Saudi Arabia Re-elected Chair of MENA Region’s Research Councils at GRC

The 11th annual meeting took place from May 29 to June 2 in The Hague. SPA
The 11th annual meeting took place from May 29 to June 2 in The Hague. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Re-elected Chair of MENA Region’s Research Councils at GRC

The 11th annual meeting took place from May 29 to June 2 in The Hague. SPA
The 11th annual meeting took place from May 29 to June 2 in The Hague. SPA

The member states of the MENA Region of the Global Research Council (GRC) have voted to re-elect Saudi Arabia as their representative on the GRC Governing Board.

The decision was made during the council's 11th annual meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands, the Saudi Press Agency reported Saturday.

The President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the General Supervisor of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, Dr. Munir Eldesouki, will continue to represent Saudi Arabia at the GRC.

The re-election of Eldesouki reaffirms the Kingdom's prominent position in the scientific and research fields and its commitment to fostering cooperation among research centers in the MENA region, SPA said.

This achievement is a testament to the unwavering support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Head of the Higher Committee of Research, Development and Innovation, it added.

During the annual meeting, which took place from May 29 to June 2, Eldesouki chaired a meeting of the heads of research councils from the MENA region. He also participated in a panel discussion on the funding of climate change research. Additionally, the Kingdom presented a working paper on the challenges and opportunities faced by the research councils in the MENA region.

The Saudi delegation actively engaged in various sideline meetings, including those of the GRC's Executive Committee and the International Consultative Committee.



Southern China Suspends Ferry Services as Storm Brings Winds, High Waters to Coastal Regions

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, coconut trees hit by typhoon Yagi along a road in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, coconut trees hit by typhoon Yagi along a road in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua via AP)
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Southern China Suspends Ferry Services as Storm Brings Winds, High Waters to Coastal Regions

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, coconut trees hit by typhoon Yagi along a road in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, coconut trees hit by typhoon Yagi along a road in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Xinhua via AP)

Parts of coastal southern China suspended ferry services as a major storm passed into the South China Sea, bringing high winds and heavy waves to much of the region.

The storm was downgraded Wednesday from Typhoon Man-yi, which left seven dead in the Philippines and worsened the crisis caused by back-to-back storms that battered the disaster-prone nation.

It is now categorized as a low-pressure area lingering south of China’s Hainan Island, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which said its maximum sustained winds were a relatively mild 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour.

Climatologists have predicted a greater frequency of such storms, but better preparedness and early warning systems in the Asia Pacific nations most affected have helped mitigate some of the most dire consequences.

Higher sea temperatures caused by a warming climate are increasing the amount of moisture in the air and extending the typhoon season from its usual annual end point of September. Europe, particularly Spain, and the southeastern United States have also experienced devastating storms in recent weeks.