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Syrian Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated in Saudi Arabia

The twins were attached in the lower chest, abdomen, liver, and intestine areas. SPA
The twins were attached in the lower chest, abdomen, liver, and intestine areas. SPA
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Syrian Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated in Saudi Arabia

The twins were attached in the lower chest, abdomen, liver, and intestine areas. SPA
The twins were attached in the lower chest, abdomen, liver, and intestine areas. SPA

A surgical team has successfully separated Syrian Siamese twins Ihsan and Bassam at the King Abdullah Specialized Children's Hospital at King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guards in Riyadh.

The twins were attached in the lower chest, abdomen, liver, and intestine areas.

The surgery was done in implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Head of the surgical team, Advisor at the Royal Court, and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, expressed happiness following the successful separation of Ihsan and Bassam.

The surgery lasted seven hours and 30 minutes and took place in five phases with the participation of 26 Saudi doctors specialized in the separation of twins.

He noted that this is the 58th successful surgery of the Saudi program for the separation of Siamese twins, which enjoys the support and follow-up of the King and Crown Prince.

Al Rabeeah thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for the generous support provided for the program. He also thanked the members of the medical and surgical team for their efforts and perseverance.

For their part, the twins' parents expressed their appreciation and gratitude to King Salman and the Crown Prince, and commended the Kingdom's great humanitarian work.

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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)

With Nepal's snowy Himalayan peaks as a backdrop, the sky above Pokhara transformed into a vibrant canvas of colors for the country's first hot-air balloon festival.

Tourism is a major earner for Nepal, which saw over a million foreign visitors this year after a post-pandemic bounceback, and investments are being made in hotels and airports to cater to travelers.

"We felt that we must bring a balloon festival like this to Nepal," Sabin Maharjan, an organizer of the event, told AFP.

Hot-air balloons from more than 10 countries participated in the festival.

"A ride here can be very exciting as you can see mountains, hills and lakes," Maharjan added.

"All passengers tell us that they are very happy -- such a festival will boost our tourism."

The balloons created a mesmerizing display against a stunning sight of the snow-capped Annapurna range.

"It is spectacular," American balloon pilot Derek Hamcock, 67, said.

"As soon as you go above the small range here you see all the Himalayas. Unbelievable, every time you see them it is unbelievable."

Balloons shaped as a rat and a frog from were among those joining in the fun, slowly drifting with the breeze.

"You never know where you are going," said Diego Criado del Rey, 29, a balloon pilot from Spain.

"So it is pretty much you and the nature -- not fighting, but being together. You go where the nature tells you."

Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice for the skies over Pokhara for a duration of nine days to allow balloon flights.

Although more than two centuries have passed since France's Montgolfier brothers made the first manned flight, ballooning can still capture the imagination.