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Posts Tagged ‘china’

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China’s Wandering Elephant Herd

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021
Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2021 shows wild Asian elephants in Jinning District of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. A herd of wild Asian elephants have made a temporary stop along their migration in the outskirts of the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, authorities said Monday. Of the 15 elephants, one male has broken free from the herd and is currently about 4 km to the northeast of the group, according to the on-site command tracking the elephants. Asian elephants are under A-level state protection in China, where they are mostly found in Yunnan. Thanks to enhanced protection efforts, the wild elephant population in the province has grown to about 300, up from 193 in the 1980s. Credit: © Xinhua/Alamy Images

Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2021 shows wild Asian elephants napping in Jinning District of Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
Credit: © Xinhua/Alamy Images

A wild elephant herd has captured global attention and baffled, well, everyone. Fifteen elephants, including three calves, have been on a mysterious trek across their native China. Traveling for over a year, the migration has taken them more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) from home. Their natural habitat is thought to be the Mengyangzi Nature Reserve in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Reserves are areas of land set aside to protect the habitats of elephants and other wild animals. China only has about 300 wild elephants. Most live in the south of the Yunnan province.

The traveling herd gained fame in China despite trampling crops, damaging property, and occasionally poking a trunk through someone’s window. The elephant’s padded feet enable them to walk and run with surprisingly little noise. Elephants normally walk at a speed of 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 kilometers) an hour. When making a long journey, a family walks at about 10 miles (16 kilometers) an hour.

The elephants might have been looking for a new habitat, though they wouldn’t find one among millions in the city Kunming. Paths were cleared and food was provided as towns moved to protect the elephants.

Safety is a high priority for the endangered Asian elephant. Local government launched drones and mobilized hundreds of people to protect the herd’s migration. People attempted to steer the elephants in the southwest direction, back toward the reserve. However, the herd may have decided to head home all on their own.

Elephants are extremely strong and highly intelligent. There are two kinds of elephants, African elephants and Asian elephants, also known as Indian elephants. Asian elephants live only in southern and southeastern Asia. They are found in forests and jungles of Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Today, wildlife experts agree that elephants are in great danger and need human protection to survive. The number of wild elephants has greatly declined because people kill elephants for their ivory tusks. Farming and industry threaten the natural resources needed by elephants to survive. In Asia, human population growth and habitat destruction have severely reduced the number of wild elephants. Scientists estimate that only about 40,000 Asian elephants survive in the wild.

An adult Asian bull stands from 9 to 101/2 feet (2.7 to 3.2 meters) tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms). Asian cows stand about 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and weigh about 6,600 pounds (3,000 kilograms).

Most Asian elephants have light gray skin and may have pink or white spots. Most Asian bulls have tusks that grow from 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) long. However, some Asian males, called makhnas, have no tusks, and many Asian females have none. Other Asian females have extremely short tusks called tushes.

Tags: china, elephants, endangered species, migration, nature reserve, wild animals, wildlife conservation
Posted in Animals, Current Events | Comments Off

Perseverance and Friends Make It to Mars

Friday, February 19th, 2021
NASA's Mars 2020 rover Perseverance Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover Perseverance
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Mars is one of the most difficult destinations to arrive safely at in the solar system, but you might not know it if you have been paying attention to the news lately. Earthlings are a perfect three-for-three on Mars missions this February. Two countries saw their first missions ever arrive at the Red Planet last week. Then yesterday, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance on the surface of Mars. This flotilla of missions to the Red Planet was facilitated by a favorable alignment in the middle of 2020 that brought the planet close to Earth.

On February 9, a spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived in orbit around Mars. The orbiter, called Hope or Amal, will map Martian weather on a planet-wide scale. Such mapping has never been attempted before. UAE became just the fifth country to reach the planet. All systems look good at the moment, but Hope is due to enter the orbit from which it will conduct its mapping in May. At that point, engineers will know for sure if the probe will be able to accomplish its mission.

