A Chinese space probe has lifted off from the surface of the Moon to return to Earth, an ambitious effort to bring back the first lunar samples in four decades.

A Chinese space probe sent to gather material from a previously unexplored part of the moon has completed its mission and is preparing to send back the world's first lunar samples in four decades, Beijing said Thursday.

An unmanned Chinese spacecraft landed on the moon Tuesday, state media reported, marking only the second time the country had successfully placed a probe on the lunar surface.

A fireball spotted falling from the night sky over parts of western and central Japan has lit up social media, with users sharing images of the unusually bright shooting star.

Indonesia's Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted Sunday, belching a column of smoke and ash four kilometers (2.5 miles) into the sky, triggering a flight warning and the closure of the local airport.

China has powered up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor -- the Hualong One -- a significant step in Beijing's attempts to become less dependent on Western allies for energy security and critical technology.

The reactor, which was connected to the national grid on Friday, can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

A rocket heading for the moon to bring back the first lunar samples in four decades blasted off from China on Tuesday in the latest milestone for Beijing's spacefaring ambitions.

A European space rocket failed minutes after taking off with the loss of both satellites it was carrying, its operator said Tuesday.

Data indicating that a vaccine being developed against Covid-19 is highly effective is the "best science news of the year", a pharmaceutical industry association chief said, voicing hope that other vaccine candidates would show equally good results.

Denmark's prime minister announced special restrictions for more than 280,000 people in the northwest of the country on Thursday after a mutated version of the new coronavirus linked to mink farms was found in humans.

Copenhagen warned that the mutation could threaten the effectiveness of any future vaccine.