JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia affirmed that it will continue working with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to achieve its 2023 strategic plan, which is based on four main priorities. These include early childhood development and child protection in cooperation with competent authorities in the Kingdom and the region.
This came in the Kingdom’s speech at the meetings of the second session of the executive board of UNICEF, which was delivered by First Secretary of the Saudi Arabia Mission to the UN in New York Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Qadi.
He paid tribute to Saudi Arabia for the sub-regional cooperation program in the GCC region and the efforts of UNICEF in Riyadh, and its contribution to strengthening the partnership between Saudi Arabia and UNICEF to implement many programs and plans for care of children and ensuring their rights.
The Kingdom is keen to provide all things that protect and care for all children and to ensure their enjoyment of their human, social, educational and economic rights.
Al-Qadi explained that the Kingdom will continue to provide everything that helps the organization to carry out its work and to use all the possibilities of its office in Riyadh to ensure that it does its work to the fullest and serve the common interests of Saudi Arabia and the GCC region.
Saudi Arabia continues work with UNICEF to achieve its 2023 strategic plan
Saudi Arabia continues work with UNICEF to achieve its 2023 strategic plan
Elephant Madhubala to be shifted to Karachi’s Safari Park in May— state media
- Madhubala has been in solitary confinement since April 2023 when her companion, elephant Noor Jehan, died
- International animal rights organization warns solitary confinement has taken a toll on Madhubala’s mental health
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani elephant Madhubala, who has been in solitary confinement at Karachi Zoo since last year, will be shifted to Karachi’s Safari Park in May where she will be in the company of two other elephants, state-run media Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Thursday.
Madhubala, one of only three captive elephants alive in Pakistan, was brought to the South Asian country with three other elephants from Tanzania in 2009. However, has been in solitary confinement at Karachi Zoo since April 2023 after her companion, elephant Noor Jehan passed away from illness.
International animal rights organization FOUR PAWS, which has been involved in efforts to have Madhubala relocated to Karachi Safari Park, said last week the solitary confinement has taken a strong toll on her mental condition, with boredom being her biggest stressor.
Animal rights activists have long campaigned against the plight of animals in Pakistan, especially elephants, and demanded they be shifted to “species-appropriate” locations such as the Safari Park.
“According to Zoo administration, the arrangements for the transfer have been completed,” APP said. “Madhubala will join two other elephants, Sonia and Malika after relocation to Safari Park.”
A FOUR PAWS spokesperson said the organization was thrilled to see Madhubala finally getting the treatment she deserves.
“Her story is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of animal welfare,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by APP.
FOUR PAWS says the elephant enclosures at Safari Park would have water elements for bathing, skincare and thermoregulation. Enrichments such as hay nets, varying substrates like soil, sand, clay, and sawdust will be provided for Madhubala to dust bathe while the area is secured by elephant-proof fencing.
Madhubala will be carried from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park in a huge transport crate. The elephant is currently being trained to enter and exit the crate by herself and sit inside it.
47th Saudi relief plane for Gazans arrives in Egypt
RIYADH: The 47th Saudi relief plane carrying medical and shelter supplies for the people of Gaza arrived in Egypt on Wednesday evening.
The aid will be transported from Egypt’s Al-Arish International Airport into Gaza.
The plane was operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in coordination with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The aid is part of the Kingdom’s historic role in supporting Palestinian people in times of crisis, SPA added.
Two Saudi hotels listed in Conde Nast’s Hot List of new openings from the last year
DUBAI: For those planning their next staycation, two hotels in Saudi Arabia have found a spot in Conde Nast’s prestigious annual Hot List, with one of them located in the heart of Riyadh.
The St Regis Riyadh and Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea have joined the list of best hotel openings from the last year, spanning the globe, from Argentina and Zimbabwe to Nepal and Spain, and more.
The St Regis Riyadh is “the only hotel inside Via Riyadh – a bijou mall of designer boutiques, hand-picked restaurants, and a cinema complex, wrapped within monumental sandstone walls at the edge of the Saudi capital’s Diplomatic Quarter – the St Regis Riyadh nods to the hotel brand’s New York heritage as well as its new Saudi home,” according to the publication.
Meanwhile, the new Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, is the first resort to open in the 28,000-square-kilometer expanse of sea, reefs, islands and inland desert known, simply, as The Red Sea. It’s one of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious tourism-focused giga-projects, part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aimed at diversifying the economy and heralding a new future for the nation.
Egypt, Dutch leaders discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts
- Rafah assault ‘will have catastrophic consequences on regional peace and security,’ El-Sisi warns
- Egypt’s president and the Dutch prime minister agreed on the urgency of working toward reaching a ceasefire
CAIRO: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza with Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands.
During a phone call from Rutte on Thursday, the Egyptian leader warned that any Israeli assault on Rafah will have “catastrophic consequences” for the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
The leaders discussed bilateral relations, and ways to enhance cooperation across various political and economic levels consistent with the current momentum in Egyptian-European relations.
Ahmed Fahmy, presidential spokesman, said the call also focused on the situation in Gaza, and Egypt’s efforts to restore regional stability by reaching a ceasefire and providing access to humanitarian aid.
El-Sisi reiterated the crucial importance of ending the war, warning against any military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah, which will have catastrophic consequences on the humanitarian situation in the strip and on regional peace and security.
The Egyptian leader underscored the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities to implement the relevant UN resolutions.
Egypt’s president and the Dutch prime minister agreed on the urgency of working toward reaching a ceasefire, and ensuring the flow of adequate humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip in order to protect it from a humanitarian catastrophe.
They also emphasized the need to move toward implementing the two-state solution, which would restore regional stability, and establish security and peace in the region.
In March, El-Sisi received Rutte to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and Egypt’s efforts to reach a ceasefire and offer humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
