Saudi Embassy in UK celebrates first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo

1 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
2 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
3 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
4 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
5 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
6 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
7 / 7
The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 16 February 2024
Follow

Saudi Embassy in UK celebrates first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo

  • Full-day event was hosted by Royal Commission for AlUla and Catmosphere

LONDON: The Saudi Embassy in the UK on Saturday invited families and visitors to celebrate the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard at London Zoo and take part in the third annual Catwalk.
The full-day event was hosted by the Royal Commission for AlUla and Catmosphere, a foundation that encourages people to take action to protect the environment and habitats of big cats.

“The Royal Commission for AlUla has responsibility across the Kingdom to bring back the Arabian leopard, and part of that work is to raise awareness of the plight of the Arabian leopard,” Stephen Browne, vice president of wildlife and natural heritage at RCU, told Arab News.

The day has been marked by Saudi Arabia for the last three years, but this year saw it celebrated globally after Catmosphere and the Arabian Leopard Fund collaborated with the Saudi Mission to the UN in New York to gain international recognition for the day on Feb. 10 each year.

“The result of that designation is now we have the first international day recognizing a big cat species, and the importance of that is that we can bring together people across the world to unite behind the species to then improve its conservation, but also to raise awareness about conservation globally,” Browne said.
He added that RCU wanted to make the initiative global and chose various places worldwide, including in London at the world’s oldest scientific zoo, to try to engage as much as possible with international experts and organizations.
“The Zoological Society of London is one of the world’s best and oldest conservation organizations, having been in existence for 200 years, and we hope in due course to partner with them and hopefully they’ll be able to support us in our work in AlUla,” Browne said.
“Anywhere in the world that has endangered cats, which is pretty much everywhere, we’d like them to take part in this to raise awareness (of) big cats and their conservation, also through our endeavors to get people to get out and about to improve their own well-being by doing exercise, by being out, meeting people, discussing topics, enjoying green spaces. So it’s more than just the conservation of big cats.”
There are less than 200 Arabian leopards left in the wild in the world, which puts this species at a higher risk of extinction, and baby leopards are very rare, Browne said.

“It’s very hard for members of the public to actually contribute directly through anything, so events like this allow people to engage in conservation by helping to raise awareness, by drawing sort of media attention,” he added.
“But in terms of beyond the Arabian leopard, if you look at the Catwalk, which is for seven species, it’s possible that people could actually engage on the ground by doing the various initiatives in their respective countries.”
Leopards in Saudi Arabia have a long cultural association, particularly in AlUla, which has rock carvings going back 7,000 years.
“It’s a species that people have related to for a long time, and we’re trying to use it as an emblem around which people can build national pride in that species, maybe national pride in conservation,” Browne said.
But to bring back the Arabian leopard, its whole ecosystem must also be brought back, developed and protected, including its food and the grasslands that the leopard food feeds on, habitat enhancement and reintroducing new species, he added.

In 2021, Catmosphere, which was founded by Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar, launched a flagship mass-participation campaign called Catwalk. 
The annual, global, outdoor walk of up to 7 km is designed to raise awareness of our interconnected wellbeing by highlighting the plight of the seven species of big cats.
“Catwalk invites participants to get active in nature as a way of underlining the critical need that big cats have for their natural habitats, while simultaneously triggering appreciation of the physical and mental benefits of outdoor physical activity,” the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC said in November 2022.
In 2021 and 2022 cumulatively, the initiative inspired more than 90,000 people to walk to support conservation and well-being in 136 countries.
Dr. Amal Fatani, the Saudi cultural attache to the UK, expressed pride that the day was being marked in many cities worldwide, including more than 16 locations in Riyadh.
She said 350 Saudi students in the UK registered to attend the event at London Zoo along with their families, while more than 35 cultural bureaus also registered to attend.
“You can tell by the number of people here today that they are totally enjoying it but also learning about it … This is very important,” Fatani added.


France urges European Commission to be firm against Musk interference

Updated 11 sec ago
Follow

France urges European Commission to be firm against Musk interference

PARIS: France on Wednesday urged the European Commission to protect its member states with “the greatest firmness” against interference in political debate particularly from the billionaire owner of social media platform X, Elon Musk.
“Either the European Commission applies with the greatest firmness the laws that we have given ourselves to protect our public space, or it does not do so and then it will have to agree to give back the capacity to do so to the EU member states,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio.

