Smog covers the West Third Ring Space Bridge in Beijing on April 2, 2018. [Photo/VCG] The Ministry of Ecology and Environment released an action plan on Thursday that aims to add more days of clear skies this autumn and winter.The plan will be implemented in 28 cities, including Beijing, Tianjin and cities in Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan provinces.Air quality has improved in the region for the first eight months of the year, but pollution is expected to worsen this winter since weather conditions might not be as favorable for dispersing the pollutants as last year, according to a circular published on the ministry's website.Under the plan, the number of days with heavy pollution is expected to be cut by about 3 percent in the next six months from the same period last year. The average concentration of PM2.5 in the region will also be cut by 3 percent.According to the ministry, the 28 cities accounted for a total of 453 days of heavy pollution between October 2017 and March this year, falling by 55 percent year-on-year. The average concentration of PM2.5 particulate matter also saw a 25 percent decline.The ministry will continue to promote coal-to-gas and coal-to-electricity projects, and increase the capacity of transportation by rail, water and pipeline in an effort to cut PM2.5 emissions, the plan said.It also called for tailored measures to carry out residential energy conversion projects. Local authorities should guarantee the supply of liquefied natural gas and electricity for households that were converted last year, and decide on new projects according to the supply of LNG and electricity, the plan said. Original facilities will not be removed until the clean energy supply is guaranteed, it said.The ministry will also step up emission controls of volatile organic compounds, which play a significant role in the formation of ozone in the atmosphere, it said.The plan requires that city authorities should hammer out emergency measures by the end of September for days of heavy pollution. By the end of this year provincial meteorological services in each of the 28 cities should be able to provide a seven-day forecast for air quality.The move aims to enable cities to respond collectively to emergency situations, it said.To cut concentrations of PM2.5, the 28 cities were required to use electricity or LNG for heating last winter instead of coal, which is the main cause of winter smog.However, as the heating season began, some people in those areas found their homes and schools freezing, mainly due to LNG shortages.Ma Jun, director of the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs, said that this year's pollution reduction goals were considerably lower than those of last year, which is partly due to the outlook of this winter's weather conditions.Ma said the new plan shows that the central authorities are trying to avoid the one-fits-all approach, including the hasty gas-for-coal conversion projects and the shutdown of enterprises, which have caused public outcries.This year's approach is much more gentle and targeted, he said. custom rolex braceletrheumatoid arthritis silicone braceletswhere can i buy yellow wristbandsmake rubber braceletssilicone diabetic bracelets
A file photo of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. [Photo/Agencies] TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denied on Wednesday that he had intervened to secure preferential treatment for a friend's plan to set up a veterinary school despite new reports he had discussed the matter with the friend. Abe's ratings have taken a hit because of several scandals over suspected cronyism and cover-ups, with a steady stream of new allegations raising doubts about how long he can stay in power. One of the scandals involves suspicion Abe helped a friend, Kotaro Kake, director of school operator Kake Gakuen, set up a veterinary school in a special economic zone exempt from a rule limiting the number of such schools. Abe has denied that he ever instructed officials to give preferential treatment for the establishment of Japan's first new veterinary school in more than 50 years. Abe repeated to a parliamentary panel on Wednesday his assertion that he only became aware of Kake's proposal when it was approved in January last year. His was replying to questions after media this week cited an April 2015 memo from an official in Ehime prefecture, where the school ultimately opened in the special government-designated deregulation zone, that said Kake and Abe had discussed the proposal while sharing a meal. No one received instructions from me. There was no problem with the (approval) process, Abe told the parliamentary panel in response to a question about the memo. Asked repeatedly whether he had at least had casual talks about the plan with Kake, Abe said his friend had neither consulted him nor asked for favors. He said he wanted to take on a new challenge, but we never discussed specifics, Abe said. The veterinary schools affair, which emerged last year, is one of several suspected cronyism scandals and cover-ups eroding Abe's support as he eyes a third term as ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader in a September vote. Victory in the party poll would set Abe, who took office in 2012, on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier. Abe has also denied that he or his wife intervened in the heavily discounted sale of state-owned land to another school operator, Moritomo Gakuen, which had ties to Abe's wife, Akie. The finance ministry has admitted doctoring documents related to the murky deal. Separately, Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera apologized again on Wednesday after the military found missing troop activity logs. Among recently lost-and-found records are those from a controversial 2004-06 deployment to Iraq. The logs could shed light on whether the dispatch was to a noncombat zone as asserted by the government at the time, in line with constitutional limits on military activities abroad. Reuters
