Newly found snake species in AlUla seen as symbol of Arabian Peninsula’s biodiversity

Newly found snake species in AlUla seen as symbol of Arabian Peninsula’s biodiversity

Newly found snake species in AlUla seen as symbol of Arabian Peninsula’s biodiversity
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AlUla, a region increasingly recognized for its rich biodiversity, has unveiled a true ecological treasure with the discovery of the snake species “Rhynchocalamus hejazicus.” This significant find not only reinforces AlUla’s status as a global center for natural wonders but also as an emerging hub for ecological research.

The small, non-venomous reptile, marked by a vibrant reddish hue and a distinctive black collar, belongs to a genus primarily found in Jordan, Yemen and Oman.

Well-adapted to the sandy and rocky landscapes of the mountainous Hejaz region, the presence of Rhynchocalamus hejazicus in human-populated areas highlights the intricate interactions within AlUla’s ecosystems and the need for sustainable cohabitation strategies.

In addition to the snake discovery serving as a milestone and a source of inspiration for everyone who works to protect and preserve AlUla’s natural gifts, it also serves as a reminder of the excitement and wealth of opportunities that still await in the field of ecological science.

Having dedicated more than three decades to environmental conservation, I understand the formidable challenges ahead.

In particular, as global climate issues escalate in urgency, the task of protecting our flora and fauna becomes a daunting race against time — a race where it often seems the odds are stacked against us.

Research in AlUla into the ecology of arid environments is especially relevant to coping with climate change given rising temperatures.

Despite these hurdles, AlUla emerges as a beacon of hope and determination. Our focus on regeneration and protection is not just a policy but a proactive strategy, consistently yielding positive results that strengthen the Royal Commission for AlUla’s growth and sustainability objectives.

This steadfast commitment underscores RCU’s role as a leader in ecological resilience and conservation, inspiring those of us in the field to continue our efforts.

This significant find not only reinforces AlUla’s status as a global center for natural wonders but also as an emerging hub for ecological research.

Stephen Browne

The ecological initiatives underway in AlUla are groundbreaking. For example, our state-of-the-art Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Center in Taif is vital for the survival of the critically endangered Arabian leopard, housing 45 percent of the global population under human care and, currently, the only one actively breeding this subspecies.

The Royal Commission For AlUla has also allocated 12,500 sq km — more than 50 percent of the region — to create six nature reserves: Sharaan, Wadi Nakhlah, Al-Gharameel, Harrat Uwayrid, Harrat Al-Zabin and Harrat Khaybar.

Underscoring AlUla’s rich biodiversity is the identification of more than 500 flora species. From Abutilon fruticosum to Ziziphus spina-christi, they include lavender, nightshade, the saxaul shrub — which was traditionally used in a tea for pregnant women — various grasses, the citrullus vine — which is from the same genus as watermelon — and the fagonia flower with its pretty purple petals.

In 2023, AlUla achieved a significant conservation milestone by conducting its largest-ever animal release, reintroducing about 1,000 animals across three of its reserves. This initiative focused on reintroducing four native herbivore species: The Arabian gazelle, sand gazelle, Arabian oryx and Nubian ibex.

This strategic reintroduction of large herbivores is a critical step in the grassroots-to-apex restoration of the ecosystem, setting the stage for the eventual reintroduction of the Arabian leopard.

The Royal Commission for AlUla’s conservation efforts are ambitious and demonstrate how impactful and globally relevant ecological work can be when solid foundational elements are in place.

More than that, my colleagues and I have been able to renew our deep sense of inspiration from our planet, reinforcing our commitment to biodiversity preservation, ecosystem protection and sustainable coexistence between humans and nature.

Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, the Royal Commission for AlUla is a leading platform for ecological and wildlife restoration. This mission is vital as we contend with the pressures of an environmental ticking clock.

Our work, fueled by passion, diligence and scientific curiosity, underscores our enduring hope and affirms our belief in the transformative power of conservation to effect substantial and lasting ecological change.

Stephen Browne is vice president of wildlife and natural heritage at the Royal Commission for AlUla.

