Latest news with #Hakeem
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How did this shark swim a record-breaking 4,000 miles—a journey once thought impossible
When Turawa Hakeem caught a bull shark near Lagos, Nigeria last summer, the Ghanaian captain had no idea his crew was reeling a record winner onto his wooden fishing boat. The eight-foot-long female had made an epic journey of at least 4,500 miles, the longest known movement of its species and the first time a bull shark was documented swimming through two oceans. The shark traveled from the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, swam around the southern tip of Africa, and then voyaged north through the Atlantic to Nigeria, according to research published this month in Ecology. 'Wow, I was surprised,' says Hakeem. 'I didn't know they could travel that far.' When his crew began butchering the shark to sell its meat at a local market, Hakeem found a black finger-length cylinder inside its body that read: 'Research: Reward if returned.' Curious, Hakeem emailed the address. He reached Ryan Daly, the paper's lead author and a shark ecologist at the Oceanographic Research Institute, a marine science and service facility that leads research projects in the western Indian Ocean. He implanted the acoustic transmitter in the bull shark in South Africa in 2021. Daly was equally shocked—and very skeptical at first. 'I thought it might be a scam,' Daly admits. 'The chances of this happening are like one in a million.' This lucky catch is providing new insights into how bull sharks move and shows how climate change may break down the environmental barriers that historically limited the migration of certain ocean animals. Another study author and marine biologist at the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Dunsin Abimbola Bolaji, confirmed Hakeem's story. In the year after she was tagged, the female bull shark was detected 567 times along the east coasts of South Africa and Mozambique by an array of 43 different underwater receivers. Then she disappeared on March 25, 2022 and wasn't seen again until Hakeem's crew caught the shark on July 11 last year. As part of their shark migration research, Daly and his colleagues also tagged and tracked 102 bull, blacktip, tiger and reef sharks in southern Africa. The longest recorded migration among these sharks was 1,400 miles, just one-third the distance traveled by the female bull shark that ended up near Lagos. Bull sharks are coastal species, not known for long-distance travel in the open ocean. They prefer shallow waters where freshwater meets the sea and need water temperature warmer than 65°F. During her voyage north, the female bull shark had to navigate the Benguela upwelling, one of the world's largest cold-water currents that extends along the west coasts of South Africa and Namibia. This upwelling has formed a cold barrier separating Africa's bull shark populations for at least the past 55,000 years. Scientists think this bull shark bypassed the cold water by swimming out around the upwelling, which can extend up to 90 miles offshore. It's also possible she rode pockets of warmer water around South Africa into the Atlantic Ocean during a Benguela Niño event. This climate pattern is similar to the El Niño events that influence sea temperatures off the west coast of the Americas. Certain cold-water fish, like mackerel and sardines, have also been pushed north during Benguela Niño events. As waters warm and upwellings shift due to climate change, Daly says the Benguela's cold water barrier may break down more often, allowing ocean animals to move to different latitudes. These Niño-related water temperature changes can change the entire species makeup of certain marine areas, impacting everything in the food web from algae to plankton to sharks. For bull sharks, however, more movement is likely a positive sign. 'If it means more gene flow, then typically that's a good thing,' Daly points out. 'We need to adapt to survive in a changing world.' Daly thinks that perhaps she was an immature shark who was 'just exploring'. Females don't reach sexual maturity until they are around 20 years old. Then they repeatedly return to the same estuary to reproduce. Until then, however, they may head out to 'find their groove and the pattern that works for them,' Daly says. It's possible that this female's extraordinary journey 'might not be unusual at all', says Rachel Graham, a shark biologist who was not involved in this study and executive director of MarAlliance, a conservation nonprofit based off the west coast of Africa. Bull sharks may have always traveled farther than scientists realized, or perhaps this female was the 'the black sheep in the family, the one who does something completely and utterly different to keep our gene pool robust,' Graham suggests. Despite her long journey, this female won't pass on her genetics after befalling a common shark fate. Globally, sharks' numbers have been halved since 1970. Overfishing drives 90 percent of the decline in sharks—but three-quarters of the estimated 100 million sharks that are caught each year are killed accidentally. As stocks of other fish plummet globally, more people are turning to shark meat for protein—especially in countries in sub-Saharan Africa like Nigeria where people depend on fishing for their livelihoods. 