Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people

Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people
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A drone view shows an area affected by heavy rain brought flash floods and landslides in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, on May 12, 2024. (Antara Foto via Reuters)
Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people
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People inspect the damage caused by a flash flood in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia, on May 15, 2024.(AP)
Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people
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A damaged area is seen after flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, on May 12, 2024. (AFP)
Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people
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A damaged area is seen after flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, on May 12, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 16 May 2024
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Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people

Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 67 people
  • Monsoon rains triggered a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, eventually causing rivers to breach their banks
  • Cloud seeding involves dispersing particles into clouds to create precipitation, thereby modifying the weather

TANAH DATAR, Indonesia: Indonesian authorities seeded clouds on Wednesday, trying to prevent further rain and flash floods after deluges that hit Sumatra Island over the weekend left at least 67 people dead and another 20 missing.
Monsoon rains triggered a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, eventually causing rivers to breach their banks. The deluge tore through mountainside villages in four districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight on Saturday.
The floods swept away people and dozens of homes and submerged hundreds of houses and buildings, forcing more than 1,500 families to flee to temporary government shelters, according to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
He said 67 bodies had been pulled from mud and rivers by Wednesday, mostly in the worst-hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts, while rescuers are searching for 20 people reported missing. About 44 villagers were injured.
Cloud seeding involves dispersing particles into clouds to create precipitation, thereby modifying the weather.
National Disaster Management Agency chief Suharyanto said the aim of Wednesday’s action was to redirect the rain elsewhere and keep the search operation free of downpours, which could hamper the rescuers’ progress.
Suharyanto, who goes by a single name like many Indonesians, said the emergency response will last until May 25. Authorities are evaluating which areas are no longer inhabitable and which residents need to be relocated “from the danger zone.”
Suharyanto spoke during a visit to the devastated villages in hard-hit Tanah Datar district on Wednesday.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency head Dwikorita Karnawati has said that more rain was forecast for West Sumatra in the coming days, and that extreme rainfall could continue until next week.
Karnawati said an air force plane was sent up to shoot salt flares into the clouds on Wednesday to get the clouds to release water and break up before they reach the devastated areas in West Sumatra province. About 15 tons of salt have been prepared for the seeding operation, she said.
Muhari, the disaster agency spokesperson, said Indonesia’s air force teamed up with the country’s technology agency to carry out two rounds of cloud seeding Wednesday each using a ton of sodium chloride, or salt.
Rescue workers meanwhile combed through rivers and the rubble of devastated villages where roads were transformed into murky brown rivers and villages were left covered by thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.
Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains.
Marapi has been active since an eruption late last year that killed 23 climbers. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The country is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
 


Saudi-US bilateral accords ‘not that connected’ to Israel normalization

Saudi-US bilateral accords ‘not that connected’ to Israel normalization
Updated 3 min 14 sec ago
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Saudi-US bilateral accords ‘not that connected’ to Israel normalization

Saudi-US bilateral accords ‘not that connected’ to Israel normalization
  • Saudi FM rejects possibility of Kingdom recognizing Israel without establishment of Palestinian state
  • Region's security as a whole is at risk if we do not address the rights of Palestinians, says Saudi FM

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Thursday that some of the bilateral agreements the kingdom has been negotiating with Washington are “not that tied” to the normalization of Saudi relations with Israel and are “moving ahead.”

He noted that potential US-Saudi agreements on trade and artificial intelligence are “not tied to any third parties” and “can progress probably quite quickly.”

“Some of the more significant defense cooperation agreements are much more complicated. We would certainly welcome the opportunity to finalize them before the end of the Biden administration's term, but that’s reliant on factors outside of our control,” he said.

“The other work streams are not that connected, and some of them are progressing quite quickly, and we hope to see movement forward.”

Ruling out the possibility of Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state, Prince Faisal stated that this remains the only viable solution, regardless of Israel’s acceptance.

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh, he emphasized that the creation of a Palestinian state is rooted in international law and UN resolutions.

