Saudi Crown Prince launches ‘King Salman Gate’ project to add 900,000 praying spaces in Mecca
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled a major development project near Mecca’s Grand Mosque that will add approximately 900,000 new in...
China’s national space agency announced on Thursday that it would permit scientists from the United States and allied nations to study moon rocks collected by its Chang’e-5 mission in 2020. This move is seen as part of China’s strategy to bolster the international profile of its lunar exploration efforts.
Despite ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing over geopolitics and trade, the collaboration underscores that some forms of scientific exchange remain possible. Seven research institutions, including Brown University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook—both recipients of NASA funding—have been granted access to the lunar samples. The other authorised institutions hail from Japan, France, Germany, Britain, and Pakistan.
China became only the third country to collect lunar samples through its uncrewed Chang’e-5 mission, joining the Soviet Union and the United States. In 2024, it achieved another milestone by becoming the first nation to return samples from the moon’s far side through the Chang’e-6 mission.
However, collaboration between NASA and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) remains restricted due to a 2011 US law that requires any engagement with China to undergo national security review involving the FBI. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson noted in October that discussions were ongoing regarding the sample-sharing agreement and assured lawmakers that there would be no national security risks.
Nelson also stated that four US universities had applied to receive the Chang’e-5 samples, and he anticipated that further FBI certification would be needed before any material was handed over.
China is using its growing space capabilities as a diplomatic tool. Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar programme, remarked that the country’s increased strength and confidence have led to greater openness, contrasting with what he described as rising US isolationism.
The CNSA disclosed that earlier Chang’e missions included international payloads, with the upcoming Chang’e-7 mission in 2026 set to carry six international instruments. Discussions are also underway with 10 nations for the Chang’e-8 mission, which will contribute to China’s goal of establishing a permanent crewed lunar base by 2035.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
Apple has pledged to increase its investment in China despite ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing, CEO Tim Cook said during a meeting with China’s industry minister.
SpaceX launched its 11th Starship from Texas on 13 October, landing in the Indian Ocean ahead of testing an upgraded version for future moon and Mars missions.
From Sunday, all non-EU citizens, including British visitors, will face new biometric checks when entering and exiting the European Union under its long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES).
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, and Omar Yaghi of the University of California.
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their groundbreaking discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in electric circuits.
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