Red Sea International Film Festival Announces Baz Luhrmann as Head of Jury for 2023 Editionhttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/4574691-red-sea-international-film-festival-announces-baz-luhrmann-head-jury-2023-edition
Red Sea International Film Festival Announces Baz Luhrmann as Head of Jury for 2023 Edition
The Red Sea International Film Festival has said that internationally renowned writer, director and producer Baz Luhrmann will preside over the festival's Red Sea: Features Competition Jury this year.
The festival's third edition will take place from November 30 to December 9 in Jeddah.
The Red Sea: Features Competition will showcase various films from filmmakers from the Arab region, Asia and Africa.
SPA quoted Luhrmann saying: "After visiting Saudi Arabia, I felt truly inspired by the remarkable young filmmaking talent coming up across the region. It's an honour to be presiding over this year's Red Sea International Film Festival's Jury and to be part of the evolution of change that is happening through cinema across the Arab region, Asia and Africa."
For 2022, the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film was awarded to "Hanging Gardens", directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji.
Decade-long Study Reveals Whale Shark Indonesia Hotspotshttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/5268426-decade-long-study-reveals-whale-shark-indonesia-hotspots
This handout photo by Jonathan Irish for Conservation International taken on March 19, 2023 and released on April 29, 2026 shows a whale shark in the waters off Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua, Indonesia. (Photo by Jonathan Irish / Conservation International / AFP)
Decade-long Study Reveals Whale Shark Indonesia Hotspots
This handout photo by Jonathan Irish for Conservation International taken on March 19, 2023 and released on April 29, 2026 shows a whale shark in the waters off Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua, Indonesia. (Photo by Jonathan Irish / Conservation International / AFP)
A decade-long study tracking dozens of whale sharks off Indonesia's coast has revealed the secrets of their migrations and two hotspots where they gather year-round.
The research published Thursday fills in critical gaps in knowledge about the endangered species, and builds the case for increased protection of the Indonesian bays that the species flocks to, scientists said.
Whale sharks, which are a type of shark, not whale, face threats including pollution, tourism and vessel strikes.
While their speckled skin and stunning size make them instantly recognizable and a tourist draw, little was known about how the species moved between well-established gathering points.
Researchers in Indonesia aimed to change that by tagging Indo-Pacific whale sharks, which represent about 60 percent of the species, and tracing their movements.
Over a decade, they tagged 70 whale sharks at sites in Indonesia. Some were tracked for nearly three years.
"We could actually map or identify many variations of whale shark movement," said Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, the study's lead author.
"The whale sharks that we tagged moved through (waters of) 13 different countries as well as the high seas," he told AFP.
The research, published in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal, also revealed that two bays in Indonesia host whale sharks year-round, rather than seasonally as previously thought.
"This is very unique," said Putra, focal species conservation senior manager at NGO Konservasi Indonesia.
While most "aggregation sites" for whale sharks are believed to be seasonal gathering points, Cenderawasih Bay off Indonesia's Papua province and Saleh Bay in Sumbawa are "like home for them", Putra said.
A combination of protection from predators and high availability of food such as krill make the bays crucial hotspots, with some evidence they may also function as nurseries.
Cenderawasih Bay is already protected as a national park, and its remote location has helped temper mass tourism.
But Saleh Bay is both popular with visitors and in a region with growing corn production on land and aquaculture at sea.
Both these industries can produce pollution -- include pesticide runoff and sedimentation -- that impacts water quality and whale sharks.
Putra noted that Indonesia recorded dozens of whale shark strandings in recent years.
Pollution and interactions with fishing vessels are believed to be among the causes.
Konservasi Indonesia is working with the government to establish the country's first whale shark-specific marine protected area in Saleh Bay, which Putra said he hoped would come into effect this year.
Warsaw’s Celebrity Birds on Perilous Urban Questhttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/5268309-warsaw%E2%80%99s-celebrity-birds-perilous-urban-quest
A common merganser (Mergus merganser) mother nicknamed Janina leads her ducklings from Lazienkowski Park in central Warsaw towards the Vistula River under the watchful eyes of volunteers and city parks department employees on April 28, 2026 in Warsaw, Poland. (AFP)
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Warsaw’s Celebrity Birds on Perilous Urban Quest
A common merganser (Mergus merganser) mother nicknamed Janina leads her ducklings from Lazienkowski Park in central Warsaw towards the Vistula River under the watchful eyes of volunteers and city parks department employees on April 28, 2026 in Warsaw, Poland. (AFP)
Waddling across a Warsaw expressway, a brood of wild sea ducks brought traffic to a halt as volunteers held motorists at bay -- an annual ritual to protect the bustling Polish capital's famous ducklings.
Every spring, dozens of days-old ducklings must make the risky trek from a centrally located park where they hatch to the Vistula river.
Local volunteers are mobilized to help ensure their safe passage, scrambling in hi-vis vests to stop cars and shepherd the birds across one of Warsaw's busiest roads.
Waddling through the city of 1.8 million people, the groups of mergansers -- fish-eating sea ducks -- are led by their silver-feathered mothers, with their distinctive brown head crests.
"We call mergansers ambassadors of Warsaw's wildlife -- or our celebrities," said Barbara Rozalska from the city parks department.
She was speaking over the rumble of the six-lane expressway -- "one of the biggest threats" for the wild birds on their kilometer-long journey.
Rozalska is in charge of coordinating the volunteers, who, through April and May, monitor the park and tree cavities where ducks lay their eggs and the possible routes they may take towards the river.
Around 30 people -- trained by the city's ornithologist -- take turns to stay alert for any sighting of the mergansers.
"It's a bit like being on call at the accident and emergency department -- you get a call and you have to go, no matter if it's at dawn or in the afternoon," Rozalska told AFP.
