Scientists in Chile's Patagonia region are unearthing the southernmost dinosaur fossils recorded outside Antarctica, including remains of megaraptors that would have dominated the area's food chain before their mass extinction. Fossils of megaraptors, a carnivorous dinosaur that inhabited parts of South America during the Cretaceous period some 70 million years ago, were found in sizes up to 10 meters long, according to the Journal of South American Earth Sciences. "We were missing a piece," Marcelo Leppe, director of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), told Reuters . "We knew where there were large mammals, there would also be large carnivores, but we hadn't found them yet." The remains, recovered from Chile's far south Rio de las Chinas Valley in the Magallanes Basin between 2016 and 2020, also include some unusual remains of unenlagia, velociraptor-like dinosaurs which likely lived covered in feathers. The specimens, according to University of Chile researcher Jared … [Read more...] about Scientists unearth megaraptors, feathered dinosaur fossils in Chile’s Patagonia
Scientist award
Vietnamese writer shares love of homeland in award-winning English-language book
Perhaps the biggest turning point in Nguyen Phan Que Mai’s life was the morning she woke up to an email from her literary agent with an offer from Algonquin Books – a New York-based publisher – to publish her very first English-language novel “The Mountains Sing.” A dream Mai, originally from Ninh Binh Province in northern Vietnam, wrote “The Mountains Sing” as a way to spread Vietnamese literature and culture by recounting the story of a Vietnamese family’s journey through the twentieth century, including their trials and tribulations during the French Colonial period, the separation of the North and the South, the Vietnam War, and the present day. Her inspiration for the novel was a deep frustration that language barriers were a major obstacle for international readers who wished to access Vietnamese literature. The books on Vietnam that English-language readers did have access to were primarily about the Vietnam War and written by Western writers who gave their Vietnamese … [Read more...] about Vietnamese writer shares love of homeland in award-winning English-language book
Climate tipping points in Amazon, Tibet ‘linked’: scientists
Climate extremes in the Amazon rainforest are directly affecting those in the Tibetan Plateau, scientists said Thursday, warning that the Himalayan region crucial for the water security of millions was close to a potentially disastrous "tipping point". Planet-heating pollution from human activities is raising global temperatures and scientists have said this is pushing crucial ecosystems and whole regions towards often irreversible changes. Vulnerable areas include melting polar ice sheets that could cause metres of sea-level rise, as well as the Amazon basin, where tropical forests are at risk of turning into savannah. But can one tipping point have a domino effect on another region? Recent research suggests this is already happening. Climate-driven changes in the Amazon basin have knock-on effects on the Tibetan Plateau 20,000 kilometres (12,500 miles) away, scientists in China, Europe and Israel reported in Nature Climate Change earlier this month. "We've been surprised … [Read more...] about Climate tipping points in Amazon, Tibet ‘linked’: scientists
Vietnam female scientist named among most influential globally
Le Thai Ha has become the only female Vietnamese scientist to be named among the top 100,000 most-cited researchers in the world. Vietnamese female scientist Le Thai Ha is named among the top 100,000 most-cited researchers in the world. The list was compiled by Metrics Group, including professors Jeroen Baas, Kevin Boyack, and John P.A. Ioannidis from Stanford University. The group made use of citations from Scopus, an international scientific database, in order to catalog the 100,000 most-cited scientists out of more than 200,000 featured in its database. Ha, 34, is currently working as the managing director of the VinFuture Prize of the VinFuture Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Ph.D. in Economics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore where she completed her Ph.D. within two years at the age of 24. Prior to joining VinFuture Foundation, Ha was the director of research and a senior faculty member at Fulbright School of Public … [Read more...] about Vietnam female scientist named among most influential globally
Anan Saigon named Asia’s best restaurant at World Culinary Awards
Located inside an old market on Ton That Dam Street near Bitexco Financial Tower, Anan specializes in street food-inspired dishes created by its owner and chef, Peter Cuong Franklin. Franklin is also famous for inventing the $100 banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) that is topped off with French foie gras, truffle, a traditional garnish of sliced cucumbers, cilantro and mint and served with a side of fried sweet potatoes and caviar. If tourists want to experience a fine dining banh mi , advance booking is required. Other dishes that have helped the restaurant gain a reputation among international foodies are banh xeo taco , a dish consisting of a central Vietnamese region-style banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake) folded into the shape of a Mexican taco and filled with shrimp and pork, Hanoi-style grilled catfish or beef stew. Born in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat, Franklin migrated to the U.S. in 1975 and had a career in banking before deciding to follow his passion for … [Read more...] about Anan Saigon named Asia’s best restaurant at World Culinary Awards
