World Registers Hottest Day Ever Recorded on July 21

A worker of the Edhi Foundation sprays cool water on people along a street on a hot day in Karachi, Pakistan, 25 June 2024. EPA/REHAN KHAN
A worker of the Edhi Foundation sprays cool water on people along a street on a hot day in Karachi, Pakistan, 25 June 2024. EPA/REHAN KHAN
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World Registers Hottest Day Ever Recorded on July 21

A worker of the Edhi Foundation sprays cool water on people along a street on a hot day in Karachi, Pakistan, 25 June 2024. EPA/REHAN KHAN
A worker of the Edhi Foundation sprays cool water on people along a street on a hot day in Karachi, Pakistan, 25 June 2024. EPA/REHAN KHAN

Sunday, July 21 was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The global average surface air temperature on Sunday reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit) — slightly higher than the previous record set last July of 17.08 C (62.74 F), Reuters said.
Heatwaves have scorched large swathes of the United States, Europe and Russia over the past week.
Copernicus confirmed to Reuters that the record daily temperature average set last year appeared to have been broken on Sunday.
Last year saw four days in a row break the record, from July 3 through July 6, as climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, drove extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere.
Every month since June 2023 - 13 months in a row - has now ranked as the planet's hottest since records began, compared with the corresponding month in previous years, Copernicus said.
Some scientists have suggested 2024 could outrank 2023 as the hottest year since records began, as climate change and the El Nino natural weather phenomenon — which ended in April — have pushed temperatures ever higher this year.



Saudi Arabia Celebrates Birth of 4 Cheetah Cubs, Unveils Ambitious Conservation Strategy

The birth of the four cheetah cubs coincides with the launch of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy. SPA
The birth of the four cheetah cubs coincides with the launch of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Celebrates Birth of 4 Cheetah Cubs, Unveils Ambitious Conservation Strategy

The birth of the four cheetah cubs coincides with the launch of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy. SPA
The birth of the four cheetah cubs coincides with the launch of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy. SPA

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) has announced a major breakthrough in its Cheetah Conservation Program: the birth of four cheetah cubs, which coincides with the launch of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy that marks a significant milestone for the initiative spearheaded by Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and NCW Board Chairman Eng. Abdulrahman AlFadley last year.

"The official launch of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy, and the announcement of the birth of four cheetah cubs, signifies an important achievement in our conservation efforts,”
NCW CEO Dr. Mohammed Qurban said in a statement.

“This strategy reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for wild cheetahs in their natural habitats in the Kingdom."

Qurban added that the birth of these cubs is especially momentous given the cheetah's absence from the Arabian Peninsula for over four decades.

"Our recent discovery of ancient cheetah mummies in northern Saudi Arabia underscores the region's historical role as a prime cheetah habitat," he said.
Qurban stressed the discovery will fuel the determination to reestablish cheetah populations, "guided by an integrated strategy designed in line with best international practices.”

According to the statement, "the strategy sets ambitious goals for reintroduction through successful captive breeding, strategic site selection, and community engagement in wildlife conservation.”

Rigorous monitoring after the reintroduction aims to ensure the cheetah population's sustainability.
Structured across multiple phases, the strategy's first phase focuses on breeding, habitat conservation, and environmental assessment. Subsequent phases involve experimental releases of captive-bred cheetahs and widespread reintroduction, with population monitoring.
Given the global challenge of cheetah conservation — with only 15% of wild-born cheetahs successfully breeding in captivity, and just 20% of those continuing to produce offspring — Saudi Arabia's achievement in having four cheetah cubs born and launching the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy underscores the Kingdom's commitment to biodiversity preservation, including the protection of endangered species and the ambitious goal of reintroducing previously extinct ones.