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Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran Elected President of Federation of Arab News Agencies

SPA Director Dr. Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran, was unanimously elected President of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA). (SPA)
SPA Director Dr. Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran, was unanimously elected President of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA). (SPA)
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Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran Elected President of Federation of Arab News Agencies

SPA Director Dr. Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran, was unanimously elected President of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA). (SPA)
SPA Director Dr. Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran, was unanimously elected President of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA). (SPA)

The director of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Dr. Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran, was unanimously elected President of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA).

Aqran was elected to his two-year term during the 48th Conference of FANA’s General Assembly, which is currently being hosted by the SPA in Riyadh.

Aqran said he was proud of the confidence in him shown by the presidents and directors of FANA member agencies, promising to move forward on the concerted efforts to develop the Federation’s role in serving the work of Arab media and strengthening its international presence.

He stressed that the SPA’s assumption of the presidency of the FANA reflects, firstly, the substantial role played by the Saudi Press Agency, as well as the development seen in Saudi media with the support and follow-up of Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, who has been working to strengthen the Kingdom’s standing at the regional and international levels.

He indicated that the Federation’s responsibilities have been increasing amid an acceleration of media’s development and the increased pace of changes, which aim to maintain gains and contribute to the efforts to overcome these challenges within the framework of the Federation’s founding objectives.

Aqran also praised the efforts of the Director-General and Editor-in-Chief of the Oman News Agency, Ibrahim bin Zahran Al-Azri, during his presidency of the Federation.

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Varieties

New Zealanders Save More Than 30 Stranded Whales by Lifting Them on Sheets

Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
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New Zealanders Save More Than 30 Stranded Whales by Lifting Them on Sheets

Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS

More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand were safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. Four of the pilot whales died, New Zealand’s conservation agency said.
New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders.
A team was monitoring Ruakākā Beach near the city of Whangārei in New Zealand’s north on Monday to ensure there were no signs of the whales saved Sunday stranding again, the Department of Conservation told The Associated Press. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” Joel Lauterbach, a Department of Conservation spokesperson, said in a statement. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place on Monday. New Zealand’s Indigenous people consider whales a taonga — a sacred treasure — of cultural significance.
New Zealand has recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings since 1840. The largest pilot whale stranding was of an estimated 1,000 whales at the Chatham Islands in 1918, according to the Department of Conservation.
It's often not clear why strandings happen but the island nation's geography is believed to be a factor. Both the North and South Islands feature stretches of protruding coastline with shallow, sloping beaches that can confuse species such as pilot whales — which rely on echolocation to navigate.