Fifty-four Chinese rail bosses to be 'punished' over Wenzhou train crash that killed 40 people

By Rick Dewsbury

Last updated at 3:46 PM on 28th December 2011


Tragedy: A derailed carriage plunges to the ground after the fatal crash in China in July

Tragedy: A derailed carriage plunges to the ground after the fatal crash in China in July

The Chinese government has warned 54 rail bosses that they will face punishment after a crash that killed 40 people was found to have been caused by lax safety standards.

The authorities have struggled to address public fury over the accident near the booming coastal city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in July, when a high-speed train rammed into another one stranded on the track after being hit by lightning.?? ?

Premier Wen Jiabao vowed that the investigation would be thorough and transparent - though the cabinet's report was pushed back from mid-September for technical reasons and to give the team more time to pour over documents. ?? ?

An account of the conclusions of the investigation presented to Wen at a cabinet meeting said the accident was due to serious design flaws in control equipment and improper handling of the lightning strike, broadly in line with initial findings.?? ?

The Railways Ministry 'did not properly handle rescue efforts, did not issue information in a timely manner and did not correctly address public concerns, which created a bad influence in society', the central government said in a statement.?? ?

The accident prompted a huge public outcry on social networking services, with users expressing anger at the perceived poor official response and pulling apart accounts of the crash and the rescue efforts.?? ?

Seeking to assuage public anger, the government fired three mid-level railway officials a day after the crash.?? ?

The report detailed 54 officials who would receive administrative punishments, and said more serious penalties could follow for them.

?

It was not yet clear if those officials will be prosecuted or ultimately receive the death penalty, which is legal and used regularly in the Communist state, where more prisoners are killed every year than in the rest of the world combined.

In 2009, the former boss of Beijing airport was executed for corruption. Li Peiying, 60, was found guilty of bribery and embezzling ?11million since 1995.

Disaster: Rescue workers try to secure the wreckage of the trains after the crash. Lax safety and poor handling have been blamed in a report

Disaster: Rescue workers try to secure the wreckage of the trains after the crash. Lax safety and poor handling have been blamed in a report

Collision: The carriages hang perilously on the bridge in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. One expert said he thought human error may have been involved

Collision: The carriages hang perilously on the bridge in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. One expert said he thought human error may have been involved

Cranes lift the wreckage from the tracks after the tragedy in which 40 people were killed

Accident: Cranes lift the wreckage from the tracks after the tragedy in which 40 people were killed

A month earlier the former chairman of China's second-biggest oil company, Sinopec, was convicted of taking ?18million in bribes and given a suspended death sentence.

Thousands of people are believed to be executed in China every year.

'Legal authorities are currently conducting an independent investigation in accordance with the law into whether or not these relevant responsible officials committed crimes,' the report into the rail crash said.

It laid particular blame at the door of former railways minister Liu Zhijun, though he was dismissed months before the crash, in February, over corruption charges that have not yet been tried in court.??

Liu 'has the main leadership responsibility for the accident', it said.?? ?

Current minister Sheng Guangzu would have to present a 'thorough self-criticism' to the cabinet, it added, demanding the ministry and companies which made the faulty control systems drastically improve the way they operate.???

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says the investigation would be thorough and transparent

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says the investigation would be thorough and transparent

'Completely upgrade the safety management level of the railways, especially when it comes to building and operating high-speed railways,' the report added. ?? ?

Bloggers were quick to denounce the findings, suggesting the government still has a long way to go to restore public trust.?? ?

'This probe will become an international joke' wrote 'hjerryzhu' on the Twitter-like site Sina Weibo.?? ?

'The Communist Party has become a byword for hypocrisy, lies and violence,' said 'kaherd'.?? ?

The government has said it would suspend railway project approvals and launch safety checks on equipment to address anger after the Wenzhou crash on what was a new high-speed rail line.?? ?

