Saudi-Egyptian Agreement to Bolster Cooperation in Media Sector

The meeting between Madbouly and Al-Dossary at the new administrative capital in Egypt. (The Egyptian cabinet)
The meeting between Madbouly and Al-Dossary at the new administrative capital in Egypt. (The Egyptian cabinet)
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Saudi-Egyptian Agreement to Bolster Cooperation in Media Sector

The meeting between Madbouly and Al-Dossary at the new administrative capital in Egypt. (The Egyptian cabinet)
The meeting between Madbouly and Al-Dossary at the new administrative capital in Egypt. (The Egyptian cabinet)

Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly engaged in discussions with Saudi Media Minister Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary on Sunday, at the new Egyptian capital, exploring avenues to enhance cooperation.
The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Osama Nuqli, CEO of the General Authority of Media Regulation Dr. Abdullatif Al-Abdullatif, and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information for International Media Relations Dr. Khaled Al Ghamdi.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Egyptian PM highlighted the continual cooperation across various sectors, reflecting the robust relations between the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
He expressed optimism for increased collaboration in the media sector, anticipating an exchange of expertise.
Madbouly underscored plans for coordination with the Supreme Council for Media, the National Media Authority, the National Press Authority, and the Egypt State Information Service to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia in the media realm. The objective is to align media vision and approaches, serving the interests of both nations and reflecting the enduring connections at the people and leadership levels.
In response, Al-Dossary emphasized, in a post on X, the need to bolster media cooperation.
The Saudi minister, in a press conference alongside Karam Jabr, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, reiterated the importance of collaboration.
Al-Dossary, in a post on X, expressed delight in meeting Jabr and prominent figures in the Egyptian media, discussing ways to enhance cooperation and develop joint initiatives.



Taipei Zoo's Veteran Giant Panda Celebrates 20th Birthday

Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
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Taipei Zoo's Veteran Giant Panda Celebrates 20th Birthday

Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Panda Yuanyuan enjoys her birthday cake for her 20th birthday at the Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

With politics set aside, well-wishers gathered to wish the Taipei zoo’s senior panda a happy 20th birthday.
Visitors crowded around Yuanyuan's enclosure to take photos of her with a birthday cake in the shape of the number 20.
Yuanyuan was born in China and arrived in 2008 with her partner Tuantuan. He died in 2022 at age 18 but not before fathering two female cubs, Yuanzai and Yuanbao, now 11 and 4 respectively and still living at the zoo.
Danielle Shu, a 20-year-old Brazilian student in Taiwan, said she found online clips of the pandas an enjoyable distraction. “And I just find it really funny and cute,” The Associated Press quoted Shu as saying.
Giant pandas are native only to China, and Beijing bestows them as a sign of political amity. Yuanyuan and Tuantuan arrived in Taiwan during a period of relative calm between the sides, which split amid civil war in 1949. China claims the island its own territory, to be annexed by military force if necessary.
Faced with declining habitat and a notoriously low birthrate, giant panda populations have declined to around 1,900 in the mountains of western China, while 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers in China and around the world.