عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Twin Endangered Arabian Sand Gazelles Born at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
TT
TT

Twin Endangered Arabian Sand Gazelles Born at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles, marking the 84th birth of Arabian gazelles within the reserve, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The milestone highlights the authority’s efforts to safeguard wildlife and create a thriving environment for their growth and reproduction.

The authority emphasized that the successful reproduction of these animals reflects the quality and suitability of the natural habitats within the reserve. This success is part of ongoing efforts to preserve endangered species. The reserve has recorded more than 120 mammal births, including oryx, Arabian sand gazelles, and ibex, in its protected areas.

The milestone highlights the authority’s efforts to safeguard wildlife and create a thriving environment for their growth and reproduction. (SPA)

These achievements demonstrate the authority’s dedication to wildlife conservation, evidenced by the release of various endangered species and the creation of tailored environments to support each species. The field team conducts rigorous and regular monitoring to protect these animals and ensure their safety.

Spanning an impressive 130,700 square kilometers, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve is the largest natural wildlife reserve in the Middle East. It covers four administrative regions: Al-Jawf, Hail, the Northern Borders, and Tabuk. The reserve boasts diverse natural habitats, varied terrain, and unique geographical formations.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

January Was Fifth Hottest on Record despite Cold Snap

This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)
This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)
TT
TT

January Was Fifth Hottest on Record despite Cold Snap

This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)
This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)

The planet experienced its fifth-hottest January on record despite a cold snap that swept across the United States and Europe, the EU's climate monitor said Tuesday.

The Northern Hemisphere was hit by severe cold waves in the final weeks of January as a polar jet stream blew icy air into Europe and North America, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

But monthly temperatures were above average over much of the globe, including in large parts of the Arctic and western North America, according to Copernicus.

"January 2026 delivered a stark reminder that the climate system can sometimes simultaneously deliver very cold weather in one region, and extreme heat in another," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

The average global temperature in January was 1.47C above preindustrial times.

Europe endured its coldest January since 2010, with an average temperature of 2.34C, the service said.

The United States, meanwhile, was hit by a monster winter storm that dumped snow and crippling ice from New Mexico to Maine. It was linked to more than 100 deaths.

The planet remains in an extended run of human-driven warming, with 2024 setting a record high, 2023 ranking second 2025 now third warmest.

Varieties

Beirut's 'Mother of Cats' Who Rescues Felines

Diana Abadi, known as "the mother of cats," sits with felines waiting for adoption at her small pet food and plant shop in Hadath, in Beirut's southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh, in Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Diana Abadi, known as "the mother of cats," sits with felines waiting for adoption at her small pet food and plant shop in Hadath, in Beirut's southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh, in Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
TT
TT

Beirut's 'Mother of Cats' Who Rescues Felines

Diana Abadi, known as "the mother of cats," sits with felines waiting for adoption at her small pet food and plant shop in Hadath, in Beirut's southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh, in Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Diana Abadi, known as "the mother of cats," sits with felines waiting for adoption at her small pet food and plant shop in Hadath, in Beirut's southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh, in Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Diana Abadi is known in the southern suburbs of Beirut as the “Mother of Cats.”

For the past 12 years, she has turned her home and shop into a refuge for abandoned felines who now number between 50 and 70, and she often sleeps beside the cats as she cares for them full time.

Abadi began by taking in a single kitten.

Word spread, and residents started bringing her injured and unwanted animals, especially during periods of crisis. At its peak, the shelter housed more than 150 cats, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent Israel-Hezbollah war, when fear and displacement led many people to abandon their pets.

Her plant and pet food shop in the southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh serves as both her livelihood and the cats’ shelter. Among those currently in her care are Joujou, 13, the oldest, as well as cats named Loulou, Fluffy, Emma and Panda.

One of the most challenging cases involves a cat that was completely blind when abandoned. A woman offered to cover the animal’s expenses if Abadi would take him in. After months of treatment, the cat has partially regained vision in one eye.

Social media has recently helped improve adoption rates, reducing the number of cats under Abadi's care. Rising costs, however, threaten the shelter’s future. Monthly rent has climbed to $800, up from $250 before the war, forcing Abadi to cover most expenses herself.

“These are living beings,” she said. “I don’t take holidays or Sundays off.”

Varieties

Face of 400-Year-Old 'Vampire' Recreated

Scientists have given a face to a decapitated skull which was uncovered in Croatia. (Croatia’s excavation team)
Scientists have given a face to a decapitated skull which was uncovered in Croatia. (Croatia’s excavation team)
TT
TT

Face of 400-Year-Old 'Vampire' Recreated

Scientists have given a face to a decapitated skull which was uncovered in Croatia. (Croatia’s excavation team)
Scientists have given a face to a decapitated skull which was uncovered in Croatia. (Croatia’s excavation team)

The face of a "vampire", whose remains were posthumously mutilated to prevent them from rising from the dead, can be seen for the first time in more than 400 years, reported Sky News.

Discovered in a grave at Racesa, a fortress in eastern Croatia, the body had been exhumed, beheaded and reburied face down beneath heavy stones.

And since the desecration cannot be explained by environmental factors, experts believe it was done to stop the dead man returning as a vampire.

Now the face of the deceased can be seen for the first time in centuries, after scientists rebuilt his likeness from his skull.

Archaeologist Natasa Sarkic, part of the excavation team, said the fear inspired by the man in death may stem from the fear he inspired in life.

She said: “Bioarchaeological analysis showed that this man often participated in violent conflicts, and died a violent death. He experienced at least three episodes of serious interpersonal violence during his lifetime.”

“One of those attacks left his face disfigured, which could cause fear and repulsion, leading to social exclusion. Before even recovering from the penultimate trauma, he sustained a final fatal attack,” she revealed.

“Individuals who died violently, behaved violently in life, or were considered sinful or socially deviant, were believed to be at risk of becoming vampires,” she continued.

“He may have been regarded as a 'vampire', or a supernatural threat due to his facial disfigurement and his marginal lifestyle, characterized by repeated interpersonal violence,” Sarkic explained.

She said such beings were thought to be restless, vengeful, and capable of harming the living, spreading disease and killing people or livestock.

Sarkic said that, in the Slavic tradition, the soul remains attached to the body for about 40 days after death.