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Arabian Leopard Fund Launches Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program

The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)
The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)
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Arabian Leopard Fund Launches Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program

The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)
The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)

The Arabian Leopard Fund, in partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), launched on Wednesday the Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program, which aligns with the AlUla Scholarship Program.

The program launch event was held at the new headquarters of the Arabian Leopard Fund in Riyadh.

The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard.

The launch of the Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program follows the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard recognized by the United Nations, which was officially celebrated on February 10.

As part of the fund's commitment to developing human resources, it has initiated a five-year partnership with the British Durrell Conservation Academy. Under this collaboration, the fund fully sponsors participants enrolled in the Durrell Conservation Academy's DESMAN (Durrell Endangered Species Management) Program.

Additionally, another significant partnership has been forged with the RCU to design a specialized training program. This program focuses on acquiring skills related to the conservation of Arabian leopards and the effective management of captive breeding programs.

The newly launched scholarship program complements the Arabian Leopard Grants for research and initiatives for individuals and organizations. The grants include several domains such as zoology, environmental protection, nature conservation, veterinary medicine, biology, economics, and sociology.

The RCU established the Arabian Leopard Fund upon a royal decree and with an initial funding of $25 million to support Arabian Leopard conservation efforts regionally and globally, after observing the sharp decline in the number of Arabian Leopards, which was considered as “critically endangered”, according to the classification of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Kingdom’s commitment to preserving the species of Arabian leopard confirms its eagerness to protect biodiversity and the natural environment, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, as the fund, through its programs and initiatives, plays a pivotal role in mobilizing global efforts to reduce the extinction of big cats and restore environmental balance in the region.

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India Learns to Live with Hotter Summers

Herdsman Sawai Singh Bhati (C) sits under the shade of a tree in 44 degrees Celsius temperatures, near his house in Sanwata village, Rajasthan. Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP
Herdsman Sawai Singh Bhati (C) sits under the shade of a tree in 44 degrees Celsius temperatures, near his house in Sanwata village, Rajasthan. Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP
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India Learns to Live with Hotter Summers

Herdsman Sawai Singh Bhati (C) sits under the shade of a tree in 44 degrees Celsius temperatures, near his house in Sanwata village, Rajasthan. Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP
Herdsman Sawai Singh Bhati (C) sits under the shade of a tree in 44 degrees Celsius temperatures, near his house in Sanwata village, Rajasthan. Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP

On India's hot plains, scorching summers have become increasingly harder to endure, requiring adaptations and forcing life into the hours of dark before the sun turns punishing.

"We try to adjust, but the traditional ways to combat heat are not working," said 26-year-old herdsman Sawai Bhati Singh, who lives outside the desert city of Jaisalmer, in the western state of Rajasthan.

"Every year the heat is increasing."

His home, made of thick stone blocks with few windows, helps keep some of the furnace-like heat out. But temperatures inside are still stifling.

The South Asian country is no stranger to scorching summers, but years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense, AFP said.

Temperatures in Singh's village of Sanwata hit 45C in early June, as is often during the summer. The highest temperature recorded in the area has been 49C.

Singh is worried about the health of his two young sons, aged two and four, playing barefoot in the dust.

In a separate kitchen hut with a thatched roof for ventilation, his wife and mother struggle as they cook on a wood fire.

Water is drawn from a nearby well and cooled in bottles wrapped in woven jute string, using evaporation to lower the temperature.

Singh's herd of goats and cattle struggles too.

"They stay in the shade," he said. "The heat impacts the eating, and that lowers their milk."

But temperatures are becoming harder to endure. The family bought their first air cooler, which uses wet fibers, last year.

"We never needed it before, but last year was hot, so we bought one," he said. "Now we have two."

A world away, along the lush green banks of the Yamuna river floodplains near the capital, New Delhi, farmer Bhole Shankar faces a different version of the same crisis.

New Delhi hit 46.5C this summer, still below the sizzling 49.9C record measured in 2024.

"Living on the floodplain feels cooler than being stuck in the middle of houses," 36-year-old Shankar said, standing outside a hut made of plastic sheeting on bamboo poles. "But on some days, day and night feel the same."

Shankar, his wife and their three sons, aged between nine and 16, live beneath the city's power lines -- but their hut is not connected. A solar panel provides enough power to run a small fan, pushing hot air.

The family shifts its routine, working in the fields before dawn, resting in the shade during the fiercest heat, and returning to check crops towards dusk.

