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KFSH Performs World First Single-Port Robotic Living Donor Liver Resection

‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
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KFSH Performs World First Single-Port Robotic Living Donor Liver Resection

‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH) has performed the world’s first series of single-port robotic liver resections from living donors, marking a major advancement in organ transplantation.

The procedures were conducted through a single incision not exceeding 3.5 cm, replacing the multiple incisions required in conventional robotic surgery, reducing surgical pain and accelerating recovery while maintaining high safety standards, SPA reported.

‏The milestone, said a KFSH press release issued today, is particularly significant for donor safety, as living donors are healthy individuals undergoing surgery for the benefit of others. Procedures performed on six donors resulted in minimal blood loss without complications, with low pain levels and discharge within two to three days.

‏The approach also makes liver donation safer for pediatric recipients, as it typically involves the left lateral segment, which represents around 20% of total liver volume, making it well suited for single-port access while minimizing surgical burden on the donor.

Executive Director of the Organ Transplant Center of Excellence ‏Prof. Dieter Broering said the development reflects a structured expansion of robotic liver surgery built on extensive experience.

 

He noted that KFSH has performed more than 1,600 robotic living donor liver resections, the highest volume globally, supported by a progressive model integrating training, simulation, and phased clinical implementation.

‏The achievement, added the release, further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery and organ transplantation, advancing care models that balance innovation with patient and donor safety, in line with the Health Sector Transformation Program and the hospital’s vision to deliver world-class specialized care.

‏King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th globally among the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers in 2026, and is the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East according to Brand Finance 2025.

 

It is also listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2026, World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026.

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German Space Rocket Reaches Orbit in Europe's 1st Commercial Launch

Germany's Isar Aerospace rocket is launched into space from a base in Andoeya, Norway, September 5, 2026. Isar Aerospace/Franziska Kegel/Handout via REUTERS
Germany's Isar Aerospace rocket is launched into space from a base in Andoeya, Norway, September 5, 2026. Isar Aerospace/Franziska Kegel/Handout via REUTERS
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German Space Rocket Reaches Orbit in Europe's 1st Commercial Launch

Germany's Isar Aerospace rocket is launched into space from a base in Andoeya, Norway, September 5, 2026. Isar Aerospace/Franziska Kegel/Handout via REUTERS
Germany's Isar Aerospace rocket is launched into space from a base in Andoeya, Norway, September 5, 2026. Isar Aerospace/Franziska Kegel/Handout via REUTERS

German startup Isar Aerospace on Sunday said it would rapidly expand satellite deployments after the first orbital launch of its Spectrum rocket from Arctic Norway, a milestone for Europe's efforts to secure independent access to space.

The uncrewed Spectrum became the first commercial rocket to reach orbit from continental Europe, marking a breakthrough for a region where several countries are seeking a foothold in the fast-growing market for satellite launches.

"Launch capability is right now the biggest bottleneck in the entire industry," Isar co-founder and CEO Daniel Metzler told reporters.

He said privately owned Isar remains well-funded and that an initial public offering "is not on the table".

German ⁠Chancellor Friedrich Merz ⁠hailed Saturday's launch in a statement, calling it "the beginning of a new era".

Merz visited Isar's launch site in March, underscoring Europe's efforts to establish greater autonomy as the global order once championed by the United States is shifting under US President Donald Trump.

Blasting off from Norway's Arctic Andoeya Spaceport, Spectrum carried five small satellites along with an in-flight technology experiment, according to Isar. The rocket is designed to serve the growing market for small and medium-sized payloads.

"Europe's independent access ⁠to space just got a major boost," EU Defense and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius wrote on social media platform X.

It was Isar's second launch, coming 18 months after the company's first rocket plunged into the sea and exploded in a fiery spectacle shortly after takeoff from the same site. No one was injured.

Reuters quoted Isar as saying that it already has five more rockets in production and is now focused on scaling up operations to meet rising demand, with a long-term goal of conducting around 40 launches a year.

