JEDDAH — The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) and the Climate Change Center (CCC) said indicators point to a growing likelihood that El Niño conditions will develop and persist through the end of 2026 and into early 2027, bringing warmer temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns across Saudi Arabia. The agencies said Saudi Arabia is currently in a neutral phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with the Niño 3.4 Index standing at +0.39°C as of July 5. Forecast models indicate a high probability that El Niño will develop, with the index expected to exceed +0.8°C and reach around +1.25°C, with…
Author: Editorial Team
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Community Jameel, and Art Jameel marked on Sunday the 20th anniversary of The Jameel Gallery at the V&A, celebrating two decades since its opening, creating a space which has transformed the presentation, interpretation, and public understanding of Islamic art.Community Jameel marked The Jameel Gallery’s anniversary with a special reception hosted at the V&A, attended by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom and Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel KBE, Founder of Community Jameel, as well as Fady Jameel, Hassan Jameel, Hisham Hamza, and Ghada Alsammanoudi. At…
Dubai has opened an integrated pet shelter in Warsan, complete with a new digital platform that allows residents to browse rescued cats and dogs available for adoption before visiting the facility. The new shelter, located at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan, is designed to care for stray and lost companion animals, providing veterinary treatment, rehabilitation, grooming and adoption services under one roof. Residents interested in adopting a pet can use the online platform to view animals available for adoption, along with details about their health and behaviour, helping them make informed decisions before completing the process. Stay up…
Brazil has denied visas to two U.S. State Department officials ahead of October’s presidential election, further escalating tensions between Brasília and Washington. Source: Saudi Gazette
While the Middle East is focused on the ongoing conflict, the scene outside Etihad Arena on Saturday evening told a different story. By the time I reached the venue at around 6.30pm, long queues had already formed outside the entrances. Fans wearing UFC shirts, carrying national flags and taking pictures with fighter posters waited to enter. Within an hour, the arena was full. Earlier on Saturday, I had met supporters who had travelled from Oman, India, Kazakhstan, Poland, Ghana and Russia’s Dagestan. Some had driven for hours, while others had crossed continents just to spend one evening watching the UFC…
BRUSSELS — Belgian authorities have arrested a Canadian intern working at NATO’s military headquarters on suspicion of espionage and membership in a criminal organization, prosecutors said Saturday. Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation began after NATO’s security services alerted Belgian military intelligence to concerns involving the suspect. Authorities detained the woman, identified only as a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin, on Friday after conducting searches a day earlier at her home and workplace inside NATO’s military headquarters. “She is suspected of spying on behalf of a third country and of being a member of a criminal organization,” prosecutors said…
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…
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…
A Dh1-million grant will be allocated for participants in the Dubai Date Festival, as directed by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This is in “recognition of their contributions to preserving and promoting the UAE’s national heritage,” according to Dubai Media Office. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The third edition of the Dubai Date Festival, which was held until July 26, took place at Qalaat Al Rimal on the Dubai-Al Ain Road. It featured 15 competitions that celebrate the palm tree and the people behind it. New…
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,…