Entertainment

Fujairah and Sharjah step up sea turtle conservation efforts

Sea turtles have recently been spotted laying eggs at the Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort in the emirate of Fujairah.
The Fujairah Environment Authority (FEA), in collaboration with the Fujairah Research Centre (FRC) and Jumeirah Group’s Dubai TurtleRehabilitation Project (DTRP), sent Dr. Juan Diego Urriago, Marine Consultant, and Fujairah Marine Ranger Abdullah Bakhsh to keep the tur-tles safe from outside disturbances and predators.
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This annual nesting and hatching of sea turtles in Fujairah coincides this year with the World Turtle Day, observed on May 23 every year.

The annual observance of World Turtles Day on May 23 began in 2000, following a high-profile rescue operation for a large American tortoise that spotlighted the species’ scarcity.
The event aims to raise awareness about the threats facing turtles, support conservation efforts for endangered species, and foster community engagement.

Warning signs put up at the Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort in the emirate of Fujairah where Sea turtles have recently been spotted laying eggs. (Supplied)

Out of the seven surviving species of sea turtles, the UAE is home to five, with hawksbill turtles being the only species known to nest on the west coast annually. However, there have been only three verified records of nests along the entire east coast, with none in Fujairah.
Barbara Lang-Lenton, Director of the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) at Jumeirah Group, visited the site to personally assess the situation.
Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort team have been actively engaged in protecting the nest and ensuring successful hatching within the next 50 to 60 days. The confirmation of the species will be determined once the baby turtles hatch.
Such a development underscores the urgent need to take additional conservation measures to protect and promote sea turtle nesting along the coast.
The public is strongly encouraged to report any sightings of sea turtles nesting or incidents involving sea turtles along the UAE coast.
DTRP Ambassador Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasemi expressed his happiness at the development, saying “The existence of a turtle nest on the beaches of the Emirate of Fujairah is a cause for celebration. We have a responsibility to our nation to contribute towards maintaining clean beaches, protecting our oceans, and preserving the marine life that calls them home.”
Aseela Al Moalla, Director of the Fujairah Environment Authority, expressed overwhelming joy upon receiving the news and reaffirmed the commitment of the environmental authority to implementing the vi-sionary initiatives set forth by the Crown Prince of Fujairah. She also ex-tended her gratitude to the Fujairah Research Centre Marine Depart-ment and the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project team for their unwavering support in conserving the ecosystem of Fujairah.

Sharjah Aquarium release endangered turtles back into the sea

Sharjah Aquarium, operating under the Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), marked World Turtle Day with a special initiative during which it has released eight medium to large green and hawksbill turtles into the sea off Al Hamriyah beach in Sharjah.
Green turtles, colloquially referred to as “Sherry,” have a maximum length of 120 cm and are recognized as an endangered species.

The released turtles that range from 5 to 30 years old, have undergone rehabilitation after being found in poor condition, as part of a dedicated program by the Sharjah Aquarium that rehabilitate sick or injured turtles found by the public and local fishermen. (Supplied)

Despite their ability to live for 70 years or more, these turtles face numer-ous threats to their survival. Their name originates from the green hue of their bodies.
Similarly, hawksbill turtles, known locally as “Ahmsa,” are also classified as endangered.

These turtles, characterized by their distinctive beak-like mouth, can grow up to 114 cm in length and live for approximately 50 years.
The released turtles that range from 5 to 30 years old, have undergone rehabilitation after being found in poor condition, as part of a dedicated program that rehabilitate sick or injured turtles found by the public and local fishermen.
It provides thorough health assessments and necessary care to the vulner-able marine creatures, ensuring their full recovery before releasing them back into their natural habitats.

Sharjah Aquarium marked World Turtle Day on May 23, 2023, by releas-ing eight medium to large green and hawksbill turtles into the sea off Al Hamriyah beach in Sharjah. (Supplied)

The release, which is in cooperation with Al Hamriyah Municipality, serves as a valuable opportunity to educate the public about the crucial role these creatures play in UAE’s marine ecosystems and to encourage the public to take part in protecting the UAE’s marine biodiversity.
It also highlights Sharjah Aquarium’s dedication to raising awareness about the marine environment and the diverse marine species found along UAE’s coasts as well as its determination to promote conservation efforts.
The turtle release is part of SMA’s long-running Social Responsibility Initiative, “Because We Care,” which was first launched in 2009 and has since successfully aided and released 30 turtles back into their natural habitats.
Present during the release were Saeed Obaid Bouvier Al Shamsi, Director of the Emiri Diwan in Al Hamriyah, Khalid Ali Thani Al Shamsi, Secretary of the Emiri Diwan in Al Hamriyah, Saif Obaid Bouvier Al Shamsi Chairman of Al Hamriyah Council, Rashid Al Shamsi, Curator of Sharjah Aquarium, and Saif Khalifa bin Samha Al Shamsi, President of Al Hamriyah Cooperative Society for Fishermen, and number of officials from various Sharjah government departments.
Individuals involved in the marine ecosystem including the Emirati researcher in marine culture and heritage, Juma Bin Thalith Al Humairi, as well as media professionals, have also attended the releasing.
Each year, the authority organizes various programs, events, and initiatives that align with its objectives and aspirations in promoting turtle conservation and awareness.

