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Arab interest in falcons has a dark side, with out-of-control poaching and smuggling to the Gulf region

Kremlin-backed Falcon Project Sparks Smuggling Fears

The king motions for the white falcon to be brought closer and reaches out to stroke its chest, smiling as the bird blindly swivels its head, a hood covering its eyes.Russia's Vladimir Putin this month engaged in some falcon diplomacy on a Middle East tour, gifting prized gyrfalcons to Saudi King Salman and Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, a falconry enthusiast.In Russia, however, Arab interest in falcons has a dark side, with out-of-control poaching and smuggling to the Gulf region, where they find an eager market thanks to deep-rooted hunting traditions.
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong speaks to the media outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong after learning he had been barred from standing in upcoming local elections

Hong Kong Bars Democracy Activist Joshua Wong From Local Election

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred Tuesday from standing in upcoming local elections after months of huge and frequently violent protests in the city.Wong, one of the most prominent figures in the otherwise leaderless movement, accused the government of "political screening" after an election officer ruled invalid his nomination for the November poll.The 22-year-old was sent to prison earlier this year over the democracy protests he helped lead in 2014. He immediately joined the historic anti-government protests rocking the city upon his release in June.

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