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China launches first independent mission to Mars

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China successfully launched Tianwen-1  — its first independent mission to Mars on Thursday.

According to Xinhua News Agency, a Long March 5 rocket carrying the spacecraft ignited at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China’s tropical Hainan province at 12:41 p.m. (0441 GMT).

A live stream of the launch hosted by Chinese media company douyu.com and shared live on YouTube prompted live comments of encouragement, including many posts of “Beijing!” after the takeoff.

Tianwen-1, whose name means “Questions to Heaven,” is a combined orbiter, lander and rover that aims to explore the Martian environment and search for hints of life.

The spacecraft will travel for about seven months until it reaches Mars.

It will orbit the red planet for two to three months before attempting a landing.

If all goes according to plan, the lander will release a rover in April to roam around the surface of Mars and conduct experiments.

If Tianwen-1 is successful, China will become only the third country to land a spacecraft on Mars, after the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

No other space faring nation has attempted a landing with a rover on their first Mars mission.

It is a risky endeavour, previous Mars missions by other nations have had a success rate of about 50 per cent.

China will not be the only nation attempting the feat.

The United Arab Emirates launched its own Mars-bound orbiter on Sunday, while NASA is set to blast off its Perseverance rover coming.

China had launched an orbiter destined for Mars on a Russian rocket in 2011, However, the mission failed because the rocket malfunctioned.

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Trump at UN: Iran ‘Can Never Be Allowed’ to Obtain Nuclear Weapons

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By: Fabian Apechihin

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday told the United Nations General Assembly that Iran must never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons, branding Tehran “the world’s number one sponsor of terror.”

Trump said Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities were “totally obliterated” during June’s 12-day conflict, crediting a US-led strike codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer.

“Seven American B-2 bombers dropped fourteen 30,000-pound bombs on Iran’s key nuclear facility, completely destroying it,” Trump declared. “No other country could have done what we did. We have the greatest weapons on Earth. We hate to use them, but we did what the world has wanted for 22 years.”

The president said that, shortly after taking office, he had offered Iran full cooperation in exchange for halting its nuclear program, but Tehran rejected the overture. Instead, he accused Iran of escalating threats to its neighbors and to US interests.

According to Trump, the military campaign forced a breakthrough, paving the way for an end to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. He cast the truce as both a victory for American power and a step toward regional stability.

While hailing the strike as a historic achievement, Trump’s speech underscored the continuing hostility between Washington and Tehran, despite what he described as a short-term ceasefire.


Do you want me to sharpen this into a hard-news brief (just the essentials in 4–5 sentences), or keep the expanded version with military details and quotes?

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Trump to Criticize ‘Globalist’ Bodies, Palestinian Recognitions in UN Speech

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By: Fabian Apechihin

US President Donald Trump will take aim at“globalist institutions” and Western governments’ recognition of a Palestinian state in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, the White House said on Monday.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s first UN speech of his second term will highlight “the renewal of American strength around the world” while accusing multilateral bodies of undermining global order.

“The president will also touch upon how globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, and he will articulate his straightforward and constructive vision for the world,” Leavitt said.

Trump, a longtime critic of the UN, has previously slashed US funding to its agencies and pulled Washington out of several multilateral agreements under his “America First” agenda.

On the sidelines of the assembly, Trump will hold a multilateral meeting with leaders of key Muslim nations — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan — Leavitt disclosed.

The speech comes amid tensions over recent decisions by Britain, Canada, and Australia to recognize a Palestinian state, with France expected to follow. Trump has condemned the moves, arguing they amount to “a reward to Hamas.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, due to speak at the UN on Friday, has vowed to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank in response to the recognitions.

Trump will also meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss Kyiv’s push for Western-backed security guarantees, and separately hold talks with Argentina’s President Javier Milei after Washington signaled possible economic support for Buenos Aires.


Would you like me to make the headline sharper and more dramatic (e.g. “Trump to Blast UN, Western Allies Over Palestine at General Assembly”) or keep it formal and neutral like above?

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The Qatari Ministry of Interior has dismissed claims that it introduced new visa restrictions targeting Nigerian passport holders.

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By: Fabian Apechihin

According to BBC Pidgin, an official of the ministry said Nigerians remain eligible to apply for visas, with no changes to existing procedures.

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The viral claims had alleged that Qatari authorities banned male applicants from travelling to the Gulf state unless accompanied by family members.

The reports also suggested that only women or families could apply for visas, with requirements including a five-star hotel booking and proof of a return flight before consideration.

According to the claims, the purported measures were linked to frequent cases of overstays by Nigerian travellers.

However, Hayya, Qatar’s official digital platform for e-visa services, confirmed that the application process remains unchanged.

“There has been no suspension or changes to the current procedures. If any updates are to be made, they will be announced on our official platforms,” Hayya said.

Qatar has witnessed a steady rise in Nigerian visitors in recent years, particularly as an alternative travel hub during the diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (2021–2024), which led to visa restrictions and suspension of direct flights.

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