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Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation
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Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

The Presidency of COP16 Riyadh, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from December 2 to 13, has announced the establishment of a Green Zone and the organization of seven thematic days. This initiative marks a first in the history of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
For the first time, a UNCCD COP will feature a Green Zone and thematic days as part of Saudi Arabia's leadership under its incoming COP16 Presidency. This landmark program reflects the Kingdom's commitment to galvanizing global action to combat land degradation, drought, and desertification, SPA reported.
The Green Zone aims to raise global awareness about land degradation and to connect key decision-makers from the scientific, NGO, political, business, and at-risk communities. The goal is to develop and fund lasting solutions. Thematic days in both the Green and Blue Zones will address key issues, including agri-food systems and finance.
"Land degradation, desertification, and drought affect almost every corner of the planet and every living being on it, from species at risk of extinction to the livelihoods of those impacted by severe drought," said Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency Dr. Osama Faqeeha.
"Saudi Arabia will host the first-ever UNCCD COP16 Green Zone to mobilize the international community and maximize the opportunity during December's conference to deliver lasting global change. Whether you wish to attend as a visitor engaging in critical conversations about land restoration or as an exhibitor showcasing innovation, I encourage people to register and be part of the solution," Dr. Faqeeha added.
The Green and Blue Zones will host seven thematic days designed to foster action and dialogue among key stakeholders. Land Day will spotlight land restoration initiatives and nature-based solutions. The Business for Land Forum will bring together global leaders to discuss the economic imperatives of sustainable land practices. Finance Day will address the financing gap in combating land degradation. A special ministerial dialogue will showcase innovation in Sustainable Land Management financing, tackling the challenge highlighted by the UN Environment Program: $7 trillion is invested annually in activities that harm nature, equivalent to 7 percent of global GDP. Governance Day will focus on improving women's land rights and addressing pressing policy issues surrounding land tenure and resource governance. Agri-Food Systems Day will explore food security, crop resilience, and sustainable farming practices. Resilience Day will address water scarcity, drought resilience, and early warning systems for sand and dust storms. People's Day will feature a youth caucus addressing the critical role of young people, a gender caucus, and discussions about increasing the participation of at-risk groups. According to UNCCD, one billion people under the age of 25 live in regions heavily dependent on land and natural resources for livelihoods.
Science, Technology, and Innovation Day will emphasize the role of science in land restoration and prevention of further degradation. This day will nurture long-term solutions, ensure synergies with climate and biodiversity fields, and address research and funding gaps.

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Massive Winter Storm Across the US Brings Ice, Frigid Temperatures

A person walks across a street during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A person walks across a street during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Massive Winter Storm Across the US Brings Ice, Frigid Temperatures

A person walks across a street during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A person walks across a street during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A massive winter storm continued Sunday morning, dumping sleet, freezing rain and snow across the South and up through New England, bringing frigid temperatures, widespread power outages and treacherous road conditions.

The ice and snowfall were expected to continue through Monday in much of the country, followed by very low temperatures, causing “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” to linger for several days, the National Weather Service said.

Heavy snow was forecast from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, while “catastrophic ice accumulation” threatened from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, The AP news reported.

“It is a unique storm in the sense that it is so widespread," weather service meteorologist Allison Santorelli said in a phone interview. "It was affecting areas all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England, so we’re talking like a 2,000 mile spread.”

As of Sunday morning, about 213 million people were under some sort of winter weather warning, she said. The number of customers without power was approaching 800,000, according to poweroutage.us, and the number was rising.

Tennessee was hardest hit with more than a quarter of a million customers out, and Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi all had more than 100,000 customers in the dark.

More than 10,000 flights had already been canceled Sunday and another 8,000 have been delayed, according to the flight tracker flightaware.com. The biggest hubs hit so far were in Philadelphia, Washington, Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, New York and New Jersey.

Even once the ice and snow stop falling, the danger will continue, Santorelli warned.

“Behind the storm it’s just going to get bitterly cold across basically the entirety of the eastern two-thirds of the nation, east of the Rockies," she said. That means the ice and snow won't melt as fast, which could hinder some efforts to restore power and other infrastructure.

President Donald Trump had approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states by Saturday, with more expected to come. The Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioned commodities, staff and search and rescue teams in numerous states, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

Nashville and the surrounding area was seeing ice accumulations of half an inch or more, with icicles hanging from power lines and overburdened tree limbs crashing to the ground.

"We typically say that once you start seeing, you know, roughly a half an inch of ice, that’s when you’re going to start seeing the more widespread power outages,” Santorelli said.

In Oxford, Mississippi, police on Sunday morning used social media to tell residents to stay home as the danger of being outside was too great. Local utility crews were also pulled from their jobs during the overnight hours.

“Due to life-threatening conditions, Oxford Utilities has made the difficult decision to pull our crews off the road for the night,” the utility company posted on Facebook early Sunday.

