1. "Residents evacuated around Tianjin blast site due to dangerous chemicals - AFP/CNA 15 August 2015
Residents within three kilometres of the Tianjin blast site in northern China were ordered to evacuate due to the threat of highly poisonous chemicals.
More than 200 nuclear and biochemical experts from the Chinese military were deployed to Tianjin -- which has a population of 15 million -- on Thursday.
Authorities have repeatedly said air quality generally met requirements, although levels of some pollutants exceeded regulations.
Despite official reassurances, residents have expressed scepticism and some police have been seen in the city wearing full-face gas masks.
"Every time when disaster happens, state media always spread heroic acts," one poster on social media wrote. "In the end, people are touched by these stories. Then nobody asks the cause of the accident to explore the truth."
The People's Daily said earlier that the facility's construction "clearly violated" safety rules.
Under Chinese regulations, warehouses stocking dangerous materials must be at least one kilometre (0.6 miles) away from surrounding public buildings and main roads, it said, but there were two residential compounds and several main roads within that distance."
China is STILL WAY BEHIND on transparency when something BAD happened!
Is it the nature of the beast? I don't know. Will it change? I hope so.
At the END, the Chinese people has to HOLD their government to task and be responsible. Safety violation happened very frequently. People get hurt. People raged about it, for a while. Then it is BACK TO business as usual!!
It happened in China. It happened in India/the Philippines/Bangladesh/Vietnam/etc. WHY? Many a time, it was attributed to: 'the natural price of progress'! LOL!! YES, the West gone through that phase. YES, Japan/South Korea and Taiwan went through that phase of industrial pollution, people getting poisoned, etc. YET, it will be foolish to say that: 'See, that's the price of progress. We KNOW. Let's get through this growth-at-all-cost and poisoned our lands/water/air phase, so that we can enjoy the FRUITS of PROGRESS!!'
As late starters, there are MANY lessons learned from OTHERS' pains. The late starters DON'T have to make the SAME mistakes and pains! YES?
2. "We're looking for a team to take Singapore forward: PM Lee Hsien Loong - CNA 15 August 2015
SINGAPORE: The theme of leadership renewal is central to the upcoming General Election, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"Today we remind ourselves what this next election is about and what's at stake: It's about our future. Every constituency will be contested. You're voting to choose the party and team you can trust to safeguard your future, and a team of MPs to take care of town council and look after your town.
"Your vote decides the ministers who will look after Singapore."
"So we are set, we are taking this very seriously. We are not taking any chances. And I ask voters, please vote for the PAP team. Vote for me and my team so that you and your children can have a brighter future," said PM Lee."
The PAP will paint it as a General Election while the Opposition parties, at least the dominant one, will paint it as a By Election. Alas, since almost EVERY electoral constituencies, GRC and SMC, will be contested, the 'By Election' position cannot fly!
Will the voters vote in enough opposition parties MPs to cause a change in government or a need to have a multi-party government in the coming GE? The answer is: NO! The only credible opposition party, WP, is contesting 28 or 29 seats. Besides them, it is quite clear that the rest of the opposition parties will have to work a lot harder to convince the voters to vote for them!
This time round, the main issue is: are all the changes made since GE2011 due to MORE opposition parties MPs in the house or the government COULD have been more pro-active to make those changes that were on the minds and lips and pens of quite a fair number of social critics and ordinary people?
Of course, if Ms Nicole Seah is back, she may, just may spring a surprise as she came across as quite genuine, Alas, she is not. So, will the voters find someone, anyone, good enough to be voted into the parliament? Let them decide!
Residents within three kilometres of the Tianjin blast site in northern China were ordered to evacuate due to the threat of highly poisonous chemicals.
More than 200 nuclear and biochemical experts from the Chinese military were deployed to Tianjin -- which has a population of 15 million -- on Thursday.
Authorities have repeatedly said air quality generally met requirements, although levels of some pollutants exceeded regulations.
Despite official reassurances, residents have expressed scepticism and some police have been seen in the city wearing full-face gas masks.
"Every time when disaster happens, state media always spread heroic acts," one poster on social media wrote. "In the end, people are touched by these stories. Then nobody asks the cause of the accident to explore the truth."
The People's Daily said earlier that the facility's construction "clearly violated" safety rules.
Under Chinese regulations, warehouses stocking dangerous materials must be at least one kilometre (0.6 miles) away from surrounding public buildings and main roads, it said, but there were two residential compounds and several main roads within that distance."
China is STILL WAY BEHIND on transparency when something BAD happened!
Is it the nature of the beast? I don't know. Will it change? I hope so.
At the END, the Chinese people has to HOLD their government to task and be responsible. Safety violation happened very frequently. People get hurt. People raged about it, for a while. Then it is BACK TO business as usual!!
It happened in China. It happened in India/the Philippines/Bangladesh/Vietnam/etc. WHY? Many a time, it was attributed to: 'the natural price of progress'! LOL!! YES, the West gone through that phase. YES, Japan/South Korea and Taiwan went through that phase of industrial pollution, people getting poisoned, etc. YET, it will be foolish to say that: 'See, that's the price of progress. We KNOW. Let's get through this growth-at-all-cost and poisoned our lands/water/air phase, so that we can enjoy the FRUITS of PROGRESS!!'
As late starters, there are MANY lessons learned from OTHERS' pains. The late starters DON'T have to make the SAME mistakes and pains! YES?
2. "We're looking for a team to take Singapore forward: PM Lee Hsien Loong - CNA 15 August 2015
SINGAPORE: The theme of leadership renewal is central to the upcoming General Election, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"Today we remind ourselves what this next election is about and what's at stake: It's about our future. Every constituency will be contested. You're voting to choose the party and team you can trust to safeguard your future, and a team of MPs to take care of town council and look after your town.
"Your vote decides the ministers who will look after Singapore."
"So we are set, we are taking this very seriously. We are not taking any chances. And I ask voters, please vote for the PAP team. Vote for me and my team so that you and your children can have a brighter future," said PM Lee."
The PAP will paint it as a General Election while the Opposition parties, at least the dominant one, will paint it as a By Election. Alas, since almost EVERY electoral constituencies, GRC and SMC, will be contested, the 'By Election' position cannot fly!
Will the voters vote in enough opposition parties MPs to cause a change in government or a need to have a multi-party government in the coming GE? The answer is: NO! The only credible opposition party, WP, is contesting 28 or 29 seats. Besides them, it is quite clear that the rest of the opposition parties will have to work a lot harder to convince the voters to vote for them!
This time round, the main issue is: are all the changes made since GE2011 due to MORE opposition parties MPs in the house or the government COULD have been more pro-active to make those changes that were on the minds and lips and pens of quite a fair number of social critics and ordinary people?
Of course, if Ms Nicole Seah is back, she may, just may spring a surprise as she came across as quite genuine, Alas, she is not. So, will the voters find someone, anyone, good enough to be voted into the parliament? Let them decide!
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