Hot on Hope’s heels was an ambitious mission sent by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The mission, called Tianwen-1, went into orbit around Mars the next day. The mission consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The lander and rover will attempt a landing in a few months. If CNSA successfully deploys Tianwen-1, China will become the third country to land a spacecraft on Mars and just the second to land a rover on Mars.

The last—but certainly not least—to arrive was Perseverance. The rocket carrying the beefy rover blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on July, 30, 2020. Perseverance is the largest rover ever sent to Mars. It’s the size of a small automobile and weighs over 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) on Earth.

Unlike China and the UAE, the United States is a Mars veteran. NASA has landed several successful missions there, including the still-operational sibling craft of Perseverance, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity.

The design of Perseverance is based on that of Curiosity, which has been exploring Mars since 2012. Engineers used many extra components that were originally created as backups for Curiosity in case of manufacturing defects in the originals. But Perseverance is more than just a pile of spare parts. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scientists and engineers modified—and beefed up—the design to fit Perseverance’s mission. Perseverance is about 5 inches (13 centimeters) longer and 278 pounds (126 kilograms) heavier than Curiosity.

No matter how many successful missions are under a space agency’s belt, getting a spacecraft to Mars is a heart-pounding ordeal. Landing on the Red Planet is especially challenging. Mars is a large planet, so its gravity pulls spacecraft towards it at high speed. It lacks a thick atmosphere like that of Earth, however, that spacecraft could use to slow down. Furthermore, retrorockets placed on the rover would scour the ground near the landing site and contaminate it with rocket exhaust.

JPL has developed a complex of system to land a large rover on the Martian surface, which was first used with MSL. A parachute slowed the craft after it entered the Martian atmosphere. A set of rockets then fired to hover the craft above the surface. Then, Perseverance was lowered to the ground on a tether. Mission planners call this complicated ride through the atmosphere, filled with opportunities for mission-ending disaster, “the seven minutes of terror.”

Perseverance touched down in Jezero Crater. Billions of years ago, the crater held a lake that was fed by a river system. Perseverance will explore this ancient river delta and search for signs of past life there.

Perseverance carries many sophisticated scientific instruments that will enable it study the geology and climate of the region. The rover is equipped with a special drill and sample vials. After studying the rock samples it has drilled, it will place them in sealed vials and cache (stow) them on the surface. Scientists hope to recover the cached vials and send them to Earth in an ambitious sample return mission in a decade or so.

Other special features included an upgraded autonomous driving package, which will enable Perseverance to pick its way through obstacles on its own to reach a target, and a small helicopter drone called Ingenuity that will look to demonstrate the first powered flight on a solar system body other than Earth. Expect to hear about more exciting discoveries—and see more stunning pictures of Mars—in the months and years ahead.

Tags: china, curiosity rover, mars, mars 2020, mars science laboratory, national aeronautics and space administration, perseverance rover, space exploration, united arab emirates
Posted in Current Events, Science, Space, Technology | Comments Off

The Coronavirus Epidemic

Monday, February 24th, 2020

February 24, 2020

Last week, on February 19, the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic claimed its 2,000th victim. First recognized in human beings in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, the coronavirus has since spread steadily and touched nearly all parts of the world. Wuhan coronavirus is an informal name for a respiratory disease named Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Coronaviruses are one of many virus types that cause the common cold and other diseases of the upper respiratory system. The COVID-19 is a pneumonia-like disease. Its symptoms include breathing difficulties, coughing, and fever. It is a contagious disease, and the symptoms can be fatal in a small percentage of cases.

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

This illustration of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) shows the spikes on the outer surface of the virus that appear as a corona, giving the virus its name. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

On Jan. 30, 2020, when the disease had caused 170 deaths in some 8,000 confirmed cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO recommended urgent containment measures as the number of cases and deaths continued to climb. By mid-February, more than 40,000 cases of the virus had been confirmed. The disease was given the temporary name 2019-nCoV, for novel (new) coronavirus of 2019. It was later officially named COVID-19. The virus that causes the disease was named SARS-CoV-2.

