The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- WWF: Endangered 'Asian Unicorn' sighted in Vietnam
- Govt to relook taxi fare structure
- Charged with hacking
| WWF: Endangered 'Asian Unicorn' sighted in Vietnam Posted: HANOI, Nov 13, 2013 (AFP) - The critically endangered twin-horned saola has been sighted in Vietnam for the first time in over a decade, raising hopes of recovery for the mysterious animal, conservationists said Wednesday. Known as the "Asian Unicorn" for its extreme elusiveness, the antelope-like creature was spotted in September using a camera trap set by WWF and the communist country's government in Vietnam's central Annamite mountains. "When our team first looked at the photos we couldn't believe our eyes. Saola are the holy grail for South East Asian conservationists so there was a lot of excitement," said Van Ngoc Thinh, WWF Vietnam's country director. "This is a breathtaking discovery and renews hope for the recovery of the species," he said in a statement. Saola, which were only discovered in 1992, have two parallel horns with sharp ends which can reach 50 centimeters in length (20 inches). One of the secretive creatures was seen in August 2010 - the first sighting in a decade - but it died a few days after it was captured by villagers in Laos, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was the first time a wild saola had been spotted since one was captured on camera in 1999 in Laos. Dang Dinh Nguyen, Deputy Head of Quang Nam Forest Protection Department, said the last sighting of a saola in Vietnam was in 1998. He said the latest appearance of the animal was "an historic moment" and showed that conservation efforts in the critical saola habitat were effective. Conservationists believe there could be only a few dozen surviving in the wild, with best-case estimates ranging to several hundred. In the area where the saola was sighted, the WWF runs a law enforcement program which recruits forest guards from the local community to prevent illegal hunting. Since 2011, the forest guards have removed 30,000 snares and destroyed more than 600 illegal hunters' camps. "Confirmation of the presence of the saola in this area is a testament to the dedicated and tireless efforts of these forest guards," said Thinh. When it was found two decades ago the saola was "the first large mammal new to science in more than 50 years and one of the most spectacular species discoveries of the 20th century," WWF said. |
| Govt to relook taxi fare structure Posted: THE Government will relook the taxi fare structure to make it simpler and easier to compare across cab operators, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo. Admitting that today's taxi fare structure is "complex and confusing for commuters", Teo said yesterday that the Land Transport Authority will work with the Public Transport Council and cab companies to look into retooling the fare structure. This will take into account "the impact on taxi drivers, ultimately to have a taxi fare structure that best serves commuters' interests", Teo told Parliament. Responding to Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), Teo said taxi fares were deregulated in Sept 1998 to allow cab operators to set their own fares to be "more responsive to market conditions". On whether fare structures now ensure enough taxis ply the roads, Teo said the different surcharges have been imposed to better match taxi supply with demand by giving incentives to cabbies to serve locations and time periods where the demand is high. Taxi companies are required to publicise fare revisions at least one week in advance in the media and on their websites. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network |
| Posted: Alleged hacker James Raj Arokia-samy will be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation, the court ruled. This means the 35-year-old, who is charged with hacking the Ang Mo Kio Town Council website on Oct 28, will not be allowed access to any third parties except for medical personnel until the evaluation is complete. District Judge Kessler Soh allowed the application despite protestations from Raj, who told the court that he had suffered a concussion and assaulted when arrested on Nov 4. The alleged hacker also claimed to have been denied contact with his mother and deprived of medical attention for long periods. He insisted that he had been taken out of context when he said in court yesterday morning that he suffered from Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder (ADHD). His lawyer M. Ravi said the man's demeanour in court showed he did not suffer from any mental condition and therefore should not be remanded. But Deputy Public Prosecutor Tang Shangjun said Raj was merely "changing his tune", and argued that no prejudice would be caused by remanding him at IMH. The next mention for the case has been fixed for Nov 26. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network |
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