UAE astronaut Sultan AINeyadi shares stunning video of Makkah, Madinah from space
Dubai: UAE astronaut Sultan AINeyadi has shared a stunning video of Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah captured from space. The video shows the three cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sparkling in the night, with the lights of the Masjid Al Haram shining bright in the center of Makkah, even visible from space.
AINeyadi, who has been on a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, posted the video on his official Twitter account on Monday. The video captured attention worldwide, as AINeyadi is known for sharing amazing images and videos from space.
In the video, AINeyadi moves the camera towards Madinah and describes it as the city to which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) immigrated with his beloved people. The image shows the twinkling lights of the city and its many roads.
The astronaut then shifts the camera towards Jeddah, referring to it as the Bride of the Red Sea. Finally, he points the camera towards Makkah, calling it the holy city where the message of Islam took root with the Prophet (PBUH).
AINeyadi is awed by the sight and describes it as fascinating, saying the three cities are shining like stars and that it is one of the most beautiful views he has ever seen.
من محطة الفضاء الدولية،
— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) April 17, 2023
إهداء لعيال سلمان في هذه الليالي المباركة 🌙⭐️
إهداء لبلاد الحرمين الشريفين، مهبط الوحي وأرض الرسالة، المملكة العربية السعودية. 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/3OQTg4CgXb
#UAE astronaut #SultanAlNeyadi posted a beautiful video on Twitter. It shows three cities in the Kingdom of #SaudiArabia sparkling in the night - #Makkah, #Madinah and #Jeddah.https://t.co/RJbHZohpYt pic.twitter.com/CiOgpk03Qa
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 18, 2023
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UK Parliament debates India-Pakistan conflict, appeals for de-escalation
London (PTI): The rising tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in PoK was debated at length in the British Parliament, with members across parties appealing for UK efforts to aid de-escalation in the region.
India launched Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday, hitting nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan's Punjab province in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
UK Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer opened the debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday with a statement reiterating Prime Minister Keir Starmer's earlier remarks over the importance of diplomacy and dialogue.
He also expressed concerns related to the very “personal” aspect of the conflict for a large number of British Indians and British Pakistanis in the country.
“Our consistent message to both India and Pakistan has been to show restraint. They need to engage in dialogue to find a swift, diplomatic path forward,” said Falconer.
“The UK has a close and unique relationship with both countries. It is heartbreaking to see civilian lives being lost. If this escalates further, nobody wins. We clearly condemned the horrific terrorist attack last month,” he said referring to the Pahalgam terror attack and said it was the worst such attack for many years for that region.
“Now, we need all sides to focus urgently on the steps needed to restore regional stability and ensure the protection of civilians,” Falconer said.
He asserted that the UK will continue to work closely with international partners in pursuit of “short-term de-escalation and longer-term stability”. “We now need to see calm heads. Britain will continue to play its full part for de-escalation and diplomacy,” he said.
UK shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel highlighted India’s right to take “reasonable and proportionate” steps to defend itself, and to dismantle the “vile terrorist infrastructure” that has caused death and continues to threaten Indian security.
“Terrorists based in Pakistan threaten India and western interests — it was the country that Osama bin Laden was hiding in — and because of the long history of violence being inflicted by terrorists on India, the UK has in place long-standing security cooperation agreements with India,” noted the British Indian MP.
She went on to question if Britain could offer specific support that might help avert escalation and also asked for the government’s assessment of who carried out the terror attack in Kashmir on April 22.
India-born Labour MP Jas Athwal addressed the Commons on a personal note, highlighting that his parents were born in Pakistan. “I know only too well that neither nation will take a backward step, so what can the minister do to assure me and my residents in Ilford South that we will do everything possible to bring both the superpowers to the negotiating table to restore peace to this volatile part of the world,” he asked.
Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman called for terrorist bases to be removed “once and for all” from Pakistan.
“It was made clear at the time by India that either Pakistan removes the terrorist spaces along the line of control, or India would remove them… nine sites were hit; Those were terrorist bases where terrorists were being trained to commit further atrocities in India,” he said.
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