The first COVID-19 cases occurred near a seafood and live animal market, suggesting the disease was zoonotic (spread from animals to people). However, human-to-human transmission of the disease was later reported. Chinese medical experts confirmed that, like the related diseases MERS and SARS, COVID-19 has its origins in bats. No vaccines or drugs are available to prevent or cure the disease. Treatment of infected patients mainly involves relieving the symptoms of infection.

The coronavirus was quickly detected in areas near Wuhan. In an effort to stop the spread of the disease, Chinese authorities restricted travel in Wuhan as well as in Ezhou, Huanggang, Jingmen, Xiantao, and other nearby cities. Many public events were canceled or postponed, and intense screening for the disease was instituted at airports in China and around the world. Despite these efforts, cases were soon reported in other Asian countries, and then in other nations throughout the world. Many countries took such steps as suspending all flights to China and quarantining incoming travelers from China to prevent further spread of the virus.

Tags: china, coronavirus, coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, epidemic, mers, outbreak, pneumonia, sars, SARS-CoV-2, world health organization, wuhan
Posted in Animals, Current Events, Health, Medicine, People | Comments Off

Hong Kong’s Summer of Protest

Wednesday, September 25th, 2019

September 25, 2019

Since June 2019, massive protests have taken place in Hong Kong, a special administrative unit of China. The city and region of Hong Kong—located on a peninsula and group of islands—enjoy a high degree of autonomy (self-rule). Hong Kong maintains a free-enterprise economy within China’s Communist economic system. The “one country, two systems” relationship is not always a happy one, however, and the people of Hong Kong often resent being subjected to mainland China’s different rules.

Protesters face off with police during a rally against a controversial extradition law proposal outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong on June 12, 2019. - Violent clashes broke out in Hong Kong on June 12 as police tried to stop protesters storming the city's parliament, while tens of thousands of people blocked key arteries in a show of strength against government plans to allow extraditions to China.  Credit: © Dale De La Rey, Getty Images

Protesters face off with police in Hong Kong on June 12, 2019. Credit: © Dale De La Rey, Getty Images

In June 2019, the largest protests in Hong Kong’s history were triggered by a proposed bill that would have allowed people Hong Kong accused of crimes in to be extradited (handed over) to stand trial in mainland Chinese courts. (Hong Kong also has a separate legal system from the rest of China.) More than a million people participated in the protests. The protesters believed the extradition bill endangered their rights. Hong Kong police clashed with the protesters, who also called for democratic reforms, and many people were arrested or injured. Protesters then added investigations into police brutality to their demands.

Click to view larger image Hong Kong region.  Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Click to view larger image
Hong Kong region.
Credit: WORLD BOOK map

On June 15, the Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (Hong Kong’s governor) suspended the proposed extradition bill, but massive protests continued the next day as more than 2 million people took to the streets. (Hong Kong’s entire population is 7.4 million.) The unrest continued into July as protesters stormed the Hong Kong parliament, ransacking offices and clashing with police. In reaction, pro-Communist government gangs attacked some pro-democracy protesters. Many people were hurt in the confrontations, and hundreds of people were arrested.

The Hong Kong metropolitan area lies on both sides of Victoria Harbour. It includes the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, foreground, and the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, background. Credit: © Leung Chopan, Shutterstock

The Hong Kong metropolitan area lies on both sides of Victoria Harbour. It includes the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, foreground, and the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, background. Credit: © Leung Chopan, Shutterstock

Amid rising tensions in August, protesters began crowding into police stations as well as into busy Hong Kong International Airport, which was forced to close for several days. Fears of Chinese military intervention—with flashes back to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989—rose as the army paraded in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. Those fears went unrealized, however, and although standoffs between protesters and police continued, violent episodes were relatively rare considering the massive numbers of people involved.

