit Lancashire.

If you’re looking for some food stops while in Downham, LNER recommends “a scoop of local Lancashire ice cream from the village shop” and a trip to “the award-winning Assheton Arms” which is an “18th-century gastropub” that “sits at the highest point of the village, serving up seasonal plates alongside tranquil countryside vistas that make the modern world feel miles away.”

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Visitors are also advised to “head to the banks of Downham Brook” for “a perfect spot to sit and listen to the water as the village wakes up for spring.”

The “quiet and unspoiled” village is “one of the loveliest villages in Lancashire”, according to Visit Lancashire.

Have you been to Downham? Let us know in the comments below.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out a day earlier and prompted evacuation orders was mostly under control Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

Encompassing roughly 6.3 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) in Riverside County, about 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, the Springs Fire was no longer growing and at least 75% percent contained Saturday, said Terra Fernandez, public safety information specialist for the Riverside County Fire Department. It was 25% contained on Friday.

Fire officials also lifted evacuation orders for a large swath of neighborhoods Saturday morning. Fernandez said she expected the rest will be lifted by the end of the day.

“It’s pretty much under control,” Fernandez said.

The fire was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds with gusts predicted to get up to 45 mph (72 kph) on Saturday. But winds had “dissipated a bit” since Friday, helping the efforts of fire crews, Fernandez said. Natural equestrian trails around the area also helped firefighters make access to the fire and build effective containment lines around its perimeter, she said.

So far, no structures have been damaged or destroyed.

Crews began early Saturday dropping water and retardant all around the fire by air. About 260 personnel are battling the blaze, including crews from around the region who are building and strengthening the containment lines and laying hose, she said.

A handful of zones in the county remained under mandatory evacuation orders. It was not immediately known how many households were affected by the orders.

The fire is located in a populated unincorporated part of Riverside County that is a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.