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Saudi Medical Team Separates Conjoined Twins in Groundbreaking 15-Hour Surgery

The procedure was carried out by a dedicated team of 36 consultants and specialists from multiple disciplines. SPA
The procedure was carried out by a dedicated team of 36 consultants and specialists from multiple disciplines. SPA
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Saudi Medical Team Separates Conjoined Twins in Groundbreaking 15-Hour Surgery

The procedure was carried out by a dedicated team of 36 consultants and specialists from multiple disciplines. SPA
The procedure was carried out by a dedicated team of 36 consultants and specialists from multiple disciplines. SPA

The medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program successfully separated on Wednesday Eritrean twins Asma and Someya, who were joined at the head, at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) Supervisor General and head of the medical team Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah said the complex procedure, which lasted more than 15 hours, was carried out in adherence to Saudi leadership directives by a dedicated team of 36 consultants and specialists from multiple disciplines.

The team employed neuronavigational technology and surgical microscopy to ensure precise planning and uphold the highest safety standards.

He added that this operation marks the 64th separation performed under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has treated over 149 cases from 27 countries over the past 35 years.

The program continues to receive strong support from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Over the years, it has achieved outstanding medical successes, showcasing the advanced capabilities and professionalism of Saudi Arabia's healthcare sector and its medical teams.

Consultant pediatric neurosurgeon and head of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Dr. Moutasem Azzubi explained that the twins underwent a comprehensive evaluation, which revealed the fusion of skull bones, brain membranes, veins, and certain arteries.

The separation was conducted in stages, beginning with an initial surgical procedure followed by three interventional radiology procedures to block shared arteries and veins. The pediatric plastic surgery team inserted tissue expanders under the skin to stretch it over several months and allow sufficient skin coverage after the separation.

The twins' family expressed their sincere gratitude to the Saudi leadership for making this life-saving procedure possible and ensuring their children received the best medical care. They also commended the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts and extended thanks for the generous hospitality they received during their stay in Saudi Arabia.

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Varieties

Rare Copy of the Comic Book That Introduced the World to Superman Sells for $15 Million

This photo shows Action Comics #1, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York, a copy of a rare comic book that introduced the world to Superman which has been sold for a record $15 million. (Andrew Wilson/Metropolis Collectibles Inc. via AP)
This photo shows Action Comics #1, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York, a copy of a rare comic book that introduced the world to Superman which has been sold for a record $15 million. (Andrew Wilson/Metropolis Collectibles Inc. via AP)
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Rare Copy of the Comic Book That Introduced the World to Superman Sells for $15 Million

This photo shows Action Comics #1, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York, a copy of a rare comic book that introduced the world to Superman which has been sold for a record $15 million. (Andrew Wilson/Metropolis Collectibles Inc. via AP)
This photo shows Action Comics #1, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York, a copy of a rare comic book that introduced the world to Superman which has been sold for a record $15 million. (Andrew Wilson/Metropolis Collectibles Inc. via AP)

A rare copy of the comic book that introduced the world to Superman and also was once stolen from the home of actor Nicolas Cage has been sold for a record $15 million.

The private deal for "Action Comics No. 1" was announced Friday. It eclipses the previous record price for a comic book, set last November when a copy of "Superman No. 1" was at sold at auction for $9.12 million.

The Action Comics sale was negotiated by Manhattan-based Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, which said the comic book's owner and the buyer wished to remain anonymous.

The comic - which sold for 10 cents when it came out in 1938 - was an anthology of tales about mostly now little-known characters. But over a few panels, it told the origin story of Superman's birth on a dying planet, his journey to Earth and his decision as an adult to "turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind."

Its publication marked the beginning of the superhero genre. About 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 are known to exist, according to Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect President Vincent Zurzolo.

"This is among the Holy Grail of comic books. Without Superman and his popularity, there would be no Batman or other superhero comic book legends," Zurzolo said. "It's importance in the comic book community shows with his deal, as it obliterates the previous record," Zurzolo said.

The comic book was stolen from Cage's Los Angeles home in 2000 but was recovered in 2011 when it was found by a man who had purchased the contents of an old storage locker in southern California. It eventually was returned to Cage, who had bought it in 1996 for $150,000. Six months after it was returned to him, he sold it at auction for $2.2 million.

Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, said the theft eventually played a big role in boosting the comic's value.

"During that 11-year period (it was missing), it skyrocketed in value.," Fishler said "The thief made Nicolas Cage a lot of money by stealing it."

Fishler compared it to the theft of Mona Lisa, which was stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris in 1911.

"It was kept under the thief's bed for two years," Fishler noted. "The recovery of the painting made the Mona Lisa go from being just a great Da Vinci painting to a world icon - and that's what Action No. 1 is - an icon of American pop culture."

