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Lightning Strikes Kill Cattle, Start Fires in Greece during Heat Wave

An aircraft sprays water in an attempt to extinguish a wildfire in the village of Trilofos, near Thessaloniki on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Sakis MITROLIDIS / AFP)
An aircraft sprays water in an attempt to extinguish a wildfire in the village of Trilofos, near Thessaloniki on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Sakis MITROLIDIS / AFP)
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Lightning Strikes Kill Cattle, Start Fires in Greece during Heat Wave

An aircraft sprays water in an attempt to extinguish a wildfire in the village of Trilofos, near Thessaloniki on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Sakis MITROLIDIS / AFP)
An aircraft sprays water in an attempt to extinguish a wildfire in the village of Trilofos, near Thessaloniki on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Sakis MITROLIDIS / AFP)

Lightning strikes in northern Greece killed cattle and started fires during a dayslong heat wave affecting most of southern Europe.
Several fires were reported near the city of Kozani, 450 kilometers north of Athens following a dry thunderstorm in the area, authorities said Saturday.
Further north, near the Greek town of Florina, officials from a public agricultural insurance organization said nine cows were killed by lightning strikes at a cattle farm and several other animals were injured.
Cattle farm owner Alexandros Tsikos told The Associated Press that he found the animals dead in a grazing area next to the cattle barn.
Temperatures eased slightly Saturday but remained as high as 40 Celsius in parts of the country, while the risk of wildfires was very high outside Athens and in much of southern Greece.

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Saudi Arabia Ranks 13th Globally in IP Enforcement in 2025 Competitiveness Yearbook

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Ranks 13th Globally in IP Enforcement in 2025 Competitiveness Yearbook

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia achieved a major milestone by advancing 14 positions to rank 13th globally in the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Index, according to the 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook.

The World Competitiveness Yearbook is a key global competitiveness benchmark monitored by the National Competitiveness Center in coordination with relevant government entities and is issued by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) through its World Competitiveness Center.

This significant advancement reflects the efforts led by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) in steering and developing the enforcement ecosystem for intellectual property rights (IPR) and enhancing its efficiency. The Kingdom improved its ranking from 27th in 2024 to 13th out of 69 countries in the current edition.

This achievement is driven by Saudi Arabia's comprehensive efforts to enhance IPR enforcement both domestically and internationally, improving its effectiveness across institutional and judicial levels.

Groundbreaking national initiatives such as the Respect Council, the Standing Enforcement Committee, and the Intellectual Property Respect Officer have become key governance models that promote coordination among stakeholders.

Additionally, the establishment of a specialized public prosecution unit for IPR cases has strengthened the litigation system and expedited judicial procedures.

Key factors contributing to this progress include comprehensive awareness campaigns covering field and digital enforcement, the promotion of transparency and stakeholder engagement through regular meetings with rights holders, and expanded coordination between government bodies and the private sector.

The World Competitiveness Yearbook is recognized as an international benchmark for global economic competitiveness. It features over 300 sub-indicators and evaluates countries based on four main pillars: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.