King Charles Visits Melanoma Clinic in Sydney and Meets Cancer Survivors

 Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for pictures in front of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney on October 22, 2024, as the Sydney Harbor Bridge is seen in the background. (AFP)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for pictures in front of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney on October 22, 2024, as the Sydney Harbor Bridge is seen in the background. (AFP)
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King Charles Visits Melanoma Clinic in Sydney and Meets Cancer Survivors

 Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for pictures in front of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney on October 22, 2024, as the Sydney Harbor Bridge is seen in the background. (AFP)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for pictures in front of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney on October 22, 2024, as the Sydney Harbor Bridge is seen in the background. (AFP)

King Charles visited a skin cancer clinic in Sydney on Tuesday where he met cancer survivors and researchers working on cures for the disease.

The visit to the Melanoma Institute Australia was one of the final public appearances Charles made on his 16th official visit to the country, his first major overseas trip since being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer.

There was no mention of the King's own diagnosis during the visit, where Charles met melanoma survivor Adam Brown and his family. Brown was given 12 months to live when he was diagnosed in 2015.

Brown, along with wife Kristy, introduced their children as their “two miracles”.

The King offered his congratulations to Brown although jokingly wondered why the children were meeting him during school hours.

Charles also met renowned melanoma researcher and brain cancer survivor Richard Scolyer. Diagnosed with brain cancer last year, Scolyer underwent world-first surgery and his tumor is in remission.

Scolyer was joined on Tuesday by fellow researcher Georgina Long. Both were named Australians of the Year in January for their research into melanomas.

"That was an amazing opportunity for us to tell the king about what we're doing here trying to deal with Australia's national cancer, and to talk about how we're trying to get to zero deaths from melanoma," Scolyer said.

Earlier in the day Charles met Indigenous elders in inner-city Redfern, the home of the urban Aboriginal civil rights movement, and was embraced by elder Michael Welsh

The moment was in sharp contrast to Monday when Charles was heckled at Parliament House in Canberra by independent senator and Indigenous activist Lidia Thorpe who shouted that she did not accept his sovereignty over Australia.

The Royal couple will close the day with a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbor.



UNCCD Executive Secretary Praises Saudi Efforts to Combat Desertification

The current conference session focuses on enhancing capacities to address global drought challenges - SPA
The current conference session focuses on enhancing capacities to address global drought challenges - SPA
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UNCCD Executive Secretary Praises Saudi Efforts to Combat Desertification

The current conference session focuses on enhancing capacities to address global drought challenges - SPA
The current conference session focuses on enhancing capacities to address global drought challenges - SPA

The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Ibrahim Thiaw, highlighted that the world is currently facing a critical situation. The increasing frequency and unpredictability of droughts present significant challenges to agricultural and food systems in affected countries. He emphasized that land restoration is one of the most effective tools for tackling these global challenges.
During his speech at the opening plenary session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) Monday in Riyadh, he praised Saudi Arabia for its commitment to combating drought and promoting land restoration through the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI).
The ongoing conference session focuses on enhancing capacities to address global drought challenges.

On its first day, three major international initiatives were announced, including the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Initiative.

This initiative aims to mobilize international action to improve preparedness for drought, transitioning the global response from emergency crisis management and post-crisis relief to a proactive approach centered on early prevention and preparedness before disasters occur.
Additionally, the International Drought Observatory and the Global Drought Atlas were launched, both designed to enhance monitoring and tracking efforts, implement preventive measures, and raise awareness among various stakeholders about drought issues worldwide.
On the eve of the multi-stakeholder talks in Riyadh, the UNCCD released a new report that underscores the escalating global emergency caused by land degradation.

The report highlights the damage caused by unsustainable agricultural practices, which are responsible for 80% of deforestation and account for 70% of freshwater consumption. Furthermore, 23% of greenhouse gas emissions stem from agriculture, forestry, and land use.
According to the latest UNCCD report, 46% of the world's land area is classified as arid. COP16 in Riyadh, taking place from December 2 to 13, is the largest session of the Conference of the Parties to date.

It marks the introduction of a green zone, an innovative concept introduced by the Kingdom to mobilize multilateral action and provide necessary funding for initiatives aimed at rehabilitating degraded lands.