Turkish Firefighters Battle to Contain Wildfire in Northwest 

A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)
A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)
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Turkish Firefighters Battle to Contain Wildfire in Northwest 

A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)
A helicopter carries a water bucket as a wildfire burns in Canakkale, Türkiye, August 22, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Gurkan Duzenli/via Reuters)

Firefighters battled a forest fire in the northwestern Turkish province of Canakkale on Wednesday as it spread for a second day because of high temperatures and strong wind.

Helicopters and land vehicles worked through the night and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said more than 1,200 people from nine villages were moved to safety, with 48 people needing medical treatment.

Authorities also moved patients, including elderly people, from some medical centers as a precaution.

News footage showed raging fames and billowing smoke in hills visible from residential areas. Flames engulfed some abandoned village houses.

Marine traffic in the Dardanelles Strait, a narrow passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea, was suspended again, the Tribeca shipping agency said, to allow aircraft including helicopters to collect water to douse the flames.



Saudi 1st First Women Wildlife Ranger Unit Celebrates 5,000th Patrol

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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Saudi 1st First Women Wildlife Ranger Unit Celebrates 5,000th Patrol

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority announced in a press release on Thursday the 5,000th patrol by Saudi Arabia's first women wildlife ranger unit.
Reserve development authority CEO Andrew Zaloumis stated that the women rangers' team is exploring new horizons one patrol at a time.

According to SPA, he emphasized that women's conservation teams are crucial, and noted that the reserve has focused on empowering women—who comprise 33% of the 183-strong team, well above the global average of less than 11%.
Zaloumis attributed the success to a female-led team within the reserve, from executive management to the socio-economic development unit, which collaborates with local women to build their capacity as conservation leaders.
Since their historic induction in 2022, these women have played a vital role in conserving the reserve's natural and cultural heritage while paving the way for women in Saudi Arabia to pursue careers in conservation.