Varieties

Australian Bushfires Raze Homes, Cut Power to Tens of Thousands

Smoke billows from the Longwood bushfire along the Goulburn Highway in Victoria, Australia, 09 January 2026. (EPA)
Smoke billows from the Longwood bushfire along the Goulburn Highway in Victoria, Australia, 09 January 2026. (EPA)
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Australian Bushfires Raze Homes, Cut Power to Tens of Thousands

Smoke billows from the Longwood bushfire along the Goulburn Highway in Victoria, Australia, 09 January 2026. (EPA)
Smoke billows from the Longwood bushfire along the Goulburn Highway in Victoria, Australia, 09 January 2026. (EPA)

Thousands of firefighters battled bushfires in Australia's southeast on Saturday that have razed homes, cut power to thousands of homes and burned swathes of bushland.

The blazes have torn through more than 300,000 hectares (741,316 acres) of bushland amid a heatwave in Victoria state since the middle of the week, authorities said on Saturday, and 10 major fires were still burning statewide.

In neighboring New South ‌Wales state, several ‌fires close to the Victorian border were ‌burning ⁠at emergency level, ‌the highest danger rating, the Rural Fire Service said, as temperatures hit the mid-40s Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit).

More than 130 structures, including homes, have been destroyed and around 38,000 homes and businesses were without power due to the fires in Victoria, authorities said.

The fires were the worst to hit the state since the Black Summer blazes of 2019-2020 that destroyed an area ⁠the size of Türkiye and killed 33 people.

"Where we can fires will be being brought ‌under control," Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan told ‍reporters, adding thousands of firefighters were ‍in the field.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the nation faced a ‍day of "extreme and dangerous" fire weather, especially in Victoria, where much of the state has been declared a disaster zone.

"My thoughts are with Australians in these regional communities at this very difficult time," Albanese said in televised remarks from Canberra.

One of the largest fires, near the town of Longwood, about 112 km (70 miles) north of Melbourne, has burned ⁠130,000 hectares (320,000 acres) of bushland, destroying 30 structures, vineyards and agricultural land, authorities said.

Dozens of communities near the fires have been evacuated and many of the state's parks and campgrounds were closed.

A heatwave warning on Saturday was in place for large parts of Victoria, while a fire weather warning was active for large areas of the country including New South Wales, the nation's weather forecaster said.

In New South Wales capital Sydney, the temperature climbed to 42.2 C, more than 17 degrees above the average maximum for January, according to data from the nation's weather forecaster.

It predicted ‌conditions to ease over the weekend as a southerly change brought milder temperatures to the state.

Varieties

Britain’s Princess Catherine ‘Deeply Grateful’ After Year in Cancer Remission

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales reacts as she speaks to a patient next to Prince William, Prince of Wales, during an arts workshop at Charing Cross Hospital, in London, Britain, January 8, 2026. (Reuters)
Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales reacts as she speaks to a patient next to Prince William, Prince of Wales, during an arts workshop at Charing Cross Hospital, in London, Britain, January 8, 2026. (Reuters)
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Britain’s Princess Catherine ‘Deeply Grateful’ After Year in Cancer Remission

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales reacts as she speaks to a patient next to Prince William, Prince of Wales, during an arts workshop at Charing Cross Hospital, in London, Britain, January 8, 2026. (Reuters)
Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales reacts as she speaks to a patient next to Prince William, Prince of Wales, during an arts workshop at Charing Cross Hospital, in London, Britain, January 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Britain's future queen, Princess Catherine, marked her 44th birthday Friday with a video about the healing power of nature, almost a year since she revealed she was in remission from cancer.

Mother-of-three Catherine, who is married to heir-to-the-throne Prince William, released "Winter", the final instalment of her year-long "Mother Nature" video series, on her official Instagram and X.

"Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration," Catherine, also known as Kate, says in the video's voiceover.

"I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am... Fears washed away.

"Come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive. To be at one with nature, a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides, in memory, helping us to heal," she added.

Catherine is shown walking through wintry English countryside, interspersed with clips of other UK landscapes.

The nearly two-minute-long video posted on social media comes two years after the start of Catherine's health problems.

In January 2024, her Kensington Palace office announced she was facing weeks in hospital after successful abdominal surgery.

The surgery was for a non-cancer-related health issue, the palace said.

Weeks later, however, on March 22 an emotional Kate revealed in a video message that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer and had begun preventative chemotherapy.

Her diagnosis coincided with King Charles III, her father-in-law, also being diagnosed with cancer, which was revealed by Buckingham Palace on February 5, 2024.

Charles, 77, said last month that his own treatment was expected to be pared back this year.