Across Continents, Eid Al Adha festivities illuminate nations, UAE marks another space milestone, plus more stories, Gulf News Editors comment on the top news on June 28

EID BEING CELEBRATED ACROSS NATIONS: Across continents, the radiant spirit of Eid Al Adha is visible beyond borders, illuminating nations with its vibrant celebrations. From the bustling streets of Morocco to the ultra-modern UAE, communities come together to honour this sacred occasion. The air is filled with joyous laughter, as families gather for prayers, share delectable feasts, and exchange heartfelt greetings. Colorful decorations adorn cities, and the aroma of delectable traditional dishes fills the air. In this shared celebration, cultural diversity unites, as people from various backgrounds embrace the values of generosity, compassion, and gratitude. Through the illuminating power of Eid Al Adha, nations are united, and the beauty of this cherished festival shines bright across the globe. (By Sadiq Shaban, Opinion Editor)

MISSION SUCCESS: At 3:34 on Tuesday (June 27), the UAE-built Payload Hosting Initiative’s (PHI) demo satellite was successfully launched on a Soyuz-2 rocket from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome. All of the mechanical parts of the ground-breaking project, the first of its kind in the Arab world, were built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The satellite will hover the globe at an altitude of roughly 550 km, and operated from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the labs of partner universities — American University RAK and Khalifa University. The demo satellite represents a significant turning point in the development of the upcoming Emirati space pioneers. It demonstrates the nation's growing space technology capabilities as well as the commitment to and growth of an innovative and excellence-driven ecosystem in the nation's space program. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

HUGE EXCITEMENT FOR CRICKET FANS AROUND THE WORLD: The announcement of the ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup schedule brings a huge round of excitement and a big relief among the cricket fans, who have been waiting for the announcement for a long time now. The schedule, which generally is fixed well in advance to ease the travel plans for the numerous fans, comes in only months before the start of the showpiece on October 5. However, better late than never as the presence of Pakistan in the line-up and much-awaited clash between the Asian neighbours brings a huge excitement among the followers around the world as it is only in international events that these two giants of the game face each other. The countdown begins for the 46-day showpiece. (By A.K.S. SATISH, Sports Editor)

INDY MAKES A FINAL BOW: Sustaining the interest of a movie franchise over decades is no mean feat, but that's exactly what the makers of the 'Indiana Jones' series of action-filled thrill-a-minute films have achieved. A large part of that credit must go to its lead actor Harrison Ford, the face of the franchise. From 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' in1981 to 'Dial of Destiny' that's now out in UAE theatres, audiences have been mesmerized by Indy's escapades. Let's take a moment to cheer Ford in his last outing as the adventure seeking archeologist. The good times, as the saying goes, come with an expiry date. (By Rajagopalan Venkataraman, Assistant Editor-Features)