The array of threats is not limited to road traffic.
"There are seagulls and crows, which can snatch a chick that gets away from its mother for a moment. There are also predatory fish that can drag a chick underwater," she said.
- No honking -
One of the first merganser mums to cross this season took almost 24 hours to make it from the park to the river, testing the patience of the volunteers monitoring their every step and stumble.
That included the 11 hours the birds spent nestled in the roadside greenery, waiting for their moment.
Daria Grzesiek, 38, on duty, called it a "very difficult day" for her team.
"But once she set off and began making her way towards the Vistula... the fatigue was gone. There was only the satisfaction of having successfully guided her safely along the way," Grzesiek told AFP.
The volunteers' job involves asking passersby to keep their distance and put their dogs on a leash.
They also take on the task of explaining to drivers why the traffic needs to be stopped -- normally only for a few minutes.
As their efforts have gained traction and the birds have shot to local fame, there is more understanding among those sat behind the wheel, Grzesiek said.
One person, she recounted, "was getting upset that we stopped traffic".
But "the other drivers simply explained to him that he should calm down -- because mergansers are coming".
Robot Recovers Artifacts From 500-Year-Old Shipwreckhttps://english.aawsat.com/varieties/5268238-robot-recovers-artifacts-500-year-old-shipwreck
This photograph shows a screen displaying live footage of the CAMARA 4 wreck and its cargo, transmitted by the “ROV C 4000”, a remotely operated vehicle manufactured by the French company LD Travocean and designed for seabed exploration, during an archaeological mission on the CAMARA 4 wreck from the bridge of the (BSAA) Jason, off the coast of Ramatuel, in southeastern France on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
Robot Recovers Artifacts From 500-Year-Old Shipwreck
This photograph shows a screen displaying live footage of the CAMARA 4 wreck and its cargo, transmitted by the “ROV C 4000”, a remotely operated vehicle manufactured by the French company LD Travocean and designed for seabed exploration, during an archaeological mission on the CAMARA 4 wreck from the bridge of the (BSAA) Jason, off the coast of Ramatuel, in southeastern France on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
Deep in the Mediterranean Sea off the French coast, the pincer of a remotely guided underwater robot closed around a centuries-old jug resting near the wreck of a 16th-century merchant ship.
A French navy officer identified only as Sebastien, who did not disclose his full identity for security reasons, said handling the site requires extreme precision to avoid damaging the wreck or stirring up sediment that could impair visibility.
According to CBS News, Sebastien is overseeing the first mission in a series of archaeological explorations at what is considered the deepest shipwreck in French territorial waters, located about two hours from the French Riviera.
The shipwreck was discovered by chance last year during a routine military seabed survey off Ramatuelle, near Saint-Tropez. Archaeologists believe the vessel was sailing from northern Italy, carrying ceramics and metal ingots, before sinking.
The French navy has now returned, in cooperation with the culture ministry’s underwater archaeology department, to examine artifacts preserved at a depth of more than 1.5 miles below the surface.
This photograph shows an underwater stereoscopic photogrammetry camera on the articulated arm of the “ROV C 4000,” a remotely operated vehicle manufactured by the French company LD Travocean and designed for seabed exploration, on the deck of the (BSAA) Jason, chartered for an archaeological mission on the wreck of the CAMARA 4 off the coast of Ramatuel, in southeastern France on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
Cannons and Ceramic Jugs on the Seabed
The navy is keeping the wreck’s location confidential, referring to it as “Camarat 4,” despite the fact that reaching it requires advanced technical capabilities due to its depth.
At dawn, a mission vessel arrived at the site carrying a remotely operated underwater robot, along with two large containers serving as field laboratories for marine archaeologists.
The robot, equipped with cameras and claw-like arms, was lowered into the depths via a long cable, while experts monitored its movements on screens.
After about an hour, it began gliding over piles of rounded ceramic jugs scattered across the seabed.
Images transmitted to the surface revealed details of the wreck, including cannons alongside hundreds of jugs and plates decorated with plant motifs, crosses and fish shapes.
The robot captured eight images per second over three hours, enabling the collection of more than 86,000 images, later used to produce a precise three-dimensional model of the site.
Archaeologist Franca Cibecchini said the clarity at that depth was striking: “It was excellent, something you wouldn’t imagine at this depth.” She added that the ship was likely a merchant vessel carrying glazed ceramics from Liguria in northwestern Italy, possibly loaded in the ports of Genoa or Savona.
Earlier surveys had identified two cauldrons, an anchor and six cannons at the site, along with modern debris such as a drinks can and an empty yogurt container visible near the anchor.
Pilots specializing in underwater robots from the French Navy, along with researchers, watch live feeds on screens showing the “ROV C 4000,” a remotely operated vehicle manufactured by the French company LD Travocean and designed for seabed exploration, during an archaeological mission on the wreck of the CAMARA 4 from the bridge of the (BSAA) Jason, off the coast of Ramatuel, in southeastern France, April 7, 2026. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)
Recovering One of the Deepest Finds
Marine Sadania, head of the excavation team, said the findings represent an important source for understanding 16th-century maritime trade, given the limited detailed historical records available.
During the recovery operation, the team carefully guided the robot as it lowered its arm to gently lift a crate, although one ceramic piece broke during the process.
Several jugs and plates were successfully retrieved and later examined in laboratories in Marseille, where initial analysis revealed dark blue lines and multicolored geometric patterns.
Sadania said these items are among the deepest artifacts ever recovered from a shipwreck in France.
The discovery follows the 2019 identification of the submarine La Minerve off Toulon at a depth of about 1.4 miles. The vessel sank in 1968 with 52 sailors aboard.
In a separate development, officials announced the discovery of another 16th-century shipwreck found during military exercises off Sweden’s coast.
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