In today’s world, where every conceivable plant-based food and raw material is available to buy, it is easy to forget that people’s lives were once closely linked to the vegetation that they could find around them.
Locally available plants provided food for people and their animals, flavourings, dyes, fuel, building materials and much, much else.
One tree that has been important for thousands of years to those living around it is Moringa peregrina, commonly known as the yusor tree, which is native to the UAE and many other countries in the Arabian peninsula and north-east Africa.
Oil from M. peregrina was used by the ancient Egyptians and the Romans, and the medicinal properties of substances extracted from the plant, which can grow as tall as 10 metres, have long been recognised.
For the Bedouin population of Jordan, the plant remains significant as food for their goats and as a source of oil. This oil is extracted when it rises to the surface after a mixture of crushed seeds and water is boiled.
"The oil quality is very high and there's a similarity between the properties of the oil from Moringa peregrina and olive oil. [The Bedouin] use it and they store the oil for winter use," said Dr Khaled Abulaila of Jordan's National Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE).
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Read more:
How native plants can save millions of gallons of water in the UAE
Return of the native
Design dilemma: a beginner’s guide to growing plants in the UAE
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A conservation biologist and herbarium keeper at NCARE, Dr Abulaila has been involved in efforts in Jordan to find better ways of using the yusor tree as a fodder crop.
“I’m trying make a demonstration for the farmers, especially in the Jordan valley, to introduce an alternative for fodder crops for their animals,” he said.
In the south of the country, where the warmer temperatures are more to the plant’s liking, seeds have been planted in rows and pruned after a year or less.
This pruning is carried out to keep the plants in a juvenile form with "rosette-like" growth, because when it develops into its adult self, M. peregrina produces thin leaves that are much less useful as animal feed.
Dr Abulaila describes the yusor tree as being “kind of threatened”, because, like many other plants, it has faced pressures from overgrazing and development.
Such conservation challenges make a recent work carried out in the UAE all the more important.
Dr Shyam Kurup, an associate professor at UAE University in Al Ain, has helped to develop a method to multiply M. peregrina using micropropagation, which involves the techniques of tissue culture, in which tiny pieces of plant tissue are grown on a nutrient medium.
Co-authored by five colleagues from UAE University's Department of Aridland Agriculture in the College of Food and Agriculture, along with a scientist at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and a researcher at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia, the study offers, the authors say in their South African Journal of Botany paper, a way to achieve the "mass multiplication" of the plant, with offspring genetically identical to the parent plant.
“Once you standardise this procedure, you will be able to produce a large number of plants. The idea is to put it back in the habitat from where these plants generally grow,” said Dr Kurup.
“If you put 1,000 plants, [possibly] 50 per cent survive without any cultural practice. It’s a sort of in-situ conservation.”
The scientists wanted to find the ideal nutrient material and additives to encourage explants, or pieces of tissue, to grow and produce structures such as shoots and roots. Because M. peregrina is a tree species, the task was more difficult than with many other types of plant.
“With annual crops, it’s easy to develop a protocol, but when it comes to tree crops it’s always difficult,” said Dr Kurup.
“We have to standardise by hit and miss, or using different media combinations for getting these plantlets.”
Now that the researchers have released their findings, conservationists anywhere could use the same techniques to reproduce M. peregrina.
As part of the same research effort, funded by UAEU’s Khalifa Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the researchers have been working to develop micropropagation protocols for four other species, with results for the first of the others to be published soon.
Efforts to preserve M. peregrina are also taking place in the United Kingdom, where the plant's seeds are kept at the Millennium Seed Bank in West Sussex in the south of England. The Millennium Seed Bank, which comes under the umbrella of London's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, holds seeds from about 40,000 plant species.
Three collections of M. peregrina seeds are held – including one from the UAE. There is a large collection made in Oman in 1993, a second, from Jordan, in 2005 and a third from Sharjah in 2010.
That M. peregrina is known to contain medically useful compounds means that it is especially important that seeds are collected from across the species' range.
"If you have more than one sample, more than one population, you have better insurance against the species disappearing [and] you can study the subtle differences in these active compounds because they're not always the same in every corner of the distribution of the species," said Dr Michiel van Slageren, an honorary research associate in Kew's Identification and Naming Department. He has visited Jordan and worked with Dr Abulaila to collect seeds of M. peregrina.
The seeds of the yusor tree are dessication tolerant, so for long-term storage the water level is reduced (the seeds are kept at 14 per cent relative humidity) and the temperature brought down to about minus 20C. Under such conditions the seeds can retain their capability to germinate for, remarkably, hundreds of years.
So, with researchers in the UAE, the UK and Jordan focused on varied methods of preservation, M. peregrina should be around well into the future. Given how important this species has been over the millennia, this international effort is well deserved.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
DUNGEONS%20%26%20DRAGONS%3A%20HONOR%20AMONG%20THIEVES
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The%20specs
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MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Stan%20Lee
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Norway
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%C2%A0profile
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Company%20profile
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Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
