Several Dead after Light Planes Collided in Australia

Police and firefighters stand near where a few people have died after two light planes collided midair and crashed into a forested area southwest of Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)
Police and firefighters stand near where a few people have died after two light planes collided midair and crashed into a forested area southwest of Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)
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Several Dead after Light Planes Collided in Australia

Police and firefighters stand near where a few people have died after two light planes collided midair and crashed into a forested area southwest of Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)
Police and firefighters stand near where a few people have died after two light planes collided midair and crashed into a forested area southwest of Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)

Three men died after two light planes collided midair and crashed into a forested area southwest of Sydney on Saturday.

Australian police, fire and ambulance crews reached the two wreckage sites, located in a semirural bushland area about 55 miles southwest of Sydney, on foot. One plane had burst into flames on impact, The AP reported.

New South Wales Police Acting Superintendent Timothy Calman confirmed that a Cessna 182 carrying two people collided with an ultralight aircraft from a nearby airfield carrying one.

Further details of the victims have not been disclosed.

Witnesses saw “debris coming from the sky” and tried to help, but “there was probably not much that could’ve been done,” Calman said to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . He noted both crashes, about one kilometer apart, were “not survivable.”

NSW Ambulance Inspector Joseph Ibrahim, part of the emergency response team, said to the ABC, “unfortunately, there was nothing they could’ve done.”

The cause of the crash will be investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.



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.