Author: Editorial Team
MOSCOW — A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned safely to Earth on Sunday after spending more than eight months aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev landed aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, which touched down under parachute in the steppes of Kazakhstan, southeast of Dzhezkazgan. The trio completed a 241-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. It was the first spaceflight for Williams and Mikaev and the second for Kud-Sverchkov. Following the landing, the crew was scheduled to travel by helicopter to Karaganda. Williams will then return to NASA’s…
MANILA —A suspected improvised explosive device was found near the Philippine Senate on Monday hours after a homemade bomb detonated near the entrance of the Philippine justice, according to officials. The explosion just after midnight, which resulted in no casualties, and the discovery of the second suspected bomb came hours before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was due to give an annual State of the Nation address. The Senate’s Special Security Unit discovered the suspicious item during a routine inspection at around 8 am local time (0000GMT), ABS-CBN News reported. The unit requested an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from the Pasay…
TOKYO — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Alkhereiji met with Japan’s Special Envoy for Peace in the Middle East, Tsukasa Uemura, to discuss the latest regional and international developments. During the meeting, the two officials reviewed bilateral relations. They also discussed the latest developments on the regional and international fronts and the ongoing efforts to address them. The meeting was attended by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Ambassador to Japan, Dr. Ghazi bin Faisal bin Zaqr. Source: Saudi Gazette
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has been appointed to lead the ISO/TC 357 technical committee responsible for developing global standards for wound dressings and wound compresses, becoming the first country in the region to do so. The Kingdom’s international milestone to chair an international technical committee under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) stems from collaboration between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO). Represented by the SFDA, Saudi Arabia will serve as the committee’s secretariat and lead its technical work to develop international standards covering terminology, safety and performance requirements, testing…
DAMASCUS — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said Syria has a “moment of opportunity” to rebuild after years of conflict, describing the country’s notorious Sednaya Prison as a stark symbol of repression under former President Bashar al-Assad. Guterres made the remarks during a visit to the prison north of Damascus on Saturday as part of his first trip to Syria since becoming U.N. chief and the first visit by a U.N. secretary-general to the country since 2009. “Today, Syria is facing a moment of opportunity — not only to recover from conflict, but to lay the foundations for a more stable,…
PARIS — A massive wildfire in southwest France has forced 220,000 people to evacuate as flames advanced closer to Bordeaux, while fresh wildfires continued to drive evacuations in neighboring Spain. French authorities ordered another 55,000 people to leave their homes overnight in the Gironde region, where shifting winds and dry conditions have complicated efforts to contain the blaze that has burned out of control since midweek. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said conditions remained “very unfavorable” after a difficult night for firefighters. “The fire again became extremely virulent and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan…
RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce has recalled 109 Aston Martin DBX and DBX 707 vehicles due to a defect in the rear suspension system mounting bolts that increases the risk of losing control of the vehicle. The default may damage the lower rear suspension arm that increases the risk of losing control of the vehicle and causing a crash. The recall affects 109 Aston Martin DBX and DBX 707 vehicles from the 2021–2026 model years. The ministry urged owners to verify whether their vehicles are included in the recall by checking their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) through Recalls.sa. Customers…
RIYADH — The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al Alsheikh, launched the ministry’s digital “New Muslim” card service on Sunday as part of efforts to expand digital government services. The new service automates all stages of the process for individuals requesting to embrace Islam, allowing applications to be processed electronically from submission through approval. The ministry said the digital card is integrated with the Tawakkalna app, where it becomes available immediately after approval, enabling users to access and verify it electronically through integration with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The project is…