A rare Canadian-bred falcon has been sold for 1.3 million Saudi riyals, or about $346,000, at an auction north of Riyadh, becoming the most expensive bird sold at this year's event and the second-highest sale in the auction's history.The bird, a juvenile three-quarter gyr Super White falcon, was bred by Jim Wilson Falcons in Ontario, Canada. It went under the hammer on the seventh night of the International Falcon Breeders Auction in Malham, around 65 kilometres north of the Saudi capital.Bidding, as per Gulf News, opened at 200,000 riyals, but competition quickly pushed the price into seven figures before the bird was eventually bought by Nova Falcon. "This bird is rare, and rare birds are priceless," Shadeed Al Rashidi of Nova Falcon said in a video released by the auction organisers.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/someday-your-children-will-white-house-attacks-cnn-reporter-after-question-about-trump-aide-natalie-harp-1787018113542">'Someday, your children will...': White House attacks CNN reporter after question about Trump aide Natalie Harp</a><h2>Two birds fetch 1.45 million riyals</h2>The Canadian breeder had another successful sale on the same evening. A pure gyrfalcon chick from the farm sold for 150,000 riyals, after bidding started at 40,000 riyals.Together, the two birds brought in 1.45 million riyals, underscoring the prices commanded by elite falcons in the Gulf's highly competitive falconry market.The winning sale was also announced by Saudi Arabia's National Center for Falcons, which described the bird as the world's most expensive Mathlouth gyr pure falcon sold in 2026.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;الطير النادر ماله سعر&quot; 1,300,000 ريال قيمة اقتناء شركة نوفا فالكون لأغلى مثلوث جير بيور في العالم لعام 2026، لتضيف إلى الإنتاج المحلي سلالةً يُنتظر أن يمتد أثرها لسنوات. “Some falcons are simply priceless.” NOFA Falcon Company acquires the world’s most expensive Mathlouth… <a href="https://t.co/ExiOOLiQg5">pic.twitter.com/ExiOOLiQg5</a>&mdash; المركز الوطني للصقور National Center for Falcons (@NCFSaudi) <a href="https://x.com/NCFSaudi/status/2088762781793202576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Still short of auction record</h2>Despite the huge price, the bird did not break the event's all-time record. That mark remains 1.75 million riyals, around $467,000, paid in 2021 for a juvenile Ultra White three-quarter pure gyrfalcon. The latest sale, however, exceeded last year's top price of 1.2 million riyals.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-s-last-election-had-trump-invokes-india-while-pushing-us-voter-id-bill-1787014115814">'India’s last Election had...': Trump invokes India while pushing US voter ID bill</a><h2>Why pay millions for a falcon?</h2>Falconry has deep cultural roots across Saudi Arabia and the wider Arabian Peninsula. In recent years, events such as the Malham auction have also become major international marketplaces, bringing together specialist breeders, collectors, and professional falconers. The birds sold at the auction automatically qualify for popular falcon racing competitions in Saudi Arabia. The sport offers substantial prize money, with around $12.5 million available across the racing season.The International Falcon Breeders Auction will continue at Malham until August 25, with breeders and buyers from Saudi Arabia and overseas expected to take part.

A rare Canadian-bred falcon has fetched 1.3 million Saudi riyals at an auction near Riyadh, making it the most expensive bird sold at this year's event. But what makes a falcon worth more than $300,000?

A rare Canadian-bred falcon has been sold for 1.3 million Saudi riyals, or about $346,000, at an auction north of Riyadh, becoming the most expensive bird sold at this year's event and the second-highest sale in the auction's history. The bird, a juvenile three-quarter gyr Super White falcon, was bred by Jim Wilson Falcons in Ontario, Canada. It went under the hammer on the seventh night of the International Falcon Breeders Auction in Malham, around 65 kilometres north of the Saudi capital. Bidding, as per Gulf News, opened at 200,000 riyals, but competition quickly pushed the price into seven figures before the bird was eventually bought by Nova Falcon. "This bird is rare, and rare birds are priceless," Shadeed Al Rashidi of Nova Falcon said in a video released by the auction organisers. Also read | 'Someday, your children will...': White House attacks CNN reporter after question about Trump aide Natalie Harp Two birds fetch 1.45 million riyals The Canadian breeder had another successful sale on the same evening. A pure gyrfalcon chick from the farm sold for 150,000 riyals, after bidding started at 40,000 riyals. Together, the two birds brought in 1.45 million riyals, underscoring the prices commanded by elite falcons in the Gulf's highly competitive falconry market. The winning sale was also announced by Saudi Arabia's National Center for Falcons, which described the bird as the world's most expensive Mathlouth gyr pure falcon sold in 2026.