'It had a one-way ticket there because fishery pressure is so extreme,' Daly says. 'Sharks are running the gauntlet. In every country, they're facing different types of threats on top of climate change.' Hakeem says his crew didn't hook the tagged female bull shark on purpose. She took the bait meant for more lucrative grouper and snapper. To ensure sharks—including future record breakers—survive, Graham says that scientists need to rely more on fishers like Hakeem to track sharks and to learn whether other marine species are making transoceanic journeys. 'Small-scale fishers are our allies in science,' Graham says. 'They have PhDs of the sea.' These sorts of novel partnerships may help scientists better understand how and where marine species are moving into new habitats. Warming water may allow tropical species to expand their range polewards, which can relieve fishing pressure or allow them to spread to new homes. But simultaneously, climate change is also creating more intense cold events in their historic ranges, such as an extreme upwelling along the southeast coast of South Africa that killed individuals from 81 species in 2021, including sharks. 'It's kind of like this bait and switch,' Daly says. 'It gets warmer but then these intense upwelling events increase, so they might get trapped down there, at the end of their range for a tropical species and then die off.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"That would be the team" - Hakeem Olajuwon on the Boston Celtics being the "ideal team"
During the 1985-86 season, Hakeem Olajuwon had the opportunity to win his first ring at 23 years old. Leading the Houston Rockets to the Finals, he encountered one of the toughest competitions he had ever faced in the championship bout with the Boston Celtics. The Eastern Conference powerhouse took the trophy, winning the series in six games. After that battle, Olajuwon appears to have realized that the Celtics squad he faced may have been the perfectly put-together team. Advertisement "I have great respect for that team," the Rockets legend said of the 1985-86 Celtics. "If you want to put an ideal basketball team together, that would be the team. A basketball team is supposed to be big. They had a big front line. And they're very smart. They don't waste opportunities. If you take a bad shot, they're going to capitalize." A nightmare for "The Dream" The 1986 playoffs were supposed to be a dream ride for Hakeem. After dispatching the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets in the first two rounds, he and his Houston crew easily defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. What made it more impressive for Olajuwon was that he had to face Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was already 39 by then but still averaged over 20 points per contest nonetheless, Magic Johnson, and the Lakers' vaunted fast-paced offense. It also didn't matter for the Rockets that the Purple and Gold had won the NBA title the previous year. Advertisement Houston prevailed over the Showtime Lakers in five games to set up a meeting with Boston. Olajuwon probably thought that his team had enough to beat the Celtics, even offering a dismissive response before the start of the series when asked about the storied franchise. In response, Larry Bird said he would give the then-youngster a "two-week history lesson." That's exactly what happened as Boston and its terrifying frontcourt rotation of Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Bill Walton made life difficult for Hakeem and his twin-tower duo, Ralph Sampson. The Celts registered resounding wins in the first two meetings, finishing both games with double-digit margins. Houston nearly fell into a 3-0 hole, but a fourth-quarter meltdown from Boston allowed the home team to escape with a 106-104 victory. The foes then traded wins in the following two contests before Bird and company took care of business in Game 6. Advertisement Olajuwon tried his best to steer the Rockets to the championship, averaging 24.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest. However, he shot just 47.9 percent from the field, which was still efficient enough but below his standards. He was also a beast on defense, logging 3.2 blocks and 2.3 steals per game, but the "ideal" Celtics' offense was just too overwhelming for the up-and-coming squad. Related: "I watched Shawn go to Cleveland and he got big, and I felt that was my fault" - Gary Payton says he feels responsible for the sad end to Kemp's career Becoming a part of a title-winning team The 1994 NBA MVP may have learned his lesson during that fateful bout with Boston, but it took him a long while before he finally reached the Finals again. Advertisement The years after the Rockets' 1986 Finals appearance saw the organization stumble big time. They had first-round exits from 1988 to 1991 and couldn't even make the playoffs in 1992. At some point, Olajuwon nearly left, as he felt his contract was not in keeping with his valuable contributions to the franchise. Everything came to a head when the front office accused him of faking a hamstring injury to avoid playing. Fortunately for Rockets fans, the 12-time All-Star and the management were able to put their differences aside because, in 1994, the team finally landed its first title in history. It even successfully defended the trophy in the following campaign to avoid becoming the first squad to fail to win back-to-back championships since, coincidentally, 1986. Related: "There were days where, oh man, he had some flashbacks" - When aging Hakeem Olajuwon made Rockets teammates look clownish in practice
Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Economic Times
IndiGo flight with 227 on board hits turbulence, pilot declares emergency; plane's nose severely damaged
Live Events IndiGo issues statement: (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi with more than 220 people on board hit turbulence midair on Wednesday due to inclement weather, prompting the pilot to report the "emergency" to air traffic control at Srinagar. The flight later landed safely, officials said. "Indigo flight 6E2142 enroute Delhi to Srinagar experienced bad weather (hail storm), emergency reported by Pilot to ATC SXR (Srinagar)," an official of the Airport Authority of India said the flight landed safely at Srinagar at 6.30 pm."All Aircrew and 227 passengers are safe and flight is declared AOG by airline," he added.'Aircraft on ground' (AOG) refers to a plane that is grounded and unable to fly due to technical of the moments of turbulence have emerged on social media with one passenger claiming that the nose of the plane was damaged. However, there was no official word on it."I was in the plane and heading back home from was a near-death experience... the nose of the plane is damaged," Owais Maqbool Hakeem (@owaismaqbool) posted on the videos, the passengers could be heard making religious supplications as the plane swayed in the turbulent weather."The Nose and Right side of the plane was damaged ... And we were not allowed to see much as airforce police was there," Hakeem claimed in another after the incident, IndiGo issued a statement saying, "Flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar.""The airport team attended to the customers after the arrival of the aircraft, prioritising their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post-necessary inspection and maintenance.'(With PTI inputs)
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Firing on fishermen must be avoided, says Sri Lankan MP
Member of Parliament and leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauff Hakeem on Saturday said that firing on fishermen, who ventured into the sea in search of livelihood, should be avoided. Speaking to reporters at Manapparai, Mr. Hakeem, who is on a private visit to India, said that the Palk Strait between Tamil Nadu and Northern Province in Sri Lanka had limited fish stock. It had to be shared by the fishermen of both countries. There were complaints that the Indian fishermen continued to follow the practice of bottom trawling, which was banned. It was often leading to the seizure of fishing boats and gears. The violations had warranted the Sri Lankan Navy to take action against the fishermen. Firing on fishermen must be avoided as it involved the question of livelihood, said Mr. Hakeem and added that the issue should be solved through negotiation and mutual agreement. Several rounds of negotiations were held. India and Sri Lanka should continue negotiations by involving all stakeholders including the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Northern Province.
Shafaq News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq's unsung hero: 67-year-old fills potholes in Hilla for free
Shafaq News/ At 67, Hakeem, affectionately known as 'Uncle Hakeem,' can still be seen driving his modest Kia through the streets of Hilla each day—armed with tar, gravel, and his trusted shovel. For over 12 years, he has voluntarily repaired potholes across the city, seeking no payment in return. 'This is my ongoing charity,' he told Shafaq News. 'I have no salary except for the 172,000 dinars ($131) I receive from social welfare each month—barely enough for a week. Still, I work to serve people.' Despite his age and limited means, Hakeem continues his selfless mission. He lives in a small home with his three sons, sleeping in the kitchen due to a lack of space. He receives materials from local construction suppliers and is supported by traffic police who appreciate his efforts. 'Doesn't the government have the ability to repave the streets?' he asked, frustrated by the lack of official action. 'I work with the simplest of tools, and kind people help me.' Hakeem's story drew national attention over a year ago when he met Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who promised him a plot of land. But according to Hakeem, that promise has yet to be fulfilled. 'It's been one year and four months. Nothing has happened. I want to live with dignity—don't wait to build me a statue after I die,' he said. Local residents praise his dedication, and Hakeem remains committed to his cause, guided by the belief that 'the best of people are those who serve others.' For him, his humble mission is part of a sacred duty—"a Hussaini service."