Winner of logo design contest marking Vietnam-Singapore diplomatic ties announced
The logo designed by Le Thanh Hong - the student at Singapore Polytechnic (Photo: The organising board) Hanoi (VNA) - The winner of the contest to design a commemorative logo for the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Singapore diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership was honoured at an award ceremony held in both face-to-face and online forms in Hanoi on January 19. Co-hosted by the Vietnam - Singapore Friendship Association under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Singaporean Embassy in Vietnam, this was an opening event for a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and 10 years of the strategic partnership between the two countries. The contest was initiated by the Vietnamese Students' Association in Singapore and the Singapore Global Network (SGN) in October last year for Vietnamese students studying from the high school to doctoral (PhD) levels in Singapore. … [Read more...] about Winner of logo design contest marking Vietnam-Singapore diplomatic ties announced
Vietnamese American teacher wins US prize for teen-centered job app
Ben Hoang Nguyen, a Vietnamese American from Las Vegas, Nevada, the U.S. created an online platform that helps connect students with employers in their local communities. Nguyen, a teacher at Sunrise Mountain High School in Las Vegas, Nevada brought home a grand prize of US$200,000 from The Big Idea Challenge: A Competition for Educational Innovation hosted by Nevada-based nonprofits The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education and The Engelstad Foundation. "This was an incredible experiment that gave everyone the opportunity to come forward to make things better," Kris Engelstad, a trustee of the Engelstad Foundation, wrote on The Big Idea Challenge website. "And indeed, so many Nevadans did just that. Our winners have embarked on a long journey to win and receive funding. We cannot wait to see all they do to take their ideas - and education in our state - to new heights." Julie Pippenger, chief operating officer of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, also lauded the … [Read more...] about Vietnamese American teacher wins US prize for teen-centered job app
VIB’s new card gives big push to online shopping
Viet Nam is considered an extremely promising market for the retail banking industry thanks to the characteristics of population growth, GDP per capita and fast economic development. Grasping that trend, many banks have been promoting retail lending activities to diversify credit portfolios and optimise profits. — Photo courtesy of VIB With the privilege of up to 50 per cent cashback on the Lazada Vietnam e-commerce platform and technologies first deployed by VIB, the LazCard credit card is expected to bring a great shopping experience to users during the year-end shopping season. Innovative and pioneering card trend in VN Viet Nam is an extremely promising market for the retail banking industry thanks to the characteristics of population growth, GDP per capita and fast economic development. Grasping that trend, many banks have been promoting retail lending activities to diversify credit portfolios and optimise profits. VIB is one of the banks which has seen its outstanding … [Read more...] about VIB’s new card gives big push to online shopping
Vibrant Quang Phu Cau incense-making village ahead Tet holiday
The splendid beauty of the trade village in Hanoi’s outskirts tinges Tet with colors. A week ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet holiday), everywhere in the village of Quang Phu Cau in Ung Hoa District, Hanoi glowed with pink and red colors of incense sticks. The six villages in Quang Phu Cau Commune including Xa Cau, Quang Nguyen, Upper Phu Luong, Lower Phu Luong, Cau Bau, Dao Tu have always been famous for incense-making for over one hundred years. The commune is not only famous for making premium incense for the Tet holiday but also a marvelous tourist attraction in Hanoi. The places are the major incense supply to the Northern region, providing the main source of income for thousands of local households. As the Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year festival is around the corner, residents of these famous incense-making villages are busily preparing for the most important holiday of the year. … [Read more...] about Vibrant Quang Phu Cau incense-making village ahead Tet holiday
Death toll in Philippine storms rises to 27
At least 27 people have died in storms across the Philippines this month, authorities said Sunday, as forecasters warned of continued heavy rains in the disaster-prone country. Heavy downpours and flooding have plagued the nation's southern and central islands since the Christmas weekend, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. Since the start of the year, at least three storms have killed 27 people across the country, the civil defence office said in a report on Sunday. Eleven people were reported injured and three are missing. The state weather forecaster PAGASA warned Sunday of heavy rains over the Bicol peninsula and Quezon province in the southern tip of the main island of Luzon. "Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely in areas that are highly... susceptible to these hazards," PAGASA said in an advisory. More than 83,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres, according to the civil defence office, and over 1,200 houses … [Read more...] about Death toll in Philippine storms rises to 27