RIYADH: The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday that seven cases of H5N8 avian flu had been recorded in the country in the previous 24 hours, five in Riyadh, one in Qassim and one in Tarout Island.
Field teams in Kharj and Dharma provinces have instigated a cull of infected birds on two poultry farms — with 813 birds safely disposed of in Dharma — while an overall emergency plan is being implemented to clear the infected areas.
In Ahsa province, teams finalized measures to safely cull 1,325 birds on a number of farms where the H5N8 virus was detected. In Qassim, 800 birds were euthanized.
Veterinary teams from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture conducted 25 inspections of markets and bird-breeding farms across the Kingdom in the 24 hours before the SPA report.
The ministry has banned all poultry farms, transport firms and bird breeders from transporting birds between different regions of the Kingdom without obtaining the necessary licenses.
It also asked bird breeders in the Kingdom to avoid purchasing live birds from unknown sources, and taking their birds to unauthorized markets, in order to minimize the spread of the H5N8 avian flu.
The director of Animal Resources Services, Dr. Ibrahim Qasim, said 358,134 birds infected with the H5N8 virus have been destroyed across the Kingdom as of Friday.
Speaking to Al-Riyadh daily, he said all reported cases outside Riyadh region originated from private fenced yards and traditional farms, while some cases were reported at three poultry projects in the Riyadh region.
Dr. Abdullah Kadman, a member of the board of directors at the Saudi Poultry Producers Association, said the ministry’s ban on transporting birds between regions is expected to be lifted within two weeks.
Head of the National Committee for Poultry Producers, Jamal Al-Sadoun, has requested strict compliance with the ministry’s instructions on the transfer of birds between regions to curb the spread of the disease. He confirmed that the infections were centered in the Riyadh region, specifically Dharma, Muzahmiyah and Hiraimla.
A reported 850 samples have been sent to the Riyadh-based Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory since the latest outbreak of the disease, some based on reports from citizens, and some randomly collected from infected areas.
New bird flu cases reported in KSA; transport of live birds between regions banned
New bird flu cases reported in KSA; transport of live birds between regions banned
Nobel Prize winner discusses art of writing at Ithra
- Jon Fosse offers insights into storytelling at the 10th iRead celebration
DHAHRAN: Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author and playwright Jon Fosse drew a full house to Ithra on Friday, as he discussed art, writing, and the human experience during a session entitled “Nobel Minds” at the 10th edition of the institution’s iRead program.
Fosse, who won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature, appeared on stage with moderator Tariq Khawaji, Ithra’s cultural consultant.
Outside, the landmark Ithra building, designed by Norwegian firm Snohetta, was lit in purple to mark the celebration.
Fosse, whose work includes more than 70 novels, plays, poems, essays, and children’s books, and has been translated into more than 50 languages, including Arabic, is known for his minimalist, introspective style. His unconventional syntax and pared-down prose have significantly influenced postdramatic theater and contemporary experimental fiction.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The landmark Ithra building, designed by Norwegian firm Snohetta, was lit in purple to mark the 10th anniversary of the institution’s iRead program.
• During the ‘Nobel Minds’ session, Jon Fosse discussed his writing process, sources of inspiration, and how writers might develop their own signature styles.
• Tariq Khawaji told Arab News that bringing Fosse to Saudi Arabia was especially meaningful as Arabic translations of his work remain relatively new to many readers.
Khawaji told Arab News that bringing Fosse to Saudi Arabia was especially meaningful as Arabic translations of his work remain relatively new to many readers.
At a book signing following the session, he noted that Fosse’s pared-back lyrical language is a boon to both translators and new audiences.
“I think one of Fosse’s strengths is his extremely simple language, he always uses the simplest phrasing and avoids inflated vocabulary or difficult expressions. This is why translators often find his writing both lyrical and clear,” Khawaji said.
If I’m writing well, I have to bring something new to the book for me, and hopefully also for other people; something that didn’t exist before.
Jon Fosse, Norwegian Nobel laureate
“I think he speaks to the world through the problem of the individual — this tendency toward the quiet, the stripped-down. And I believe the Norwegian landscape, especially the western region, plays a very strong role in shaping him. His characters often feel like they come from a place with vast silence and depth. Even outside the session, you could sense many layers in how he spoke — something almost carved by that landscape,” he continued.
After noting Fosse’s 18 major awards, Khawaji added: “I think his Arabic readership is still small — though his plays have been translated and performed. I believe introducing him to the Arab world will increase his readership significantly, and I think the reception will change. Readers will discover a unique, unfamiliar voice. It was important to have him here.”
During his hour-long English-language conversation with Khawaji before the book signing, Fosse discussed his writing process, sources of inspiration, and how writers might develop their own signature styles.
“I think you can say all literature, in a certain sense, comes from literature. So the more you read — and the better literature you read — the cleverer you most likely will be,” he said.
“If I’m writing well, I have to bring something new to the book for me, and hopefully also for other people; something that didn’t exist before. And to get to that, you have to leave yourself (somehow). If you don’t leave yourself, you know exactly what you knew before,” he added.
On the topic of artificial intelligence, Fosse said that while it can mimic a writer’s voice, it cannot replicate the essence behind it.
“I’ve done it myself. I asked the computer to write something (in my style) and it was like a kind of parody, but still there were some very interesting sides to it. And there were some great metaphors that happened that I couldn’t have figured out myself,” he said.
“Perhaps it is a childish idea but I think that art has so much to do with this universal individuality of the artist. It cannot possibly be replaced by a machine,” Fosse concluded.