In early September, Chief Executive Lam formally withdrew the extradition bill that ignited the protests. But unrest lingers as the people of Hong Kong continue to push for greater democratic freedoms, universal suffrage (the right to vote), and solutions to housing and land shortages in the densely populated metropolis.

The United Kingdom controlled Hong Kong from 1842 until 1997, when it returned to Chinese control. The “one country, two systems” relationship was created to safeguard the democratic freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong citizens under British rule. The Chinese government has eroded some of these freedoms, however, and pro-democracy protests have occurred—with much less intensity—in Hong Kong for the last several years.

Tags: carrie lam, china, chinese communist party, democracy, extradition, hong kong, protests, united kingdom
Posted in Current Events, Government & Politics, History, People | Comments Off

Tiananmen Square 30

Wednesday, June 5th, 2019

June 5, 2019

In the early morning hours of June 4, 1989, 30 years ago yesterday, Chinese government troops killed and wounded thousands of protestors in Tiananmen Square, a large public area in Beijing, China. The violent incident was the climax of nearly two months of protests for political and economic reform in the tightly controlled Communist country. Chinese officials stated that some 200 people died in the June 4 incident (often remembered in China as “6/4″). However, international observers said that more than 1,000 people were killed, and thousands of other people were injured. The protests and the military response were widely televised. Many people throughout the world expressed support and sympathy for the protesters.

A Beijing demonstrator blocks the path of a tank convoy along the Avenue of Eternal Peace near Tiananmen Square. For weeks, people have been protesting for freedom of speech and of press from the Chinese government. Credit: © Bettmann/Getty Images

This photo of a demonstrator–remembered as “tank man”–blocking the path of tanks near Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, is one of the most famous images in history. It became a worldwide symbol for people resisting government oppression. Credit: © Bettmann/Getty Images

On April 15, 1989, former Chinese Communist Party head Hu Yaobang died. He was known for his commitment to political and economic reform and was supportive of more freedom of expression. Hu had been removed from office in 1987 by government officials who thought his views were too liberal. However, those very views made Hu popular with many Chinese citizens, particularly students, who wanted more freedom.

After a decade of liberalization and growth, China not only experienced new prosperity, but it also witnessed the spread of inflation and corruption among government officials. The announcement of Hu’s death coincided with growing popular dissatisfaction and led to a spontaneous outpouring of grief by Beijing’s citizens. On April 16, 1989, people began gathering in Tiananmen Square to honor Hu’s memory.

The gathering to honor Hu quickly became a major protest led by students from Beijing universities. The protesters called for greater freedoms of speech and the press; increased funding for higher education; government openness; and an end to government corruption. A student-led hunger strike gained support from around the country and the world. Students and supporters from all over China traveled to Beijing to take part in the protests, which at times included more than 1 million people. Similar, smaller gatherings occurred in other Chinese cities.

At first, the government, led by Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, adopted a moderate stance. However, as the protests continued, more conservative members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party believed they threatened the party’s legitimacy. Government officials, including Premier Li Peng, called for the use of force.

By the end of May, Li Peng had won the support of the paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. On May 20, Li declared martial law (an emergency government under military rule) and told the protesters to leave Tiananmen Square. Army and police troops headed toward Tiananmen Square, but Beijing residents built blockades in the streets to slow the advance. The blockades kept the troops and vehicles from the square for two weeks.

On June 3, the government said that protesters would be forced from the square if they did not leave on their own. That night, soldiers and tanks began firing. Many unarmed protesters were shot while trying to flee. A number of protesters attacked the troops with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators set fire to military vehicles.

On June 4, as violence continued, government troops sealed off Tiananmen Square. In the days that followed, the government shut down protests in other cities and searched for the students who had led the demonstrations. Many of the student leaders fled the country.

People around the world expressed shock at the Chinese government’s actions. Diplomatic and economic relations between China and a number of other countries became strained. In the wake of the protests, the Chinese government further restricted free speech and democracy. General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was dismissed from his post for showing support for the protesters. Since 1989, Chinese government censors have banned news programs and other media presentations that discuss the June 4 incident.

