Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Central American nations warn against AIDS among young people
Central American nations clinched an agreement Tuesday aimed at stepping up measures to rein in the spread of HIV and AIDS in the region, especially among young people.
Central American nations have made "limited and sporadic" progress in terms of curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, said the agreement after a three-day regional AIDS meeting concluded in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.
The fifth Central American Conference on AIDS opened Sunday under the theme "For Equality, Diversity and Non-discrimination."
The countries in the region are required to honor their commitments and put into effect related policies in favor of AIDS patients, and prevent the spread of the virus especially among young people, according the agreement.
Central America is experiencing the highest HIV and AIDS rates in Latin America, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said Monday in a statement.
The official figure shows that there are 1.7 million people with HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean region, of whom 750,000 are under 24. In Central America, there are 210,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.
"In 2010 the Central American epidemic could reach an infection rate of two percent in the adult population," UNAIDS said.
During the meeting, representatives from Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala signed a joint declaration on education of AIDS prevention.
Central American nations have made "limited and sporadic" progress in terms of curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, said the agreement after a three-day regional AIDS meeting concluded in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.
The fifth Central American Conference on AIDS opened Sunday under the theme "For Equality, Diversity and Non-discrimination."
The countries in the region are required to honor their commitments and put into effect related policies in favor of AIDS patients, and prevent the spread of the virus especially among young people, according the agreement.
Central America is experiencing the highest HIV and AIDS rates in Latin America, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said Monday in a statement.
The official figure shows that there are 1.7 million people with HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean region, of whom 750,000 are under 24. In Central America, there are 210,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.
"In 2010 the Central American epidemic could reach an infection rate of two percent in the adult population," UNAIDS said.
During the meeting, representatives from Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala signed a joint declaration on education of AIDS prevention.
Painting sold for record $10.7m
A record price for a Chinese painting was set yesterday when a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) handscroll was auctioned off in Beijing for 79।52 million yuan ($10.7 million).
Du Wei, a spokesman for the China Guardian Art Auction Co Ltd, which staged the auction, said: "This is the highest price ever achieved for a Chinese painting।"
The Red Cliff Handscroll by Qiu Ying (1494-1552), an artist from Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, came from a private collector on the mainland।
The price included a 12-percent commission fee।
Bidding started at 50 million yuan before hitting the record price।
The previous record for an ancient Chinese painting was set in 2002, when a handscroll by Emperor Huizong (1101-26) of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) was sold in Beijing for 25।3 million yuan.
Qiu was a master of gongbi, a meticulous brush technique requiring precise detail।
He left just 40 pieces of art, most of which are now in museum collections।
Liu Kai, the manager of the Chinese painting department of the auction house, said the artist created three handscrolls of the Red Cliff, which lies beside the Yangtze River in Hubei Province।
All were once owned by the Qing imperial family, with the other two now in collections at the Shanghai Museum and Liaoning Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning Province।
Seals of collectors on the third handscroll indicate it was kept by Zhang Xiuyu, one of the greatest art sponsors at the time.
Du Wei, a spokesman for the China Guardian Art Auction Co Ltd, which staged the auction, said: "This is the highest price ever achieved for a Chinese painting।"
The Red Cliff Handscroll by Qiu Ying (1494-1552), an artist from Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, came from a private collector on the mainland।
The price included a 12-percent commission fee।
Bidding started at 50 million yuan before hitting the record price।
The previous record for an ancient Chinese painting was set in 2002, when a handscroll by Emperor Huizong (1101-26) of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) was sold in Beijing for 25।3 million yuan.
Qiu was a master of gongbi, a meticulous brush technique requiring precise detail।
He left just 40 pieces of art, most of which are now in museum collections।
Liu Kai, the manager of the Chinese painting department of the auction house, said the artist created three handscrolls of the Red Cliff, which lies beside the Yangtze River in Hubei Province।
All were once owned by the Qing imperial family, with the other two now in collections at the Shanghai Museum and Liaoning Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning Province।
Seals of collectors on the third handscroll indicate it was kept by Zhang Xiuyu, one of the greatest art sponsors at the time.
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