Reports

For the first time in more than 10 years, there has been a confirmed sighting of one of the rarest and most enigmatic animals in the world, the saola ( Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) from the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. The Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (also known as Laos) has announced that in late August villagers in the central province of Bolikhamxay captured a saola and brought it back to their village. When news of the saola's capture reached Lao authorities...

Two leading organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure a better protection of the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage site in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The agreement, between UN-HABITAT and WWF, marks the first time the two agencies with different mandates have joined hands in an effort to pursue the same goal of recognising their mutual interest in the management of the Virunga National Park, and other protected areas. The two organisations will...

Worldwide application of a new standard for sustainable harvesting of wild medicinal, aromatic, dye and food plants and trees is charting new ways to protect the species and their habitats and benefit the communities that depend on them. In Karnataka, India, it is now possible to collect the resin of the white palle tree used in traditional Indian medicine and incense without removing the bark and killing the trees that provide it. In Cambodia, a new cooperative has boosted returns to medicinal...

The traditional practice of using night dreams to make major life decisions is in widespread use among modern Muslims, reveals a new study. Night dreams are being used to make choices on issues such as marriage, business, career development and politics. Research leader, Durham University anthropologist Dr Iain Edgar focused on the centuries-old practice of Istikhara, or Islamic 'dream incubation'. His study is the first comprehensive and the most contemporary academic study on Istikhara prayer...

The Fairy Queen, the oldest surviving functional steam engine in the world, is once again ready to haul a heritage train from India's capital New Delhi to Sariska National Park in Rajasthan state. This train, which is a great attraction among steam engine lovers across the globe, will run between Delhi Cantt. Station and Alwar from October 23 this year to March 12, 2011. However, the Northern Railway division of Indian Railways plans to run an additional trip on October 9 during the Commonwealth...

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has used his Facebook page to announce his candidacy for presidential elections next January, ending months of speculation over his intentions. He will make a formal declaration at a rally on Saturday. On Wednesday, he wrote on his Facebook page, "Today, I confirm that after wide and thorough consultations spanning the six geo-political zones that make up Nigeria, with members of my family, my party, the opposition, civil society, the Private Sector, members...

Cancer patients who die in the hospital have worse quality of life at the end-of-life, compared to patients who die at home, and their caregivers are at higher risk for developing psychiatric illnesses during bereavement. Bereaved caregivers of patients who died in an intensive care unit (ICU) are five times more likely to be diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compared with caregivers of patients who died at home with hospice services. The findings are from a study by...

The Intermountain West in the US is renowned for the beauty of its towering mountains and high deserts, but the region’s lofty altitudes significantly influence a deadly problem: the high prevalence of suicides in this part of the country. Researchers have found that the risk for suicide increases by nearly one-third at an altitude of 2,000 metres, or approximately 6,500 feet above sea level. The Western US states have some of the highest average elevations in the nation and, according to data...

When men outnumber women, females marry younger and the age gap between spouses grows. Women don't stay on long because men are more motivated to commit. That's what a group of researchers have found. "They (the women) want to secure the relationship before some other guy gets her," explains Daniel Kruger, research assistant professor in the School of Public Health, University of Michigan. The study looked at the ratio of men to women in the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the US...

The Asia Foundation has launched a five-year, $6.8 million project to prevent human trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute traffickers in six districts in Nepal. Its own contributions will bring the total amount to approximately $7.4 million. The award, given by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), goes into effect immediately. Trafficking in persons is serious and widespread in Nepal, a country facing a deepening political crisis. Ongoing internal conflict and economic...