عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Kakapo Wins New Zealand's Bird of the Year

New Zealand’s rare green kakapo parrot and chick. Photo: AFP
New Zealand’s rare green kakapo parrot and chick. Photo: AFP
TT
TT

Kakapo Wins New Zealand's Bird of the Year

New Zealand’s rare green kakapo parrot and chick. Photo: AFP
New Zealand’s rare green kakapo parrot and chick. Photo: AFP

Kakapo, a critically endangered large parrot that can't fly and hides during the day is back in the limelight having been named New Zealand's bird of the year for an unprecedented second time, The Guardian reported.

The green and fawn kakapo– the world's heaviest, longest-living parrot – first won in 2008. After conservation efforts, the population of this large parrot has risen from 50 during the 1990s to 213 now.

Also known as "mighty moss chicken," the famous parrot used to live throughout New Zealand, but today survive only on predator-free islands.

Male kakapo emits a loud booming sound to attract females and smell "like the inside of a clarinet case, musty and kind of like resin and wood," said Laura Keown, spokesperson for the competition.

"The things that make kakapo unique also make them vulnerable to threats. They are slow breeders, they nest on the ground and their main defense is to imitate a shrub. Those qualities worked great in the island of birds the kakapo evolved in but they don't fool introduced predators like stoats, rats and cats," she explained.

Another endangered bird, the antipodean albatross, which is often caught in fishing nets, won most first-choice votes out of the more than 55,000 votes cast but under the competition's preferential system the kakapo came through. Organizers said they hoped the antipodean albatross did not feel robbed.

"The competition has boosted environmental awareness, compared with 15 years ago when bird of the year started. It is definitely part of a shift in thinking about the needs of New Zealand's unique environment and native species," organizers said.

It has also introduced the public to some weird and wonderful characters. The world's most famous kakapo is Sirocco, who reputedly thinks he is human. It has toured New Zealand to promote the plight of his species.

In 2009, he rocketed to global fame after attempting to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine's head during filming for the BBC documentary Last Chance to See with British actor Stephen Fry, who likened the bird's face to that of a Victorian gentleman. The video of the incident, with commentary from Fry has had more than 18m views. Scientists believe kakapo can live for around 60 years.

Under the last Labor-Green government, the Department of Conservation received the biggest funding boost it has had in 15 years.

The government has promised to put cameras on all commercial fishing boats, and New Zealand has a goal to be predator free by 2050.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Indonesia Volcano Erupts, More Than 12,000 People Evacuated

An eruption from Mount Ruang volcano is seen from Tagulandang island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
An eruption from Mount Ruang volcano is seen from Tagulandang island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
TT
TT

Indonesia Volcano Erupts, More Than 12,000 People Evacuated

An eruption from Mount Ruang volcano is seen from Tagulandang island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
An eruption from Mount Ruang volcano is seen from Tagulandang island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupted on Tuesday, spewing lava as lightning flashes lit up its crater, prompting authorities to raise the alert status and evacuate more than 12,000 people living on a nearby island, Reuters reported.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) had warned the residents of Tagulandang island that a tsunami could be triggered by volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.
The warning, issued on Tuesday morning, remained in placed as of the afternoon.
The agency raised the alert status of Ruang to the highest level following the early morning eruption, urging residents not to go near the volcano.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said that all 843 residents living in Ruang island, where the volcano is located, have been moved to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. Residents of Tagulandang island are being relocated to Siau island to the north.
The eruption follows a series of eruptions earlier this month that forced hundreds to evacuate, and the airport in the provincial capital of Manado to close. That eruption also caused damage to some homes. At the time, the volcanology also issued a warning about the potential for a tsunami.
Footage shared by Indonesia's disaster agency showed strikes of lightning flashing above Ruang's crater, as fiery red clouds of lava and rocks were projected into the air and rained down around the island.
The volcanology agency said the eruption column reached 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) high, and urged any remaining residents within a 7-km, previously 6-km, radius to immediately evacuate, warning of possible further "explosive eruptions".
Ruang island is about 100 km from Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province in the north-central region of the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.
The eruption corresponded with a spike in seismic activity and deep volcanic earthquakes, the disaster agency said.
Authorities closed Manado's Sam Ratulangi airport again on Tuesday, citing the possible spread of volcanic ash, the airport operator said in an Instagram post. The airport will remain closed until noon on Wednesday, the transport ministry said.
Authorities downgraded the status level to level 3 last week before bumping it up again to level 4 on Tuesday.