“In reality, the establishment of a Palestinian state is not tied to whether or not Israel accepts it; it’s tied to the principles of international law,” he said. “The UN resolutions that led to the establishment of the state of Israel clearly envisioned a Palestinian state as well, so we need to make that happen.”

Prince Faisal asserted that normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties is “off the table” until there is a resolution regarding Palestinian statehood. He further highlighted the broader implications, stating, “The security of the region as a whole is at risk if we do not address the rights of the Palestinians.”

Addressing the ongoing crisis in Gaza, he called for a cease-fire, emphasizing the dangers of an Israeli overreaction following the events of October 7th. “We have seen the reality that Israel’s reaction and its continuing military assault have led to a humanitarian catastrophe,” he remarked. He described the situation in northern Gaza as dire, with blockades and no safe zones for civilians, stating, “That can only be described as a form of genocide. It is certainly against humanitarian law, and that is feeding a continuing cycle of violence.”

On the prospects of an immediate cease-fire, Prince Faisal expressed caution, saying, “I hope it’s the case that we can see a cease-fire in the immediate hours, in the immediate short term. I’m not sure that that’s the case. I don’t have the details.”

He acknowledged US efforts to facilitate negotiations, adding, “We are not part of the direct negotiations, but we certainly support the efforts that the US has undertaken to find a pathway to a ceasefire. I hope it comes to fruition.”

He noted that previous attempts at cease-fire negotiations had failed due to new demands from Israel. “In most of those instances where the talks collapsed, it has been because new requirements or demands were added on the part of Israel,” he explained.

Prince Faisal also addressed Saudi Arabia’s position on Lebanon, emphasizing a hands-off approach. “We have never fully disengaged. But we believe it’s up to the Lebanese politicians to seek a direction that puts Lebanon on the right track,” he stated.

He added: “It’s not up to any outside influence, any outside countries, or any outside powers to tell the Lebanese what to do or to influence the political process in Lebanon. That is our opinion.”

Regarding relations with Iran, Prince Faisal indicated that recent discussions focused on regional de-escalation. “I hope that Iran, like us, is working toward regional de-escalation on all fronts, not just in Lebanon. That’s very much the focus of my conversations with my Iranian counterpart,” he said. While he could not be “confident of anything that is in the control of other parties,” he emphasized the importance of avoiding further escalation.

“I have made it clear to our Iranian counterparts that it is important to avoid any further escalation. My sense is that they realize the risks of escalation and would prefer to avoid it. But, of course, they have their own strategic calculations.”


Saudi minister promotes education sustainability at G20 meeting in Brazil

Saudi minister promotes education sustainability at G20 meeting in Brazil
Updated 6 min 26 sec ago
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Saudi minister promotes education sustainability at G20 meeting in Brazil

Saudi minister promotes education sustainability at G20 meeting in Brazil
  • Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan: School-community engagement in Saudi Arabia constitutes a fundamental element of our national strategy
  • Saudi Ministry of Education has established a department dedicated to community responsibility and volunteer work

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan has emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to promoting sustainability in education and investment in skills, innovation and entrepreneurship to achieve a sustainable future for citizens and enhance global competitiveness for future generations.

Al-Benyan was speaking during the G20 Education Ministers’ Meeting in Fortaleza in Brazil, where he emphasized the Kingdom’s support of the goals and priorities of the Education Working Group.

He highlighted the importance of cooperation between schools and communities to provide students with experiences and resources that enhance the importance of learning for them.

Al-Benyan said that the engagement of educational institutions with the community enabled educators to meet the diverse needs of students and their families, promote inclusivity, and help students to develop into active citizens.

“School-community engagement in Saudi Arabia constitutes a fundamental element of our national strategy, as the Kingdom’s educational institutions understand the importance of connecting with the community — not just as recipients of volunteer efforts but also as active participants in societal development,” he said.

The Saudi Ministry of Education has established a department dedicated to community responsibility and volunteer work, focusing on integrating sustainable development goals into education and creating initiatives that address local needs.

