PALANGKA RAYA, Indonesia (Bernama-ANTARA) – The orangutan population in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, is on the rise, said Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry, Alue Dohong.
On the sidelines of a national seminar on Thursday, he said the 2016 Population and Habitat Viability Analysis (PHVA) estimated the population at 6,080 which has now increased to an estimated 8,772 to 8,973, reported ANTARA news agency.
Dohong said that the increase in the orangutan population in the national park, which covers an area of 543,871 hectares indicates improvements in natural conditions and ecosystem health. He also highlighted the crucial role orangutans play in forest seed dispersal.
For illustration purposes only. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
“Orangutans also play a role in maintaining the health of forest ecosystems, and they also act as protectors of other species whose lives depend on forest ecosystems,” he said.
Ruswanto, the Sebangau National Park Office (BTNS) head, said that his office has gradually succeeded in restoring the ecosystem in the national park area through various efforts, including replanting as well as creating and repairing canal blocks.
TNS straddles three regions of Central Kalimantan, namely Palangka Raya City, Katingan District, and Pulang Pisau District.
“So far, forest fires and orangutan hunting are the threats,” Ruswanto said. “We can say that forest and land fires are currently the biggest threats.”
The office is continuing to cooperate with various parties to protect the ecosystem in TNS, including by monitoring its natural conditions.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire burning near Kumkoy, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/Dia Photo via AP)
ANKARA, TURKEY (AP) – Five people were killed and dozens more required medical treatment after a fire that started with the burning of crop stubble spread through settlements in southeast Turkey overnight, officials said Friday.
The blaze erupted in an area neighbouring the provinces of Diyarbakir and Mardin. Fanned by winds, it moved quickly through the villages of Koksalan, Yazcicegi and Bagacik, Diyarbakir Governor Ali Ihsan Su said. The fire was brought under control early on Friday.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on social media platform X that 44 people who were affected by the blaze and smoke, were treated in hospitals. Ten of them were in serious condition.
Television images showed a large blaze illuminating the night. Across the country in northwest Turkey, meanwhile, firefighters were battling to contain a wildfire near the town of Ayvacik in Canakkale province, said the state-run Anadolu Agency.
No one was hurt but authorities evacuated the small village of Camkoy as a precaution, the agency reported.
It was one of several wildfires to have erupted in the province of Canakkale in the past week amid high winds and scorching summer temperatures.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire burning near Kumkoy, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, Tuesday, June 18. PHOTO: APFirefighters work to extinguish a fire burning near Kumkoy, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, Tuesday, June 18 PHOTO: AP
FILE - Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. As Swift brings her blockbuster Eras Tour to London’s Wembley Stadium, some fans therefore are wondering if they are witnessing the beginning of an extended goodbye. She is performing three nights starting Friday, June 21, 2024 and is scheduled to return to Wembley for six nights in August to close the tour’s European leg. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
LONDON (AP) – Taylor Swift fans enjoy parsing the singer-songwriter’s lyrics for references to her romantic life and insights into her state of her mind.
But the pop superstar’s fans in the UK didn’t have to listen closely to her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” to get the sense that Swift had soured on the country’s capital city after long making it a regular hangout and then her second home.
The record’s fifth track is titled “So Long, London.”
As Swift brings her blockbuster Eras Tour to London’s Wembley Stadium, some Swifties therefore are wondering if they are witnessing the beginning of an extended goodbye.
She is performing three nights starting Friday, and is scheduled to return to Wembley for six nights in August to close the tour’s European leg.
London is the only city on the tour where Swift is stopping twice. Some worry the arrangement may represent a swan song of sorts, while others think it just reflects a new era in Swift’s bond with the Big Smoke.
Whether “So Long, London” turns out to be a final chapter or a bookend to her valentine to the city, the song “London Boy,” Eras is arriving as an emotional milestone.
“Her relationship now kind of assumes London won’t be somewhere she will be. It’s not like there is an American football player living here,” said Maggie Fekete, 22, a Canadian graduate student who credits the London references in Swift’s music with orienting her when she moved to the city three years ago.
