World
China kicks-off birthday celebrations for oldest panda
Beijing: China on Friday kicked off birthday celebrations for the country’s oldest panda who will turn 35 years old in November, the age-equivalent of a 100-year-old human.
“Basi is the oldest living panda in mainland China,” said Chen Yucun, head of a panda research and exchange centre in Fuzhou, Fujian province, where she lives.
The average life of the wild giant panda is 15 years.
The celebrations include making animated films about Basi, paintings, promoting scientific knowledge about giant pandas in schools, organising seminars and selecting “panda ambassadors” among the public, a news agency reported citing Chen.
Basi is possibly the most famous panda in China. In 1990, she was chosen as the prototype for “Pan Pan”, the mascot of the Beijing Asian Games. The panda star was born in Baoxing county of southwest China’s Sichuan province.
In 2000, her health began to worsen. She was found suffering from hypertension and cataracts, Chen said.
But she survived and became the first panda in the world to successfully have a cataract removed from her eye.
“She also has dental problems, so we cut bamboo shoots into smaller pieces and feed her healthy tea and albumen powder every day,” said Shi Feining, one of Basi’s breeders.
“Her illnesses provided key information for panda disease prevention,” said Chen, who hopes to encourage more people to protect wildlife like pandas through these celebrations.
Giant pandas are one of the world’s most endangered species. According to data released by the State Forestry Administration, there were 1,864 giant pandas living in the wild and 375 in captivity by the end of 2013.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.