BANGKOK – A rainbow-headed snake and a dragon-like lizard are among 163 new species that scientists recently discovered in the Greater Mekong region, conservation group WWF said on Monday, adding rapid development in the area, from dams to mines, was threatening wildlife survival.

The discoveries, published in a report on Monday, include a gecko in Laos with pale blue skin and a rare banana species discovered in northern Thailand that is critically endangered because of increasing deforestation.

The Greater Mekong is home to some of the world’s most endangered species. Rare or endangered animal parts, including tiger bones and rhino horns, are seen as collector’s items by some and are often used in traditional medicine.

In June, Thai wildlife authorities raided the Tiger Temple west of Bangkok, a popular tourist attraction. There they discovered scores of dead tiger cubs, frozen tiger carcasses, skins and dead cubs in jars, as well as other protected species.

It remains unclear why the Tiger Temple was storing dead tiger cubs and parts, although officials have said they might have been used for traditional Chinese medicine.

Jimmy Borah, Wildlife Programme Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong, said the new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region were a reminder that there is hope at a time when extinction rates are increasing at an alarming rate.

“The Greater Mekong region keeps reminding us that there are many incredible, unexplored areas, leading to new discoveries happening every year and it is crucial that we protect them before they are lost,” Borah told Reuters.

A 2016 report by WWF found that by 2020 global populations of fish, birds, amphibians, mammals and reptiles could have declined by two-thirds in just 50 years.

The Greater Mekong is a global hub for illegal wildlife trade.

“Many collectors are willing to pay thousands of dollars or more for the rarest, most unique and most endangered species, often buying them at the region’s illegal wildlife markets,”said Borah.

“To save them, it’s crucial that we improve enforcement against poaching and close illegal wildlife markets.”

190401

2015-04-24 19:21:27

Photo Gallery

Thai officials continues removal of tigers from controversial temple

Source: AFP, Reuters, The Nation/ANN

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Nearly 8 out of 10 adult Filipinos are worried that they, or someone they know, would fall victim to extrajudicial killing amid the ongoing antidrug campaign of the Duterte administration, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

A total of 78 per cent of 1,500 respondents asked in the nationwide SWS survey expressed worry that they or someone they know would be killed.

The results of the study done from Dec. 3 to 6 first came out of BusinessWorld. It had a margin of error of + or – 3 percentage points.

Despite the high incidence of worry, 85 per cent of the respondents said they were satisfied with the government’s war on drugs.

With 8 per cent “dissatisfied,” this equates to an “excellent” net rating of +77 per cent. CBB

President Rodrigo Duterte’s admission that he used a powerful painkiller has prompted concern about his health, with lawmakers urging him on Sunday to undergo a medical examination and disclose the results.

Mr. Duterte on Monday revealed that he used to take fentanyl, a drug often prescribed for cancer pain and other chronic ailments, because of a spinal injury from previous motorcycle accidents.

The President, however, said his doctor made him stop using fentanyl upon learning he was “abusing the drug” by using more than the prescribed patches.

The firebrand leader has attracted controversy over his brutal crackdown on suspected users of illegal drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives, and his incendiary language against the United States and the United Nations.

The synthetic opioid is 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Lawmakers said Mr. Duterte’s remarks revived speculation about his health, including rumours during the election campaign that he suffered from cancer-a claim Mr. Duterte repeatedly denied.

“To end this speculation, it would be better if his physician explain how the President manages the pain that he suffers,” a Duterte ally, Rep. Carlos Zarate, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Zarate added that a medical bulletin would clarify the state of Mr. Duterte’s health, as fentanyl became controversial after pop legend Prince died of an accidental overdose of the drug in April.

Fentanyl, highly potent and addictive, is estimated to be up to 100 times stronger than morphine.

An outspoken critic of Mr. Duterte, Sen. Leila de Lima, supported Zarate’s call.

“It is not just the illness itself that we should be worried about, but also the impact or side effects that the medications he is taking may have, especially on his lucidity and ability to make decisions with a clear mind,” De Lima said in a statement on Sunday.

State of health

“Our Constitution is clear on this. The public should be informed of the state of health of the President in case of serious illnesses,” she added.

