Larger areas contain more species. This is one of the most ironclad laws of ecology, which explains why large natural areas usually receive higher priority in conservation strategies. In fragmented landscapes, this logic has also led small forest fragments to be seen as environments of lower value for biodiversity. But would it be possible to […]
Economic hardship is a lingering consequence of Brooke’s breast cancer treatment, more than 30 years ago – which she paid for by selling her wedding ring. The treatment left her debilitated, fatigued and unable to work for some time. Friends brought groceries and the Cancer Council provided some financial support, but Brooke needed to scrounge […]
Twenty years ago, 16-year-old Taylor Swift released her debut single, Tim McGraw. To understand everything that has come since – the confessional genius, the brand strategy, the carefully constructed persona – this three-minute-and-fifty-two-second country ballad is a good place to start. As we argue in our edited collection Taylor Swift: Culture, Capital & Critique, Swift […]
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman participated in the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), which was held via video conference from June 17 to 18, to discuss issues related to the development of the agricultural sector and the enhancement of food security in the Arab countries. Oman […]
PARIS: Global trade in fertilisers crucial to agriculture harvests worldwide have slumped 30 per cent since the start of the year, as the Mideast war sent prices soaring and led several countries to restrict exports, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said on Thursday. Many farmers have delayed or forgone purchases as supplies tightened with […]
More than 100 million years ago, a flying reptile called a pterosaur flew over the oceans hunting squid and fish. Much more recently, one of its wing bones was discovered in Brazil, transformed over the aeons into a fossil made of a complex assemblage of different chemicals and minerals. And in new research published in […]
AL BURAIMI: Development projects worth more than RO 6 million are being implemented during 2026 in the wilayats of Al Buraimi, Mahadha and Al Sinainah, Governorate of Al Buraimi. The projects reflect a keenness to develop infrastructure, service facilities and tourist destinations in the governorate. The projects are scheduled to generate added value by improving […]
LONDON: Oil prices fell almost 3 per cent on Thursday to their lowest since the first trading day of the Iran war, as a US-Iran interim deal to end the conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease sanctions on Tehran boosted the global supply outlook. Brent crude futures were down $1.53, or 1.9%, at […]
Iran and the United States are about to sign a peace deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Oil prices reacted quickly to the announcement of the tentative deal, dropping from highs that had pushed gasoline prices toward record levels in North America. […]
MUSCAT: Sultan Qaboos University has advanced 28 places in the QS World University Rankings 2027, securing the 306th position globally, compared to 334th in the 2026 rankings. This achievement reflects the university’s enhanced performance and its strengthened academic and research standing at the international level. HH Sayyid Dr Fahd bin Al Julanda al Said, Vice-Chancellor […]
