Great balls of China to defend against 'apocalypse'
Posted: 13 December 2012 1513 hrs
QIANTUN: As people across the globe tremble in anticipation of next week's supposed Mayan-predicted apocalypse, one Chinese villager says he may have just what humanity needs: tsunami-proof survival pods.
Camouflage-clad former farmer and furniture maker Liu Qiyuan, 45, inspected his latest creation, a sphere several metres tall he calls "Noah's Ark", designed to withstand towering tsunamis and devastating earthquakes.
"The pod won't have any problems even if there are 1,000-metre-high waves... it's like a ping pong ball, its skin may be thin, but it can withstand a lot of pressure," he told AFP at his workshop in Qiantun, an hour from Beijing.
Liu's seven completed or under-construction pods, made using a fibreglass casing over a steel frame, have cost him 300,000 yuan (approximately S$58,720) each, he says, and are equipped with oxygen tanks, food and water supplies.
They also come with seat belts, essential for staying safe in storms, Liu said, strapping himself into position before his assistants shook the sphere vigorously from outside.
"The pods are designed to carry 14 people at a time, but it's possible for 30 people to survive inside for at least two months," he said.
Their insulation was such that "a person could live for four months in the pod at the North or South Pole without freezing, or even feeling slightly cold," he said.
One of the spheres even boasts the domestic comforts of a table, bed and flowery wallpaper.
Liu claims he came up with the design after watching the 2009 Hollywood disaster film "2012", which is inspired by the expiry on December 21 of the Mayan Long Count, a more than 5,000 year calendar used by the ancient Central American civilisation.
"If there really is some kind of apocalypse, then you could say I've made a contribution to the survival of humanity," Liu said.
Apocalyptic predictions have provoked widespread fears among believers, including in China, where two rural counties sold out of candles this month after a panic that three days of darkness would begin on Dec 21, the Xinhua news agency reported.
A businessman in China's eastern Zhejiang province has received 21 orders for bright yellow doomsday survival pods also sold as "Noah's Ark," for five million yuan each, the state run China Daily reported.
A man from China's north-western province of Xinjiang told AFP that he has invested all his savings, approximately $160,000, to build a survival ark, fearing that his home will be engulfed in a doomsday flood.
Chinese authorities have sought to reassure citizens, with Beijing's police force publishing an online notice on Wednesday stating that "the so-called end of the world is a rumour", and advising citizens to use "scientific concepts".
Liu first conceived of spherical houses to withstand earthquakes, which occur frequently in China, but switched his focus to survival technology after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed nearly a quarter of a million lives.
Liu, who is married with a daughter, said many were sceptical when he first outlined his plans. But despite building them he has not sold any, and is worried about repaying loans he took from neighbours and friends to fund his workshop.
"I worked for many years without saving much money... I invested most of my money in the pods, because it's worth it, it's about saving lives" he said.
Keen to demonstrate the design's strength to AFP, he used a step-ladder to clamber inside one pod before an assistant reversed a pick-up truck into it, inflicting only a minor scratch on its surface.
Peeking out of the hatch, he grinned triumphantly.
"No problem," he said, "I didn't feel a thing.
-AFP/fl
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Pre-trial conference for ex-SMRT bus drivers set for 19 Dec
Pre-trial conference for ex-SMRT bus drivers set for 19 Dec
By Sara Grosse | Posted: 12 December 2012 1417 hrs
SINGAPORE: The four ex-SMRT bus drivers from China charged with instigating an illegal strike in late November were back in court on Wednesday.
Their lawyers told the court that they need more time to take full instructions from their clients as the men were only released on bail on 6 December.
The four lawyers are acting for the former SMRT bus drivers on a pro-bono basis.
Mr Peter Low, whose client He Jun Ling faces two charges, said two of the lawyers involved in the case were approached by a non-governmental organization here.
A pre-trial conference date for 19 December has been set.
But lawyers said this is not an indication that their clients will claim trial.
There are three options on the table at the moment - to claim trial, plead guilty, or make representations to the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) to reduce the charges.
A pre-trial conference will also ensure that the judge has more time to consider the specific needs of each case and administer directions.
The drivers are out on bail and their passports have been impounded.
The remaining two drivers - Gao Yue Qiang is being represented by Ms Tan Wen Hsien from Rajah and Tann while Wang Xian Jie is being represented by Mr Derek Kang from Rodyk and Davidson.
He is out on bail of S$20,000 while the rest are out on bail of S$10,000 each. Their passports have been impounded.
- CNA/ck
- wong chee tat :)
By Sara Grosse | Posted: 12 December 2012 1417 hrs
SINGAPORE: The four ex-SMRT bus drivers from China charged with instigating an illegal strike in late November were back in court on Wednesday.
Their lawyers told the court that they need more time to take full instructions from their clients as the men were only released on bail on 6 December.
The four lawyers are acting for the former SMRT bus drivers on a pro-bono basis.
Mr Peter Low, whose client He Jun Ling faces two charges, said two of the lawyers involved in the case were approached by a non-governmental organization here.
A pre-trial conference date for 19 December has been set.
But lawyers said this is not an indication that their clients will claim trial.
There are three options on the table at the moment - to claim trial, plead guilty, or make representations to the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) to reduce the charges.
