ASIAN PRESS REVIEW. This week's content:a report from the New York Times in the province of Xinjiang considered by the Chinese as the cradle of skiing; the emergence of Chinese authors in world SF literature; the show of force between Americans and North Americans; the delayed construction of the Indian neutrino detector...
Winter sports are experiencing a real boom in China (here in Xinjiang province). Chinese President Xi Jinping would like there to be 300 million skiers by the time of the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to the New York Times.
For the inhabitants of Chinese Altai, whether Kazakh, Mongol or of the dominant Han ethnicity, the petroglyphs found a few years ago already depict the first humans on skis. This is perhaps the only point of agreement between these different communities who are experiencing strained relations. The carvings date back more than 10,000 years according to Chinese archaeologists. And the authorities brandish this anteriority to better claim the title of the first birthplace of skiing in the world. But according to the American daily The New York Times, these dates would be controversial. The report pays a visit to these skiers from another age, equipped like their distant Neolithic ancestors, who watch with concern the arrival of tourists from winter sports that have recently been brought up to date. The way of life in this part of Xinjiang province is being challenged a little more every day.
Chinese science fiction is doing well
This is the observation made during a demonstration in Hong Kong, the Melon Sci-Fi bringing together everything that revolves around this literary genre. One of the 2016 winners - the Chinese writer Hao Jingfang - of the American Hugo Prize has just announced to the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post the forthcoming adaptation of his short story for the cinema. Of note for interested SF fans, the 2015 winner of the Hugo Award (novel category) was also Chinese, and the first part of his trilogy has been translated into French.
And also...
Shows of force between North Koreans and Americans . Pyongyang threatens to sink an American aircraft carrier that has gone to practice alongside two Japanese vessels. The arrival of the vessel will perhaps coincide, according to Le Monde, with the 85 e anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean People's Army and a possible sixth nuclear test.
Mr Vaccine . A biography of Prof. Hoang Thuy Nguyen, whose professional life has been dedicated to Vietnam's immunization program. Vietnam Net's tribute to a scientist whose career follows the still young history of his country.
Telephone lessons . Increasingly popular in China, tutorials delivered on mobile phones or social networks. Light content, tips and tricks for subscribers who are not looking for diploma courses according to Today magazine.
A mountain of trash engulfs a neighborhood. In Sri Lanka, the collapse of a pile of rubbish killed and destroyed 145 houses in a poor district of Colombo. Observation by the CNN TV team.
Wind Farm Tourism . The 27 wind turbines of the Pillila Park two hours from Manila have been attracting more and more tourists since their installation in 2015. Good news for the local economy according to the Asian Correspondent news site.
Siberian dragons. The mythological animal is found fashioned on belt buckles over 2000 years old and found in the 1970s in a field in central Siberia. According to the Russian archaeologist interviewed by the Siberian Times, the pattern has nothing to do with Chinese or East Asian representation.
Delayed construction for the Indian neutrino detector. After the fears of the inhabitants in 2015, it was the neighboring natural park that required guarantees before starting construction according to the Hindustan Times.
Indian cooperation in the Belle-II project. For lack of neutrinos to study at home, the Indians were involved in the construction of the Belle-II particle detector in Japan. Detailed explanations of the Indian contribution by the Hindu.
Poacher hunter. The interview in the New Scientist of an Indian policeman in the fight against the trafficking of protected animal species.
On our website
On the roads of science. The documentary series goes through Vietnam. Three excerpts to watch here, there and again there. Attention ! Brace yourselves when one of the reporters tastes the sago worm larvae!
The mother of all bombs . What's behind this superlative? Technical details on the GBU-43/B, an oversized bomb dropped by the US military in Afghanistan that killed more than 90 Islamic State fighters according to Afghan authorities.
Cats and dogs prohibited for consumption. Taiwan legislates and affirms its disapproval of the consumption of these animals. Food practices shared with China and South Korea.
Large-scale poaching . 20,000 wild reindeer killed for their meat in Siberia. “It would seem that generally wild reindeer were killed on a unique whim. If the poachers wanted the tongue, he would kill the animal, cut out the tongue and leave the rest .”
Celestial mechanic in progress. The first freighter has left, and arrived safely to resupply Tiangong-2, the Chinese space station. On board, fuel and scientific experimentation equipment.