Varieties

Plastic Pollution Talks Move Closer to World-first Pact

A sculpture titled "Giant Plastic Tap" by Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong is displayed outside the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution that has wrapped up in Ottawa, Canada. Dave Chan / AFP
A sculpture titled "Giant Plastic Tap" by Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong is displayed outside the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution that has wrapped up in Ottawa, Canada. Dave Chan / AFP
TT
TT

Plastic Pollution Talks Move Closer to World-first Pact

A sculpture titled "Giant Plastic Tap" by Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong is displayed outside the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution that has wrapped up in Ottawa, Canada. Dave Chan / AFP
A sculpture titled "Giant Plastic Tap" by Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong is displayed outside the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution that has wrapped up in Ottawa, Canada. Dave Chan / AFP

A fourth and penultimate round of UN-led negotiations to solve global plastic pollution wrapped up in Ottawa early on Tuesday with a world-first pact said to be within reach by year's end but without a cap on the production of polymers.
For the first time in the negotiations, delegates from 175 countries and observers discussed a draft of what is to become a global treaty on ending the scourge of plastics that are found everywhere from mountain tops to ocean depths, as well as within human blood and breast milk, AFP said.
The current session picked up where talks in Kenya left off five months ago.
They also agreed to a series of consultations between now and November, when the final round of talks is to be held in South Korea.
The Ottawa talks saw "a massive, monumental change in the tone and in the energy" compared with the previous round, Canadian parliamentary secretary Julie Dabrusin said.
"I'm really optimistic that we can get to an agreement by the end of the year... to end plastic pollution by 2040," she said.
Dabrusin and others welcomed a shift in the negotiations from vague objectives to treaty language, as well as streamlining options presented in Kenya.
However, a proposed cap on plastic production did not make it into the draft text and remains a major sticking point.
Although there is a broad consensus on the need for a treaty, environmental activists pleading for a cut in plastic production remain at odds with oil-producing nations and the plastics industry, which favors recycling.
Recycling versus production cut
Ana Rocha, speaking on behalf of Global South nations, said there had been "a growing willingness to address primary plastic polymers under the treaty."
This is crucial, according to environmental groups. "You cannot end plastic pollution if you do not reduce the amount of plastic we produce," Greenpeace's Graham Forbes told AFP.
Annual plastics production has more than doubled in 20 years to 460 million tons and is on track to triple within four decades if left unchecked.
"This treaty will succeed or fail based on the extent to which it addresses and reduces plastic production. Nothing else will work if we don't get that right," Forbes said.
G7 environment ministers meeting in Italy had been expected on Tuesday to commit to reducing plastic production, recognizing "that the level of plastic pollution is unsustainable and that its increase is alarming," according to the French delegation.
Peru and Rwanda proposed in a motion in Ottawa cutting plastic production by 40 percent in the next 15 years, in line with Paris agreement climate goals. Plastic production is a significant driver of global warming because most plastic is made from fossil fuels.
The motion was defeated.
Chris Jahn, council secretary of the International Council of Chemical Associations, said the industry is "fully committed to a legally binding agreement" on plastic waste, but one that does not "eliminate the massive societal benefits plastics provide for a healthier and more sustainable world."
Alejandra Parra, from Latin America, called recycling a "false option."
A lot of plastic is not or cannot be recycled, she said. The process of melting plastics into new forms also has drawbacks because it releases toxins and carbon emissions.
Collecting and sorting recyclable plastics is also relatively expensive.

Varieties

Archaeologists Find Unique Weapons Chest on 15th-century Shipwreck

Researchers inspect and document timbers belonging to the ship’s superstructure (Florian Huber)
Researchers inspect and document timbers belonging to the ship’s superstructure (Florian Huber)
TT
TT

Archaeologists Find Unique Weapons Chest on 15th-century Shipwreck

Researchers inspect and document timbers belonging to the ship’s superstructure (Florian Huber)
Researchers inspect and document timbers belonging to the ship’s superstructure (Florian Huber)

Archaeologists have found a unique weapons chest in a sunken 15th-century ship off the coast of Sweden, Britian’s The Independent newspaper reported.

