Latest news with #LOC
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- General
- Kuwait Times
Kenya NGO saves turtles from nets, plastic and rising tides
A small charity on the Kenyan coast has become vital to the region's majestic turtle population, saving thousands from poachers, fishermen's nets and ever-worsening plastic pollution. On the beach of the seaside town of Watamu, it took four men to heave the huge Loggerhead sea turtle into the back of a car. She had just been saved from a fishing tackle and was then taken to a nearby clinic to be checked for injuries, then weighed, tagged and released back into the sea. A Kenyan NGO, Local Ocean Conservation (LOC), has been doing this work for almost three decades and has carried out some 24,000 rescues. 'Every time I release a turtle, it's a really great joy for me. My motivation gets stronger and stronger,' said Fikiri Kiponda, 47, who has been part of LOC's 20-odd staff for 16 years. LOC began life in 1997 as a group of volunteers who hated seeing the creatures being eaten or dying in nets. Turtles are still poached for their shells, meat and oil. But through the charity's awareness campaigns in schools and villages, 'perceptions have significantly changed', said Kiponda. LOC, which relies mostly on donations, compensates fishermen for bringing them injured turtles. More than 1,000 fishermen participate in the scheme and mostly do so for the sake of conservation, the charity emphasized, since the reward does not offset the hours of lost labour. A young Hawksbill sea turtle, under observation at the rehabilitation centre of Local Ocean Conservation, is transported to a local hospital for an x-ray scan in Watamu.--AFP photos A young Green sea turtle released by staff from Local conservation makes its way back into the ocean in Watamu. Fikiri Kaponda and Jonathan from the Local Ocean Conservation prepares to release a young Green sea turtle that was caught by a fisherman. A staff member from the Local Ocean Conservation puts a tag on the back flipper of a young Green sea turtle that was caught by a fisherman. Staff members from Local Ocean Conservation and fishermen carry a mature Loggerhead sea turtle from a fishing boat, that was hooked out on the open water. A staff member from Local Ocean Conservation relocates sea turtle eggs from a nesting site that was to close to the water. Staff from Local Ocean Conservation and fishermen lifting a mature Loggerhead sea turtle into a car. A general view of a x-ray scan of a Green sea turtle, that floats but is unable to dive, under observation at the rehabilitation center of Local Ocean Conservation Watamu Hospital. Pupils look at a sea turtle during a visit at the Local Ocean Conservation. Floating turtles At the NGO's nearby clinic, health coordinator Lameck Maitha, 34, said turtles are often treated for broken bones and tumours caused by a disease called fibropapillomatosis. One current in-patient is Safari, a young Olive Ridley turtle around 15 years old - turtles can live beyond 100 - transported by plane from further up the coast. She arrived in a dire state, barely alive and with a bone protruding from her flipper, which ultimately had to be amputated - likely the result of fighting to free herself from a fisherman's net. Safari has been recovering well and the clinic hopes she can return to the sea. Other frequent tasks include removing barnacles that embed themselves in shells and flippers, weakening their host. But a growing danger is plastic pollution. If a turtle eats plastic, it can create a blockage that in turn creates gas, making the turtle float and unable to dive. In these cases, the clinic gives the turtle laxatives to clear out its system. 'We are seeing more and more floating turtles because the ocean has so much plastic,' said Maitha. Survivors LOC also works to protect 50 to 100 nesting sites, threatened by rising sea levels. Turtles travel far and wide but always lay their eggs on the beach where they were born, and Watamu is one of the most popular spots. Every three or four years, they produce hundreds of eggs, laid during multiple sessions over several months, that hatch after around 60 days. The charity often relocates eggs that have been laid too close to the sea. Marine biologist Joey Ngunu, LOC's technical manager, always calls the first to appear Kevin. 'And once Kevin comes out, the rest follow,' he said with a smile, describing the slow, clumsy procession to the water, preferably at night to avoid predators as much as possible. Only one in a thousand reaches adulthood of 20 to 25 years. 'Living in the sea as a turtle must be crazy. You have to face so many dangers, fish and poachers, and now human pressure with plastic and commercial fishing,' he said. 'Turtles are definitely survivors.' — AFP
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Boman Irani's notable performances to stream before Detective Sherdil arrives on OTT
