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Saudi Arabia Marks World Environment Day, Urges Global Action on Plastic Pollution

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia Marks World Environment Day, Urges Global Action on Plastic Pollution

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture reiterated on Thursday the Kingdom's unwavering commitment to environmental protection, the preservation and sustainability of natural resources, and the rehabilitation of ecosystems.

It also stressed the critical need to mobilize national and international efforts to reduce environmental pollution worldwide, aligning with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, annually observed on June 5, the ministry underscored the grave threat posed by plastic pollution, which has escalated into a widespread global crisis.

United Nations statistics reveal that over 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide, yet the recycling rate for this immense volume does not exceed 10%. This alarming statistic highlights the severe harm inflicted upon marine life and the alarming entry of microplastic particles from plastic waste into the food chain within seas and oceans.

The world celebrates World Environment Day with this year's theme being "Beat Plastic Pollution," which emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about tackling plastic pollution and fostering enhanced cooperation between the government sector and local communities. The goal is to encourage the adoption of sustainable environmental practices that will lead to a healthy, pollution-free future.

The ministry said that the Kingdom has made tangible progress in aligning its national environmental policies and plans with global developments. It has launched several pioneering environmental initiatives, both locally and internationally, including the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative.

Additionally, numerous national programs and initiatives are in place to enhance community awareness of the importance of environmental conservation through the adoption of sound practices.

The Kingdom also annually organizes the "Environment Week" event across all its regions to contribute to raising the level of community participation in environmental programs and practices, reflecting the profound concern for environmental issues within Saudi society.

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Varieties

Hailstorm Kills Emu at Missouri zoo, Damages Hundreds of Vehicles

This undated photo provided by Dickerson Park Zoo on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, shows an emu named Adam at the zoo in Springfield, Mo. (Samantha Marshall/Dickerson Park Zoo via AP)
This undated photo provided by Dickerson Park Zoo on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, shows an emu named Adam at the zoo in Springfield, Mo. (Samantha Marshall/Dickerson Park Zoo via AP)
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Hailstorm Kills Emu at Missouri zoo, Damages Hundreds of Vehicles

This undated photo provided by Dickerson Park Zoo on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, shows an emu named Adam at the zoo in Springfield, Mo. (Samantha Marshall/Dickerson Park Zoo via AP)
This undated photo provided by Dickerson Park Zoo on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, shows an emu named Adam at the zoo in Springfield, Mo. (Samantha Marshall/Dickerson Park Zoo via AP)

Glass shards flew everywhere as Eric Gockel waited out one of the worst hailstorms to hit the US State of Missouri.

One of the softball-size hunks of ice that hit the Springfield area on Tuesday measured 4.75 inches (12 centimeters). The hail killed an emu at the zoo, injured some drivers, knocked out power to thousands and damaged hundreds of vehicles and even some aircraft.

“I feel blessed that I came out unscathed,” Gockel, whose windshield was battered as he waited in his car along the side of a highway for the storm to pass, said Wednesday.

Severe spring weather is plaguing the South and Midwest, and emergency management officials said the hailstorm was Springfield's worst in history, although it falls short of a state record.

Mark Burchfield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield, said that distinction goes to the 6-inch (15.2-centimeter) hail recorded in 2004 near the town of Maryville.

“It's very rare,” he said of the Springfield storm. “This was a supercell thunderstorm that was able to really have a lot of wind shear with it and a lot of energy that allowed the hailstone to stay up aloft for a lot longer.”

At the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, staff tried to move animals inside, including Adam, a 21-year-old female emu. But an emu’s natural behavior is to lie down and take cover, spokesperson Joey Powell said in an email to The Associated Press.

Adam died from head trauma. And Oscar, a 17-year-old type of flightless bird called a rhea, was injured by the hail but was receiving pain medication and doing well Wednesday morning, as the zoo remained closed.

This photo provided by Dickerson Park Zoo shows hail damage sustained by the zoo Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Springfield, Mo. (Dickerson Park Zoo via AP)

Some of the worst damage was recorded at the Springfield-Branson National Airport, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) northwest of the city center.