“I think there will be a lot less London in her music, which is sad.”
Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, November 9, 2023. As Swift brings her blockbuster Eras Tour to London’s Wembley Stadium, some fans therefore are wondering if they are witnessing the beginning of an extended goodbye. She is performing three nights starting Friday, June 21 and is scheduled to return to Wembley for six nights in August to close the tour’s European leg. PHOTO: AP
For those who haven’t been paying attention, Swift had a series of romances with famous British citizens, starting with Harry Styles in 2012 and ending last year, when she started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The speculation surrounding “So Long, London” and a mournful companion song that mentions a London pub, “The Black Dog,” stems from the 2023 breakup of Swift and English actor Joe Alwyn, who were together for over six years.
Alwyn is assumed to have inspired “London Boy,” a song from her 2019 album “Lover.”
A special-edition “Lover” CD included what appeared to be a January 2017 diary entry in which Swift talked about being “essentially based in London” but trying to lay low.
British tabloids later reported that Swift spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic sheltering with Alwyn in north London.
The Sun newspaper reported in December that the multiple Grammy-winner had bought a large property in the area and was remodeling it to be her base in Europe.
After Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department” last month, however, a writer for the British edition of ELLE magazine observed that Londoners had an opening “for an all-American A-lister who can slot into her place in our collective consciousness.”
“We had Swift before we lost her to her record-breaking, box office-breaking Eras Tour and now, it would appear that her vacant position has been filled by Zendaya,” writer Naomi May playfully posited before listing the various locations the American actor had been spotted with her longtime boyfriend, British actor Tom Holland.
Either way, the capital is putting on quite a show of its own to make sure Swift and her fans feel appreciated. Guides are offering walking, bus and taxi tours that retrace her footsteps, including a kebab shop whose owner says his establishment is supplying sandwiches for the singer and her crew on Friday.
Before the end of August, Swifties can partake in a full diet of Swift-themed brunches and dance parties, or ride the London Eye Ferris wheel accompanied by a string quarter playing her music. Souvenir stalls in Camden Market, one of the places mentioned in “London Boy,” stocked up on Swift-specific caps, T-shirts, bags and stickers in preparation.
“We’re very proud that London is hosting more shows than any other city on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, a real testament to her love for London,” Laura Citron, CEO of a tourism agency said.
Fans started lining up outside Wembley on Thursday in hopes of being among the first ticket-holders to claim spots in standing sections close to the stage. A pop-up tour merchandise store opened in a parking lot by the stadium that morning.
Zachary Hourihane, who co-hosts a Swift podcast called “Evolution of a Snake” and posts YouTube and TikTok videos under the name Swiftologist, said it’s too soon to know whether the singer will retain her honorary citizenship or part ways with London. As her fans know all too well, only time will tell with Taylor.
Hourihane notes that Swift started spending more time in London after a difficult year in which she went from winning album of the year at the 2016 Grammy Awards for “1989” to seeing her popularity plummet amid a public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
From his study of her life in England, he thinks the happy memories she created there come mixed with “a sense of isolation.”
“There is a lot of nostalgia that might have turned into regret,” Hourihane said. “She felt like she was trapped there for a while.”
Fast forward several boyfriends, 10 albums (including the Taylor’s Version re-records ) and the Eras Tour juggernaut, and it’s not surprising her life is up for reappraisal. Hourihane suspects Swift is “not quite ready to give up on London” for both practical and artistic reasons.
“Taylor is someone who retraces her steps a lot. Things are never really over with her. She likes to revisit things that have finished,” he said.
“Let’s be realistic about it. Her relationship, even if it is, ‘so long, goodbye,’ she has good reason to be in London and good money to make there.”
Argentina's Lionel Messi falls over during a Copa America Group A soccer match against Canada in Atlanta, Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
ATLANTA (AP) – After Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in Thursday night’s Copa America opener, the teams criticised the playing surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“The field was a disaster,” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez said. “It seems like a springboard with the ball jumping. They need to improve this. If not, Copa America will always be at lower level than the Euro.”