They assessed the remains of the Danish flagship Gribshunden, or Griffin, which caught fire during its voyage to Kalmar in 1495 and sank in the Blekinge archipelago with a hundred German mercenaries onboard, said the report.

While underwater analysis of the ship has been carried out since 2013, much of the weaponry linked to its soldiers has escaped detailed examination.

A new survey has enabled archaeologists to reconstruct and analyze the ship’s superstructure, offering more insights about what the vessel looked like and its military capability. It has also helped identify and document two cannon carriages and a weapons chest onboard the ship.

“It’s an ammunition tool chest, probably belonging to the German mercenaries who were on board at the time of the sinking,” Rolf Warming, who was involved in the survey, said.

“The contents of the weapon chest are undeniably one of the most important finds,” he added. “It contains, among other things, several different molds and lead plates for the manufacture of lead bullets for early handguns.”

Researchers believe studying the ship will help understand the evolution of military technology during an era when primary tactics shifted from hand-to-hand combat to heavy naval artillery fire.

“The ship will therefore also be compared with other important and uniquely preserved wrecks – such as Mars (1564) and Vasa (1628) – in order to understand this development,” The Independent quoted Warming as saying.

Researchers previously found armor fragments scattered at the wreck site, likely from the apparel of crew members.

Varieties

Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron to Go on Display in Lincoln

The Norton Disney dodecahedron. Only 33 of these mysterious objects have been found in the UK. Photograph: Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group
The Norton Disney dodecahedron. Only 33 of these mysterious objects have been found in the UK. Photograph: Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group
TT
TT

Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron to Go on Display in Lincoln

The Norton Disney dodecahedron. Only 33 of these mysterious objects have been found in the UK. Photograph: Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group
The Norton Disney dodecahedron. Only 33 of these mysterious objects have been found in the UK. Photograph: Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group

They are known as one of archaeology’s great enigmas – hollow 12-sided objects from the Roman era with no known purpose or use.

Only 33 of these mysterious dodecahedrons have ever been found in Britain and now one, unearthed during an amateur archaeology dig after 1,700 years underground, is going on public display in Lincoln as part of a history festival.

Found in Norton Disney, near Lincoln, in the summer of 2023, the artefact is one of the largest of its kind ever found, measuring 8cm tall and weighing 254g.

Its excavation was particularly important as it was found where it was placed 1,700 years ago, meaning the site could hold clues as to its purpose. Only three other examples of dodecahedra have been found on archaeological excavations.

Richard Parker, the secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, which found the item, said historians were no closer to finding out what these objects were despite extensive research.

“The imagination races when thinking about what the Romans may have used it for. Magic, rituals or religion – we perhaps may never know,” he told the BBC.

There are no known descriptions or drawings of dodecahedra in Roman literature, making their purpose unclear.

The Norton Disney group said the objects were not of a standard size so were not measuring devices, and they did not show signs of wear so they were not used as tools.

It added that “a huge amount of time, energy and skill was taken to create our dodecahedron, so it was not used for mundane purposes”.

The Norton Disney dodecahedron, made of a copper alloy, is the only example found in the Midlands. It is in excellent condition, with no damage, and finished to a high standard.

Parker said it was found on the top of a hill in a former large pit of some kind and seemed to be deliberately placed there.

The amateur archaeologists who uncovered the object plan to return to the site this summer to try to uncover more clues as to why it was there.

The group was able to only partly excavate the trench where it was found in 2023, along with some fourth-century Roman pottery, owing to time and financial constraints, with the dodecahedron found on the penultimate day of the dig.

They have secured permission to return in 2024 and resume excavation, relying entirely on donations to fund their work.

The Norton Disney dodecahedron has been on display in the National Civil War Centre at Newark Museum in Nottinghamshire, and from Saturday it will be at Lincoln Museum as part of the city’s Festival of History.