Tags: 1989, beijing, china, communism, democracy, Tiananmen Square
Posted in Current Events, Government & Politics, History, Military, People | Comments Off

Typhoon Mangkhut

Monday, October 1st, 2018

October 1, 2018

Two weeks ago, early on the morning of Sept. 15, 2018 (September 14 in the United States), Typhoon Mangkhut struck the main Philippine island of Luzon. In a country accustomed to seasonal tempests, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) gives its own names to storms: there, Mangkhut (the named bestowed on the storm by the World Meteorological Organization) was known as Ompong. The typhoon raged regardless of name, causing deadly flooding and landslides that killed 95 people in Luzon. Mangkhut then killed one person on Taiwan and six others in China. On September 20, days after the storm dissipated, waterlogged soil on the central Philippine island of Cebu caused a landslide that killed another 85 people.

Members of the Filipino Bureau of Fire Protection carry a victim of a landslide in Luzon’s Benguet province on Sept. 18, 2018. The landslide, triggered by Typhoon Mangkhut, killed 69 people. Filipino rescuers carry a body of a person inside a body bag at the site where people were believed to have been buried by a landslide on September 18, 2018 in in Itogon, Benguet province, Philippines. At least 36 people are feared to be buried by a landslide in the mining town of Itogon, in Benghuet province, after Super Typhoon Mangkhut triggered a massive landslide in northern Philippines which destroyed hundreds of homes and killed over 60 people. The storm slammed into the main Philippine island of Luzon over the weekend and continued its path through Hong Kong and Southern China, killing four people in the province of Guangdong as 2.5 million people were evacuated in Guangdong and on Hainan island. Credit: © Basilio Sepe, Getty Images

Members of the Filipino Bureau of Fire Protection carry a victim of a landslide in Luzon’s Benguet province on Sept. 18, 2018. Credit: © Basilio Sepe, Getty Images

Typhoon Mangkhut formed as a tropical depression over the Marshall Islands in the North Pacific Ocean on September 7. The storm grew into a tropical storm near Bikini Atoll and escalated to a Category 5 (the strongest level) typhoon in the Northern Marianas. Mangkhut roared westward across the Pacific and on September 12 the storm entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the zone in the northwestern Pacific where PAGASA tracks dangerous weather.

The China Sea is the name of two seas of the Pacific Ocean along the east coast of Asia. The East China Sea extends north from Taiwan to Japan and the Koreas. The South China Sea is connected to the East China Sea by the Taiwan Strait. The South China Sea includes the Gulf of Tonkin and Gulf of Thailand on the west and Manila Bay on the east. The ownership of several island groups in the area, including the Paracel, Senkaku, and Spratly islands, is disputed by neighboring countries. The islands lie near rich fishing waters, and experts believe deposits of oil and natural gas may lie under the sea floor beneath the islands. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) hit the northern Philippines and then crossed the South China Sea to Hong Kong and China’s Guangdong Province. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

In preparation for the massive storm, schools and public offices were closed in northern Luzon and people were evacuated from many coastal areas. Across the South China Sea in Hong Kong, officials issued a rare “No. 10” typhoon warning signal, the highest level of storm threat, and briefly shut down public services. Parts of China’s Guangdong Province also issued red alerts and closed schools and public offices.

Mangkhut reached the shores of Cagayán Valley, Luzon’s most northern administrative region, on September 15. The storm lashed Cagayán and the nearby Cordillera and Ilocos regions, where winds as fierce as 125 miles (205 kilometers) per hour ripped up trees and houses and torrential rains caused flash flooding and mudslides. Mangkhut then leapt to China, where deadly winds knocked down thousands of trees and shattered windows in swaying high-rise buildings. Floodwaters blocked roads and railways and inundated coastal communities. On nearby Taiwan, the lone death occurred when strong ocean currents related to the storm swept a beachgoer out to sea.