Al-Benyan said that a new school evaluation index had been developed to assess community engagement effectively, with Vision 2030 setting ambitious targets for the non-profit sector, aiming to reach 10,000 community organizations, contribute more than 5 percent of GDP, and engage one million volunteers.

He added that the Kingdom had seen a more than 150 percent increase in educational non-profit organizations in 2024.

Al-Benyan also discussed two flagship projects aimed at supporting teachers — the National Institute for Professional Education Development and the Teachers Fund. The institute is focused on four key areas: teacher preparation, teacher development, leadership nurturing, and teacher advocacy.

He called for collaborative efforts to develop a new global perspective that ensured a just and sustainable future for all citizens.


Russia fines Google $20 decillion, a record-breaking penalty

Russia fines Google $20 decillion, a record-breaking penalty
Updated 41 min 12 sec ago
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Russia fines Google $20 decillion, a record-breaking penalty

Russia fines Google $20 decillion, a record-breaking penalty
  • The amount — 20 followed by 33 zeros — exceeds the estimated total global GDP of $110 trillion, a figure with a mere 13 zeros
  • Unpaid fine dates back to 2020 when Google began banning Russian YouTube channels, and has grown exponentially due to compound penalties

LONDON: A Russian court has fined Google a staggering $20 decillion, the largest financial penalty ever issued.

In fact, $20 decillion (20 followed by 33 zeros), which in Russia’s own currency is equivalent to 2 undecillion rubles (a 37-digit figure), far exceeds the combined gross domestic product of every country in the world, which is estimated to be about $110 trillion (a figure with a mere 13 zeros).

The amount dwarfs the $206 billion paid by tobacco companies to the US government in 1998, which remains the largest civil lawsuit settlement.

Google said: “We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia. For example, civil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties. We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect.”

The fine, which a judge said contained “many, many zeros,” relates to a dispute that began in 2020 when Google-owned YouTube banned Tsargrad, a Russian ultra-nationalist, pro-Kremlin channel, from the platform in compliance with US sanctions.

Since then, Google has blocked more than 1,000 YouTube channels and more than 5.5 million videos from Russia, halted advertising services in the country in March 2022, and paused monetization of content that supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In response, a number of relatively small fines were imposed by Russian courts but they went unpaid and Russian business newspaper RBC reported that the amounts owed have grown immensely as result of compound penalties initially set at $1,025 a day and doubling each week.

Details of the current total of the fine emerged on Tuesday, as Google reported quarterly earnings of $88.3 billion for the three months to September. Based on that amount, it would take the company more than 56 septillion (a figure with 24 zeros) years to pay off the fine, which is more than 4 trillion times the age of the universe.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, urged Google parent company Alphabet to stop blocking Russian YouTube channels. However, he conceded that the massive fine, which he said he cannot even pronounce, is purely symbolic.

“These demands, they simply demonstrate the essence of our channels’ claims against Google,” Peskov said. “Google should not restrict the activities of our broadcasters, but Google is doing this.

“Probably, this (growing fine) should be a reason for Google’s management to take notice and rectify the situation. It’s the best thing the company can do.”


‘Blue tech’ needs private sector boost, says RSG official

‘Blue tech’ needs private sector boost, says RSG official
Updated 52 min ago
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‘Blue tech’ needs private sector boost, says RSG official

‘Blue tech’ needs private sector boost, says RSG official

RIYADH: Private sector firms need to lead the way and invest in so-called blue tech in order to protect the world’s oceans, according to a leading official at Red Sea Global.

Speaking to Arab News during the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Raed Al-Basseet, environment and sustainability officer at the company, called on businesses to adopt innovative approaches that contribute to environmental preservation. 

This includes blue tech — which refers to refers to any innovation made for the sea.

Al-Basseet also reaffirmed RSG’s commitment to sustainability — and how this reflects on the project’s return on investment. 

He called on the private sector to take “the first steps” and invest in “cutting edge approaches to preserving the environment,” adding: “Enhancing the environment and … conservation is the right thing to do for the private sector, but also when we realize the first benefits out of that, and out of these initiatives, we will also have real return on investment as a developer, as a private sector, from that investment.” 