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Entertainment

Explaining the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s merger

The combination of the PGA Tour and rival LIV circuit is an intriguing merger, putting an end to a long-term rivalry between Saudi Arabia’s LIV and the nonprofit PGA Tour.

WHAT IS THE DEAL PRICE?

The two golf tournament organizers agreed to the merger without pinning down financial terms, in a bid to end a long-running legal dispute. LIV had filed an antitrust lawsuit in the United States seeking punitive damages against the PGA Tour for its “tortious interference” with contracts with golfers. PGA Tour had countersued, making similar claims.

PGA Tour and LIV have now signed a framework agreement that calls for investment banks M Klein & Co. and Allen & Co. to carry out a valuation analysis of the assets of LIV and PGA Tour, respectively. It is not clear how the two sides would proceed if disagreements arise over the valuations.

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WHO WILL OWN THE COMBINED COMPANY?

A new company will be created that will be majority-owned by the existing PGA Tour, which is a nonprofit. The new company, however, will operate for profit and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which currently owns more than 90% of LIV, will take a large minority stake in the combined entity. The exact stake that PIF will assume in the new company will depend on how much it will invest — an amount expected to be in the billions of dollars. PGA Tour and PIF will negotiate how much money the new company should start off with.

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Entertainment

Blind mystic who predicted ISIS, COVID-19 says nuclear disaster impending in 2023

The famous mystic Baba Vanga, who reportedly predicted the 9/11 attacks, the existence of ISIS and COVID-19, has reportedly foreseen a nuclear disaster by the end of 2023.

Also known as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, the blind woman died in 1996. Before her passing, she has predicted various world events, some of which have come true, including the Fukushima nuclear spill, according to a New York Post report.

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The latest prediction claimed by her followers foresees a “devastating nuclear disaster” that would cause “toxic clouds to settle over Asia.”

In addition, Vanga also reportedly predicted “a powerful solar storm that will rock the climate in 2023” and a “biological weapon will be used by a superpower in 2023, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths,” according to the same report.

Some have supposedly interpreted her words to mean that a solar tsunami is imminent, which could result in major technology failure. Usually, minor storms of this kind occur frequently without a problem.

Vanga also predicted that natural pregnancies would be banned and babies would be grown in labs in 2023. She reportedly claimed that world leaders would choose who is born, and parents would be able to customize their offspring’s traits and appearance.

Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova reportedly lost her eyesight during a dust storm at the age of 12 in Romania. Her followers claim that she received her powers during this time.

As for her 9/11 terrorist attack predictions, her exact words, as the New York Post recounted, were: “The American brethren will fall after being attacked by the steel birds.”

“The wolves will be howling in a bush, and innocent blood will be gushing.”

While many of Vanga’s predictions came true based on inference of the claim, some predictions, such as a nuclear war between 2010 and 2014 and the end of Europe in 2016, when Brexit took place, did not come true.

There were also claims that the 45th US President, Donald Trump, would face a crisis that would “bring the country down.”

Some unverified predictions include the presidency of Barack Obama, the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the death of Princess Diana.

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Innovative solution: Nigerian fourth-grader’s education funded by recycling waste

Nigerian fourth-grader Fawas Adeosun often used to get sent home from school through the gritty streets of Lagos because his mother, Fatimoh, had not paid his fees, until he enrolled in a different school offering a novel solution.

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Elizabeth Samuel, 37, a parent of a student of My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable waste as payment, arranges used plastic bottles into a sack in her home in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. (REUTERS)

My Dream Stead school, in the sprawling, impoverished Ajegunle neighborhood where the Adeosuns live, is one of 40 low-cost schools in Nigeria’s commercial capital that accept recyclable waste as payment.

A recyclable waste collector weighs a sack of plastic containers submitted by Fatimoh Adeosun, a parent of a student of My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable waste as payment, in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. (REUTERS)

For the past four years, a local environmental organization called African Cleanup Initiative has been collecting bottles, cans, drink cartons and plastic containers brought into the schools by parents and selling them to recyclers.

Elizabeth Samuel, 37, a parent of a student of My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable wastes as payment, carries sacks of plastic waste for submission in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. (REUTERS)

The proceeds of the sales pay for teacher salaries, children’s uniforms, books and pens, among other expenses.

The scheme aims to reduce the number of children out of school as well as the amount of trash on the streets of Lagos, said Alexander Akhigbe, founder of the environmental group.

Students attend classes at My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable waste as payment, in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. (REUTERS)

Tuition fees at My Dream Stead stand at $130 per year and the school is expanding into a second apartment block to accommodate its 120 students. Only seven children were enrolled when it opened in 2019.

Fatimoh Adeosun, 48, a parent of a student of My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable wastes as payment, sorts plastic waste for submission, in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. (REUTERS)

Some mornings, Fatimoh and Fawas walk to the school together with bulging sacks of trash over their shoulders. The waste is weighed on school premises and its sales value added to Fawas’ account.

“Sometimes if he wants to buy sportswear, the school will tell me the amount I need to bring,” said Fatimoh, a 48-year-old hairdresser who cares for six children on her own.

Providing for Fawas, the youngest, has been particularly difficult since she was forced to vacate the room she used as a salon in 2018.

“When I discovered that they could collect the plastics from me to keep my child in school, it made my burden lighter,” she said as she scoured bins on the streets for recyclables on her way back from the school.

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