Grass was installed after a Major League Soccer game Saturday was played on the usual artificial turf at the stadium.
“Thank goodness we won. Otherwise it would have been a cheap excuse,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “
Argentina’s Lionel Messi falls over during a Copa America Group A soccer match against Canada in Atlanta, Thursday, June 20. PHOTO: AP
They knew seven months ago that we will be playing here and they changed the surface a few days ago. It’s not an excuse, but this wasn’t a good field. Sincerely, the field is not apt for these players.”
The stadium will host eight games during the 2026 World Cup, including a semifinal.
“It felt like walking on a stage, as if it was hollow,” Canadian defender Kamal Miller said.
A crowd of 70,564 attended the opener of the 32-game tournament. The United States plays Panama at the stadium on June 27.
At Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a concert is scheduled for July 6, between the last group stage game and the July 14 final, and a new grass surface will be installed.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after missing a chance to score during a Copa America Group A soccer match against Canada in Atlanta, Thursday, June 20. PHOTO: AP
rime Minister Han Duck-soo, first from right, presides over a ministerial level meeting held at Government Complex Sejong on Thursday. PHOTO: ANN/THE KOREA HERALD SOURCE
(ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – South Korea is set to implement new measures aimed at facilitating the lives and careers of its approximately 163,000 international students. These initiatives include broadening the range of visa types and job prospects available to them, officials announced on Thursday.
To address labour shortages across key industries in the country, the government intends to permit foreign students who complete their studies in Korea to apply for E-9 non-professional employment visas. This move is part of a broader strategy to enhance the job market and support economic growth.
The decision follows a meeting of government agencies responsible for immigration and visa policies, chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the central administrative city of Sejong.
Currently, foreign students who graduate here are only eligible for a limited number of visas, such as the E-7, which is issued for a limited number of specialist job types.
The length of stay for D-10 visa holders, who are seeking jobs upon completing their university programs here will be extended to a maximum of three years. Currently, D-10 visa holders are allowed an initial six-month stay and can extend the term up to two years.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, first from right, presides over a ministerial level meeting held at Government Complex Sejong on Thursday. PHOTO: ANN/THE KOREA HERALD SOURCE
For students seeking jobs in the shipbuilding sector, which faces a chronic labour shortage, the government aims to help them get hired immediately after completing certain training programs.
Companies will be able to fill vacancies created by employees going on maternity or paternity leave with students as well.
In addition to the measures for students, the government plans to widen E-9 and E-10 visa holders’ access to E-7-4 visas, which provide more flexibility in employment and allow holders to stay in the country longer.
Criteria for the conversion, which includes the applicant’s level of education, assets and certifications, will be eased and the quota for the number of visas issued will be increased.
The parents of foreign students will be eligible to apply for an E-8 seasonal workers visa to allow families to live together.
To increase efficiency in handling the task of catering to foreign students and workers here, the government will launch a special committee of officials in July.
Different agencies currently handle workers with different visas, with the Ministry of Justice catering to E-8 seasonal workers and the Labour Ministry overseeing workers on E-9 and H-2 visas, which are issued for mostly manual jobs with relatively low formal skills requirements.
The committee will allow the government to get a more comprehensive insight into the matter, the prime minister’s office noted.
“We seek to combine the management responsibilities for foreign workers that have been divided among ministries until now, and strengthen connections and adjustments among foreigner policies,” Han said during the meeting.
“We must actively encourage diligent foreign workers to fill job vacancies here, which is why we have decided to come up with an effective management system amid an increase in demand for foreign workers,” he added.
The plans are in their early stages of development and will be adopted by the end of next year, officials explained.
There are currently around 560,000 people in the country on work visas, and the prime minister said the number was expected to grow further.
The latest announcement comes as the Yoon Suk Yeol administration seeks to increase the foreign workforce to combat labour shortages caused by a declining and aging population.
South Korea is suffering a population crisis, with the general population aging and fewer people giving birth. South Korea’s fertility rate — the number of children a woman has in her lifetime — came to 0.72 in 2023, making Korea the only member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development with a rate below 1.