The German company is developing a second launch site in Nova Scotia in eastern Canada, and said on Sunday this could be ready for lift-offs in 2028.

Saturday's launch was intended as "both the vehicle's qualification mission and its first flight carrying payload," the Bavarian company ⁠said.

"The fact that ⁠we can now launch satellites from Andoeya strengthens Norwegian and European security in the turbulent times we live in," said Norway's minister of industry and commerce, Cecilie Myrseth.

Global players in the satellite launch market include Elon Musk's SpaceX, which launches from the United States, and French ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran that uses a spaceport in South America's French Guiana.

SpaceX, a company spanning rockets, satellites and AI, in June listed on the Nasdaq exchange in a record initial public offering.

Sweden, with its Esrange launch site, and Britain with its SaxaVord Spaceport in the Scottish Shetland Islands, are the nearest rivals to the Norwegian site, all of which aim to give Europe greater autonomy in space flights.

Isar last week said it had secured about €200 million ($232 million) from the European Space Agency to help fund development of new rockets and expand its testing and launch infrastructure.

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Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Strengthen Cooperation in Combating Desertification and Restoring Lands

The center is holding five specialized workshops on combating desertification - SPA/File photo
The center is holding five specialized workshops on combating desertification - SPA/File photo
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Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Strengthen Cooperation in Combating Desertification and Restoring Lands

The center is holding five specialized workshops on combating desertification - SPA/File photo
The center is holding five specialized workshops on combating desertification - SPA/File photo

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, in cooperation with Kuwait's Environment Public Authority, has launched a series of virtual training and technical workshops in September and October 2026 as part of the implementation of a memorandum of understanding between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on environmental protection, rehabilitation, and conservation.

The center is holding five specialized workshops on combating desertification and restoring degraded land, contributing to the development of policies and strategies to address desertification and reduce land degradation, support decision-making, and protect and sustain ecosystems, SPA reported.

The workshops will highlight the importance of green belts in mitigating sand encroachment and showcase the Kingdom’s experience in the integrated management of invasive plant species, as well as the results achieved in this field.

The initiative reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing cooperation and sharing expertise to combat desertification, restore degraded lands, and improve methods for assessing land degradation. It also supports efforts to protect ecosystems, advance the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, and contribute to global climate action.

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Avalanche Hits Glacier on China's Muztagh Ata in Xinjiang

People walk through a flood-affected area in Devighat, Nuwakot district, Nepal, 05 September 2026. EPA/NARENDRA SHRSTHA
People walk through a flood-affected area in Devighat, Nuwakot district, Nepal, 05 September 2026. EPA/NARENDRA SHRSTHA
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Avalanche Hits Glacier on China's Muztagh Ata in Xinjiang

People walk through a flood-affected area in Devighat, Nuwakot district, Nepal, 05 September 2026. EPA/NARENDRA SHRSTHA
People walk through a flood-affected area in Devighat, Nuwakot district, Nepal, 05 September 2026. EPA/NARENDRA SHRSTHA

An avalanche struck Glacier No. 2 on Muztagh Ata, near China's border with Tajikistan in the northwestern Xinjiang region, with several tourists capturing footage on their phones, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.

Video showed a massive wall of snow and ice ⁠cascading down the mountainside, ⁠forming a snow cloud more than 100 meters (328 feet) wide, the broadcaster said.

There were no casualties or property damage ⁠because the avalanche took place in an unpopulated area far from major roads, CCTV reported, according to Reuters.

The main peak of Muztagh Ata, covered by ice and glaciers, is 7,546 meters high. Glacier No. 2 is closed to the public because ⁠of ⁠heightened risks of glacial activity.

The local culture and tourism bureau on Saturday warned tourists not to enter unauthorized high-risk restricted zones on Muztagh Ata, citing complex terrain, volatile weather, weak communication signals and extremely poor rescue conditions.