Varieties

Heat Wave in Southeast Asia Triggers Health Alerts

People walk with umbrellas during a heatwave in Manila on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
People walk with umbrellas during a heatwave in Manila on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
TT
TT

Heat Wave in Southeast Asia Triggers Health Alerts

People walk with umbrellas during a heatwave in Manila on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
People walk with umbrellas during a heatwave in Manila on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

The Philippines has closed schools down and warned of overloading on its power grid, as authorities across Southeast Asia issued a series of health alerts for a crushing and deadly heat wave, Reuters reported.
The Philippines' country's education ministry cancelled in-person classes at public schools for two days on Sunday.
"We already have reports of high blood pressure and dizziness, and fainting for pupils and teachers in the past days," Benjo Basas, chairperson of Teachers' Dignity Coalition, a group of educators, told DWPM radio station.
Temperatures in the Philippines are forecast to reach 37 degree Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the next three days, with many classrooms crowded and without air conditioning.
The country's weather agency said the heat index - the actual temperature felt by the body to include relative humidity - is expected to remain at a record 45 degrees Celsius (113° Fahrenheit), in the range which it classes as "dangerous" as conditions can trigger heat stroke from prolonged exposure.
The heat wave is also putting pressure on power supplies on the main island of Luzon, which accounts for three-quarters of economic output, with reserves thinning after 13 power plants had shut down earlier this month, the Philippines' grid operator said in a statement.
In Thailand, temperatures are forecast to surpass 40 degrees in Bangkok and the country's central and northern regions with the meteorological agency advising people to avoid being outdoors for extended periods.
Temperatures soared to 44.2 degrees Celsius in the northern city of Lampang on April 22, with the meteorological department saying on Monday it expects the extreme heat will continue this week.
In the past month, 30 people have died from heat stroke, data from Thailand's health ministry showed.
DEHDRATION, HEAT SHOCK
People are seeking respite from the heat in air-conditioned shopping malls in Vietnam's business hub Ho Chi Minh City, state media reported, with the country's national weather agency warning of risks of forest fires, dehydration, and heat shock.
Maximum temperatures measured in several parts of northern and central Vietnam ranged from 40.2 and 44.0 degree Celsius the agency said on Sunday, adding that temperatures won't subside until Wednesday.
Vietnam's state electricity company has also urged consumers to refrain from overworking their air conditioning units, warning that electricity consumption has reached record highs in the recent days.
Malaysia meteorological department issued hot weather warnings on Sunday for 16 areas that have recorded temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees (95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days.
A total of 45 cases of heat-related illnesses have been reported in the country as of April 13, the health ministry said, without specifying when it began tracking the cases. Two deaths due to heat stroke have been reported, the ministry said in a statement.
In the neighboring city state of Singapore, the meteorological service said the country's temperatures could soar higher in 2024 than last year, which was Singapore's fourth-warmest year since records began in 1929.
Singapore's hottest day recorded was May 13 last year when the highest daily maximum temperature hit 37 degrees Celsius, Reuters said.
Since last month some schools have relaxed rules on uniforms to allow students to wear more comfortable physical education attire amid the persistent heat.
Meanwhile, warmer temperatures in Southeast Asia's most populated nation of Indonesia are driving a surge in cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne infection, with cases more than doubling to 35,000 from 15,000 a year earlier, the health ministry has said.
The El Nino weather pattern has prolonged the dry season and hotter temperatures have accelerated the mosquito lifecycle, Indonesian health ministry spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi told state news agency, Antara.

Varieties

Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Showcases Environment-Protection Project at WEF in Riyadh

The project shows Saudi Arabia's successful efforts toward environmental sustainability as part of the Saudi Green Initiative. SPA
The project shows Saudi Arabia's successful efforts toward environmental sustainability as part of the Saudi Green Initiative. SPA
TT
TT

Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Showcases Environment-Protection Project at WEF in Riyadh

The project shows Saudi Arabia's successful efforts toward environmental sustainability as part of the Saudi Green Initiative. SPA
The project shows Saudi Arabia's successful efforts toward environmental sustainability as part of the Saudi Green Initiative. SPA

The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority has highlighted its groundbreaking environment-protection project at the World Economic Forum special meeting held in Riyadh on April 28-29.

The WEF meeting focused on boosting international collaboration, economic growth, and sustainable energy solutions.

The project shows Saudi Arabia's successful efforts toward environmental sustainability as part of the Saudi Green Initiative.

The Rafha-based reserve's project is the largest of its kind for environment monitoring and protection. Using 40 drones, the project significantly improved efficiency in detecting violations like firewood collection and overgrazing. Rangers can now cover a 427 km² area in less than five hours, a 220% improvement compared to the previous 13 hours.

The project also promotes sustainability by reducing reliance on fuel-guzzling vehicles. Two drone models showcased at the WEF meeting contribute to an over 66% reduction in carbon emissions.