A pre-trial conference will also ensure that the judge has more time to consider the specific needs of each case and administer directions.
The drivers are out on bail and their passports have been impounded.
The remaining two drivers - Gao Yue Qiang is being represented by Ms Tan Wen Hsien from Rajah and Tann while Wang Xian Jie is being represented by Mr Derek Kang from Rodyk and Davidson.
He is out on bail of S$20,000 while the rest are out on bail of S$10,000 each. Their passports have been impounded.
- CNA/ck
- wong chee tat :)
Hong Kong plans to raise minimum wage
Hong Kong plans to raise minimum wage
Posted: 12 December 2012 2211 hrs
HONG KONG: Hong Kong plans to raise the city's minimum wage to HK$30 (US$3.87) an hour, a minister said Wednesday, in a hike slammed by labour groups as inadequate for the Asian financial hub.
Labour minister Matthew Cheung said the raise represents a 7.1 percent increase from the HK$28 pay per hour at present, which was introduced in May last year partly to tackle a widening income gap between the rich and poor.
"(The new rate) will be effective from May 1 next year if it is approved by the legislative council," Cheung told reporters, adding that around 320,000 workers are expected to benefit from the adjustment.
Critics however said the raise was too small to cover inflation and the high cost of living in Hong Kong, which is one of the world's most expensive city to live in with its sky-high property prices.
"We are not satisfied with the government proposal and think the hike is unreasonable," Labour Party chairman Lee Cheuk-yan said.
The city introduced the controversial pay floor for the first time last year after fierce opposition from employers.
Known for its stunningly wealthy tycoons, the southern Chinese city is also home to hundreds of thousands of workers who live on hourly wages sometimes as low as US$2 an hour prior to the introduction of the minimum wage.
Hong Kong's inflation rose 5.3 percent year-on-year in 2011, and may gain 3.9 percent this year according to a government forecast.
- AFP/lp
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 12 December 2012 2211 hrs
HONG KONG: Hong Kong plans to raise the city's minimum wage to HK$30 (US$3.87) an hour, a minister said Wednesday, in a hike slammed by labour groups as inadequate for the Asian financial hub.
Labour minister Matthew Cheung said the raise represents a 7.1 percent increase from the HK$28 pay per hour at present, which was introduced in May last year partly to tackle a widening income gap between the rich and poor.
"(The new rate) will be effective from May 1 next year if it is approved by the legislative council," Cheung told reporters, adding that around 320,000 workers are expected to benefit from the adjustment.
Critics however said the raise was too small to cover inflation and the high cost of living in Hong Kong, which is one of the world's most expensive city to live in with its sky-high property prices.
"We are not satisfied with the government proposal and think the hike is unreasonable," Labour Party chairman Lee Cheuk-yan said.
The city introduced the controversial pay floor for the first time last year after fierce opposition from employers.
Known for its stunningly wealthy tycoons, the southern Chinese city is also home to hundreds of thousands of workers who live on hourly wages sometimes as low as US$2 an hour prior to the introduction of the minimum wage.
Hong Kong's inflation rose 5.3 percent year-on-year in 2011, and may gain 3.9 percent this year according to a government forecast.
- AFP/lp
- wong chee tat :)
财富不断增加 促使中国人对奢侈品趋之若鹜
Updated: Wednesday, 12 December 2012 18:25
财富不断增加 促使中国人对奢侈品趋之若鹜
财富不断增加，促使中国人对奢侈品趋之若鹜。
全球管理咨询公司麦肯锡的调查显示，到了2015年，中国将占全球奢侈品市场的三分之一，相当于1千750亿美元。
中国人购买的奢侈品包括：名牌服饰、皮包、珠宝等。
另一份针对中国14个城市1千多家奢侈品购物场所进行的调查也显示，中国人今年的奢侈品消费已经占全球奢侈品市场的百分之27，约相等于1千450亿美元。
调查报告指出，中国消费者的奢侈品花费，已经超越其他国家，成为奢侈品行业发展的动力。
报告也说，中国的经济增长步伐放缓，加上政府严厉打击腐败行为，影响了当地的送礼习俗， 导致今年的奢侈品需求稍微下降。不过，不断扩大的富有中产阶级，将带动奢侈品行业的未来发展。
- wong chee tat :)
财富不断增加 促使中国人对奢侈品趋之若鹜
财富不断增加，促使中国人对奢侈品趋之若鹜。
全球管理咨询公司麦肯锡的调查显示，到了2015年，中国将占全球奢侈品市场的三分之一，相当于1千750亿美元。
中国人购买的奢侈品包括：名牌服饰、皮包、珠宝等。
另一份针对中国14个城市1千多家奢侈品购物场所进行的调查也显示，中国人今年的奢侈品消费已经占全球奢侈品市场的百分之27，约相等于1千450亿美元。
调查报告指出，中国消费者的奢侈品花费，已经超越其他国家，成为奢侈品行业发展的动力。
报告也说，中国的经济增长步伐放缓，加上政府严厉打击腐败行为，影响了当地的送礼习俗， 导致今年的奢侈品需求稍微下降。不过，不断扩大的富有中产阶级，将带动奢侈品行业的未来发展。
- wong chee tat :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)