“What if, God forbid, there is an emergency that requires immediate decisions, and the President is under the influence of such a powerful opioid?”

Mr. Duterte, 71, has said he suffers from daily migraine and ailments, including Buerger’s disease, a cardiovascular illness characterized by inflammation of blood vessels usually due to smoking.

He has cited ill health as the reason for skipping events during summits abroad. In Cambodia last week, he said he might not even finish his six-year term.

Another critic, Sen. Antonio Trillanes, told AFP that Mr. Duterte’s admission that he took more than the prescribed fentanyl dosage showed he “qualified as a drug addict.”

Mr. Duterte, however, has denied any addiction.

“When there’s regularity, my friend, when you take it and when there’s a monkey on your back, that’s addiction,” he told a BBC reporter on Saturday.

Regulated drug

Doctors said fentanyl was regulated in the Philippines, with physicians needing a licence from the drug agency to prescribe it.

“The ones using (fentanyl) are usually people with harrowing pain or terminal diseases. The doctor monitoring manages risks of addiction,” said Leo Olarte, former president of the Philippine Medical Association.

“A medical bulletin is good so the public won’t be rattled,” he added.

The parliament’s impeachment of President Park Geun-hye was a flawed process, based on false accusations with no evidence, according to the first argument made by Park’s legal representatives.

The 28-page written statement, submitted to the Constitutional Court on Friday, was revealed to the media Sunday by a parliamentary team tasked with the upcoming impeachment trial.

Park, with 14 months left in her five-year term, was impeached by the National Assembly on Dec. 9 after an explosive scandal that revealed her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil has been meddling in state affairs. The conservative president was charged with 18 violations of the Constitution and laws.

While rejecting all of the listed charges, Park’s attorneys stressed it is untrue that Choi extensively meddled in state affairs, including appointments of high-level government officials.

The special parliamentary team, who will act as “prosecutors” in the historic trial, plans to make a counterargument detailing what merits her removal by Thursday again via written statements to the top court, the team said Sunday.

353511

2016-11-25 12:41:51

Photo Gallery

S Korea President Park Geun-hye may have undergone various anti-aging medical procedures

Source:

Reuters

Lianhe Zaobao

AFP

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Chaired by Rep. Kwon Sung-dong, the head of the National Assembly Judiciary Committee, the team had its first meeting with legal representatives to prepare for a legal battle with the sanctioned president.

“Tens of thousands of people are staging massive (anti-president) rallies every Saturday, demanding the whole truth (of this scandal) and punishment of those who are responsible,” Rep. Kwon of the ruling Saenuri Party said.

“Opinions may vary, but I believe everyone (in this bipartisan team) would agree that the core values of our Constitution, undermined by this scandal, must be restored as quickly as possible.”

Read also: The empty days of S. Korea’s impeached president Park Geun-hye

The following is a summary of Park’s written statement as revealed Sunday:

– The impeachment motion predicates unconfirmed allegations and thereby violates the presumption of innocence.

– Shifting the blame to Park for what Choi Soon-sil did violates a principle that bans collective punishment.

– There is no evidence that Choi and others exerted power over state affairs or in appointments of government officials. The Mir Foundation and K-Sports Foundation were only part of the presidential duty, and not for her personal gain. Park was not aware of Choi’s embezzlement.

– The president may have consulted others in appointing officials, but did not abuse the authority, as she made the final decisions.

– Park did not force conglomerates or their affiliates to make donations. The firms stated in the prosecutorial probe that they contributed voluntarily.

– Park did not exert undue pressure on the management of media corporations, including local daily Segye Ilbo.

– The Sewol ferry incident was a tragic accident, but not reason to impeach the president.

– Park’s direction to actively help small and middle-sized companies to the presidential aide was part of her duty and does not constitute bribery.

– It is not clear if the speech drafts and other presidential documents were considered confidential documents, and they were not delivered to Choi under Park’s instruction.

Park’s lawyers concluded there is no legitimate evidence nor grave violation of law to justify impeachment. Regarding bribery allegations, any charge should be decided after the court tries Choi, they said.

351244

2016-11-06 10:08:13

Photo Gallery

Tens of thousands of South Koreans stage protest in Seoul calling for President Park Geun Hye to resign

Source:

AFP

Reuters

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