The project trained over 100 environment monitors, logging more than 8,000 training hours. The training is a crucial part of the reserve's technical system, which incorporates Internet of Things, AI, and data science.

Varieties

Pair of Giant Pandas Set to Travel from China to San Diego Zoo

This photo released by the San Diego Zoo shows giant panda Yun Chuan on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in the Sichuan province of China. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo via AP)
This photo released by the San Diego Zoo shows giant panda Yun Chuan on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in the Sichuan province of China. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo via AP)
TT
TT

Pair of Giant Pandas Set to Travel from China to San Diego Zoo

This photo released by the San Diego Zoo shows giant panda Yun Chuan on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in the Sichuan province of China. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo via AP)
This photo released by the San Diego Zoo shows giant panda Yun Chuan on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in the Sichuan province of China. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo via AP)

A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the US, where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Monday.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff hasn't been set.
Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who's nearly 5 years old, has “deep connections” to California, the wildlife alliance said. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao, The Associated Press reported.
Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”
“Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special," said Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance's vice president of conservation science. “It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego.”
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.

Varieties

Prince Harry Due in London, then Nigeria with Meghan

Britain's Prince Harry. Reuters file photo
Britain's Prince Harry. Reuters file photo
TT
TT

Prince Harry Due in London, then Nigeria with Meghan

Britain's Prince Harry. Reuters file photo
Britain's Prince Harry. Reuters file photo

Prince Harry will return to Britain to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games in May, before joining his wife Meghan on a visit to Nigeria, his spokesperson said on Sunday.
Harry, the youngest son of King Charles, lives in the United States with Meghan and their two children after he gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.
He has only returned to Britain on a few occasions since his departure from royal life, arriving for major events such as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and his father's coronation in May 2023.
According to Reuters, his spokesperson said Harry would attend a service at St Paul's Cathedral in London on May 8 to celebrate the Invictus Games, the international sporting event that he founded for military personnel wounded in action.
Harry served as a military helicopter pilot in Afghanistan and Invictus organizers said the service was designed to mark "a decade of changing lives and saving lives through sport.”
It will include readings by Harry and the British actor Damian Lewis. Wounded veterans and members of the Invictus community will also attend.
Harry will then be joined in Nigeria by Meghan, a former American actress who is known as the Duchess of Sussex. Harry's spokesperson said the couple had been invited by the country's chief of defense staff, its highest ranking military official.
No further details were given about the trip.
Harry was last seen in Britain in February this year for a brief meeting with his father after the monarch announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
The palace said on Friday that Charles would return to public duties after he made good progress following treatment and a period of recuperation.

Varieties

China Set to Launch High-stakes Mission to Moon's 'Hidden' Side

The Chang'e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination sit atop the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, China April 27, 2024. cnsphoto via REUTERS
The Chang'e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination sit atop the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, China April 27, 2024. cnsphoto via REUTERS
TT
TT

China Set to Launch High-stakes Mission to Moon's 'Hidden' Side

The Chang'e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination sit atop the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, China April 27, 2024. cnsphoto via REUTERS
The Chang'e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination sit atop the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, China April 27, 2024. cnsphoto via REUTERS

China will send a robotic spacecraft in coming days on a round trip to the moon's far side in the first of three technically demanding missions that will pave the way for an inaugural Chinese crewed landing and a base on the lunar south pole, Reuters reported.
Since the first Chang'e mission in 2007, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, China has made leaps forward in its lunar exploration, narrowing the technological chasm with the United States and Russia.
In 2020, China brought back samples from the moon's near side in the first sample retrieval in more than four decades, confirming for the first time it could safely return an uncrewed spacecraft to Earth from the lunar surface.
This week, China is expected to launch Chang'e-6 using the backup spacecraft from the 2020 mission, and collect soil and rocks from the side of the moon that permanently faces away from Earth.
With no direct line of sight with the Earth, Chang'e-6 must rely on a recently deployed relay satellite orbiting the moon during its 53-day mission, including a never-before attempted ascent from the moon's "hidden" side on its return journey home.
The same relay satellite will support the uncrewed Chang'e-7 and 8 missions in 2026 and 2028, respectively, when China starts to explore the south pole for water and build a rudimentary outpost with Russia. China aims to put its astronauts on the moon by 2030.
Beijing's polar plans have worried NASA, whose administrator, Bill Nelson, has repeatedly warned that China would claim any water resources as its own. Beijing says it remains committed to cooperation with all nations on building a "shared" future.
On Chang'e-6, China will carry payloads from France, Italy, Sweden and Pakistan, and on Chang'e-7, payloads from Russia, Switzerland and Thailand.
NASA is banned by US law from any collaboration, direct or indirect, with China.
Under the separate NASA-led Artemis program, US astronauts will land near the south pole in 2026, the first humans on the moon since 1972.
"International cooperation is key (to lunar exploration)," Clive Neal, professor of planetary geology at the University of Notre Dame, told Reuters. "It's just that China and the US aren't cooperating right now. I hope that will happen."

