Author: Editorial Team

TOKYO — Japan is set to launch a landmark space mission Tuesday aimed at becoming the first country to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, and return them to Earth, according to state broadcaster NHK. The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is scheduled to lift off aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The mission aims to achieve the world’s first landing on Phobos to collect surface samples and transport them back to Earth for scientific analysis. JAXA has developed the spacecraft…

Hurricane Trudy strengthened to a Category 2 storm as it moved toward Mexico’s southwestern and west-central Pacific coast, with a hurricane warning in effect from Manzanillo in Colima state to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco.  The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Saturday that the Category 2 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour. It was located about 280 kilometers south of Cabo Corrientes and 160 kilometers southwest of Manzanillo, moving northwest at 17 kilometers per hour.  Meanwhile, Typhoon Champi strengthened into a Category 4 storm in the Pacific Ocean, with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per…

JEDDAH — Red alerts for heavy rain have been issued across parts of Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha and Makkah on Sunday, as moderate to heavy thunderstorms are forecast across several Saudi regions, according to the National Center for Meteorology (NCM). The red alerts cover parts of the four regions, with heavy rainfall expected in the affected areas. The thunderstorms are capable of causing flash floods According to the NCM’s Sunday forecast, moderate to heavy thunderstorms capable of causing flash floods, accompanied by hail and active winds stirring up dust and sand, are expected over parts of Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha and Makkah.…

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Chairman Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser met with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.  The meeting focused on strengthening resilience and supporting recovery efforts in IsDB member countries affected by fragility or crises, as well as coordinating development interventions.  The two sides also discussed expanding joint initiatives to support recovery and mobilize additional development financing through the IsDB’s Response, Recovery, and Resilience (3R) Facility. They further explored the use of artificial intelligence…

WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Saturday that Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and reach a negotiated agreement with Washington or face potentially devastating American military action. Speaking to Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets and military recruits at the University of Tennessee, Hegseth said Tehran would soon face a decisive choice between diplomacy and military confrontation. “Iran’s going to have a choice to make real quick about whether they’re going to give those up at the table or face the kind of devastation that America can bring and will bring swiftly if necessary,” Hegseth said. The defense…

MOSCOW — Russia has dispatched its first oil tanker to international markets following a supply agreement with the United States, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Saturday. Speaking on the political talk show Solovyov Live, Novak said Moscow was facing no difficulties selling its oil, with several countries expressing interest in purchasing Russian supplies. “I am aware that the first tanker has already been loaded and dispatched from the port at Dikson,” Novak said, referring to the Russian Arctic seaport on the Kara Sea coast in the Krasnoyarsk region. He said Russia had “no issues” with oil sales, citing strong…

BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced Saturday that Lebanon and Israel will participate in US-backed trilateral talks in Tampa, Florida, on October 20. In a statement published by the Lebanese presidency on X, Aoun said a Lebanese military delegation would attend the meeting to present the country’s demands and seek outcomes consistent with the US-sponsored framework agreement. The announcement came during Aoun’s meeting with a French delegation headed by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, during which the two sides discussed developments in southern Lebanon and efforts to restore stability. Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to extending the mandate of the United…

Pottery was once woven into daily life in Makkah, used in traditional homes to store and cool water, preserve food, and serve meals, before electrical appliances and modern kitchenware turned it from a household staple into a heritage item recalling a bygone era.  Earthenware came in many shapes and sizes, each suited to a purpose. Most prominent was the zeer, a large clay jar for drinking water. Its porous walls let a little water seep to the surface and evaporate in the heat, cooling the water inside, which made it invaluable in Makkah’s hot climate long before refrigerators and water…

ADEN — Yemen’s Foreign Minister Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba has rejected Iran’s attempts to present itself as a mediator in Yemen, accusing Tehran of fueling the country’s conflict by arming and financing the Houthi militia while using Yemen as a bargaining chip in its regional confrontations. In an opinion article published on her X account under the headline “The Tehran Regime Is a Party to the War on Yemenis, Not a Mediator,” Al-Zouba said Iran could not credibly offer to mediate a conflict that its own military and financial support had helped prolong. “When Iran’s foreign minister and his officials offer…

Would you wait until January next year for a phone you tried to book within minutes of pre-orders opening? Some UAE residents are doing exactly that after delivery slots for Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo moved from October to November, December and even January 2027 within a short time. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo opened at 4pm on Friday, October 16, with the device set to reach buyers and stores from October 23. However, residents who logged on hoping to get the phone on its first day said the available delivery dates changed quickly as demand picked up. Emaad Khayyam,…