A rare Canadian-bred falcon has fetched 1.3 million Saudi riyals at an auction near Riyadh, making it the most expensive bird sold at this year's event. But what makes a falcon worth more than $300,000?

Why did this falcon sell for $346,000? Rare bird becomes Saudi auction sensation

Did Deepika Padukone speak up for environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk? We don’t have confirmation, but netizens are claiming so with a viral picture. Wangchuk, an educator and environmentalist, is on day 18 of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. &nbsp;He is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.&nbsp;The entire social media is discussing Wangchuk and voicing support for him as his health deteriorates during the hunger strike. Amid this, a screenshot, said to be from an Instagram story shared by Padukone on her official social media handle, has gone viral.<h3>Has Deepika Padukone reacted to Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike? What the viral post says.</h3>As people voice support for Wangchuk, a screenshot that appears to be shared by Deepika on her IG is circulating online. In it, she is shown supporting Wangchuk’s hunger strike and calling out the leadership. The screenshot that has been widely circulated shows Padukone resharing a post that reads: ‘’He is fasting. We are scrolling. That's the state of our democracy. Dissent is not anti-national. Apathy is.'' Sharing the picture, as claimed, the actress wrote,''Why is no once speaking about this? We are living trough the darkest hour of democracy.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;With claims that Padukone shared the picture, netizens have been reacting to the post. Several are expressing shock, while others are doubting it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Reacting to the post, one user wrote on X,''This Deepika Padukone screenshot is 100% fabricated. She never posted it. "COCKROACH JANTA PARTY" spreading fake news again to stir drama. Why the desperation? Share if you hate misinformation!''

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">OMG!!!! As per reddit, Deepika Padukone posted a story supporting Sonam Wangchuk, where she criticized the BJP, but later deleted it. What could be the reason? Did Ranveer Singh make her delete the story? <a href="https://t.co/Pw0lWrVUty">https://t.co/Pw0lWrVUty</a> <a href="https://t.co/pdIT6SL6To">pic.twitter.com/pdIT6SL6To</a>&mdash; a (@qaayadese) <a href="https://x.com/qaayadese/status/2077317977775747096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Another user wrote,''OMG!!!! As per reddit, Deepika Padukone posted a story supporting Sonam Wangchuk, where she criticized the BJP, but later deleted it. What could be the reason? Did Ranveer Singh make her delete the story.''

<h3>Fact check on viral post</h3>But did Padukone actually share this post or not? So we checked her Instagram. There are no claims or proof of the viral post. And as per what has been shared, this is a fabricated photo that has been doing the rounds. She has not shared any reaction to Wangchuk at the time this article was written.&nbsp;&nbsp;This claim comes when several netizens have called out A-listers, such as Alia Bhatt, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Deepika Padukone, who have not commented on it. Amid all, this screengrab went viral. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Deepika Padukone has been living a low-key life as she is set to welcome her second baby in a few months. Amid all this, the actress has hit the headlines over a screengrab that claims to have been shared by the Chhapaak actress.

Did Deepika Padukone speak up for environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk? We don’t have confirmation, but netizens are claiming so with a viral picture. Wangchuk, an educator and environmentalist, is on day 18 of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. He is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak. The entire social media is discussing Wangchuk and voicing support for him as his health deteriorates during the hunger strike. Amid this, a screenshot, said to be from an Instagram story shared by Padukone on her official social media handle, has gone viral. Has Deepika Padukone reacted to Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike? What the viral post says. As people voice support for Wangchuk, a screenshot that appears to be shared by Deepika on her IG is circulating online. In it, she is shown supporting Wangchuk’s hunger strike and calling out the leadership. The screenshot that has been widely circulated shows Padukone resharing a post that reads: ‘’He is fasting. We are scrolling. That's the state of our democracy. Dissent is not anti-national. Apathy is.'' Sharing the picture, as claimed, the actress wrote,''Why is no once speaking about this? We are living trough the darkest hour of democracy.'' With claims that Padukone shared the picture, netizens have been reacting to the post. Several are expressing shock, while others are doubting it. Reacting to the post, one user wrote on X,''This Deepika Padukone screenshot is 100% fabricated. She never posted it. "COCKROACH JANTA PARTY" spreading fake news again to stir drama. Why the desperation? Share if you hate misinformation!''

Deepika Padukone has been living a low-key life as she is set to welcome her second baby in a few months. Amid all this, the actress has hit the headlines over a screengrab that claims to have been shared by the Chhapaak actress.