HONOLULU (AP) – Two Hawaii residents were fined USD20,000 for their alleged roles in the fatal mauling of a female Hawaiian monk seal pup by unleashed dogs, US officials said Thursday.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild. The loss of a female is a particularly hard blow to conservation efforts because she could have grown up to give birth to pups of her own.
A necropsy by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the pup known as PO7 suffered puncture wounds consistent with dog bites and haemorrhaging consistent with being shaken by a dog.
NOAA’s Office of General Counsel issued the fine on June 11, which didn’t say how the two individuals were allegedly connected to the unleashed dogs.
Stefanie Gutierrez, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries, said further details were unavailable because “enforcement proceedings were ongoing.” The accused were fined USD20,000 jointly.
The pup was born to a seal known as RN58 or Luana. She was seen with her mother for the first time on May 23 on Oahu’s North Shore and reported to be a dog attack victim that same evening.
Those fined have the right to challenge the penalty and request a hearing before an administrative law judge.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said one of the two individuals was a state parks employee who wasn’t on duty. She reported the pup death to her agency, department spokesperson Dan Dennison said.
The department has started its own investigation into potential violations of state and county laws, he said. Phone numbers for the accused could not immediately be found.
(ANN/THE JAPAN NEWS) – The city of Himeji in Japan city is contemplating increasing the admission fee at Himeji Castle for non-Japanese tourists aged 18 or older, according to Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture during an international convention recently.
The proposed increase aims to manage overtourism and fund necessary repairs to the castle, a designated World Heritage site.
Presently, the admission fee for individuals aged 18 or older is JPY1,000 (approximately USD7).
“I’m considering raising the fee,” Mayor Kiyomoto stated. “I’d propose foreign visitors pay around USD30, while Himeji residents pay approximately USD5.”
With the current exchange rate of JPY157 to the US dollar, the existing fee for individuals aged 18 or older equates to about USD7.
In the fiscal year 2023, the castle welcomed 1.48 million visitors, with approximately 30 per cent—a record of about 450,000—being tourists from overseas, as per the city’s website.
In this undated photo provided on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, by South Korea Defense Ministry, North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the border area, as seen from a South Korean guard area. South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals' land border Tuesday for the second time this month, South Korea's military said. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
SEOUL (AFP) – Seoul’s military said Friday it had fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified border in the third such incursion this month.
The nuclear-armed North has been reinforcing the border in recent months, adding tactical roads and laying more landmines, which has led to “casualties” among its troops due to accidental explosions, South Korea has said.
On Thursday morning, “several North Korean soldiers who were working inside the DMZ on the central front line crossed the Military Demarcation Line,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
“After our military’s warning broadcasts and warning shots, the North Korean soldiers retreated back northward,” they added.
Similar incidents took place on June 9 and Tuesday this week, with Seoul’s military saying both incursions appeared to be accidental.
In this undated photo provided on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, by South Korea Defense Ministry, North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the border area, as seen from a South Korean guard area. PHOTO: AP
Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with Kim Jong Un hosting Russian leader Vladmir Putin this week, and signing a mutual defence agreement that has raised hackles in Seoul.
In response, the South — a major weapons exporter — has said it will “reconsider” a longstanding policy that has prevented it from supplying arms directly to Ukraine.
“While attention is focused on Putin’s pariah partnerships, the Kim regime is recklessly endangering soldiers with rushed construction work at the inter-Korean border,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
The work is likely aimed “as much at keeping their countrymen in as it is at keeping the South Koreans out,” he said, but warned that “a lack of inter-Korean communication channels and confidence-building mechanisms increases the danger of escalation in border areas.”
Balloon war
The two Koreas have also been locked in a tit-for-tat “balloon war”, with an activist in the South confirming Friday that he had floated more balloons carrying propaganda north, a move likely to trigger a response from Pyongyang, which has already sent more than a thousand balloons carrying trash southward.
Legally, Seoul cannot prevent activists from sending balloons across the border, after a 2023 court ruling that it was an unjustifiable infringement on free speech.
