ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 29, 2026--
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club, the fifth auction held as part of the 23rd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) 2026 attracted remarkable turnout, culminating in the sale of a Qarmousha Pure Ultra White falcon for AED 1.5 million (USD 408,000). The sale marks the highest price achieved at any auction during this year’s edition of the exhibition.
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This forms part of the largest auction programme in the exhibition’s history, held under the theme “A Legacy of Pride,” organised by ADNEC Group, a Modon company, in strategic partnership with the Emirates Falconers’ Club, at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. The exhibition runs until 6 September.
The falcon, owned by Mark Moglich Falcon Farm in the United States, stands out for its rare pure white colouring and exceptional physical characteristics. Weighing 1,000 grams and measuring 16.5 inches in both length and width, the Qarmousha Pure Ultra White attracted considerable attention from leading falconers and bidders.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said: “The exceptional calibre of the falcons participating in these auctions reflects the global standing they have achieved through the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition. We remain committed to providing a platform that brings together the finest falcons and bloodlines from around the world. These auctions also play an important role in preserving breed quality and sustainability while reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading international destination for falconry and its authentic traditions, supporting efforts to safeguard this treasured Emirati heritage for future generations.”
This year’s edition features 55 leading local and international falcon breeding and care farms, representing a 20% increase compared with last year. Among them are nine first-time participants, highlighting the growing stature of the auctions and their increasing appeal among breeders and falconers worldwide.
* Source: AETOSWire
Qarmousha Pure Ultra White (Photo: AETOSWire)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Hundreds of people crowded into a church near Haiti’s capital on Sunday for the funeral of four of the 47 people killed in a recent gang attack so brutal that it shook a country that has long struggled with violence.
Mourners wiped away tears, raised their hands and cried out as coffins arrived at a church in the farming community of Kenscoff.
“We thank everyone who came in solidarity with the families that died and those who lost their loved ones,” Pastor Jean Robert Dorlus said. “God will open a space to receive them.”
Inside the church, people swayed to gospel music. Some wailed as their shoulders shook. The church was so packed that dozens had to stand outside, peering through the windows, as they honored those being laid to rest: a mother, father and their son, and a 70-year-old man whose body had been set on fire by the gang members.
“I’ve known them for a long time,” said Yvon Marleus, a Kenscoff resident who lost a cousin in the attack. “These are people who are respected in the community.”
Gangs abducted more than 50 people during the attack, although they recently released six children and seven women following an intervention by community leaders and UNICEF.
It was one of the biggest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years, and survivors have organized protests and blamed police for not preventing the attack.
“They didn’t act in time to stop the carnage,” Marleus alleged.
Haiti’s National Police has said that it ordered an investigation to establish the truth about the attack, and whether it was "due to complicity or negligence.”
Outside the church, civilians stood guard with automatic weapons, ready to repel any potential new gang attacks with the help of police officers stationed nearby.
Kenscoff resident Jean Calixte Juste said he and two cousins survived the attack “by luck.”
"I almost died,” he recalled. “I almost fell into a ravine running. This is the worst and most terrible night I’ve ever experienced.”
He didn’t know the four people whose funerals were held Sunday, but he said he wanted to honor their memories.
It wasn't clear when funerals of the other victims might be held.
After the church service, the crowd climbed up a steep hill and followed the hearses transporting the coffins to a nearby cemetery.
“The government killed my family!” some mourners cried out.
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV condemned the massacre.
“I express my prayerful closeness to the victims and their families and ask that all the hostages be released without delay,” he said. "I make a heartfelt appeal to all those responsible to make a concrete commitment to ensuring the safety of the population and putting an end to every form of violence.”
Marta Hurtado, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office, said that some 150 heavily armed gang members participated in the Aug. 23 attack. She said they first killed 13 people who tried to flee and then pursued 50 more who had sought refuge inside a church.
“After forcing them out from the premises, they executed 22 of them on the church courtyard and 12 others behind the church,” she said.
Dozens of others were injured, and more than 2,600 people were left homeless.
Overall, gang violence has displaced a record of nearly 1.5 million people in recent years across Haiti, where more than 3,050 people were reported killed from January to June, according to the U.N.
Armed men control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and swaths of land in Haiti’s central region and beyond, and they are also seeking to seize territory in Kenscoff.
“I’m ready to leave," said Juste, one of the residents. "Because after this, I don’t think we’re going to survive another big attack.”
Coto reported from Havana.
Blood stains the ground left behind by the victim of a gang attack in the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