South Korea’s Yoon faces new arrest attempt in fortified compound

Updated 52 min 29 sec ago
Follow

South Korea’s Yoon faces new arrest attempt in fortified compound

SEOUL: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a new and potentially more robust attempt to arrest him for insurrection after a top investigator vowed to do whatever it takes to break a security blockade and take in the impeached leader.
Acting president Choi Sang-mok urged on Wednesday authorities to “do their best to prevent any injuries to citizens or physical conflict between government agencies” while executing Yoon’s arrest warrant.
Protesters supporting and opposing the embattled Yoon braved freezing temperatures to stage rallies on the streets around the presidential compound on Wednesday after a court re-issued a warrant on Tuesday to arrest him.
The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has been fortifying the compound this week with barbed wire and barricades using buses to block access to the residence, a hillside villa in an upscale district known as Korea’s Beverly Hills.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection over his failed attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3, a decision that stunned South Korea and prompted the first arrest warrant for a sitting president.
He also faces an impeachment trial in the Constitutional Court.
One of Yoon’s lawyers said the president could not accept the execution of the arrest warrant because it was issued by a court in the wrong jurisdiction and the team of investigators formed to probe the incumbent leader had no mandate to do so.
Yoon Kab-keun, the lawyer, also denied suggestions by some members of parliament that Yoon had fled the official residence, saying he had met the president there on Tuesday. He said they were “malicious rumors” intended to slander Yoon.
On Tuesday, Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading the investigation, apologized for failing to arrest the president last week after a six-hour standoff with hundreds of PSS agents, some of whom were carrying firearms, and military guards at the compound.
“We’ll do our best to accomplish our goal by thoroughly preparing this time with great determination that the second warrant execution will be the last,” Oh told a parliament committee.
He declined to specify how many days the court had given before the new arrest warrant expired.
Oh did not object when members of parliament called for tough action to overpower the presidential guards and military troops inside the compound, but he declined to discuss what options were being considered to achieve that.
Various scenarios reported in local media included mobilizing police special tactical units and heavy equipment to push through the barricades, followed by more than 2,000 police to drag out presidential guards, taking as long as three days if necessary to wear down presidential security agents.
Shin Yul, a Myongji University professor who has followed the political turmoil, said police had lots of experience with the tactical operations that were likely being considered. But safety should be a top priority, especially for protesters, he said, noting the risk of gunfire in a potential clash.
Although police have a clear advantage in terms of resources such as helicopters to drop in tactical units, force should not be the only option considered, said Lee Yung-hyeock, a Konkuk University professor specializing in law enforcement.
He cited “cognitive warfare” such as using loudspeakers to persuade PSS agents they could face personal repercussions by obstructing justice that could mean the end of their careers and possible criminal records.

EU won’t tolerate attacks on its borders, French foreign minister says after Trump’s Greenland comments

Updated 57 min 56 sec ago
Follow

EU won’t tolerate attacks on its borders, French foreign minister says after Trump’s Greenland comments

PARIS: The European Union will not let other nations attack its sovereign borders, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments on Greenland regarding the “ownership and control” of the vast Arctic island that has been part of Denmark for over 600 years.
“There is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its soverign borders, whoever they are ... We are a strong continent,” Barrot said.

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared US control of both to be vital to American national security.
Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump’s intention marks a rejection of decades of US policy that has prioritized self-determination over territorial expansion.

Greenland, home to a large US military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime US ally and a founding member of NATO. Trump cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland.
The Panama Canal has been solely controlled by the eponymous country for more than 25 years. The US returned the Panama Canal Zone to the country in 1979 and ended its joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway in 1999.


