Tianjin blast: Officials try to reassure distrusting public, as rain threatens more damage
August 17, 2015 - 5:57PMPhilip Wen
As rescue crews raced against the clock to avert further explosions in China's port city of Tiajin on Monday, senior leaders in Beijing signalled a growing focus on the tragedy, anxious to overcome a yawning trust deficit laid bare by festering public anger and mistrust over perceived missteps and lack of transparency.
Chinese authorities have vowed to conduct a thorough investigation of the explosions which tore through a hazardous goods storage facility at the port city, leaving a trail of destruction around a kilometres-wide radius.
Premier Li Keqiang visited the blast site on Sunday to offer condolences, while urging officials to show a "strong sense of responsibility toward the general public and people's lives".
Authorities have confirmed some 700 tonnes of highly toxic sodium cyanide had been stored at the blast site.
On Monday, Bao Jinglong, the chief engineer of Tianjin's environmental protection bureau, responded to widespread scepticism over the city's environmental monitoring systems – which have detected no abnormal air or water quality readings outside the immediate blast area.
Tale of two Eritreans offers glimpse inside Africa's most secretive state
As thousands flee every month and reports of repression abound, two men’s diverging paths paint a more complex picture of life in Eritrea
Kemal and Mohammed have never met, but until recently their lives were typical of a peaceful, comfortable existence in middle-class Eritrea.
Idyllic childhood evenings were spent playing football in the winding, sun-swept streets of the capital, Asmara. As they got older, they passed time sipping coffee or eating pisseti – mini pizzas – in the art deco cafes that dot the city, or at popular cinemas built when Eritrea was an Italian colony. Then came university, and eventually jobs as civil servants, following in the footsteps of their parents.
But a wild diversion in their lives this year provides a glimpse into two sides of life in Eritrea, one the world’s most secretive, closed-off states.
ROBERT FISK
Isis is using 'dreamology' to justify its nightmarish vision for the world
If you want to comprehend what motivates Isis, looking to the dream world isn't as crazy as it sounds
Egyptian president ratifies law curtailing journalists
Latest update : 2015-08-17
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday approved an anti-terrorism law that critics say will muzzle the media by imposing stiff fines on journalists and news organizations publishing “false” reports related to the country’s security.
The government had initially proposed a jail sentence for offenders, but backtracked after a backlash from Egyptian media. The law nevertheless mentions the possibility of suspension from employment.
The controversial law sets a minimum fine of 200,000 pounds (about €22,500) and a maximum of 500,000 pounds for anyone who strays from government statements or publishes "false" reports on militant attacks or army operations.
India's Mars orbiter sends stunning canyon photo
August 17, 2015
Just in time for India's Independence Day, the country's very first interplanetary mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission, has sent back some beautiful images of the Red Planet's surface.
The Indian Space Research Organisation mission, also known as Mangalyaan, which means "Mars-craft" in Sanskrit, was launched in early November 2013 on a shoestring budget compared to other space missions. All up, it's estimated that it cost about $74 million, compared to NASA's $671 million Maven Mars orbiter mission, which launched at around the same time.
Brazilian protesters call for President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in protests across Brazil calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.
Support for Ms Rousseff has fallen to single-digit figures in recent polls.
Many voters have accused her of failing to stamp out corruption and blame her for the economy's worst slump in 25 years.
Marchers took over Copacabana beach in Rio and also demonstrated outside congress in the capital Brasilia.
Many wore the yellow shirts of the Brazilian football team, and sang the national anthem, carrying banners saying "Dilma Out".
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