“The situation is currently too dangerous to continue,” it said. “Trees are actively snapping and falling around our linemen while they are in the bucket trucks. We simply cannot clear the lines faster than the limbs are falling.”

Icy roads also made travel dangerous in north Georgia.

“You know it's bad when Waffle House is closed!!!” the Cherokee County Sheriff's office posted on Facebook with a photo of a shuttered restaurant. Whether the chain's restaurants are open — known as the Waffle House Index — has become an informal way to gauge the severity of weather disasters across the South.

Varieties

Saudi Media Forum Signs Partnership Agreement with Expo 2030 Riyadh as 'Partner of the Future'

Saudi Media Forum Signs Partnership Agreement with Expo 2030 Riyadh as 'Partner of the Future'
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Saudi Media Forum Signs Partnership Agreement with Expo 2030 Riyadh as 'Partner of the Future'

Saudi Media Forum Signs Partnership Agreement with Expo 2030 Riyadh as 'Partner of the Future'

The Saudi Media Forum has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, naming it the “Partner of the Future” for the forum’s fifth edition, scheduled to take place in Riyadh from February 2 to 4.

The partnership reflects a shared vision to enhance the Kingdom’s global image and highlight Expo 2030 Riyadh as one of the nation’s most ambitious projects aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

Under the agreement, both parties will leverage the forum's position as a leading platform for media professionals, content creators, and opinion leaders to showcase Expo 2030 Riyadh’s narrative, milestones, and future outlook.

The collaboration also includes developing high-quality media content and joint initiatives to strengthen the Expo’s local and international presence, reflecting the Kingdom’s ambitions and its growing role in shaping the future of media and global development.

The Saudi Media Forum is a premier annual gathering of media professionals and decision-makers, aimed at exploring challenges and opportunities shaping the industry locally and regionally. Held under the theme “Media in a World in the Making,” the forum brings together prominent media figures and leaders to discuss key trends and issues facing the sector in a rapidly evolving global landscape, SPA reported.

The fifth edition of the forum will feature more than 150 dialogue sessions and over 300 speakers, positioning it as a landmark event in a year of media transformation. The event reflects the Kingdom’s dynamic cultural and developmental momentum, marked by a growing calendar of specialized events and an openness to global engagement.

As part of the partnership, Expo 2030 Riyadh Company will participate in the forum, presenting its key objectives and latest developments, and highlighting its journey from vision to reality, enhancing its local and international presence and solidifying its position as an ambitious national project embodying the Kingdom's vision for the future.

Varieties

Belgian Police Tracking the Crooks Who Would Be King

King Philippe of Belgium arrives at a New Year reception hosted by him and Queen Mathilde of Belgium for the Permanent Representatives and Heads of Mission to the North Atlantic Council, members of the International Secretariat, Military Representatives to NATO, and General Officers of SHAPE, at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, 15 January 2026. (EPA)
King Philippe of Belgium arrives at a New Year reception hosted by him and Queen Mathilde of Belgium for the Permanent Representatives and Heads of Mission to the North Atlantic Council, members of the International Secretariat, Military Representatives to NATO, and General Officers of SHAPE, at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, 15 January 2026. (EPA)
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Belgian Police Tracking the Crooks Who Would Be King

King Philippe of Belgium arrives at a New Year reception hosted by him and Queen Mathilde of Belgium for the Permanent Representatives and Heads of Mission to the North Atlantic Council, members of the International Secretariat, Military Representatives to NATO, and General Officers of SHAPE, at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, 15 January 2026. (EPA)
King Philippe of Belgium arrives at a New Year reception hosted by him and Queen Mathilde of Belgium for the Permanent Representatives and Heads of Mission to the North Atlantic Council, members of the International Secretariat, Military Representatives to NATO, and General Officers of SHAPE, at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, 15 January 2026. (EPA)

A band of crooks have been passing themselves as Belgian royalty over the past year to get money out of foreign dignitaries and business leaders, Belgian investigators said Saturday.
The gang has used emails, phone calls and fake videos generated by artificial intelligence to set their traps, federal prosecutors said Saturday.
The as-yet unidentified gang has been operating since early 2025, using phone calls and the WhatsApp messaging to pass themselves off as King Philippe or key members of his staff in their attempts to talk people out of their money.
They choose their targets based on their possible links to the royal family, said prosecutors.
"Fortunately, most victims quickly caught on to the deception," said the prosecutors office in a statement.
In one case, however, the gang did manage to get a person to transfer a sum of money, they added.
As well as foreigners and business leaders, the gang also tried their luck with Belgian families close to the country's royals.
Then in a fresh wave of activity this month, they sent out invitations to Belgian business executives for a video interview, trying to pass themselves off as the king.
"The images in this video interview were probably generated by artificial intelligence," said prosecutors.
Some executives were honored with invitations to entirely fictitious gala dinners, with requests to pay sponsorship fees for the nonexistent event.
Federal prosecutors said they were investigating the attempted frauds with the help of specialist teams in the federal police.