The ministry plans to cut its annual railway investment by 15 percent in 2012 to 400 billion yuan, state media said last week. ?? ?

The ministry also faces soaring debt. In August, it said its total liabilities at the end of June were 2.1 trillion yuan ($330 million), up by nearly half from the end of 2009 and bringing its liability-to-asset ratio up to 59 percent. ?? ?

However, the government said it remained committed to building high-speed railways, which China plans eventually to run into Russia and down to Southeast Asia.?? ?

'High speed railways improve people's ability to travel and promote economic development. Building and developing high speed railways is the correct course,' it said in a separate statement. ?? ?

?

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079408/Fifty-Chinese-rail-bosses-punished-Wenzhou-train-crash-killed-40-people.html?ITO=1490

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Federal judge ends BP's probation for Alaska spill (AP)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed prosecutors' argument that a BP subsidiary violated its probation after an oil spill because of another spill on Alaska's North Slope.

Judge Ralph Beistline also lifted BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.'s probation altogether.

BP had been convicted of negligent discharge of oil in 2007 for a 200,000-gallon spill on the North Slope a year earlier. There was another spill of 13,500 gallons in 2009.

Last month, government lawyers sought to have BP's probation revoked for the latest spill, meaning the probation period could have been lengthened or the company could have faced additional penalties.

In his ruling, Beistline said the government failed to prove the company committed criminal negligence.

"We are pleased with the decision and appreciate the court's attention," BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said in an email to The Associated Press. "We know that the privilege of working in Alaska comes with a responsibility to maintain high standards. We will continue our commitment to running safe and compliant operations."

Emails seeking comment from the U.S. attorney's office in Anchorage were not immediately returned.

Prosecutors said BP's history of environmental crimes in Alaska began in February 2001 when it pleaded guilty to releasing hazardous materials at its Endicott facility on the North Slope. The company was fined $500,000, placed on probation for five years and ordered to create a nationwide environmental management program, prosecutors said.

The March 2006 spill of 200,000 gallons of crude was caused by corrosion, and BP's leak detection system failed to notice it, they said.

The company's guilty plea to a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act in 2007 resulted in three years' probation, a $12 million fine, and restitution and community service payments totaling $8 million to the state of Alaska and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Prosecutors contended BP violated the conditions of its probation by allowing the 2009 spill from an 18-inch pipe that moved oil, water and gas from drill pads to BP's Lisburne Processing Center. That spill, prosecutors said, leaked 13,500 gallons of oil onto tundra and wetlands.

The government said it was similar to the 2006 spill because BP ignored alarms that warned of the pipe's eventual rupture and leak. The 2009 spill also came after a similar pipe froze and ruptured in 2001, they said, and BP failed to put in place preventative measures that their own experts recommended.

But in his ruling, Beistline wrote: "The investigation concluded, based on the metallurgy report, that the pipeline rupture was not caused by corrosion or improper maintenance, but was caused by a sequence of circumstances, including cooling and warming of ambient temperature after the flow stopped, which led to the freezing of both water and hydrates. This ultimately resulted in increased gas pressure within the pipeline that caused the rupture. Why the flow slowed initially remains a mystery to all."

Beistline said BP followed "accepted industry practices at all relevant times and could not have reasonably expected a blowout similar to the one that occurred on November 29, 2009. Further, the court concludes that once the freeze up was discovered, BP acted reasonably in addressing the problem."

He also said BP's efforts to return the spill site to pre-spill conditions were "impressive."

"An untrained observer would likely be unable to find any indication that a spill had occurred," he wrote, adding there was no evidence that contaminants reached any nearby lakes or Prudhoe Bay.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_re_us/us_bp_spills_probation

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Pam Behan, Former Kardashian-Jenner Nanny, Shopping Tell-All Book


Looks like The Help is turning on The Kardashians.

A former family nanny is shopping a tell-all book about her time with the famous family before they were that famous. Spoiler alert: She's not a big fan!

