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Britain's Princess Kate: Love is the Greatest Christmas Gift

Visitors walk through the 'Cathedral' on the Christmas light trail as it returns for its12th year with a showcase of new installations set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site landscape of Kew Gardens in London, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Visitors walk through the 'Cathedral' on the Christmas light trail as it returns for its12th year with a showcase of new installations set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site landscape of Kew Gardens in London, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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Britain's Princess Kate: Love is the Greatest Christmas Gift

Visitors walk through the 'Cathedral' on the Christmas light trail as it returns for its12th year with a showcase of new installations set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site landscape of Kew Gardens in London, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Visitors walk through the 'Cathedral' on the Christmas light trail as it returns for its12th year with a showcase of new installations set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site landscape of Kew Gardens in London, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, says love is the greatest gift people can give each other in a message to guests who will attend her annual Christmas carol service next week at London's Westminster Abbey.
The Dec. 6 carol concert, the fourth she has hosted, marks Kate's most prominent return to royal engagements since she underwent a course of preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
In a letter to the 1,600 invited guests, Kate, 42, the wife of heir to the throne Prince William, returned to themes of love and the need for empathy about which she has spoken in previous very personal statements and video updates on her health.
Christmas, her letter said, was not only a time for celebration, but also for reflection and relief from the pressures of daily life.
She said the Christmas story reflected "our own vulnerabilities", and how much people needed each other despite their differences.
"Above all else it encourages us to turn to love, not fear," she wrote. "It is this love which is the greatest gift we can receive. Not just at Christmas, but every day of our lives," Reuters quoted her as saying.
William, who earlier this month said the year had been "brutal" for the royal family with Kate's treatment coming in the wake of his father King Charles' own cancer diagnosis, will give a reading at the service.
Six-time Olympic track cycling champion Chris Hoy, who revealed he had terminal cancer himself in October, will light a candle.
The "Together At Christmas" service will be broadcast on Britain's ITV on Christmas Eve.

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Teen Swims Four Hours to Save Family Lost at Sea off Australia

Manly Beach in Australia. (Getty Images)
Manly Beach in Australia. (Getty Images)
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Teen Swims Four Hours to Save Family Lost at Sea off Australia

Manly Beach in Australia. (Getty Images)
Manly Beach in Australia. (Getty Images)

Rescuers praised a teenage boy's "superhuman" survival instincts after he swam four hours through choppy waters off Australia to find help for his family.

The 13-year-old boy swam four kilometers (2.5 miles) back to shore to raise the alarm after his mother and two younger siblings were swept out to sea while kayaking and paddleboarding near the Western Australian tourist town of Quindalup.

Marine rescue volunteer Paul Bresland said the teenager's four-hour swim saved his family, who were eventually found clinging to a paddleboard in the open ocean.

"He swam, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on," Bresland told national broadcaster ABC.

"And the brave fella thought he's not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket.

"I thought, mate, that is incredible," said Bresland, describing the boy's efforts as "superhuman".

Police inspector James Bradley said the boy's actions "cannot be praised highly enough".

"His determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings," he told the ABC.

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Snakebites Kill 50,000 People Every Year in India

Healthcare workers in India face challenges administering antivenom - the life-saving antibodies that neutralize toxins in venom. (Getty Images)
Healthcare workers in India face challenges administering antivenom - the life-saving antibodies that neutralize toxins in venom. (Getty Images)
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Snakebites Kill 50,000 People Every Year in India

Healthcare workers in India face challenges administering antivenom - the life-saving antibodies that neutralize toxins in venom. (Getty Images)
Healthcare workers in India face challenges administering antivenom - the life-saving antibodies that neutralize toxins in venom. (Getty Images)

Devendra, who was a farmer in India, still remembers the moment a snake sank its fangs into his leg while he was picking mulberry leaves.

“I went to the hospital four days after I was bitten, when the pain became unbearable. But the delay cost me my leg,” he said in a short film released by Global Snakebite Taskforce (GST), an initiative working to reduce deaths and injuries by snakebites, reported the BBC.

But Devendra is still among the lucky few to have survived.

According to the federal government, around 50,000 Indians are killed by snakebites each year - roughly half of all deaths worldwide. Some estimates suggest the toll could be even higher: between 2000 and 2019, India may have seen as many as 1.2 million deaths, an average of 58,000 per year, a 2020 study said.

