SpaceX sends first Saudi woman into space

Cape Canaveral: SpaceX’s has successfully launched its second mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with the first woman from Saudi Arabia. Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and ISS commander, will lead the mission, and aviator John Shoffner will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi from Saudi Arabia. ap

Indian-origin cop awarded US Medal of Valour

New York: A 27-year-old Indian-origin New York Police Department (NYPD) officer and nine others were honoured by US President Joe Biden with the Medal of Valour, the country’s highest award for public safety officers. Sumit Sulan was honoured at a White House ceremony for shooting a convicted felon who killed two of his colleagues when the trio were investigating a domestic-violence call in New York City.