Tags: china, luzon, mangkhut, ompong, philippines, typhoon
Posted in Current Events, Disasters, Environment, Natural Disasters, People, Weather | Comments Off

The End of Tiangong-1

Wednesday, April 11th, 2018

April 11, 2018

Last week, on April 1, China’s first space station, Tiangong-1, returned to its home planet in a fiery “uncontrolled return” through Earth’s atmosphere. Tiangong-1 (Heavenly Palace-1 in English) was launched in 2011 and ceased operating in 2016. The remnants of the unoccupied space station—the parts that did not disintegrate on reentry—crashed into the South Pacific Ocean.

3D illustration of the fall of the China's Tiangong-1 space station on the planet Earth. Credit: © Alejo Miranda, Shutterstock

This illustration shows the uncontrolled return of the Tiangong-1 space station on April 1, 2018. Credit: © Alejo Miranda, Shutterstock

The spacecraft’s demise was tracked closely by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Air Force, and other space agencies and air forces around the world. The end of Tiangong-1 could have posed a threat to highly populated areas, and the derelict craft’s reentry position was continually updated as it spun through its final orbits. At last, Tiangong-1 hit the atmosphere over a wide expanse of empty sea. Most of the spacecraft was incinerated, but pieces of it did strike the water at Earth’s surface.

Tiangong-1 was launched aboard a carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Space Launch Center in northern China in September 2011. The modest space station, two cylindrical sections with a docking port, was about 39 feet (12 meters) long and 11 feet (3.3 meters) wide. The spacecraft was used mainly to carry out rendezvous and docking tests in preparation for the construction of a larger and longer-lasting space station scheduled for completion and launch in the early 2020′s. Tiangong-1 settled into an orbit about 217 miles (350 kilometers) above Earth, slightly lower than the orbit of the much larger International Space Station.

In early November 2011, the robotic Shenzhou-8 (Divine Craft-8) spacecraft visited Tiangong-1, executing China’s first-ever orbital docking. In June 2012, three taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) aboard Shenzhou-9 gave the heavenly palace life for about two weeks. A year later, three more taikonauts spent a fortnight aboard Tiangong-1. The spacecraft continued some Earth-observation work after that, but contact and control of Tiangong-1 were lost in March 2016. A successor craft, Tiangong-2, was launched in September 2016 and is currently in operation.

 

Tags: china, space exploration, space station, tiangong 1
Posted in Current Events, Government & Politics, History, People, Science, Space, Technology | Comments Off

Money in World Soccer

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017

November 22, 2017

In May 2017, London’s powerhouse soccer club Chelsea won the English Premier League (EPL), arguably the world’s best professional soccer league. For Chelsea, led by Belgian superstar Eden Hazard and no stranger to success, it was its sixth English title. On June 3, Spanish side Real Madrid defeated Italy’s Juventus 4-1 to win the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, the world’s top annual soccer tournament. Real Madrid, led by superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema, won its second-straight European championship and record 12th overall. The soccer year was dedicated to familiar favorites, but it was individual stars who stole the headlines—and the cash.

Neymar Jr of Brazil press conference and jersey presentation following his signing as new player of Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes on August 4, 2017 in Paris, France. Credit: © Mehdi Taamallah, NurPhoto/Getty Images

Brazilian soccer star Neymar and his bodyguards wade through fans and media to attend a press conference officially announcing his move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain on Aug. 4, 2017, in Paris, France. Credit: © Mehdi Taamallah, NurPhoto/Getty Images

The money year began in China, where the Chinese Super League (CSL) has dangled oodles of yuan (the nation’s currency) to lure players away from better known and more competitive leagues elsewhere. In January, Argentine striker Carlos Tevez joined Shanghai Greenland Shenhua. His new salary? Roughly $42 million per year, or more than $800,000 per week—and more than 20 times the salary paid by his previous club, Buenos Aires’s Boca Juniors. Nigerian John Obi Mikel and Brazilians Alexandre Pato and the mononymous Oscar were among the other stars who followed the money to China. Managers, too, were chasing yuan signs (¥): 12 of the CSL’s 16 teams are currently led by coaches from other countries. Notable among them are Brazil’s World Cup-winning coach Luiz Scolari and Chile’s Manuel Pellegrini, who guided Manchester City to an EPL championship in 2014. Italian Fabio Capello leads Jiangsu Suning; his compatriot, Fabio Cannavaro, manages Tianjin Quanjian.

