Bangladeshi youths changing fear of snakes one rescue at a time

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Members of the Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh, pictured here with local residents after rescuing a snake in Bangladesh’s southeastern city of Chattogram. (Photo courtesy: Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh)
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Photo of a snake captured by the Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh, a 19-member group comprising mostly college students in their 20s. (Photo courtesy: Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh)
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Updated 01 May 2022
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Bangladeshi youths changing fear of snakes one rescue at a time

  • Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh has rescued more than 2,000 reptiles
  • Formed in January 2020, 19-member group self-funds most of their work

DHAKA: Whenever the call comes their way — which could happen several times a week — a group of snake rescuers in Bangladesh’s southeastern city of Chattogram immediately rush to save the reptiles.

Formed in January 2020, Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh, or SRTB, have rescued about 2,000 snakes from across Chattogram.

In the hilly region, located about 250 kilometers from the capital Dhaka, snake sightings are a common occurrence.

The 19-member team is on a mission to raise awareness of the vital role that the reptiles play in the ecosystem.

“Our aim is to create awareness over the importance of snakes for our biodiversity and the well-being of humans,” Farhadul Islam, 22, one of the five founding members of the team, told Arab News.

It is estimated that more than 710,000 snake bite incidents take place annually in rural Bangladesh, according to a 2010 study published in the science and medicine journal PLOS. The prevalence of such incidents means that many people in Bangladesh often kill snakes, including non-venomous species, on sight.

But Islam and his group, whose members have all been trained in rescuing snakes, are committed to changing the prevailing mindset.

“Nowadays, our farmers are losing more crops due to rats on the field. But the losses would have been minimal if there were enough snakes in nature, as rats are natural food for the snakes,” Islam said.

Snakes are also important for medical science, Islam added, as many antibiotics are prepared from snake venoms.

The group, comprising mostly college students in their early 20s, have been rescuing snakes voluntarily. While in some cases people give them money for transportation, SRTB mostly self-fund the work, which also involves treating injured snakes.

For some members, their passion for snakes started when they were much younger.

While most children grew up fearing snakes, as a boy Siddiqur Rahman Rabbi spent hours learning about serpents to understand how to capture them. He used to believe that the act was a thing of magic, but later learned that it simply requires technique.

“It took me five years to acquire the skill of capturing snakes,” Rabbi told Arab News, adding that he had watched a lot of television on the subject, including shows on Animal Planet and National Geographic, while also traveling to different parts of his hometown to learn from snake charmers.

“Finally, I gathered some like-minded youths through social media from my city who also wanted snakes to be allowed to live,” the 25-year-old, a founding member of SRTB, said.

“It’s a very risky job, because every moment you need to be watchful of the snake’s movements. When you lose attention for even a fraction of a second, it might take your life.”

SRTB’s efforts have since been recognized by officials in the region, with the local wildlife protection department referring all snake rescue calls to the group, Islam said.

In the last year, the group has rescued different snake species, from pythons to various types of cobras, using simple tools such as snake hooks and gloves in order to capture and later release them to the nearby forest reserve.

Last October, SRTB rescued 22 baby black cobras from the home of a government official, Mohammad Belal Hossain, in the Hathazari region, about 50 kilometers from Chattogram. The effort took them three days.

“It was a highly venomous snake and not very common in this area. But I noticed the snakes don’t harm people unless they are being attacked,” Hossain told Arab News.

The experience showed Hossain that maintaining coexistence with the serpents “is very important to maintain the ecological balance in nature.”

With limited resources and funds, the group remains bound to their hometown in Chattogram for the time being. But they believe that their work will have a ripple effect across the country.

“I believe, with the passing of time, our work will spread across the country and people will understand the necessity of saving nature and the serpents,” Islam said.


UK to end Afghan refugee schemes 

Updated 45 min 50 sec ago
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UK to end Afghan refugee schemes 

  • Move is part of plan to clear backlog of asylum seekers in temporary accommodation 
  • No timeline yet in place but defense secretary says schemes cannot be ‘endless’

LONDON: The UK is to close its resettlement schemes for people fleeing Afghanistan, The Times reported.

Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK’s two programs for Afghans could not be “an endless process” as he laid out plans to move refugees out of temporary accommodation. He added that over 1,000 Afghan families have arrived in the UK in the past 12 months.

Though no time frame has been announced, the government aims to limit the amount of time Afghans can stay in hotels and other temporary housing to nine months.

The two refugee programs — the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy — were introduced in 2021 after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces.

Thousands of people were evacuated to the UK during an airlift mission known as Operation Pitting.

UK authorities have struggled to find suitable permanent housing solutions for many Afghan refugees due to the large size of typical Afghan families — more than double that of the average British family.

A total of 30,412 Afghans were eventually taken to the UK under the two schemes. Under ARAP, 2,729 Afghans were placed in temporary Ministry of Defense accommodation and a further 288 in Home Office housing, amid a broader backlog of over 100,000 asylum seekers requiring assistance in the UK — 35,651 of whom were put up in hotels.

Safe Passage International told The Times it is “concerned” by suggestions that the two resettlement schemes are set to close, adding that they have been a “lifeline to safety” for vulnerable Afghans.

