The first Arab space mission to Mars has blasted off aboard a rocket from Japan, with its unmanned probe – called Al-Amal, or Hope – successfully separating about an hour after liftoff.
A live feed of the launch showed the rocket carrying the probe lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan at 6.58am (9.58pm GMT).
Almost exactly one hour later, the feed showed people applauding in the Japanese control room as the probe successfully detached.
In Dubai, the launch was met with rapturous excitement, with the UAE Mars mission’s deputy project manager Sarah al-Amiri declaring it “an indescribable feeling” to see the probe blasting off.
“This is the future of the UAE,” Amiri, who is also minister of state for advanced sciences, told Dubai TV from the launch site.
The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest.
In October, Mars will be a comparatively short 38.6m miles (62m km) from Earth, according to Nasa.
Hope is expected to reach Mars’s orbit by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates.
Unlike the two other Mars ventures scheduled for this year, it will not land on the planet, but instead orbit it for a whole Martian year, or 687 days.
While the objective of the Mars mission is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in the red planet’s atmosphere, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal – building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.
EbonyCy: Which kind yeye course did I study....anatomy has finished me....u hardly find anatomy in any job vacancy be it public or private in Nigeria... Now look at these ��...no recognition of an anatomist�
This was the same Talk the People in the days of Noah said when Noah was warning and telling them to come into the ark! It has happened before! Nothing can happen
An arson investigation has being launched into a fire that broke out in a cathedral in the western French city of Nantes on Saturday, the city's Mayor Johanna Rolland told CNN affiliate BFM.
"What is certain is that there were three different fire outbreaks, I saw them myself," Rolland said about the blaze at Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which has been contained. CNN has contacted the Nantes prosecutor's office for more information.
Fire Chief Laurent Ferlay told a press briefing in front of the cathedral that the blaze was not as big as the one that engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in April 2019, and the damage is not as bad.
"I can confirm that we are not in the Notre Dame of Paris situation, rooftop is not affected," Ferlay told CNN affiliate BFM on Saturday.
"The damage is concentrated on the organ, which seems to be completely destroyed. Its platform is very unstable and could collapse," he said.
Ferlay added there are 104 firefighters at the scene, who will remain there "all day."
Images and videos from the scene showed orange flames and smoke billowing out of the front windows of the soaring Gothic structure.
'Gothic gem' French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted his "support" of the firefighters who contained the fire on Saturday.
"After Notre-Dame, the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral, in the heart of Nantes, is in flames. Support to our firefighters who take all risks to save this Gothic gem of the city of the Dukes," Macron wrote.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex expressed "solidarity" to the people of Nantes in a tweet on Saturday morning. "Thinking of our firefighters courageously mobilized to contain the fire in Nantes cathedral. I assure them of my support and my deep gratitude," he added.
France's Interior Minister, Culture Minister, and himself will visit Nantes Saturday afternoon, the Prime Minister added.
Regional firefighters told the public in an earlier tweet to "stay away from the area... do not interfere with the rescue squad."
Touts Make una calm down.... Na our match be dis... No worry, liverpool match no de faraway. Make una reserve strength wey una go use type ' Lampard out' , 'Kepa na bastard' , ' Giroud na flop'
ddooskie: Noisy and Man. United should not be used in the same sentence that is unarguably one of the characteristics of chelsh!t fans
na agbero full chelsea nah... That year wey dem win champions league.. u need to see their rubbish celebration. Breaking bottles and burning tires.. Touts
MrBrownJay1: bro, when that sentence is pronounced, many start crying from the court room.... and they have to be dragged to jail. all this tough mambo jambo is only in the streets. the minute they hear the sentence, they turn to their real self.
PORNeliusHUBson: Premium tears... Reminds me of one mexican thug that was laughing in a courtroom while being sentenced. He kept saying, "i'll be out soon and i'll kill more cops, they deserve it"
Imagine. No remorse after killing 3 cops in US.
He doesn't know US. They may arrange for him to get stabbed by a fellow cell mate. It will end in tears
They should give him death sentence
PORNeliusHUBson: Premium tears... Reminds me of one mexican thug that was laughing in a courtroom while being sentenced. He kept saying, "i'll be out soon and i'll kill more cops, they deserve it"
Imagine. No remorse after killing 3 cops in US.
He doesn't know US. They may arrange for him to get stabbed by a fellow cell mate. It will end in tears
If you are 10 minutes late for checking in, you either rebook your flight to join the next flight at additional cost or forfeit the flight ticket.
But if they have delay or flight cancellation due to technical fault or whatever reason, the bastards simply apologise, no compensation. And even if you want a refund, you cant get your money back completely.
Very annoying bunch of useless capitalists.
E be things nah... But their reaction was uncalled for.. Now dem don land jail. Their police report has been updated