Saudi Minister of Media Launches Hajj Media Hub Initiative in Makkah 

Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Youssef Al-Dossary  inaugurates the first version of the “Hajj Media Hub” initiative on Monday. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Youssef Al-Dossary  inaugurates the first version of the “Hajj Media Hub” initiative on Monday. (SPA)
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Saudi Minister of Media Launches Hajj Media Hub Initiative in Makkah 

Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Youssef Al-Dossary  inaugurates the first version of the “Hajj Media Hub” initiative on Monday. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Youssef Al-Dossary  inaugurates the first version of the “Hajj Media Hub” initiative on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Youssef Al-Dossary inaugurated on Monday the first version of the “Hajj Media Hub” initiative, held in Makkah from June 10-16, in a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Pilgrim Experience Program.

The hub is part of the initiatives of the Year of Media Transformation, which was announced by the minister of media three months ago at the third annual “Saudi Media Forum.”

The Hajj Media Hub aims to provide an integrated media environment to support media professionals in completing their coverage during this year’s Hajj.

More than 150 local, Arab, Islamic, and international media outlets, and more than 1,500 local and international media professionals are expected to benefit from the hub’s services.

The hub boasts 11 supportive media areas, an interactive media exhibition highlighting the services provided to pilgrims, a headquarters for news conferences, a media center with integrated services, various studios and vehicles for direct injection of media materials.

It also boasts the Virtual Press Center (VPC) where a dedicated team participates in presenting via an interactive screen, providing continuous updates and services around the clock throughout the proceedings of the forum.

The hub brings together all media agencies to support the work of all media figures and outlets and provide modern technologies to achieve more innovation in local and international coverage during the Hajj.



Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
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Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)

Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued emergency warnings of heavy rain for several municipalities in the Yamagata and Akita prefecture, where warm and humid air was flowing.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged the affected area’s residents to “put safety first” and pay close attention to the latest information from the authorities.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, one person went missing in Yuzawa city — in the Akita prefecture — after being hit by a landslide at a road construction site.

Rescue workers in the city evacuated 11 people from the flooded area with the help of a boat.

In the neighboring Yamagata prefecture, more than 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in the hardest-hit Yuza and Sakata towns within an hour earlier Thursday.

Thousands of residents in the area were advised to take shelter at higher and safer grounds, but it was not immediately known how many people took that advice.

Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train services were partially suspended on Thursday, according to East Japan Railway Company.

The agency predicted up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of more rainfall in the region through Friday evening, urging residents to remain cautious.