As more and more talent took the fast boat to China, the Chinese government counteracted the growing trend in late May 2017 by introducing a heavy import tax on clubs—purportedly to encourage the development of domestic talent. The nation’s “100 percent tax” means that every yuan a club spends on a foreign player must be matched by a yuan paid to the Chinese Football Development Foundation. The tax effectively doubles the price for foreign players, somewhat lessening the shock value of CSL salaries. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has taken protective steps too by limiting clubs to a maximum of three non-Chinese players.

The CSL was soon upstaged, however, by colossal transfer dealings in Europe, where the average EPL salary is $3 million per year. In July, English right back Kyle Walker took $60 million to move from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester City—a record topped days later by French left back Benjamin Mendy’s $70-million move from Monaco to Manchester City. (Teams in Europe pay a transfer fee, which amounts to buying out the player’s existing contract, while also adding the cost of a new contract.) London’s Arsenal bought French striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for $60 million; Chelsea signed Spanish striker Álvaro Morata for $80 million; and Manchester United bought Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton for $100 million. During the hot transfer season of July and August, EPL clubs spent a total of $1.8 billion on new players, an amount roughly equal to the gross domestic product of the Italian republic of San Marino.

The year’s biggest jaw-dropper hit in early August, when Brazilian star Neymar confirmed wild rumors that he was leaving Spain’s Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in France. The price? $263 million. Barcelona then promptly spent $125 million on French forward Ousmane Dembélé.

Tags: china, europe, neymar, Premier League, soccer
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Current Events, Economics, People, Recreation & Sports | Comments Off

The Moon Festival

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

October 4, 2017

Today, October 4, people in Asia and other places celebrate a holiday known as the Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. The holiday is one of three major festivals on the Chinese calendar. The other two are the Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year, and the Dragon Boat Festival. The Moon Festival is also celebrated in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and worldwide by people with heritage in these countries. The festival takes place around the September equinox, the date of equal day and night that marks the end of summer and beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Chinese lunar calendar, based on cycles of the moon, the seventh, eighth, and ninth moons make up the autumn season. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth moon. On this day, a full moon marks the midpoint of the season. Because this year’s festival falls near China’s National Day (October 1), the holiday celebration there (which usually runs three days) runs a full week from October 1 to October 8. National Day commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Traditional Chinese lanterns light up for celebrating the mid-autumn festival, also known as moon festival on Sept 16, 2016 in Hong Kong. Credit: © Lee Yiu Tung, Shutterstock

Oversized traditional Chinese lanterns illuminate the waterfront of Hong Kong, China, during the annual Moon Festival (also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival). Credit: © Lee Yiu Tung, Shutterstock

The origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival are interwoven with Chinese myths and legends. The festival is often associated with romance. According to Chinese philosophy, there are two principal forces of nature, called yin and yang. The moon embodies yin, which is associated with feminine qualities and with darkness. Thus, the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival is a women’s festival and is celebrated at night. Traditional Chinese poets sing of the beauty of the Moon Goddess or bemoan her loneliness on the moon. According to folklore, young women can make their wishes known to the “old man in the moon,” hoping that he will assist them in finding a suitable marriage partner.