Pam Behan, served as a nanny, personal assistant and cook for Bruce and Kris Jenner for years, getting to know the Kardashian girls and Brody Jenner.

She couldn't stand Brody or his brother Brandon (Bruce's kids from his first marriage), calling the two Jenner boys "extremely spoiled and disrespectful."

As for the K-squad?

Kardashian Family

Pam describes her relationship with Kris Jenner as a "love/hate" thing. We totally get it. Sort of like THG's relationship with her, only without the first part.

Despite selling him out in a book, she seems somewhat fond of Bruce, claiming he helped her avoid prosecution when she was busted for DUI a while back.

Behan promises to reveal some "intimate details" about Kourtney and Kim Kardashian, which is surprising, as the girls were reportedly very fond of her.

Then again, it could be one of those empty promises used to sell books, since no one would by a tell-all about Brody Jenner. Sorry B. Just how it is.

Several agents have indicated interest, but no deal has been struck yet.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/pam-behan-former-kardashian-nanny-shopping-tell-all-book/

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Video: Electric Car From Japan Reaches Over 300KM Travel Range

Picture 2We spent two posts on SIM-LEI, an electric car developed by a a spin-off startup at Keio University in Tokyo in collaboration with a total of 34 domestic and foreign companies, in the past months. And it seems that the startup, SIM Drive Corporation, is on track to start mass-producing the vehicle in about 2 years. The company was set up in August 2009. The main selling point of the newest version is that it can drive over 300km at a constant speed of 100km/h. In spring, SIM Drive said the SIM-LEI (?Leading Efficiency In-Wheel motor?) can reach 333km under ?general urban traffic conditions in Japan?.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/T5MZv-GOfxQ/

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Sachin, Dravid sparkle for India at MCG

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid added 117 runs for the third wicket on the second day of the first Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (AFP Photo)

MELBOURNE: Denied Rahul Dravid's wicket by a cruel 'twist of foot', Peter Siddle broke a billion hearts by pegging back Sachin Tendulkar's off stump in fading daylight at the MCG on Tuesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

A sizzler from Siddle streaked through the gate as the Little Master fell 27 runs short in his latest quest for the 100th international hundred.

It was gut-wrenching to see Tendulkar walk back to the dressing room after entertaining the MCG crowd for two-and-a-half hours with a cheeky yet commanding innings of 73 during which he tempted fate and tormented rivals in equal measure.

It was also poetic justice for Siddle, who had clean bowled the seasoned Dravid for 65 in the 59th over of the Indian innings only to be told via the third umpire that he had over-stepped while delivering the ball.

A bemused Dravid forgot all about the cramps, that required on-field medical attention, and quickly resumed his innings to be unbeaten on an edgy yet invaluable 68 as India ended Day 2 of the first Test ahead of the hosts.

In reply to Australia's first innings tally of 333, India were 214 for three, and looking good for a healthy first-innings lead that could decide the fate of the Boxing Day Test.

India owed their position of pre-eminence to Test cricket's top-two run-getters, who not only kept a hardworking Australian pace attack at bay for the better part of the last two sessions, but also laid the foundation for a strong reply.

While Tendulkar's innings was laced with classical drives and flashy upper cuts, Dravid, fought his way through a patchy period during which he played and missed often. It was hard work against Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson, who seldom erred in length or direction.

Messrs Tendulkar and Dravid, who have long established themselves as the most profitable partnership firm in Test cricket, added another ton to their logbook. A 117-run partnership for the third wicket took their tally of century stands to 20 in 140 innings and total number of runs amassed by the duo in the process to a staggering 6,864!

The Tendulkar-Dravid show was hardly about numbers, though. Tendulkar joined forces with Dravid after Pattinson ended Virender Sehwag's somewhat charmed existence with a thunderbolt that the opener dragged back on to his stumps.