Fact check: Did Deepika Padukone post (and delete) IG story for Sonam Wangchuk?

In July 1969, as NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin famously took the "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," they almost got stuck on the lunar surface. What saved the Apollo landing from ending in a tragedy was a simple plastic pen, which has now been sold at an auction for over $850,000 (£630,000).<h2>How did the pen save astronauts from certain death in space?</h2>The dented silver plastic Duro Rocket pen was used by Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, to save Neil Armstrong and himself from being "struck on the moon for ever".Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/is-a-prison-for-fallen-angels-hidden-beneath-antarctica-why-the-book-of-enoch-theory-is-going-viral-1784085520567">Is a prison for fallen angels hidden beneath Antarctica? Why the Book of Enoch theory is going viral</a>Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon back in July 1969 as part of the historic Apollo 11 mission. After the historic landing, the two astronauts were preparing to catch up on some ZZ's when they noticed that small black switch on the floor of the cabin, which turned out to be a vital piece of the circuit breaker that sends electrical power to the ascent engine.In his 2009 autobiography 'Magnificent Desolation', Buzz Aldrin detailed the nerve-wrecking moment, “My heart jolted a bit … The broken switch had snapped off from the engine-arm circuit breaker, the one vital breaker needed to send electrical power to the ascent engine that would lift Neil and me off the moon.”

The Broken Circuit Breaker Switch that Nearly Ended Apollo 11, and the Pen that Saved the Crew and the Mission

Eventually, the astronaut came up with the ingenious plan of inserting the pen into the circuit thereby rerouting the power. The pen which was part of Aldrin's personal preference kit "did the trick;the circuit breaker held. We could return to Earth after all!," said Aldrin.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/built-to-outlive-us-all-earth-is-getting-an-indestructible-black-box-to-record-the-end-of-human-civilisation-1783747790087">Built to outlive us all: Earth is getting an indestructible ‘black box’ to record the end of human civilisation</a><h2>Auction and more</h2>The felt tip pen was sold along with a letter of provenance in which Aldrin jokes: "I think Neil broke the switch off and Neil thinks that I broke the switch off.""In the end, what mattered most was that we had to figure out how to solve the problem of the broken switch so that we could leave the lunar surface and get home to Earth."Sotheby estimated the auction price for the pen to be between $800,000 and $1.2m. After being pursued by five bidders, the pen was eventually sold for $857,600.

A plastic pen that Buzz Aldrin used to restore power to Apollo 11's lunar module after a critical circuit breaker broke, preventing the astronauts from being stranded on the Moon, has sold at auction for $857,600.

In July 1969, as NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin famously took the "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," they almost got stuck on the lunar surface. What saved the Apollo landing from ending in a tragedy was a simple plastic pen, which has now been sold at an auction for over $850,000 (£630,000). How did the pen save astronauts from certain death in space? The dented silver plastic Duro Rocket pen was used by Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, to save Neil Armstrong and himself from being "struck on the moon for ever". Also read | Is a prison for fallen angels hidden beneath Antarctica? Why the Book of Enoch theory is going viral Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon back in July 1969 as part of the historic Apollo 11 mission. After the historic landing, the two astronauts were preparing to catch up on some ZZ's when they noticed that small black switch on the floor of the cabin, which turned out to be a vital piece of the circuit breaker that sends electrical power to the ascent engine. In his 2009 autobiography 'Magnificent Desolation', Buzz Aldrin detailed the nerve-wrecking moment, “My heart jolted a bit … The broken switch had snapped off from the engine-arm circuit breaker, the one vital breaker needed to send electrical power to the ascent engine that would lift Neil and me off the moon.”

A plastic pen that Buzz Aldrin used to restore power to Apollo 11's lunar module after a critical circuit breaker broke, preventing the astronauts from being stranded on the Moon, has sold at auction for $857,600.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin almost died on the Moon. The plastic pen that saved them just sold for $857,600

Legendary Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela is opening his private world like never before. In a historic move, the famously private designer is auctioning pieces from his personal archive, offering collectors and fashion enthusiasts a rare glimpse into his life and creative journey. The sale marks the first time Margiela has chosen to part with personal belongings during his lifetime, making it one of the most significant events in the fashion world.

Fashion icon Martin Margiela opens personal archive for historic auction | Wion news

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Why did this falcon sell for $346,000? Rare bird becomes Saudi auction sensation

Fact check: Did Deepika Padukone post (and delete) IG story for Sonam Wangchuk?

A plastic pen saved NASA astronauts from certain death—and just sold for $860k

Fashion icon Martin Margiela opens personal archive for historic auction | Wion news