Special pastries called moon cakes are traditionally served during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Asian countries. Credit: © Shutterstock

Delicious moon cakes are traditionally served during the Moon Festival (also called the Mid-Autumn Festival) in Asian countries. Credit: © Shutterstock

People eat special pastries called moon cakes during the Moon Festival. The origin of the moon cake is unknown. The cakes are first mentioned in texts that date to the Tang dynasty, from A.D. 618 to 907. The cakes are baked into round shapes to resemble the full moon. They are usually filled with bean, lotus seed, or almond paste or dried fruits and nuts. The cakes often include a golden egg yoke in the middle to represent the moon. Families celebrate the festival with a shared meal and moon cakes. They then view the full moon together at night and recount tales related to the moon. In imperial China, the emperor viewed the mid-Autumn moon from a special palace.

During the festival, many people try to see the image of a rabbit that is said to be visible on the moon. According to a popular tale, the god Sakra disguised himself as a Brahman (priest) and announced to a group of forest animals that he was hungry. When the animals heard his cry, they brought him their food and begged him to accept their hospitality. The rabbit, however, who was an incarnation of the Buddha, said that he ate only grass and had nothing worthwhile to offer but his body. The rabbit then leapt into a nearby fire to complete the offering. Before doing so, he shook himself to remove the insects in his fur, explaining that he had no right to take their lives. Sakra revealed himself and praised the rabbit for his self-sacrifice and compassion. He placed the rabbit’s image on the moon to serve as a shining example for all. This popular story has been adopted in the Chinese Taoist (also called Daoist) tradition, where the main character is known as the Jade Rabbit.

Tags: china, japan, korea, mid-autumn festival, moon festival, taiwan, vietnam
Posted in Current Events, History, Holidays/Celebrations, People | Comments Off

The Star Wars Gibbon

Thursday, February 2nd, 2017

February 2, 2017

Move over, Luke, there’s a new Skywalker in town! A new species (kind) of gibbon, the Skywalker hoolock gibbon, has been found living in the tropical rain forests of southwestern China and northeastern Myanmar. Gibbons are the smallest of the apes. The scientific name of this new species, Hoolock tianxing, describes a hoolock gibbon with “heaven’s movement” or, loosely, as a “skywalker.” The name refers to the gibbons’ graceful swinging through the treetops as well as the traditional Chinese view of these animals as mystical beings. Also, the scientists who studied the newly defined gibbons are huge Star Wars fans. (In case you didn’t know, Luke Skywalker is one of the heroes of the movie franchise.)

Newly recognised species given the name ‘Skywalker hoolock gibbon’ by the team that proved it was distinct from other Chinese gibbons- Adult female Skywalker hoolock gibbon. Credit: © Fan Peng-Fei, Zoological Society of London

An adult female Skywalker hoolock gibbon contemplates the universe from its treetop home in southwestern China. Credit: © Fan Peng-Fei, Zoological Society of London

Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, along with experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in the United Kingdom, have been studying these gibbons since 2008. But only recently did the scientists realize that this hoolock gibbon was different from the two known species—eastern and western hoolocks. Skywalker hoolock gibbons have slightly different eyebrows and beards than their relatives, and they have their own unique calls.

Gibbons are small primates with long arms. They weigh from 10 to 20 pounds (5 to 9 kilograms) and stand 15 to 36 inches (38 to 91 centimeters) high. Adults typically range in color from black to light tan, with males often darker than females. Their long arms help them brachiate (swing from branch to branch) through the treetops where they live. They eat fruits and leaves and rarely come to the ground. Most gibbons inhabit the forests of such Southeast Asian nations as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. The rare hoolock gibbon has been spotted as far west as India.

Unfortunately, all gibbons, including this new species, are threatened in the wild. Scientists believe there are only 200 Skywalker hoolock gibbons left in their native habitat. Human beings have greatly reduced gibbon populations by destroying the animals’ forest homes and by capturing young animals for food or for sale as pets.

Tags: apes, china, endangered species, gibbon, myanmar, star wars
Posted in Animals, Conservation, Current Events, Environment, People, Science | Comments Off

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