Day: August 20, 2024

The Taif Camel Square is unique among the 49 squares in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because it uses solar energy to light its main and secondary tracks. This feature is especially noticeable during the Crown Prince Camel Festival and other Saudi Camel Sports championships held at the venue. The Director of the Squares Department at the Saudi Camel Sports, Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi, stated that the square has 490 solar-powered light poles covering a distance of 10 kilometers. He elaborated that the festival's organizing committee benefits from this lighting during operational processes and the maintenance of the main and secondary track surfaces and also provides a valuable service to camel owners during training and endurance testing. The main and secondary tracks are constructed with high-quality soil that meets global standards to accommodate one of the world's most prestigious camel racing festivals. The soil is well-received by camel owners due to its soft, sandy texture, lack of stones, and resista nce to waterlogging, allowing for long-distance running without deterioration. The 10-kilometer racecourse consists of seven paved tracks, three of which are for camel owners and one is reserved for media and broadcasting channels. An external fence encloses the entire track to prevent unauthorized access. The track width at the starting line is 40 meters, narrowing to 12 meters at the finish line. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Ali Mohammad Naeini confirmed that Tehran's response to the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the "Hamas" movement, Ismail Haniyeh, may not be similar to previous operations. Naeini said: "We are the ones who control the time and the waiting period for the response may be longer, and the Zionists are living in a state of imbalance due to their fear of the response of Iran and its allies in the region." He added: "Our response to the assassination of the martyr Haniyeh may not be similar to previous operations, but it will be calculated and precise." He stressed that Iranian leaders have the experience and tactics to punish the enemy effectively. He stressed that "Iran will not leave any attack on Iranian targets without a response, and the enemy must wait for calculated and precise strikes at the appropriate time." He pointed out that "the criminal Zionist entity admits defeat today, and even American politicians have admitted this, and th erefore they have not achieved any of their malicious goals yet." Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Security forces arrested seven suspects on terrorism, drug trafficking and currency counterfeiting charges in Baghdad and Karbala. The Intelligence and Security Directorate stated in a statement: "The detachments of the Baghdad Intelligence and Security Directorate were able to arrest three wanted persons on charges of terrorism, drug trafficking and currency counterfeiting, against whom arrest warrants were issued, in various areas of the capital." It added that through accurate intelligence information, the Karbala Intelligence and Security Directorate detachments arrested three suspects in the act of drug trafficking and promotion, red-handed in Karbala Governorate, and seized various narcotic substances and drug paraphernalia in their possession. The substances were confiscated and the suspects were referred to the competent authorities. The Baghdad Operations Command forces arrested a dangerous terrorist suspect in the Tarmiyah area, north of the capital. The Command stated in a statement, "The suspe ct was arrested in a raid on his home, based on accurate intelligence information, and a number of phones (mobiles) and a laptop were seized in his possession." Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Minister of Interior Abdul Amir Al-Shammari announced that the number of arrivals to Iraq exceeded 2 million and 750 thousand. The Minister of Interior said in a press conference: "No closures have been imposed so far in the holy Karbala." Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Military Intelligence Directorate detachments overthrew an ISIS terrorist in Nineveh Governorate. The Directorate stated in a statement: "The Military Intelligence Directorate detachments carried out a qualitative operation, which resulted in the overthrow of an ISIS terrorist on the right side of Mosul, based on accurate information from the Intelligence Division of the Sixteenth Division. He is wanted by the Iraqi judiciary according to the provisions of Article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, and who belongs to and works with ISIS terrorist gangs." Source: National Iraqi News Agency

A security force arrested two accused of drug trafficking in Diyala. A security source told the correspondent of the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA /: "The security services continue their efforts to limit the spread of the dangerous drug phenomenon that has begun to ravage the youth and society, and during a security exercise in Baqubah, they were able to arrest two accused of drug trafficking." He added: "The accused were handed over to the competent authorities to take legal action against them." Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Basra Governorate Council discussed enhancing environmental protection and forming a protection council in the province. The Council's media stated that "a number of members of the governorate Council held a meeting with those interested in environmental affairs and civil society organizations, to discuss the mechanism for forming an environmental improvement council in the province. The meeting discussed "the environmental challenges facing the province and the need to develop a comprehensive action plan to deal with those challenges and find solutions to them. Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Karbala Governor Eng. Nassif Jassim Al-Khattabi received Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, his Iranian counterpart Ahmad Vahidi, Head of the Hajj and Umrah Authority Sheikh Sami Al-Masoudi, Head of the Provincial Council and security leaders in the Ministries of Defense and Interior. The Defense Minister praised the organization and services provided to visitors and the efforts of service departments in Karbala Governorate, stressing the joint cooperation among the ministry, the governorate and other ministries with the aim of making the blessed visit plans a success. For his part, the Governor stressed that the joint efforts and integrated work between all governorate departments, holy shrines, ministries and federal bodies are among the basics of the success of the blessed visit plans and providing integrated services to visitors. Source: National Iraqi News Agency