 

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

China summons Philippine ambassador over new maritime laws

China summons Philippine ambassador over new maritime laws
Updated 5 min ago
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China summons Philippine ambassador over new maritime laws

China summons Philippine ambassador over new maritime laws
  • Laws aimed at reinforcing Philippine rights to territory, resources
  • China unlikely to recognize laws, senator says

BEIJING/MANILA: China summoned the Philippines’ ambassador on Friday to express its objection to two new laws in the Southeast Asian nation asserting maritime rights and sovereignty over disputed areas of the South China Sea, its foreign ministry said.
China made “solemn representations” to the ambassador shortly after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act into law to strengthen his country’s maritime claims and bolster its territorial integrity.
The Maritime Zones law “illegally includes most of China’s Huangyan Island and Nansha Islands and related maritime areas in the Philippines’ maritime zones,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, using the Chinese names for Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands respectively.
Beijing has rejected a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration which said its expansive maritime claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, in a case that was brought by Manila. The United States, a Philippine ally, backs the court’s ruling.
Marcos said the two laws he signed, which define maritime entitlements and set designated sea lanes and air routes, were a demonstration of commitment to uphold the international rules-based order, and protect Manila’s rights to exploit resources peacefully in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“Our people, especially our fisher folk, should be able to pursue their livelihood free from uncertainty and harassment,” Marcos said. “We must be able to harness mineral and energy resources in our sea bed.”
But Beijing said the laws were a “serious infringement” of its claims over the contested areas.
“China urges the Philippine side to effectively respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, to immediately stop taking any unilateral actions that may lead to the widening of the dispute and complicate the situation,” Mao said.
China, which also has sovereignty disputes with the other countries in the region, has enacted domestic laws covering the South China Sea, such as a coast guard law in 2021 that allows it to detain foreigners suspected of trespassing.
Beijing, which uses an armada of coast guard ships to assert its claims, routinely accuses vessels of trespassing in areas of the South China Sea that fall inside the EEZs of its neighbors, and has clashed repeatedly with the Philippines in the past year.
Philippine officials acknowledged the challenges they face in implementing the new laws, with one author, Senator Francis Tolentino, saying he did not expect a reduction in tensions.
“China will not recognize these, but the imprimatur that we’ll be getting from the international community would strengthen our position,” Tolentino told a press conference.
The United States on Friday backed the Philippines.
“The passage of the Maritime Zones Act by the Philippines is a routine matter and further clarifies Philippine maritime law,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.


After Hamas rejection of hostage deal, US asked Qatar to expel the group

After Hamas rejection of hostage deal, US asked Qatar to expel the group
Updated 13 min 27 sec ago
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After Hamas rejection of hostage deal, US asked Qatar to expel the group

After Hamas rejection of hostage deal, US asked Qatar to expel the group
  • Negotiators from Israel’s Mossad spy agency have repeatedly met mediators in Doha over the last year and Qatari government officials have shuttled back-and-forth to Hamas leaders in the political office

WASHINGTON/DOHA: The US has told Qatar that the presence of Hamas in Doha is no longer acceptable in the weeks since the Palestinian militant group rejected the latest proposal to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage deal, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday.
“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner. We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas’s rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Qatar then made the demand to Hamas leaders about 10 days ago, the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said. Washington has been in touch with Qatar over when to close the political office of Hamas, and it told Doha that now was the time following the group’s rejection of the recent proposal.
Three Hamas officials denied Qatar had told Hamas leaders they were no longer welcome in the country.
Qatar, alongside the US and Egypt, has played a major role in rounds of so-far fruitless talks to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages the militant group is holding in the enclave.
The latest round of Doha talks in mid-October failed to reach a ceasefire, with Hamas rejecting a short-term ceasefire proposal.
The spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for confirmation or comment.
Last year, a senior US official said Qatar had told Washington it was open to
reconsidering the presence of Hamas
in the country once the Gaza war was over.
This came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
told leaders
in Qatar and elsewhere in the region that there could be “no more business as usual” with Hamas after the group led the Oct. 7 attacks on Southern Israel.
Qatar, an influential Gulf state designated as major non-NATO ally by Washington, has hosted Hamas’ political leaders since 2012 as part of an agreement with the US Doha has come under criticism from within the US and Israel over its ties to Hamas since Oct. 7.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said repeatedly over the last year that the Hamas office exists in Doha to allow negotiations with the group and that as long as the channel remained useful Qatar would allow the Hamas office to remain open.
Negotiators from Israel’s Mossad spy agency have repeatedly met mediators in Doha over the last year and Qatari government officials have shuttled back-and-forth to Hamas leaders in the political office.

