Author: Editorial Team

Al-Qandal Forest in the Farasan Islands is drawing an influx of tourists seeking tranquil coastal experiences and raw natural beauty during Eid Al-Adha holiday.  Located 16 kilometers from the Farasan Port, the journey into the destination navigates a 50-meter-wide rocky inlet that opens up into a maze of marine waterways lined with dense mangrove trees. This pristine habitat features intertwined aerial roots that stabilize the saline coastal ecosystem while serving as a sanctuary for diverse marine life.  The forest has emerged as a premier environmental ecotourism destination that hosts resident and migratory birds, making it a vibrant destination for birdwatchers.…

MINA — A large number of Hajj pilgrims started leaving the tent city of Mina on Friday afternoon, the second day of Tashreeq, after performing the ritual of casting stones at three Jamarat, pillars symbolizing Satan. Chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest), pilgrims hurled stones first at Jamarat Al-Sugra (small pillar), then at Jamarat Al-Wusta (medium pillar) and lastly at Jamarat Al-Aqaba (largest pillar), seven times each. They prayed after stoning the first two pillars and quit quickly after stoning at the third Jamarat, following the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They performed the ritual in…

Sulaiman Al Ali, Chief Commercial Officer – Business, Space42. Sulaiman Al Ali, Chief Commercial Officer – Business at Space42, discusses how local satellite assembly and testing, AI-powered geospatial intelligence, and strategic partnerships are strengthening the UAE’s position in the global space ecosystem while delivering real-world impact across mobility, environmental monitoring, and national security.The UAE is accelerating its ambitions to become a global leader in space technology, geospatial intelligence, and artificial intelligence, with investments focused on building sovereign capabilities across the entire value chain. From satellite assembly, integration and testing to AI-powered geospatial platforms, the country is moving beyond data consumption…

MINA — Deputy Emir of Makkah Region and Vice Chairman of the Permanent Hajj and Umrah Committee Prince Saud bin Mishaal announced on Friday the successful completion of the 1447H Hajj season. “I am pleased to announce the success of this year’s Hajj, a success marked by security, organized operations, and the complete delivery of services and support,” Prince Saud said in a televised address. He said the season leaves behind the image of “a nation that never sleeps, hearts devoted to service, and hands that worked tirelessly until the holy sites became a model of order and harmony.” “This…

Delivering the Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque today, Imam Sheikh Bandar Balila emphasized that worship is a lifelong journey, describing Hajj as a school of faith that instills patience and monotheism.  He noted that a primary sign of an accepted Hajj is a pilgrim returning with a more pious heart and purer conduct. Concluding his sermon, Sheikh Balila reminded pilgrims to complete their remaining Tashreeq rituals, including the stoning of the Jamarat, and stressed that the Farewell Tawaf is mandatory before departing Makkah. Source: Riyadh Daily

VIENNA — A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna during the US singer’s Eras tour in August 2024. The man, named only as Beran A in line with Austrian privacy laws, was also found guilty of a string of other terrorism-related offenses. Beran A, whose last name has not been made public in accordance with Austrian privacy rules, was arrested on August 7, 2024, after a tip-off from the CIA just before the first of three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts was due to take…

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday declined to halt an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, clearing the way for potential sweeping changes in how American elections are run shortly before this year’s midterm vote. US District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, rejected the request by Democrats and civil rights groups that had argued Trump’s order would likely be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The decision allows the Trump administration to continue pursuing…

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al Alsheikh stressed the importance of adhering to the approach of moderation and balance in religious discourse, rejecting violence and extremism, and promoting the values of tolerance and compassion in accordance with the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, emphasizing the need to apply this approach in both word and deed.  This came during his meeting today at the ministry headquarters in Mina with a number of muftis, scholars, presidents of universities, and heads of Islamic associations and centers from Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Brazil, and the Netherlands, who are hosted under…

ROME — Anti-mafia investigators in Italy have seized cash, companies and other assets worth more than €200 million ($232 million)in an operation they say targeted the network of notorious late Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro. Messina Denaro was arrested in 2023 after spending 30 years on the run for his role in the Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia’s war against the state between the 1980s and 1990s, which included the killing of top prosecutor Giovanni Falcone. Nicknamed “U Siccu” (the skinny one), Messina Denaro died of cancer a few months after his arrest, leaving prosecutors with the task of tracking…

PARIS — Portugal has set a new hottest day in May with 40.3C recorded in the central town of Mora, as countries in western Europe grapple with sweltering-hot weather. The temperature recorded on Wednesday bests Portugal’s previous record of 40C set in May 2001. The extreme temperatures come as a UN-backed report warns Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating more than twice as fast as the global average. Large parts of western and central Europe are in the grip of an extraordinary heatwave phase, with many places registering temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Several European…