**1. NASA’s Artemis I mission successfully launches, marking a new era in lunar exploration.**
The Artemis I mission, an uncrewed test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, launched successfully on Wednesday, November 16th. The mission is the first step in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2024. The SLS rocket is the most powerful rocket ever built, and the Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to the Moon and back. The Artemis I mission will test the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft in orbit around the Moon before future crewed missions.
**2. Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war in a major swap.**
Russia and Ukraine exchanged a total of 50 prisoners of war on Thursday, November 17th. The exchange was the largest since the start of the war in February. The prisoners included 20 Ukrainian soldiers and 30 Russian soldiers. The exchange was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and took place in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.
**3. The United States and China hold high-level talks to ease tensions.**
The United States and China held high-level talks in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, November 17th. The talks were led by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The two sides discussed a range of issues, including the war in Ukraine, Taiwan, and trade. The talks were described as .