Boman Irani is set to feature in the highly anticipated thriller, Detective Sherdil. In this gripping tale, Diljit Dosanjh will be seen as the detective who investigates the murder case of Boman's character, Pankaj Bhatti. The movie will be released soon on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium on June 20, 2025. But before that, take a moment to rediscover the diverse range of this 65-year-old veteran with a collection of his finest performances on OTTplay Premium. From You Hear It? to Por Thozhil, catch more gripping investigative thrillers, across languages, only on OTTplay Premium now! Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran This John Abraham-starrer action drama follows a group of Indian government officials, who face the formidable task of conducting a discreet nuclear test in a remote place in Rajasthan, but must evade detection by surveillance satellites. Boman Irani plays Himanshu Shukla, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. His character is inspired by the Late Brajesh Mishra, a key figure in the government's decision-making process regarding the Pokhran nuclear tests. Uunchai This heartwarming Hindi drama follows three elderly men as they trek to Everest Base Camp to honour the last wish of their late friend. Along the way, the three retired friends discover the true essence of freedom and life. Boman Irani plays one of the friends as Javed Siddiqui, along with Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher in other key roles. Cocktail When NRI Veronica (Deepika Padukone) invites her lover Gautam (Saif Ali Khan), and her new friend, Meera (Diana Penty), to live with her in the same apartment, initially the trio enjoy a happy life together. However, things take a complicated turn when Gautam unexpectedly falls for Meera, creating conflict in their relationships. Boman Irani plays Randhir 'Tinku' Malhotra, the uncle of Gautam. Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India This Telugu drama is available in Malayalam (Ente Peru Surya Ente Veedu India) on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium, where Boman Irani plays Lt. Gen. Sanjay Shrivastav, the superior of soldier Surya (Allu Arjun). The story follows a soldier serving at the LOC, while struggling with anger issues, which lands him in trouble and leads to a court-martial. Now, he must seek clearance from a psychologist. Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi In this Hindi comedy-drama, Bomani Irani portrays Farhad, who's a 45-year-old bachelor. The story follows Farhad as he falls in love with Shirin (Farah Khan) and decides to introduce her to his mother. However, things go awry as his mother develops an instant and intense dislike for Shirin, setting the stage for hilarious chaos.
ILoveQatar.net
12-06-2025
- Sport
- ILoveQatar.net
FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ full match schedule revealed, Qatar set to face Italy in opening game
With the official release of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ match schedule, football managers and team representatives shared their excitement for what will be a historic tournament. Set to take place in Qatar between 3 - 27 November, this will be the first FIFA World Cup™ to feature 48 teams. 'The tournament will be hosted in its entirety in the world-class Aspire Academy, with the final match to be held at Khalifa International Stadium, one of our historic Qatar 2022 venues,' said Rashid Al Khater, Executive Director of Operations of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). Al Khater added: 'This will be more than just a football tournament, as fans will be treated to a festival-like atmosphere where they can enjoy a robust fan zone that meets all their needs as they take in some exciting football matches.' Hosts Qatar have been drawn into group A alongside Italy, South Africa and Bolivia. The young Maroons will look to improve on Qatar's best performance in the tournament when they claimed fourth place in 1991. 'Having the under-17 World Cup hosted in Qatar for five consecutive years provides young players with a wonderful opportunity to compete against the best teams in the world. This type of competition will have a great impact on the development of young players and will once again positively reflect Qatar's ability to host mega sporting events,' said Alvaro Perez, head coach of the Qatar under-17 team. Drawn alongside Qatar are South Africa. For head coach Vela Khumalo, the tournament has the potential to have global impact. The Amajimbos will be making their second appearance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ after their debut in 2015. 'The tournament is important for the entire world. That is why we were so keen to qualify and participate in competition hosted by Qatar. The World Cup provides us with a platform to interact with teams and players from all around the world, which will undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the skills and abilities of our players,' said Khumalo. A total of 48 teams will play 104 matches over a period of 24 days. They have been divided into 12 groups. They are: The first match will see hosts Qatar take on European giants Italy on 3 November. For the full match schedule, visit
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIFA U-17 World Cup schedule: Full list of Qatar 2025 matches, dates, venues, timings, groups