 

 


Chad accuses Sudan of aiding rebel forces

Chad accuses Sudan of aiding rebel forces
Updated 3 min 50 sec ago
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Chad accuses Sudan of aiding rebel forces

Chad accuses Sudan of aiding rebel forces

LIBREVILLE: Chad on Friday accused Sudan of arming and financing rebel groups on Chadian territory with the aim of destabilising its neighbor.
Chad claims Sudan is aiding a rebellion by members of the Zaghawa ethnic group operating out of Sudan’s southwestern El Facher region.
“Sudan is financing and arming terrorist groups operating in the sub-region with the aim of destabilising Chad,” foreign affairs minister and government spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah said in a press release.
The Zaghawa rebels based in Sudan are led by Ousman Dillo, the younger brother of Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo Djerou, who was killed by Chadian military forces earlier this year.
In February 2008, a Zaghawa rebel group based in Sudan launched a lightning offensive in Chad along with other groups, forcing former president Idriss Deby Itno to take refuge in his presidential palace, before he was able to repel them with help from France.
In 2021, Idriss Deby Itno died fighting other rebel forces near the border with Libya and the army named his son Mahamat Idriss Deby as president.
Sudan’s government has accused Chad of meddling in its own civil war by helping to deliver weapons from the United Arab Emirates to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary forces, which Chad and the UAE have denied.
The Sudanese war, which pits the army against the RSF, broke out in April 2023 and has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million, including 3.1 million who are now sheltering beyond the country’s borders, monitors say.


Elon Musk joined Trump’s call with Ukraine’s Zelensky, media reports say

Elon Musk joined Trump’s call with Ukraine’s Zelensky, media reports say
Updated 45 min 56 sec ago
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Elon Musk joined Trump’s call with Ukraine’s Zelensky, media reports say

Elon Musk joined Trump’s call with Ukraine’s Zelensky, media reports say
  • Ukraine's President Zelensky called Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election win, Axios reported
  • Trump reportedly said he would support Ukraine, without providing details, and Musk reportedly said he would continue supplying Starlink satellites

WASHINGTON: When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his presidential election victory, Tesla CEO and Trump supporter Elon Musk joined the call, according to media reports on Friday. During the 25-minute call on Wednesday, the day after the election, Trump told Zelensky he would support Ukraine, without providing details, and Musk said he would continue supplying Starlink satellites, Axios reported, citing unidentified sources.
Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defense effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since Russia invaded its neighbor in 2022.
Zelensky was telling Trump how important the satellites had been for Internet service during the war when Trump said Musk was with him and put the billionaire on the line, the Washington Post reported.
Trump and Musk were at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach residence and club, when the call took place, according to the New York Times.
Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump’s presidential campaign and made public appearances with him. Trump has said he would offer Musk, the world’s richest person, a role in his administration promoting government efficiency.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump campaign said it did not comment on private meetings.
Zelensky was among the first leaders to congratulate Trump, who has been critical of US military and financial support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Zelensky said in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday that his conversations with Trump should continue.
“We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace,” the Ukrainian president said.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘A Hunger Artist’

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Updated 09 November 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘A Hunger Artist’

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  • Kafka’s exploration of the artist’s suffering is a metaphor for the broader human experience — where the search for authenticity and recognition often leads to despair and isolation

Author: Franz Kafka

“A Hunger Artist” is a novella by Franz Kafka, which was published in 1922.

The narrative follows a professional hunger artist whose act is to fast for extended periods, presenting his art as a spectacle for an audience.  

Initially, his performances drew significant attention, and he became a celebrated figure, embodying the artist’s struggle against societal norms and expectations.

As the story progresses, the artist’s popularity wanes, and he becomes increasingly alienated.

The public’s fascination shifts to more modern forms of entertainment, and the hunger artist becomes a relic of a bygone era.

The hunger artist’s ultimate fate is tragic. Despite his dedication to his craft, he becomes a victim of societal indifference.

The book is a poignant 14-page short story that delves into themes of art, isolation, and the quest for meaning.

Kafka’s exploration of the artist’s suffering is a metaphor for the broader human experience — where the search for authenticity and recognition often leads to despair and isolation.

He masterfully captures the conflict between the artist’s inner world and external interpretations, demonstrating the need to understand and appreciate real creative expression.

The story culminates in the realization that true artistry is frequently unrecognized and undervalued.

In “A Hunger Artist,” Kafka crafts a powerful commentary on the complexities of identity, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the often lonely path of the artist, making it a compelling and thought-provoking work that resonates with anyone grappling with the meaning of creativity and existence.

His prose is spare yet evocative, employing a surreal tone that enhances the existential themes.

The story challenges readers to consider the nature of art, the role of the audience, and the sacrifices artists make for their craft.

Kafka is renowned for his surreal and existential narratives that still resonate with readers more than a century later. His best-known works include “The Metamorphosis,” “The Trial,” and “The Castle.”