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Saudi Space Agency Launches Competition for Students in Arab World

The Saudi Space Agency (SSA)
The Saudi Space Agency (SSA)
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Saudi Space Agency Launches Competition for Students in Arab World

The Saudi Space Agency (SSA)
The Saudi Space Agency (SSA)

The Saudi Space Agency (SSA), in cooperation with Misk Foundation and the Ilmi Science Discovery & Innovation Center, launched on Sunday the Madak competition for students in the Arab world with the aim of increasing the Arab contribution to the field of space science.
The competition has three tracks: arts, botany and engineering. It will be supervised by Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi, the first Arab Muslim astronaut who conducted 14 experiments aboard the International Space Station.
SSA CEO Mohammed Altamimi said that the competition is open for all students in the Arab world, enabling them to explore a new horizon in space science and enhance their scientific and innovative skills, to enrich the space arena with pioneering contributions.
He added that Saudi Arabia, a leader in the space field, reaffirms its commitment to stimulating creativity and excellence in this domain, regionally and internationally.
According to Barnawi, this competition represents a “unique opportunity for students in the Arab world to participate in a journey of discovery and innovation”, and is bound to expand the horizons of young and ambitious generations, and stimulate their creativity.

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Military Shows to be Featured at Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition 2026

The exhibition will welcome visitors daily from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. - SPA
The exhibition will welcome visitors daily from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. - SPA
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Military Shows to be Featured at Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition 2026

The exhibition will welcome visitors daily from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. - SPA
The exhibition will welcome visitors daily from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. - SPA

The Saudi International Falcons and Hunting Exhibition 2026, scheduled for October 1 to 10 in Malham, north of Riyadh, will feature military shows presented by the Ministry of Interior among the accompanying events, adding a new element to the program.

The exhibition will allow visitors to watch the military shows at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., while the band will perform at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., SPA reported.

This year's exhibition will offer a wide range of experiences, including "Falconer of the Future," safari, mountain climbing, fishing, shooting, horseback and camel riding, auctions, and workshops, providing families, youth, and enthusiasts with a variety of options during their visit.

The exhibition will welcome visitors daily from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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Italy's Catania Airport Reopens as Etna Threat Downgraded

Visitors climb Mount Etna as smoke rises from its volcano in Catania, on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, on September 28, 2026. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)
Visitors climb Mount Etna as smoke rises from its volcano in Catania, on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, on September 28, 2026. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)
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Italy's Catania Airport Reopens as Etna Threat Downgraded

Visitors climb Mount Etna as smoke rises from its volcano in Catania, on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, on September 28, 2026. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)
Visitors climb Mount Etna as smoke rises from its volcano in Catania, on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, on September 28, 2026. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)

Italy's Catania airport resumed flights on Tuesday after briefly halting operations due to renewed volcanic activity from nearby Mount Etna and adverse weather conditions, in the latest stop-and-go disruption to air traffic.

According to Reuters, Operator SAC said ⁠flights to and ⁠from the airport had resumed with immediate effect after the volcanic alert level was lowered from red to ⁠orange.

The hub had previously suspended operations until 1300 GMT on Tuesday, only hours after ending a three-day shutdown on Monday evening.

The Sicilian airport, Italy's fifth-busiest by passenger traffic, is often disrupted by volcanic ⁠ash ⁠interference from Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano.

The latest shutdown affected thousands of passengers and placed significant pressure on other Sicilian airports, as airlines diverted flights away from Catania.

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Scientists: Rising Seas Threaten Spread of Marine Invaders

An aerial view of fishermen returning from sea at the traditional fishing port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 29 September 2026. EPA/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK
An aerial view of fishermen returning from sea at the traditional fishing port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 29 September 2026. EPA/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK
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Scientists: Rising Seas Threaten Spread of Marine Invaders

An aerial view of fishermen returning from sea at the traditional fishing port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 29 September 2026. EPA/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK
An aerial view of fishermen returning from sea at the traditional fishing port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 29 September 2026. EPA/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK

Sea-level rise driven by climate change could help invasive marine species spread into newly flooded coastal areas, threatening biodiversity and some economic activities, researchers warned in a study published Monday.

The findings in Nature Ecology & Evolution highlight the links between the climate and biodiversity crises, with global warming altering ecosystems and creating new opportunities for non-native species to thrive.

That could "potentially expose ecosystems and human activities that have not previously been affected by these species," said study co-author Xuan Liu of Beijing Normal University.

The researchers modelled the potential future spread of 122 established non-native marine animals, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs and sea stars, under different climate and sea-level scenarios.

Climate change causes sea levels to rise through thermal expansion -- ocean water increases in volume as it warms -- and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets.

Global sea levels are projected to rise by about 20 centimeters (eight inches) by 2050 and 56 cm by 2100 under a scenario of moderate growth in greenhouse gas emissions.

That would see around 360,000 square kilometers (139,000 square miles) of coastal land flooded by mid-century, rising to 550,000 square kilometers by the end of the century.

More than two-thirds of the newly flooded coastal land -- roughly 290,000 to 470,000 square kilometers -- could become suitable for the marine non-native animals studied, particularly around estuaries at mid-latitudes, AFP quoted the authors as saying.

The risk is concentrated in regions including the eastern United States, Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Gulf of Guinea, Arabian Gulf, northern Bay of Bengal, southeastern China and northern Australia.

Several species examined are already established in Europe, including the Pacific oyster, Atlantic blue crab and the veined rapa whelk, a predatory sea snail.

"Estuaries are particularly at risk because they are directly connected to the ocean and are also major hubs of human activity," Liu said.

Such areas could provide stepping stones for marine invaders moving further inland as the sea advances, the study said.

The findings come as governments prepare for two UN-backed international summits on the twin biodiversity and climate crises: COP17 in October and COP31 in November.

A global assessment by the UN's expert scientific panel on biodiversity, IPBES, estimated that economic costs from biological invasions exceeded $423 billion in 2019.