The family roll up the tent's plastic wall and sleep on traditional rope-lattice beds, which both allow air to circulate.

"Each passing year feels hotter," he said. "We try to keep in the shade, but when you are a farmer, that's hard."

Varieties

Kaaba Kiswa Changing Ceremony Completed in Three Hours

This year's ceremony reflected the accumulation of national expertise and the year-over-year development of operational efficiency. (SPA)
This year's ceremony reflected the accumulation of national expertise and the year-over-year development of operational efficiency. (SPA)
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Kaaba Kiswa Changing Ceremony Completed in Three Hours

This year's ceremony reflected the accumulation of national expertise and the year-over-year development of operational efficiency. (SPA)
This year's ceremony reflected the accumulation of national expertise and the year-over-year development of operational efficiency. (SPA)

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque completed on Wednesday the Kaaba Kiswa changing ceremony for the Hijri year 1448 in just three hours.

The operational achievement reflects high readiness and advanced national expertise in managing one of the most precise technical and organizational operations associated with the Holy Kaaba, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The achievement underscores the professionalism and capability of Saudi expertise in managing precise specialized operations. (SPA)

This year's ceremony reflected the accumulation of national expertise and the year-over-year development of operational efficiency, with continuous improvement efforts shortening execution time while maintaining performance quality and procedural safety according to the highest technical and organizational standards.

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque completed the Kaaba Kiswa changing ceremony in three hours. (SPA)

The achievement underscores the professionalism and capability of Saudi expertise in managing precise specialized operations, reflecting the wise leadership's care for the Two Holy Mosques and all matters related to their service.

Varieties

Merlin the Duck: From Mexico City Streets to World Cup Stardom

Merlin, a duck, wearing a Mexico national football team ('El Tri') jersey that shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue went viral following the FIFA 2026 match between Mexico and South Africa, walks in Alameda Central in Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)
Merlin, a duck, wearing a Mexico national football team ('El Tri') jersey that shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue went viral following the FIFA 2026 match between Mexico and South Africa, walks in Alameda Central in Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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Merlin the Duck: From Mexico City Streets to World Cup Stardom

Merlin, a duck, wearing a Mexico national football team ('El Tri') jersey that shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue went viral following the FIFA 2026 match between Mexico and South Africa, walks in Alameda Central in Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)
Merlin, a duck, wearing a Mexico national football team ('El Tri') jersey that shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue went viral following the FIFA 2026 match between Mexico and South Africa, walks in Alameda Central in Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)

A domesticated ‌duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom duck socks, has waddled his way into the hearts of football fans, becoming an unlikely unofficial mascot for the country's World Cup campaign.

Merlin's fame was ignited during street celebrations following the co-hosts' 2-0 victory over South Africa in last week's World Cup opening game.

As fans gathered to cheer Mexico's goals, the dressed-up duck wandered among the crowds on the capital's busy Reforma Avenue.

Onlookers recorded ‌the surprising scene ‌on their cell phones and the ‌footage ⁠immediately went viral ⁠online, with fans demanding Merlin be the new official Mexican mascot during the World Cup.

"We are very respectful," said his owner, street merchant Karla Gomez. "We respect the (Mexico City mascot) axolotl as much as the (FIFA) jaguar. We don't like controversy, honestly."

Gomez, who usually sells beverages in ⁠Mexico City's streets with her son Christian and ‌her duck, thought they ‌had not been noticed.

Christian Gomez poses with Merlin, a duck, wearing a Mexico national football team ('El Tri') jersey, that shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue went viral following the FIFA 2026 match between Mexico and South Africa, at Chinatown in Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)

"It was a normal day for us," ‌she said. "We thought we were passing by unnoticed, because ‌obviously we never thought Merlin would have that boom."

Now, Gomez proudly embraces her role in the duck's newfound stardom. Fans frequently stop the family to take selfies with the feathered ‌supporter, who can also be seen cooling off in public fountains.

"I'm Merlin's mum. I ⁠already consider ⁠myself as such," Gomez said. "For us it has been a surprise, truly. The fact that Merlin is the unofficial mascot of the World Cup ... we feel very pleased about such a situation and above all that people love my duck."

Channeling the spirit of Paul the Octopus, Merlin recently tried his beak at match predictions, choosing Mexico over South Korea when presented with both flags.

Mexico meet South Korea on Thursday in Group A before facing the Czech Republic on June 24.