Malaysian Ambassador Visits King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023

 Malaysian Ambassador to the Kingdom - SPA
Malaysian Ambassador to the Kingdom - SPA
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Malaysian Ambassador Visits King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023

 Malaysian Ambassador to the Kingdom - SPA
Malaysian Ambassador to the Kingdom - SPA

The Malaysian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, visited the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023 in Malham, north of Riyadh on Wednesday. The festival is organized by the Saudi Falcons Club.

The ambassador was briefed on the festival's facilities, committee operations and the use of advanced technology in organizing competitions, according to SPA.

Additionally, the ambassador closely monitored various aspects of the King Abdulaziz Cup across multiple competition categories.

The Melwah race (falcon calling) and falcon beauty pageant competition were highlighted to the ambassador during his visit.

The Saudi Falcons Club has allocated over 33.6 million Riyals in financial awards for these competitions, solidifying the festival's status as the world's largest gathering of falcons.



Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
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Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Syria’s minister of emergencies and disaster management on Tuesday requested support from the European Union to battle wildfires that have swept through a vast stretch of forested land.

The fires have been burning for six days, with Syrian emergency crews struggling to bring them under control amid strong winds and severe drought.

Neighboring countries Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye have already dispatched firefighting teams to assist in the response.

“We asked the European Union for help in extinguishing the fires,” minister Raed al-Saleh said on X, adding Cyprus was expected to send aid on Tuesday, AFP reported.

“Fear of the fires spreading due to strong winds last night prompted us to evacuate 25 families to ensure their safety without any human casualties,” he added.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office in Syria, the fires impacted “some 5,000 persons, including displacements, across 60 communities.”

An estimated 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest and farmland -- more than three percent of Syria’s forest cover -- have burned, OCHA told AFP.

At least seven towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution.

Efforts to extinguish the fires have been hindered by “rugged terrain, the absence of firebreaks, strong winds, and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance”, Saleh said.

With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.

In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.”