SOUTH POLE AMBITIONS
Chang'e 6 will attempt to land on the northeastern side of the vast South Pole-Aitkin Basin, the oldest known impact crater in the solar system.
The southernmost landing ever was carried out in February by IM-1, a joint mission between NASA and the Texas-based private firm Intuitive Machines.
After touchdown at Malapert A, a site near the south pole that was believed to be relatively flat, the spacecraft tilted sharply to one side amid a host of technical problems, reflecting the high-risk nature of lunar landings.
According to Reuters, the south pole has been described by scientists as the "golden belt" for lunar exploration.
Polar ice could sustain long-term research bases without relying on expensive resources transported from Earth. India's Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008 confirmed the existence of ice inside polar craters.
Chang'e-6's sample return could also shed more light on the early evolution of the moon and the inner solar system.
The lack of volcanic activity on the moon's far side means there are more craters not covered by ancient lava flows, preserving materials from the moon's early formation.
So far, all lunar samples taken by the United States and the former Soviet Union in the 1970s and China in 2020 were from the moon's near side, where volcanism had been far more active.
Chang'e-6, after a successful landing, will collect about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples with a mechanical scoop and a drill.
"If successful, China's Chang'e-6 mission would be a milestone-making event," Leonard David, author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race,” told Reuters. "The robotic reach to the Moon's far side, and bringing specimens back to Earth, helps fill in the blanks about the still-murky origin of our Moon."

Varieties

Saudi Arabia, UNEP Launch World Environment Day Campaigns to Combat Desertification

Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced on Sunday campaigns to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and strengthen drought resilience. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced on Sunday campaigns to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and strengthen drought resilience. (SPA)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia, UNEP Launch World Environment Day Campaigns to Combat Desertification

Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced on Sunday campaigns to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and strengthen drought resilience. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced on Sunday campaigns to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and strengthen drought resilience. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced on Sunday campaigns to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and strengthen drought resilience.

These efforts are ahead of global WED celebrations on June 5 in Riyadh. The announcement was made at the opening of Environment Week 2024 in Riyadh. The campaign will run up to its celebration date.

The inauguration of Environment Week 2024 was announced by Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman Alfadley. Environment Week is an annual event that aims to raise environmental consciousness among individuals and is organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

During the event, Deputy Minister for Environment Dr. Osama Faqeeha emphasized the shared responsibility in addressing land degradation and combating desertification. The responsibility extends to policymakers, the private sector, and civil society organizations globally, working together to restore agricultural areas, rehabilitate land, and tackle desertification and drought.

Dr. Faqeeha noted that during World Environment Day, Saudi Arabia will shed light on the urgent need for global investments in conserving nature, restoring lands, and striving towards sustainability.

He highlighted the importance of uniting national and international efforts to safeguard and rehabilitate ecosystems across the globe, aiming to fulfill sustainable development objectives.

“Without action, 95% of land on earth could be degraded within the next 30 years, which could spell disaster for humanity and the planet,” said Elizabeth Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, during the launch of the global campaign.

“We have seen how previous campaigns have catalyzed climate action across the globe. This year, we are calling on people - from the grassroots to governments – to help tackle the climate and extinction crisis we face by restoring the ground we depend on for survival,” she added.

Countries worldwide have committed to restoring one billion hectares of land, aiming to protect 30% of land and sea for nature and restoring 30% of the planet’s degraded ecosystems. Supporting the 2030 Agenda for a sustainable, resilient world, World Environment Day 2024 will boost climate action efforts by gathering support for ecosystem restoration.