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Riyadh Region Governor to Patronize Grand Horse Racing Festival Event on Saturday

File photo by SPA
File photo by SPA
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Riyadh Region Governor to Patronize Grand Horse Racing Festival Event on Saturday

File photo by SPA
File photo by SPA

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and deputizing for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz will patronize on Saturday January, 25 the annual Grand Horse Racing Festival for King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud's (Founder) Cup and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' two cups for local production (first grade) and open grades classified within the third category races internationally, at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Janadriya next Saturday evening.
On this occasion, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Equestrian Authority and the Jockey Club, Prince Bandar bin Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, expressed his gratitude to the wise leadership for their unwavering support of equestrian activities and races, SPA reported.

This support has been instrumental in enhancing the Kingdom's horse racing, establishing its prominent position among leading nations with a rich heritage in the sport.
Prince Bandar further emphasized that the support received has enhanced the Kingdom's standing with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and has been crucial in securing the international federation's approval and improvement of both local and international cups and championships.

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Captain Cook Statue in Sydney Defaced Ahead of Australia’s National Day 

A statue of Captain James Cook is covered in red paint after being vandalized, in Randwick, Sydney, Australia, 24 January 2025. It is the second time in 12 months that the statue has been vandalized. (EPA)
A statue of Captain James Cook is covered in red paint after being vandalized, in Randwick, Sydney, Australia, 24 January 2025. It is the second time in 12 months that the statue has been vandalized. (EPA)
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Captain Cook Statue in Sydney Defaced Ahead of Australia’s National Day 

A statue of Captain James Cook is covered in red paint after being vandalized, in Randwick, Sydney, Australia, 24 January 2025. It is the second time in 12 months that the statue has been vandalized. (EPA)
A statue of Captain James Cook is covered in red paint after being vandalized, in Randwick, Sydney, Australia, 24 January 2025. It is the second time in 12 months that the statue has been vandalized. (EPA)

A statue in Sydney of British explorer James Cook, captain of the first Western ship to reach the east coast of Australia, was sprayed with red paint and damaged two days before Australia's national day, authorities said on Friday.

It was the second time the statue has been defaced and vandalized in the last year. Police said that they had begun an investigation and that several items had been found near the statue.

Local councilor Carolyn Martin said the vandals may have scaled a fence around the statue using a ladder, which they left behind.

"It's an absolute mess," Martin told radio station 2GB. "They have splattered paint all over it, then they have managed to get to the top of the statue and they've knocked his hand off and also part of his face and nose."

For many Indigenous Australians, who trace their lineage on the continent back 50,000 years and make up about 4% of the country's population of 27 million, the Australia Day holiday is known as Invasion Day, symbolizing the destruction of their cultures by European settlers.

Many Indigenous groups want Australia to drop celebrations or move the date, which marks the anniversary of the arrival of the British First Fleet in 1788.

Every year on Jan. 26, protesters rally against the mistreatment of Indigenous people, who are by most socio-economic measures the most disadvantaged people in the country.

A survey by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Friday showed the support to keep Jan. 26 as Australia's national day surged to 61% from 47% over the past two years, signaling a shift in voters' sentiment.