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar, the first to feature 48 teams, will take place between November 3 to 27. 'The tournament will be hosted in its entirety in the world-class Aspire Academy, with the final match to be held at Khalifa International Stadium, one of our historic Qatar 2022 venues,' said Rashid Al Khater, Executive Director of Operations of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). DRAW RESULTS - GROUPS Host Qatar has been drawn into Group A alongside Italy, South Africa, and Bolivia. The young Maroons will look to improve on Qatar's best performance in the tournament when it claimed fourth place in 1991. 'Having the under-17 World Cup hosted in Qatar for five consecutive years provides young players with a wonderful opportunity to compete against the best teams in the world. This type of competition will have a great impact on the development of young players and will once again positively reflect Qatar's ability to host mega sporting events,' said Alvaro Perez, head coach of the Qatar under-17 team. Drawn alongside Qatar is South Africa. For head coach Vela Khumalo, the tournament has the potential to have global impact. The Amajimbos will be making their second appearance at the U-17 World Cup after their debut in 2015. 'The tournament is important for the entire world. That is why we were so keen to qualify and participate in the competition hosted by Qatar. The World Cup provides us with a platform to interact with teams and players from all around the world, which will undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the skills and abilities of our players,' said Khumalo. A total of 48 teams will play 104 matches over a period of 24 days. They have been divided into 12 groups. Group A: Qatar, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, Portugal Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt Group F: Mexico, Korea, Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Switzerland Group G: Germany, Colombia, Korea DPR, El Salvador Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia Group I: USA, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czechia Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Republic of Ireland Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia The first match will see host Qatar take on European giant Italy on November 3. Read and download the full schedule here: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 Related Topics FIFA U-17 World Cup
RTÉ News
12-06-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Kenya NGO saves turtles from nets, plastic and rising tides
A small charity on the Kenyan coast has become vital to the region's majestic turtle population, saving thousands from poachers, fishermen's nets and ever-worsening plastic pollution. On the beach of the seaside town of Watamu, it took four men to heave the huge Loggerhead sea turtle into the back of a car. She had just been saved from a fishing tackle and was then taken to a nearby clinic to be checked for injuries, then weighed, tagged and released back into the sea. A Kenyan NGO, Local Ocean Conservation (LOC), has been doing this work for almost three decades and has carried out some 24,000 rescues. "Every time I release a turtle, it's a really great joy for me. My motivation gets stronger and stronger," said Fikiri Kiponda, 47, who has been part of LOC's 20-odd staff for 16 years. LOC began life in 1997 as a group of volunteers who hated seeing the creatures being eaten or dying in nets. Turtles are still poached for their shells, meat and oil. But through the charity's awareness campaigns in schools and villages, "perceptions have significantly changed", said Mr Kiponda. LOC, which relies mostly on donations, compensates fishermen for bringing them injured turtles. More than 1,000 fishermen participate in the scheme and mostly do so for the sake of conservation, the charity emphasised, since the reward does not offset the hours of lost labour. Floating turtles At the NGO's nearby clinic, health coordinator Lameck Maitha, 34, said turtles are often treated for broken bones and tumours caused by a disease called fibropapillomatosis. One current in-patient is Safari, a young Olive Ridley turtle around 15 years old - turtles can live beyond 100 - transported by plane from further up the coast. She arrived in a dire state, barely alive and with a bone protruding from her flipper, which ultimately had to be amputated - likely the result of fighting to free herself from a fisherman's net. Safari has been recovering well and the clinic hopes she can return to the sea. Other frequent tasks include removing barnacles that embed themselves in shells and flippers, weakening their host. But a growing danger is plastic pollution. If a turtle eats plastic, it can create a blockage that in turn creates gas, making the turtle float and unable to dive. In these cases, the clinic gives the turtle laxatives to clear out its system. "We are seeing more and more floating turtles because the ocean has so much plastic," said Maitha. Survivors LOC also works to protect 50 to 100 nesting sites, threatened by rising sea levels. Turtles travel far and wide but always lay their eggs on the beach where they were born, and Watamu is one of the most popular spots. Every three or four years, they produce hundreds of eggs, laid during multiple sessions over several months, that hatch after around 60 days. The charity often relocates eggs that have been laid too close to the sea. Marine biologist Joey Ngunu, LOC's technical manager, always calls the first to appear Kevin. "And once Kevin comes out, the rest follow," he said with a smile, describing the slow, clumsy procession to the water, preferably at night to avoid predators as much as possible. Only one in a thousand reaches adulthood of 20 to 25 years. "Living in the sea as a turtle must be crazy. You have to face so many dangers, fish and poachers, and now human pressure with plastic and commercial fishing," he said.
