The five primates found dead two weeks ago in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa are black-shanked douc langurs, an endangered species. The Institute of Tropical Biology under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology confirmed this Saturday after the dead animals were sent for examination by Khanh Hoa authorities. On May 11, forest wardens in Khanh Hoa's Ninh Hoa District staked out at a stretch of the National Highway 1A, acting on tip-offs from local residents. They spotted a motorbike owner carrying a big bag and gave chase. The latter fled, leaving the bike and bag behind. The wardens found five disemboweled animals weighing between six to 10.5 kilograms each. The dead animals were then sent to the Institute of Tropical Biology for further examination. The Khanh Hoa provincial police said they would launch criminal proceedings and hunt for the motorbike owner. This is not the first time the black-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nigripes), known locally as vooc cha va … [Read more...] about Poaching of endangered primates continues in Khanh Hoa
Academy of traditional chinese medicine
Bats may have been source of SARS: study
Bats found in Hong Kong carry a virus very similar to the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS virus and might be able to spread it, Chinese researchers reported on Friday. They said the horseshoe bats, valued both as food and for their use in Chinese medicine, should be handled with great care. They may have helped spread the virus among different species of animals, the researchers said. SARS first emerged in China in 2002 and in 2003 spread around the world via jet, killing more than 700 people and infecting around 8,000. It is caused by a new virus called SARS coronavirus. Coronaviruses are common in people and animals and usually cause nothing more serious than a cold. But SARS was different. "The isolation of SARS-coronavirus from caged animals, including Himalayan palm civets and a raccoon dog, from wild live markets in mainland China suggested that these animals are the reservoir for the origin of the SARS epidemic," Kwok-yung Yuen of the University of … [Read more...] about Bats may have been source of SARS: study
Chinese author Mo Yan wins 2012 Nobel Prize for literature
Chinese author Mo Yan on Thursday won the Nobel Literature Prize for writing that mixes folk tales, history and the contemporary, the Swedish Academy announced. Photo: Baidu "Through a mixture of fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives, Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, at the same time finding a departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition," the Swedish Academy said. Yan, whose real name is Guan Moye and was born in 1955, "with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary," the jury said. Mo Yan has published novels, short stories and essays on various topics, and despite his social criticism is seen in his homeland as one of the foremost contemporary authors, the Nobel committee noted. In his writing Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth. Last year, the literature … [Read more...] about Chinese author Mo Yan wins 2012 Nobel Prize for literature
Vietnam remembers China’s wholehearted assistance
PANO – The Defense Ministry on July 28th held a meeting for Vietnam People’s Army troops trained in China over several periods, on the special occasion to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on August 1st. General Phung Quang Thanh, the Vietnamese Defence Minister, Senior Lieutenant-General Ngo Xuan Lich, Director of the General Department of Politics, Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Thanh Cung and Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister, and other leaders of the Defense Ministry attended the meeting. In addition, present at the meeting were representatives from the Central Party Commission for External Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), and hundreds of officers from Vietnam People’s Army who used to be trained in China. Especially, Qiang Zai Dong, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of People’s Republic of … [Read more...] about Vietnam remembers China’s wholehearted assistance
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 17/6
Painters display figurative vs. abstractive arts in Thailand Painter Ho Huu Thu and his son Ho Hong Linh are showcasing their figurative vs. abstractive artworks at an exhibition which opened at Silom Art Gallery in Bangkok on June 15. On display are 27 paintings, highlighting philosophy of life, the desire for peace, and the romantic beauty of Vietnam and its people. Ngo Duc Thang, Vietnamese ambassador to Thailand, said figurative and abstractive arts will help viewers have a perfect vision of the hidden charm of Vietnam and its people, especially women. This is the first time Thu and his son have displayed their works in Thailand. Thu has won a silver medal at an art competition hosted by ESSO in 1960 and second prize at the Vietnam National Art Contest in 1990. The gallery will open until July 15. “Dung Dot” screened at Asia Film Festival 2012 Vietnam took part in the Asia Film Festival 2012 organized by the embassies of Asian countries in Dar es Salaam, … [Read more...] about ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 17/6