Bangladesh orders banks to assist UK minister graft probe

Updated 34 min 4 sec ago
Follow

Bangladesh orders banks to assist UK minister graft probe

  • Last month the national anti-corruption commission launched a probe into the alleged embezzlement by Hasina’s family of $5 billion connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant

Dhaka: Bangladesh money laundering investigators have ordered the country’s big banks to hand over details of transactions relating to British anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq in an ongoing graft probe, officers told AFP.
Siddiq is the niece of former Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina, who fled abroad last August after a student-led uprising against her iron-fisted tenure.
Last month the national anti-corruption commission launched a probe into the alleged embezzlement by Hasina’s family of $5 billion connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant.
Two officials from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Bangladeshi banks had been instructed to furnish any financial records relating to Siddiq.
A BFIU document issued Tuesday and seen by AFP showed that banks had also been told to provide transaction records for Hasina, her son and daughter, Siddiq’s two siblings and her mother Sheikh Rehana.
The kickback allegations relate to the $12.65 billion Rooppur nuclear plant, which was bankrolled by Moscow with a 90 percent loan.
“The claims of kickbacks, mismanagement, money laundering, and potential abuse of power raise significant concerns about the integrity of the project and the use of public funds,” the anti-corruption commission said last month when announcing the probe.
The order came a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed that Siddiq had referred herself to his standards adviser.
Siddiq insists she has done nothing wrong and a spokesman for Starmer said he retains “full confidence” in her.
The referral came after the Sunday Times and Financial Times newspapers reported that she had lived in properties linked to her aunt Sheikh Hasina’s administration.
“In recent weeks I have been the subject of media reporting, much of it inaccurate, about my financial affairs and my family’s links to the former government of Bangladesh,” Siddiq wrote in her letter to ministerial standards watchdog Laurie Magnus.
“I am clear that I have done nothing wrong,” she added. “However, for the avoidance of doubt, I would like you to independently establish the facts about these matters.”
Her aunt Hasina, 77, fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, shortly before protesters stormed her palace in the capital Dhaka.
She remains in neighboring India but the interim government that replaced her has demanded her extradition to face trial for the police killing of protesters during the revolt against her regime.


US seeks prisoner swap with Afghanistan involving Guantanamo detainee arrested in Pakistan — media

Updated 08 January 2025
Follow

US seeks prisoner swap with Afghanistan involving Guantanamo detainee arrested in Pakistan — media

  • Outgoing US administration seeks to bring back three Americans in exchange for Muhammad Rahim Al-Afghani
  • Al-Aghani reportedly had ties with bin Laden and was the last person brought to the CIA interrogation program

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration is negotiating with Afghanistan to exchange Americans detained in the country for at least one high-profile prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay with alleged ties to former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Representatives of the White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. Representatives for the Afghan Taliban also did not immediately respond.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking the return of three Americans seized in 2022 — Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi — in exchange for Muhammad Rahim Al-Afghani, the WSJ reported.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the Biden administration has been negotiating with the Taliban since at least July on a US proposal to exchange Corbett, Glezmann and Habibi for Rahim.
The Taliban, who deny holding Habibi, countered with an offer to exchange Glezmann and Corbett for Rahim and two others, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Corbett and Habibi were detained in separate incidents in August 2022 a year after the Taliban seized Kabul amid the chaotic US troop withdrawal. Glezmann was detained later in 2022 while visiting as a tourist.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council said they could not confirm the WSJ story, but added that the administration was “working around the clock” to secure the release of the three Americans.
Rahim’s lawyer, James Connell, told Reuters that neither the Biden administration nor the Taliban had informed him or Rahim of the negotiations.
“It does seem important to include Rahim or his representative in the conversation,” said Connell. “As it happens, he is willing to be traded or exchanged.”
Rahim was “the last person brought into the CIA torture program,” said Connell, referring to an agency program instituted after the Sept. 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks that used harsh interrogation methods on suspected Islamist militants.
The CIA denies the methods amounted to torture.
A Senate intelligence committee report on the agency’s so-called enhanced interrogation program called Rahim an “Al Qaeda facilitator” and said that he was arrested in Pakistan in June 2007 and “rendered” to the CIA the following month.
He was kept in a secret CIA “black site,” where he was subjected to tough interrogation methods, including extensive sleep deprivation, and then sent to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008, the report said.
The US-Taliban talks have been in motion since July, according to the WSJ, which cited sources who attended a classified House Foreign Affairs Committee briefing last month with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
On Monday, Biden’s administration sent 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, reducing the prisoner population at the detention center in Cuba by nearly half as part of its effort to close the facility as the president prepares to leave office Jan. 20.