Dozens of flights were delayed or canceled, and hundreds of vehicles had windshields or sunroofs busted out, said Ren Luebbering, the airport public information officer.

Some passengers had to be bused around 100 miles (160 kilometers) away to the airport in Bentonville, Arkansas, because rental cars were damaged.

Luebbering said airport staff spent three hours covering the most badly damaged vehicles with donated tarps.

“We think we put 300 or 400 tarps out there on cars,” Luebbering said. The airport warned online: “Expect damage to your vehicle.”

Nicolette Zangara, a spokesperson for the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management, said she had a bad feeling early on.

“You could just tell from what we were seeing on radar that the hail was growing in size,” Zangara said. “And then we started getting pictures from some of our neighboring counties, some of the hail that they were getting. And from that moment we knew it was going to be a bad storm.”

She said a few people called 911 to report being injured when the hail smashed their windshield, but she didn’t have exact numbers. She said the worst of the damage appears to be to vehicles. She said her car is so dented that it resembles the surface of a golf ball.

“It just seems like the last week of April is kind of cursed for our area,” she said, noting the area was hit hard a year ago by spring storms.

Ever since the hail hit, Gockel has been submitting insurance claims. The gutters on his house were “blown to smithereens” and a crew is headed out to evaluate how his roof held up.

He runs a pizza business and a food truck was damaged, along with work trucks and his teen daughter's first car, which he bought her around a month ago.

Gockel is used to storm warnings. Normally, he responds to them by standing on the front porch and watching, rather than taking cover.

“Rarely does anything crazy come to fruition,” he said. “This is the first time that I really feel like the actual event lived up to the warning."

Varieties

Australia's 'Most Beautiful' Street Fed Up with Viral Fame

This picture taken on April 27, 2026 shows tourists visiting a street in Gerringong, about a two-hour drive south of Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)
This picture taken on April 27, 2026 shows tourists visiting a street in Gerringong, about a two-hour drive south of Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)
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Australia's 'Most Beautiful' Street Fed Up with Viral Fame

This picture taken on April 27, 2026 shows tourists visiting a street in Gerringong, about a two-hour drive south of Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)
This picture taken on April 27, 2026 shows tourists visiting a street in Gerringong, about a two-hour drive south of Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country's "most beautiful" have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town -- and locals have had enough of it.

Just a two-hour drive south of Sydney, Gerringong is much like many other photogenic hamlets along Australia's east coast, with multi-million-dollar properties set against stunning views of the azure blue sea.

But recent posts on Instagram, TikTok and as far afield as China's RedNote showing the town's Tasman Drive have left residents fuming that their little slice of paradise has turned into an internet sensation.

"It's getting beyond a joke for a small country town," Peter Hainsworth, 81, told AFP as tourists frolicked on the rolling hills nearby.

"You've got people who are trying to do three-point turns, they're standing in the middle of the road taking photographs, they're leaving their rubbish.

"Everyone's fed up."

Nearby, tourists posed in the middle of the road for selfies to the fury of a sweary local resident on a bicycle who declined to speak to AFP.

Overtourism concerns have sparked backlash in many hotspots worldwide, from European cities Barcelona and Venice to Japan -- where officials erected a barrier to block a popular view of Mount Fuji in 2024 because of the disruptive behavior of unruly tourists.

Some Gerringong residents have resorted to extreme measures, turning on garden sprinklers to prevent tourists from taking pictures on their lawns.

Others are setting up a committee to demand the road be declared a one-way street -- a bid to halt the seemingly endless stream of cars slowing to a halt as they film the viral view.

One neighbor reportedly sold their house to escape the furor.

"It's nice to see people enjoying it, but really, it's just getting a bit too much," resident Linda Bruce, 76, told AFP on a hill next to the viral view.

"It's just so weird to see so many people coming all this way for the view."

Thanks to the massive reach of the posts, which have racked up millions of views, tourists have come from across Asia -- an "unusual" sight in Gerringong, Bruce said.

"I mean, it's an amazing country, and it's there to share... it's just a bit much for the locals."