The charity said “new safe routes” would need to be opened for Afghan refugees when the two schemes are shuttered.

Its CEO Wanda Wyporska said:  “We’re concerned that the government is thinking about closing the safe pathways for Afghans, given there are no other working safe routes that can bring those fleeing the Taliban to safety here.

“We urgently need more detail on this so Afghans are not left in danger. We know there are many Afghans living in terror and under the threat of increasingly repressive Taliban rules, such as those oppressing women and girls.

“Afghans are already the top nationality crossing the Channel, so we fear without this safe route we will only see more people turning to smugglers to reach protection here.”


Modi to visit Kuwait for the first trip by Indian PM in four decades

Updated 19 December 2024
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Modi to visit Kuwait for the first trip by Indian PM in four decades

  • Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait
  • Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, experts say

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip of an Indian premier to the Gulf state in more than four decades. 

With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait, they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.

Modi will be visiting Kuwait for two days at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 

“This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. 

“During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. Prime Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”

India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.

Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries. 

“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News. 

“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.” 

Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture. 

Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation. 

“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News. 

“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states which includes Kuwait.”


Modi to visit Kuwait for first trip by Indian PM in four decades

Updated 19 December 2024
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Modi to visit Kuwait for first trip by Indian PM in four decades

  • Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait 
  • Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, say experts

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip to the Gulf state by an Indian premier in more than four decades.

With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.

Modi’s two-day visit is at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

“This will be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

“During the visit, the prime minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. (The) prime minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”

India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.

Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News.

“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.”

Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture.

Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation.

“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News.

“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states, which includes Kuwait.”


Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

Updated 19 December 2024
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Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

  • Bashar Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of ex-Syrian leader Bashar Assad was not a “defeat” for Russia, claiming Moscow had achieved its goals in the country.
Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family, marked by repression and allegations of vast human rights abuses and civil war.
His departure came more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated a civil war.
Russia was Assad’s key backer and had swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia,” Putin said at his annual end-of-year press conference.
“I assure you it is not,” he said, responding to a question from an American journalist.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader said he had yet to meet with Assad in Moscow, but planned to do so soon.
“I haven’t yet seen president Assad since his arrival in Moscow but I plan to, I will definitely speak with him,” he said.
Putin was addressing the situation in Syria publicly for the first time since Assad’s fall.
Moscow is keen to secure the fate of two military bases in the country.
The Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base are Russia’s only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union and have been key to the Kremlin’s activities in Africa and the Middle East.
Putin said there was support for Russia keeping hold of the bases.
“We maintain contacts with all those who control the situation there, with all the countries of the region. An overwhelming majority of them say they are interested in our military bases staying there,” Putin said.
He also said Russia had evacuated 4,000 Iranian soldiers from the country at the request from Tehran.


Saudi tourist swims for 5 hours to help his wife stranded in Pattaya waters

Updated 19 December 2024
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Saudi tourist swims for 5 hours to help his wife stranded in Pattaya waters

  • Saudi tourists stranded in the dark for hours before rescuers reached them
  • About 188,000 Saudi tourists visited Thailand between January and October this year

BANGKOK: A Saudi tourist swam for more than five hours to reach shore and find help for his wife after their jet ski capsized in Pattaya Bay, Thailand, local authorities said on Thursday.

On Saturday, Abdulrahman Mahdi M. Al-Amri and his wife, Atheer Saeed A. Al-Amri, were reported missing at 6:30 p.m., prompting an immediate search and rescue operation by Pattaya City authorities.

“We received a call at 6:30 p.m. from a jet ski operator that one of their jet skis and the clients were missing. So, we set out on a search operation,” Pattaya City Sea Rescue’s Nattanon Chamnankul, who led the search and rescue mission, told Arab News.

The rescue team had been searching for more than five hours and was navigating the dark seas, strong winds and drizzle to no avail. But as their boat returned to Pattaya’s Jomtien beach, authorities found Abdulrahman swimming toward the shore.

“The husband had swum for five hours to reach the shore and was worried about his wife. He used the lights on the beach as a guide,” Chamnankul said, adding that the 26-year-old man was in a state of extreme fatigue when he was rescued.

The rescue boat then took him on board and continued the search for his wife.

“We found his wife at 2 a.m., six hours after the search began,” Chamnankul said. “At first the sea was dark, but we heard a small voice in the sea and it was her.”

Their jet ski had capsized in the middle of the ocean and its engine was damaged by seawater, according to Nipon, an officer at the Pattaya Tourist Police.

After the jet ski ran out of fuel, Abdulrahman decided to swim to shore to get help.

Although Atheer had a minor injury to her left leg, Nipon said the couple had no serious medical issues and had since returned to their home country after settling a damage cost with the jet ski operator for 50,000 Thai baht ($1,400).

Thailand has become an increasingly popular destination for Saudi travelers since the normalization of ties between the Southeast Asian country and Saudi Arabia in 2022.

The Gulf state is considered a high-potential market by Thai tourism experts, with about 178,000 Saudi tourists visiting in 2023, and another 188,000 between January and October this year, the highest number among visitors from that region.

The latest data shows that the number of Saudi tourists has almost doubled compared with 2022, when the number was about 96,000.