Now, a new report by GST has found that 99% of healthcare workers in India face challenges administering antivenom - the life-saving antibodies that neutralize toxins in venom.

Researchers surveyed 904 medical professionals across India, Brazil, Indonesia and Nigeria, the countries most affected by snakebites, and found similar barriers: poor infrastructure, limited access to antivenom and insufficient training.

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally listed snakebite envenoming or poisoning as a “highest priority neglected tropical disease” because of the high number of deaths caused by it. An estimated 5.4 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes each year and more than 100,000 die from annually, according to the WHO.

It also states that snakebites disproportionately affect poor rural communities in low and middle-income countries.

In India, a high concentration of snakebite deaths and injuries are reported in the central and eastern regions, said Dr. Yogesh Jain, a GST member and practitioner in the central Chhattisgarh state. He added that people working in farms, including those from poor tribal communities, remain most vulnerable.

In 2024, India launched the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) with the aim to halve snakebite deaths by 2030. The plan focuses on better surveillance, improved antivenom availability and research, enhanced medical capacity and public awareness campaigns.

Experts agree it is a step in the right direction, but implementation has been inconsistent.

“In India, snakebites are seen as a poor person's problem,” Jain said. “That's why there isn't enough outrage or action over these completely avoidable deaths. When it comes to treating snakebites, every second counts.”

Varieties

Media Minister Opens Fifth Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh

Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary launches the fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2026 in Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary launches the fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2026 in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Media Minister Opens Fifth Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh

Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary launches the fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2026 in Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary launches the fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2026 in Riyadh. (SPA)

Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary launched on Monday the fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2026 in Riyadh.

The minister stressed that the royal patronage of the forum by King Salman is a badge of pride and honor for media professionals, as it grants the forum broader dimensions and a deeper vision and views media as a tool for awareness and a means of development.

Held under the theme “Media in an Evolving World,” the forum is witnessing the participation of more than 300 media leaders and experts from over 20 countries. They will engage in more than 150 specialized dialogue sessions discussing the intersection of media with politics, economy, culture, technology, and innovation, with the attendance of international and regional think tanks, reflecting the Kingdom’s leadership in the media industry.

The forum is accompanied by the creative edition of the Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX), with the participation of more than 250 local and international companies.

Al-Dossary stressed the responsibility of media toward younger generations, noting that protecting future generations in the digital age is not achieved through prohibition or isolation, but through creating aware media environments governed by ethics and values and present content as a tool for building awareness rather than a commodity for consumption.

The objective of safeguarding children is to prepare them to interact with the world with confidence without losing their identity or moral compass, he added.

He announced the launch of 12 flagship initiatives at the forum, most notably the Saudi Media Innovation Bootcamp (Saudi MIB) in the fields of augmented journalism, intelligent content creation, and virtual presenters, in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

Other initiatives include the Tamkeen Initiative to support entrepreneurial ideas and startups, and the Numo Initiative in partnership with the Kafalah Program, to transform media ideas into sustainable business models.

Al-Dossary announced the issuance of the Artificial Intelligence Principles in Media document in partnership with SDAIA, to entrench the principle of responsible use of modern technologies and open the door to advanced stages of activation, support, and empowerment.

The minister announced the hosting of more than 2,000 content creators and influencers from over 90 countries within the Influence Track, as part of the second edition of "The ImpaQ Impact Makers Forum" in Qiddiya City.

He congratulated the winners of the Saudi Media Award 2026, held in partnership with the Human Capability Development Program across four main tracks and 16 categories. The award received more than 500 nominated works from over 20 countries, with international participation growing by more than 200%.

The first day of the forum witnessed several dialogue sessions and the launch of FOMEX, which includes exhibitor pavilions attracting government entities and local and international private companies to showcase their contributions and products in media, radio, and television, as well as a platform that allows exhibitors to present their services and innovations to visitors.

The exhibition includes the Launch Zone, a dedicated space where companies can showcase their latest media innovations and technologies and conclude strategic partnerships that help develop the future media ecosystem.

The FOMEX Theater presents comprehensive insights into the media sector through discussion sessions, dialogues, and workshops featuring leading local and international speakers, while also providing opportunities to sign cooperation agreements and partnerships.