Some of the tourists have had less far to travel.

Sagar Munjal, a 28-year-old taxi driver living in Parramatta, near Sydney, drove down with friends to see the view after spotting it on Instagram.

"My eyes were totally stunned," he said.

"You can enjoy the coastal drive with the beach plus beautiful mountains."

"I was amazed to see that."

Andy Liao, a property developer originally from Chengdu, China who now lives in Sydney, told AFP he and his family had driven down after seeing the street on RedNote.

"The landscape is so beautiful," he said. "That's why I drove two hours."

But Andy said he understood why locals might be annoyed with the attention.

"If I'm living here, I don't want too many people coming to my backyard."

This picture taken on April 27, 2026 shows tourists taking photos on a street in Gerringong, about a two-hour drive south of Sydney. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

Others were less sympathetic to the residents' plight.

Kevin Medina, a 22-year-old cook from Colombia, provoked a string of expletives from one local when he took selfies on the roadside.

"They should be really happy, because are they getting more people to know this beautiful place."

Chief among the locals' complaints is that the tourists are not spending money in the area -- they simply show up, snap their selfies and leave.

Deputy mayor and local business owner Melissa Matters told AFP the financial impact was mixed.

"Some businesses are experiencing not a lot of uptake," but others "are doing quite well out of it", she said.

And while many residents had moved down from the big city seeking a quiet life, Matters said Gerringong was hardly a stranger to outsiders.

"We've always been about tourism here."

Back on Tasman Drive, tourists excitedly posed for pictures next to a speed bump sign as a grumbling resident glared at them.

"You sort of wonder, why are they doing this?" Bruce said.

"Is it because they really, really love the area and think it's so wonderful to see the view, or are they just ticking off another box on their to-do list?"

Varieties

Boat Carrying Stranded Whale 'Timmy' Reaches Denmark

Aerial photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows the rescued humpback whale in a special barge along the Danish coastline enroute back to the North Sea after it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck, in late March. (Photo by Philip Dulian / dpa / AFP)
Aerial photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows the rescued humpback whale in a special barge along the Danish coastline enroute back to the North Sea after it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck, in late March. (Photo by Philip Dulian / dpa / AFP)
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Boat Carrying Stranded Whale 'Timmy' Reaches Denmark

Aerial photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows the rescued humpback whale in a special barge along the Danish coastline enroute back to the North Sea after it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck, in late March. (Photo by Philip Dulian / dpa / AFP)
Aerial photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows the rescued humpback whale in a special barge along the Danish coastline enroute back to the North Sea after it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck, in late March. (Photo by Philip Dulian / dpa / AFP)

A special barge carrying a humpback whale that was stranded in Germany had entered Danish waters by Wednesday afternoon and is expected to reach the North Sea in two days, local officials said.

The whale, dubbed "Timmy" by German media, was coaxed into the vessel in a last-ditch rescue attempt on Tuesday after a weeks-long struggle for survival on the Baltic Sea coast.

The ship Fortuna B, which is towing the barge, was located between the islands of Langeland and Lolland in southeastern Denmark at around 1400 GMT, according to the VesselFinder website.

"If everything goes well, he'll be in the North Sea in two days. The very worst is already behind him now," Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, told the Bild daily.

Speaking to reporters on the island of Poel, where the whale was most recently stranded, Backhaus said the animal was "doing well" and had made sounds during the night, AFP reported.

Backhaus thanked rescuers for their "wonderful" effort in "an exceptional situation that is hardly comparable anywhere in the world in this form".

The whale had been struggling for more than a month around the German coast, getting stuck on sandbanks and then managing to free itself again several times.

At the start of April, officials gave up on trying to rescue the animal, saying they believed it could not be saved.

But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to approve a privately financed rescue plan proposed by two wealthy entrepreneurs.

The barge idea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.

The rescue effort was seen as a long shot and criticized by experts who said it would only cause the animal more distress.

The whale's ordeal has sparked a media frenzy -- with non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers -- but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories.