A Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) build his nest as other bird looks out from the nest in a betelnut tree in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the males of the species which build nests, stripping long grass and paddy, and weaving them into place between numerous trips. Baya Weavers are known for their elaborately woven nests. The Baya Weaver is a gregarious bird and breeds in colonies. The nest is a long graceful retort-shaped made of woven grass, with the mouth pointing downwards, suspended from the outer boughs of trees or bushes. EPA
A Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) build his nest as other bird looks out from the nest in a betelnut tree in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the males of the species which build nests, stripping long grass and paddy, and weaving them into place between numerous trips. Baya Weavers are known for their elaborately woven nests. The Baya Weaver is a gregarious bird and breeds in colonies. The nest is a long graceful retort-shaped made of woven grass, with the mouth pointing downwards, suspended from the outer boughs of trees or bushes. EPA
In this photo provided by the Tierpark Zoo in Berlin, shows a red panda cub. The little cub was first discovered on June 6 in its mother's cave only a few months after its parents were brought to the German capital from the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in India. AP
In this photo provided by the Tierpark Zoo in Berlin, shows a red panda cub. The little cub was first discovered on June 6 in its mother's cave only a few months after its parents were brought to the German capital from the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in India. AP
The 15-month-old African male lion named Makuti stands at his enclosure after arriving from the city of Erfurt in Germany, at the Servion Zoo, Servion, Switzerland. EPA
The 15-month-old African male lion named Makuti stands at his enclosure after arriving from the city of Erfurt in Germany, at the Servion Zoo, Servion, Switzerland. EPA
The 15-month-old African male lion named Makuti reacts inside his transport box as he arrives at his enclosure from the city of Erfurt in Germany, at the Servion Zoo, in Servion, Switzerland. EPA
The 15-month-old African male lion named Makuti reacts inside his transport box as he arrives at his enclosure from the city of Erfurt in Germany, at the Servion Zoo, in Servion, Switzerland. EPA
Sean, a seven-year-old female Sumatran tiger, is seen inside its enclosure at the Bali Zoo in Bali, Indonesia. The Sumatran tiger is the world's most critically endangered tiger subspecies with fewer than 400 remain in the wild and may become extinct in the next decade due to poaching and habitat loss. AP Photo
Sean, a seven-year-old female Sumatran tiger, is seen inside its enclosure at the Bali Zoo in Bali, Indonesia. The Sumatran tiger is the world's most critically endangered tiger subspecies with fewer than 400 remain in the wild and may become extinct in the next decade due to poaching and habitat loss. AP Photo
A keeper inspects the pouch of Nupela, a female Goodfellow's tree kangaroo, as she feeds inside an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore. EPA
A keeper inspects the pouch of Nupela, a female Goodfellow's tree kangaroo, as she feeds inside an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore. EPA
A white tiger rests on a tree trunk inside an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore. EPA
A white tiger rests on a tree trunk inside an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore. EPA
A Goodfellow's tree kangaroo joey peeks out of its mother pouch while perched on a branch in an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore. The joey was born on 04 February at the Singapore Zoo, and along with its parents are one of 58 tree kangaroos under human care in the world. EPA
A Goodfellow's tree kangaroo joey peeks out of its mother pouch while perched on a branch in an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore. The joey was born on 04 February at the Singapore Zoo, and along with its parents are one of 58 tree kangaroos under human care in the world. EPA
One-month-old female white lion cubs (Panthera leo krugeri) triplets rest in their outdoor enclosure in Nyiregyhaza Animal Park in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary. EPA
One-month-old female white lion cubs (Panthera leo krugeri) triplets rest in their outdoor enclosure in Nyiregyhaza Animal Park in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary. EPA
A handout photo made available by the Taipei Zoo shows the panda cub born at Taipei Zoo, on 25 July 2020 (issued 27 July 2020). On 27 July, Taipei Zoo invited the public to come up with a name for the panda cub, whose nickname is 'Rou Rou’ (Softie). The cub was born on 28 June from a pair of giant pandas, Tuan Tuan (Male) and Yuan Yuan (Female), donated by China to the Taipei Zoo in 2008. Yuan Yuan delivered a female cub Yuan Tzai in 2013 and gave birth to her second baby 'Rou Rou' on 28 June 2020. EPA
A handout photo made available by the Taipei Zoo shows the panda cub born at Taipei Zoo, on 25 July 2020 (issued 27 July 2020). On 27 July, Taipei Zoo invited the public to come up with a name for the panda cub, whose nickname is 'Rou Rou’ (Softie). The cub was born on 28 June from a pair of giant pandas, Tuan Tuan (Male) and Yuan Yuan (Female), donated by China to the Taipei Zoo in 2008. Yuan Yuan delivered a female cub Yuan Tzai in 2013 and gave birth to her second baby 'Rou Rou' on 28 June 2020. EPA
Fulvous whistling ducks or Dendrocygna bicolor seen in a wetland of outskirts in New Delhi, India. Fulvous whistling duck, mainly habitat at fresh marshes and irrigated land, is a species of whistling duck found across the world. EPA
Fulvous whistling ducks or Dendrocygna bicolor seen in a wetland of outskirts in New Delhi, India. Fulvous whistling duck, mainly habitat at fresh marshes and irrigated land, is a species of whistling duck found across the world. EPA
Lemurs inside its enclosure at the Tbilisi Zoo, Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA
Lemurs inside its enclosure at the Tbilisi Zoo, Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA
Two elephants inside their enclosure at the Tbilisi Zoo, Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA
Two elephants inside their enclosure at the Tbilisi Zoo, Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA
A peacock displays its tail inside its enclosure at the Tbilisi Zoo, Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA
A peacock displays its tail inside its enclosure at the Tbilisi Zoo, Tbilisi, Georgia. EPA

World

This week in wildlife - the best pictures of animals around the world

Take a look at some of the best images of wildlife from the past week

The National

July 31, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

More wildlife and environment stories from The National:

Endangered tigers seen in Thailand after four-year absence

Botswana's president urged to better investigate Okavango elephant deaths

Rare 100-year-old tree discovered in eastern Abu Dhabi

UAE plans early warning system to spot locust swarms

Animal traffickers passing off lion parts as tiger, says UN

THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

Results

Stage Two:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45

2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix

3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates

4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma

5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ

General Classification:

1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03

2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04

3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06

4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10

5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12

The biog

Name: Timothy Husband

Nationality: New Zealand

Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney

Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier

Favourite music: Billy Joel

Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia

England World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran. 

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf. 

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said. 

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer. 

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy. 

 

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Environment