
Woman getting off wrong train in China trapped by door
A woman getting off a high-speed train in central China's Hubei province ended up being trapped by a door. She had boarded the wrong vehicle.
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South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
China boosts research of Southeast Asian populations overlooked in Human Genome Project
For more than two decades, the Human Genome Project (HGP) – a landmark scientific endeavour led by Western nations – mapped humanity's genetic blueprint, yet the rich diversity of Southeast Asia was overlooked. Despite being home to nearly 300 million people, including the world's largest indigenous population, mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) contributed a mere 1.57 per cent to global genomic databases, with most data derived from diaspora communities rather than local populations. Chinese researchers say they now aim to rectify the omission. Scientists from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have spearheaded a decade-long collaboration with 34 Southeast Asian research teams, culminating in the first comprehensive genomic atlas of the region – the SEA3K data set – which was published in Nature on May 14. 02:43 Nobel Medicine Prize awarded to US duo for 'fundamentally important' discovery of microRNA Nobel Medicine Prize awarded to US duo for 'fundamentally important' discovery of microRNA The study revealed striking insights, including that MSEA populations harbour unique genetic adaptations to tropical challenges as well as distinct Denisovan ancestry linked to Russia's far east. Before China took a role in the research, fewer than 200 indigenous genomes from MSEA existed in global databases, with neighbouring India contributing most via Southeast Asian diaspora samples, according to the paper. Even city state Singapore, a regional sequencing hub, accounted for 92 per cent of the region's limited data, leaving Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam virtually invisible in the genomic era. 'For over a decade, we conducted fieldwork in Southeast Asian rainforests, adhering to local ethical protocols, fostering community engagement and documenting indigenous cultural and linguistic contexts,' corresponding author Su Bing said in an interview with China Science Daily on May 19. Researchers collected samples from Southeast Asian populations covering six countries, five prominent language families and 30 ethnic languages. They completed genome sequencing for 3,023 cases, including 40 high-accuracy long-read sequencing data.


South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Dolphin's death another wake-up call to phase out animal captivity
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Advertisement Rita, a female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin at Hong Kong's Ocean Park, has died at the age of 24 . In the wild, dolphins of her species can live over 40 years, yet Rita's premature death comes as no surprise. Taison Chang Kai-tai , former Ocean Park employee and current chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, has exposed the suffering of dolphins imprisoned in the park: constant noise, limited food and cramped enclosures. Highly intelligent and social, dolphins in captivity often exhibit atypical or meaningless behaviours given the lack of stimulation or autonomy. These conditions contribute to their deteriorating health and shortened lifespans. Despite the evident harm, dolphins remain in captivity because they are highly profitable crowd-pullers. Zoos and marine parks often mask this cruelty with sugar-coated narratives. Ocean Park, for instance, claimed Rita helped 'convey conservation messages' since 'students had learned about and appreciated the natural behaviour' and 'were inspired to contribute to marine conservation'. But as naturalist Jacques Cousteau once said, 'There is about as much educational benefit to be gained from studying dolphins in captivity as there would be from studying mankind by only studying prisoners held in solitary confinement.' Cultural critic John Berger similarly noted that seeing animals in zoos is like viewing 'an image out of focus'. Advertisement More importantly, educating the public about animals through captivity reinforces human superiority by normalising the exploitation of animals for our 'education'. This undermines true environmental education, which should cultivate care and respect for the natural world, not dominance.


South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China adds aerial refuelling to pilot training in move to boost combat readiness
China's air force has introduced aerial refuelling to its pilot training programme as the People's Liberation Army tries to step up combat readiness and long-range capabilities. Advertisement The move was highlighted in a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that included footage from a PLA training video. It showed instructors from the PLA Air Force's Shijiazhuang Flight Academy piloting two J-10 fighter jets in a refuelling drill, supported by a YU-20 tanker. The J-10 – seen as China's answer to the American F-16 – has a two-seat variant for advanced fighter and strike training. Another variant, the J-10CE, was used by Pakistan to down French-made Rafale jets in combat with India's military near the disputed Kashmir region last month. The YU-20 tanker can offload up to 100 tonnes of fuel in a single sortie. Photo: Xinhua According to the CCTV report, the academy plans to expand the refuelling training in phases. It said the goal was to round out combat readiness training and better prepare pilots for operational requirements and the demands of the battlefield. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was a significant step for the air force as it tried to cultivate real-combat capabilities from the earliest stage in a pilot's training. 'Previously, such training was limited to experienced operational units,' Song said. 'Now it's moving upstream into pilot education. That opens a new path for building a strategic air force with global reach.' Advertisement He said the programme would help pilots to develop 'a long-range operational mindset early in their careers'. 'It will reduce the interval between graduation and combat readiness, significantly boosting the military's ability to rapidly produce a battle-ready talent pool.'