Activist Park Sang-hak, a former North Korean who defected and has been sending anti-regime leaflets north for years, said he had floated 20 balloons across the border Thursday, carrying propaganda as well as flash drives of K-pop music and K-drama.
The North is extremely sensitive about its people accessing South Korean pop culture, with a United Nations report saying possession of large amounts of such content has been known to result in the death penalty.
Activist Park said there was a “bit of friction” with city officials in Paju — the area where the balloons were launched — but he vowed not to call off his campaign unless Kim Jong Un “apologises” for sending trash.
North Korea has slammed the propaganda balloons as “intemperate psychological warfare of the scum who defected” and warned it will respond to every launch in kind.
Tensions over the duelling propaganda have previously boiled over in dramatic fashion.
In 2020, blaming the anti-North leaflets, Pyongyang unilaterally cut off all official military and political communication links with Seoul and blew up a disused inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border.
(ANN/DAILY STAR) – Aidiladha is a day of joy and festivity, often centred around meat-heavy dishes. While this can be a challenge for vegetarians, with a bit of creativity and planning, you can still savour the celebrations in your own unique way.
Rather than feeling left out, use this opportunity to explore new flavors and culinary experiences.
Plan ahead
On occasions like these, planning can make things a lot easier for you. On Eid day, you might have multiple lunch or dinner invitations, you do not necessarily need to feel like the odd one out when everyone is feasting on scrumptious meaty dishes.
Offer to take a dish to the dinner party. Paneer tikka, mushroom pasta, or a fan favourite — chotpoti — will always be welcomed by everyone.
Get creative with traditional dishes
Who said meat dishes have to dominate the Eid menu? Giving a vegetarian twist to traditional dishes is easier than you might think.
Imagine kebabs made of beans or chickpeas, or samosas loaded with spicy potatoes and peas. Even your favourite curries may be prepared vegetarian-style.
If you use the correct spices, your vegetarian cuisine will be the topic of the table.
Have fun beyond the feast
Aidiladha is a celebration of community and joy, not just food. Get into the holiday mood by taking part in non-food activities.
Participate in Eid prayers, spend time with friends and family, and help with home décor. There’s so much more to enjoy than simply the feast when you indulge yourself in the holiday’s cultural and spiritual sides.
Embrace the side dishes
Honestly, the side dishes are often the most enjoyable items of any meal. Savour the taste of the main meal and its flavours, which include bread, salads, dips, and desserts. There is much to enjoy, from delicious naan to zesty chutneys and sugary sweets.
Educate with love
As Aidiladha is a time for giving and sharing, it’s the ideal occasion to discuss your food choices with your loved ones. Treat the subject with compassion and a little humour. Describe your vegetarian lifestyle and how it fits with your ideals.
It may surprise you that your friends and family can understand your point of view and might even have a change of heart regarding the vegetarian lifestyle.
(ANN/THE JAPAN NEWS) – Kobe Animal Kingdom, a zoo in Japan is set to welcome visitors on Friday for the first time since the birth of four Pallas’s cat kittens in April.
Pallas’s cats, known as the oldest cat species in the world, are native to rocky mountains from southern Siberia to Central Asia. However, their population has been declining in recent years, making these kittens particularly special.
The zoo introduced the lively kittens to the press on Thursday, showcasing their playful behaviour as they interacted with each other and explored their environment. Visitors will have the opportunity to see these rare kittens twice daily, from 10 to 11.30 am and again from 1.30 to 3 pm.
Kobe Animal Kingdom hopes that the birth of these kittens will raise awareness about the conservation of Pallas’s cats, whose numbers are threatened by habitat loss and other environmental pressures.
The zoo’s efforts to breed and protect these ancient cats are part of a broader initiative to preserve endangered species and educate the public about wildlife conservation.
Visitors to the zoo will not only enjoy watching the adorable kittens but will also learn about the importance of conservation efforts.
Kobe Animal Kingdom aims to inspire a deeper appreciation for wildlife and the need to protect it for future generations.