Al-Basseet was keen to emphasis RSG’s focus on environmentalism, saying the company has “sustainability at its DNA.”

He added: “And that actually, from a practical sense, means that (in) all of our activities, master planning and development, design, construction, delivering on these projects, as well as operating these projects, sustainability is at the core of everything that we do.” 

He emphasized that the long-term success of the projects relies on preserving natural assets, making sustainability integral to achieving favorable outcomes. 

Highlighting key initiatives, Al-Basseet pointed out the company’s significant investment in blue tech, adding: “The investment in technology does require the support of a multitude of stakeholders. Private sector does have a role. Red Sea Global is very proud that they have in the 

Al-Basseet also spoke about the company’s efforts in coral conservation, including supporting research that is happening now within the Red Sea.


Houthis abduct another Yemeni employee of US Embassy in Sanaa

Houthis abduct another Yemeni employee of US Embassy in Sanaa
Updated 56 min 28 sec ago
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Houthis abduct another Yemeni employee of US Embassy in Sanaa

Houthis abduct another Yemeni employee of US Embassy in Sanaa
  • Armed Houthis, including Zaynabiyat policewomen, stormed the house of Mohammed Abdullah Shammakh
  • Shammakh was in a nearby market purchasing items for his family when the raid occurred

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s Houthi militia has abducted a Yemeni employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa, becoming the latest known victim of the Houthis’ crackdown on aid and civil society workers in Yemeni areas under their control.

A group of armed Houthis, including Zaynabiyat policewomen, have stormed the house of Mohammed Abdullah Shammakh, an administrative officer at the US Embassy in Sanaa, and abducted him after searching it, according to his friend and Yemeni journalist Sami Ghaleb.

Ghaleb, who spoke with residents of Sanaa’s Al-Ziraah neighborhood, where the abducted man lived, told Arab News on Thursday that the Houthis raided the three-story building on Oct. 10 and instructed its occupants, including children and women, to go to the roofs.

They then confined them, before storming Shammakh’s apartment and conducting a search.

Shammakh was in a nearby market purchasing items for his family when the raid occurred and was taken aback when he observed the Houthis occupying his residence, his friend said.

When he returned home, the Houthis abducted him, leaving behind a chaotic house and a terrified family, according to Ghaled.

“He’s more like a family member than a friend. He is a great person, like his father, lovable and helpful, and he assists his neighbors,” said Ghaled, who published an article on his news site, www.alndaa.net, in which he urged the Houthis to release him and other abducted individuals.

“You are responsible for these heinous violations, and no one in the historic capital is willing to listen to your ridiculous argument. These are simply helpless employees,” Ghaled wrote on his website on Wednesday.

The US Embassy in Yemen, which is now based in Riyadh, responded to Arab News’ request for comment on the abduction of its employee in Sanaa by saying: “We are aware of that report but cannot confirm if it is true at this time.”

The US Embassy in Yemen has been closed since early 2015, and the diplomatic mission has been relocated to Riyadh, months after the Houthis seized power.

In 2021, the Houthis raided the US Embassy compound in Sanaa, abducting Yemeni employees from the building and also abducting other former and current embassy employees from their Sanaa homes.

According to lawyers in Sanaa, the Houthis recently referred six abducted US Embassy employees to court and intend to try them on espionage charges.

Over the past four months, the Houthis have abducted more than 70 Yemeni workers from UN agencies, international human rights and aid organizations, and foreign diplomatic missions, accusing them of spying for US and Israeli intelligence agencies.

Relatives of some of those abducted have told Arab News that the Houthis have denied their requests to visit them in detention, call them, or provide information about their conditions.

On Wednesday, the office of the UN Yemen envoy, Hans Grundberg, said that he discussed efforts to release the UN workers abducted by the Houthis with Nada Al-Nashif, the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, and reiterated his appeal to the Houthis to release them.

“The UN remains steadfast in demanding their immediate and unconditional release,” Grundberg’s office said.