RIYADH: The Arab coalition said it destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia toward the Kingdom, Saudi state TV reported on Friday.
The coalition said that the Houthis continue to target the Kingdom with ballistic missiles and armed drones, which are in strict violation of international law.
Meanwhile, the joint forces on Yemen’s western coast said that they had detected eight reconnaissance aircraft launched by the Houthi militia over four separate areas in Hodeidah governorate, as part of its repeated violations of a United Nations truce.
A military source said three aircraft were spotted in the sky above Hays District, two planes over At Tuhayta District, and three aircraft in the Al-Jabaliya and Al-Faza areas in At Tuhayta.
On Thursday, joint forces also detected 94 Houthi violations of the UN armistice on Hodeidah within 12 hours, and five reconnaissance planes flew over At Tuhayta, south of Hodeidah.
The Houthi militia has recently intensified the use of explosive and reconnaissance drones, which a UN committee of experts said earlier was assembled from external components and shipped to Yemen.
The report of the UN experts charged with monitoring the arms embargo imposed on Yemen since 2015 said that the Houthi militia acquired new weapons in 2019, some of which have characteristics similar to those produced in Iran.
The report, which was sent to the Security Council, said that “in addition to the known weapons systems they had so far, (the Houthis) are now using a new type of Delta drones and a new model of land cruise missiles.”
Arab coalition destroys drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/gsj64
Arab coalition destroys drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards Saudi Arabia
- Joint forces also detected 8 reconnaissance aircraft launched by the Houthis in Hodeidah
Japanese researchers hope to restore coral from Saudi-made structures
- Coral skeletons made for Saudi Pavilion at Japan expo last year
- Results of Japanese study to be revealed at Riyadh Expo 2030
TOKYO: Japanese universities are seeking to restore coral reefs and marine ecosystems after receiving artificial structures that Saudi Arabia made and showcased at last year’s Osaka-Kansai Expo.
The coral skeletons were donated to the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa and Kansai University in Osaka Prefecture, Kyodo News reported at the weekend.
The structures are made from calcium carbonate, a material on which corals are believed to grow more easily compared to artificial alternatives such as concrete or metal.
The skeletal structures were created using 3-D printers, with one piece produced a day during the expo, and displayed across an entire wall in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, which had an area focusing on sustainable marine environments.
Coral reefs serve as habitats for much marine life, but over 40 percent of the world’s 892 species face possible extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The University of the Ryukyus, which received about 150 of the artificial coral skeletons, will place them in waters off the eastern coast of Okinawa’s main island and then examine their impact on the ecosystem.
Kansai University has placed theirs in the sea around Kagoshima Prefecture’s Yoron Island to observe their growth after transplanting coral polyps onto the structures.
The results of the research are expected to be revealed at the Riyadh Expo in 2030.
“I had never imagined that Japan and Saudi Arabia would cooperate on coral research,” said Masato Ueda, a professor specializing in regenerative medicine at Kansai University.
Ueda said he wants to demonstrate to children that “humanity is attempting to restore the environment.”