Sehwag, who was dropped by Michael Hussey at gully, Brad Haddin behind the stumps and almost got caught by David Warner, running in from long-on, failed to make it count as much as he would have liked to. His 67 off 83 balls only pinched the Aussies, who met with an early success when Haddin held a regulation catch to dismiss Gautam Gambhir off Hilfenhaus. Gambhir, who was made to hop around by the pacers, looked tentative during his brief stay at the wicket.

Tendulkar began with a streaky inside-edge for four, but an audacious upper cut off Siddle - the first delivery after tea - that landed beyond the third man fence, revealed his naked ambition. Soon, though, Tendulkar almost got out, spooning up an intended leg glance off part-times Hussey to silly mid-on beyond the reach of a fielder.

However, the authority with which he cover-drove Siddle on a bent knee, flicked Hilfenhaus to the fine-leg fence with finesse and slog-swept Nathan Lyon repeatedly to mid-wicket, indicated that the master was in his zone. He brought up his half-century off 55 balls with a gentle on-drive off Lyon, but couldn't see India through the close of play.

Source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2Etd0V0XtX1VD/story01.htm

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BYU football: Matt Reynolds has no regrets about returning

Fort Worth, Texas ? ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay had him going as the 20th overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, while College Football News listed him as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2011 draft. Sports Illustrated?s draft experts said he was the 40th best player in the land, a solid second-round prospect.

But BYU?s Matt Reynolds made a decision he doesn?t regret, returning to BYU for his senior season, a season that will end Friday when the Cougars meet Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl (10 a.m. MST, ESPN).

?I feel like there were some things I needed to do. I feel like I have done what I was supposed to, and I am excited for the next stage,? Reynolds said.

No one can say for sure because there is no telling where Reynolds would have gone if he had left his name in last April?s NFL Draft, but the general consensus among draft experts is that it is a decision that might have cost the four-year starter millions of dollars.

?Reynolds remains a legitimate NFL prospect, but he has fallen out of consideration for the first round,? draft expert Jon Dove wrote recently. ?The issue is the more film you watch, the more it appears that Reynolds is a right tackle only. This won?t keep him from playing in the NFL, but it hurts his draft stock.?

Noted the website NFLmocks.com: ?Reynolds is an experienced OL for the BYU Cougars whose draft stock is all over the map.?

Reynolds claims to be unaffected by talk that his stock has plummeted, saying he has heard and seen a variety of differing opinions.

?That?s not really something I control directly, so I just need to focus on playing the best I can for the bowl game and whatever all-star game I go to, and the combine, and just try to improve as much as I can,? he said.

Story continues below

There are indications, however, that the 6-foot-6, 325-pound Reynolds? stock with NFL general managers was never as high as McShay and others believed. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said the NFL reported back last year that Reynolds would likely go in the third or fourth rounds if he left school.

?It is probably still around there, I would think, although I think he is playing at a higher level,? Mendenhall said. ?So without going through that process this year, it is safer for me to say I think it is still where it was [third/fourth round], even though I think he has [improved].?

A former NFL player himself, BYU tight ends coach Lance Reynolds, Matt?s father, says his son believes he made the right decision.

?He made the decision, and after he made the decision, we [have] only been looking forward,? Lance Reynolds said. ?You can go back and say we shoulda and we coulda, but we are not going there.?

What isn?t questioned is that Matt Reynolds will leave BYU as one of its all-time greats. The All-American will start in his 52nd game on Friday, matching the school record for starts set by defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen in 2009.

Reynolds said last week that of all his accolades and accomplishments, he is most proud of his consistency and durability, having never missed a game despite injuries to his hands, ankles and shoulders.

?That to me is really important and just shows I was able to play through a whole lot of situations and different injuries and stuff like that,? he said.

Whichever round he is drafted in four months from now, Reynolds will leave a legacy not soon forgotten, Mendenhall said.

Next Page ?

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/53184161-88/reynolds-byu-draft-nfl.html.csp

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