President Duterte told a group of newly appointed government officials last week that he walked out of a Cabinet meeting out of frustration over red tape and corruption. Ano ito? Drama instead of action? The President said he was some shocked to learn that there are some project applications that have been pending for 25 years at NEDA. He was also dismayed with the slow action of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on land use conversion applications. “So ‘yon namang sa conversion, it took them about two years? And two years that includes corruption. Pabalik-balik ‘yung tao, pabalik-balik. And there’s no end to it, the bleeding of the pocket of the guy and the… Not only the reputation, but government suffers for it also,” the President said. This is not the first time Mr. Duterte has expressed anger over red tape. The former Davao mayor, while campaigning for the presidency, talked about having required Davao City Hall officials to act quickly on … [Read more...] about Helpless
Helpless
Clouds over world economy to get darker in years to come but Singapore is never helpless: Tharman Shanmugaratnam
SINGAPORE - The clouds gathering over the global economy will probably grow darker in the years to come, but the situation for Singapore is not bleak, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Friday (Jan 25). He said in a Facebook post that Singapore can still do well by educating the young for a new world, developing deeper skills in every job and paying special attention to helping those who lose their jobs, he added. Another important area is to strengthen the innovative capabilities of Singapore businesses and build on what Mr Tharman considers Singapore's biggest international asset: "our credibility among countries and businesses from around the world". His post on the final day of the four-day World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, paints a picture of a very divided world, made worse by fragmented politics in most democracies and that things will probably get worse before a return to a strong centre in the politics of advanced democracies. At the WEF, … [Read more...] about Clouds over world economy to get darker in years to come but Singapore is never helpless: Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Mother watches helplessly as her toddler drowns in Phitsanulok reservoir
Police were informed of the incident at the Nam Huay Chamroo in Moo 11 village, Tambon Nong Ka Thao, Nakhon Thai district, at 3.30pm on Sunday. The mother, Sita Phatthara, 31, had rented a bamboo raft to go out to the middle of the reservoir, where she swam with her toddler. She had placed him into the inflatable swim ring but the boy slipped out. The raft operator jumped into the water to try to save the boy but could not reach him in time. The boy’s body was retrieved on Sunday night. … [Read more...] about Mother watches helplessly as her toddler drowns in Phitsanulok reservoir
‘I felt so helpless.’ Horse lovers mourn losses in Sunnybrook Stables fire
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By Claire Floody Staff Reporter Clare Rayment Staff Reporter Wed., May 23, 2018 Catt Jolley had been riding Axel since she was 15. They won Jolley’s first first-place ribbon together. Their birthdays were only one day apart — Axel would have turned 18 on Thursday. Now Jolley is marking her 26th birthday on Friday, mourning her friend. Axel was one of 16 horses killed in a fire at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Stables over the weekend. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated. READ MORE: Article Continued Below Horses killed in Sunnybrook Stables fire identified 16 horses killed in Sunnybrook Stables fire “I felt so helpless, knowing he wasn’t able to be saved or just feeling the pain as I thought how terrified he must have been smelling the smoke and not knowing what was going on,” Jolley said. Jolley volunteered at Saturn Stables in St. Catharines for roughly three to four years, completing her … [Read more...] about ‘I felt so helpless.’ Horse lovers mourn losses in Sunnybrook Stables fire
Bosnia helpless as migrants open new Balkan route
BIHAC, Bosnia and Herzegovina: A growing number of migrants are carving a new Balkan route through Bosnia to reach the European Union raising fears of a humanitarian and security crisis in the impoverished country.In the tourist centre of Sarajevo, a park in front of the national library has been turned into a makeshift camp with several dozen tents.Near the border with EU member Croatia, in the northwestern town of Bihac, migrants are squatting in a ruined university campus.In Velika Kladusa, 40km further north, another improvised camp has been set up in a park.Such places lack water and electricity, but many young men and also families with children, bed down there for several nights before trying to cross illegally into Croatia.Many evidently succeed, with Bosnian Security Minister Dragan Mektic noting that out of 4,000 migrants who entered the country this year only one third remain.The numbers are by no means comparable with the hundreds of thousands of people who took … [Read more...] about Bosnia helpless as migrants open new Balkan route