Japan PM Ishiba vows to stay on despite "harsh judgment" election result
Japan PM Ishiba vows to stay on despite "harsh judgment" election result
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CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Bangladesh seethes as toll from jet crash at school hits 31
DHAKA: Grief gave way to anger in Bangladesh on Tuesday (Jul 22), a day after a fighter jet crashed into a school, killing 31 people, mostly children, in the country's deadliest aviation accident in decades. The pupils had just been let out of class when the Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the private Milestone School and College in Dhaka on Monday. At least 31 people have died, up from the military's earlier toll of 27. More than 170 people were injured in the crash, with 69 of them still undergoing treatment at various hospitals. "Ten patients are in very critical condition," Sayedur Rahman, from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told reporters. At a protest on the school campus, students accused the government of lying about the death toll and demanded a list of those injured. "There were hundreds of students in that academic building. We saw body parts strewn all over the ground. Where are they?" a 17-year-old student, who requested anonymity, told AFP. "When students and teachers asked this question to the military personnel, they roughed us up," he said. Some of the students carried placards that read: "We want justice" and "Where are the bodies of our brothers and sisters?" Students also stormed the national secretariat in Dhaka, prompting police to use batons and stun grenades, local media reported. Press secretary Ahammed Foyez told AFP that the government had agreed to meet the student's demands. "We believe the demands raised by the students are legitimate and should be fulfilled," Foyez said. CHILDREN'S TRAUMA Teacher Shahadat Hossain, whose son narrowly escaped the crash, was devastated to see the school bereft of its usual buzz. "Along with the children, the school has lost its life," he said. "There are two swings in front of the affected building. During lunch breaks and after school, children play there. Even yesterday, around the time the plane crashed, students were on those swings," the 45-year-old told AFP. Around 7,000 pupils are enrolled at the school, including Abul Bashar's sixth-grade son whose best friend was killed. "He came out just two or three minutes before the accident occurred," said Bashar. "He couldn't sleep through the night and forced me to bring him to school this morning," the father added, while his son stood in silence. School authorities have retrieved bags, shoes and identity cards of children from the site. Air Force personnel said remnants of the fighter jet were removed on Monday night, but they were still scouring the site for evidence. "I don't know how long it will take to return to normalcy, to relieve the children from this trauma," teacher Hossain said. "PROFOUND PAIN" On Monday night, school authorities held prayers at the campus. Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed "deep grief and sorrow" over the incident and declared a day of national mourning. "The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable," he said. "This is a moment of profound pain for the nation." The military said the pilot, 27-year-old flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet "reportedly encountered a mechanical failure".
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Japan moves toward first new reactor since Fukushima disaster
TOKYO: A Japanese utility said on Tuesday (Jul 22) it was taking an initial step towards building the nation's first new nuclear reactor since the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster more than a decade ago. After the 2011 tsunami and meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan shut down all of its nuclear reactors, with the public voicing unease about the energy source. But the government has continued to back nuclear power as a reliable and clean source of energy that Japan needs as it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. And 14 years since the disaster, Japan has restarted many reactors, with the public's concerns about nuclear power declining, according to opinion polls. Utility Kansai Electric's president Nozomu Mori said on Tuesday the company will conduct a geological survey to "evaluate the possibility to construct the successor plant to Mihama Nuclear Power Station", resuming a project delayed by the 2011 disaster. "As natural resources are limited in our country ... it is important that nuclear power fulfils its role in the years to come," he said during a televised press conference, adding that it was not clear when construction might start. After the 2011 Fukushima meltdown, Kansai Electric suspended a geological survey needed for a plan to replace one of the three Mihama reactors. In 2015, the operator retired two of the Mihama reactors that had operated for more than 50 years. The third reactor still runs today despite having operated for nearly 50 years. Local media said a new reactor could cost 1 trillion yen (US$6.8 billion) and may take 20 years before it becomes operational.
Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
'No career, no friends, no way out: Is the government sector a dead end?'
SINGAPORE: In the corridors of a government bureau, an employee sits gaping vacantly at the computer screen. Around, co-workers chatter over cups of steaming coffee, while others scroll through their phones nonchalantly. In the silence, a digital clamour is posted to Reddit: 'Anyone else miserable working in the government sector?' It was a question that hit a nerve with several fellow public servants and netizens. The original poster depicted a drab picture — a noxious workplace where gossip is currency, ambition is castigated, and people turn on others in a frantic clamber for limited prospects. 'Some in my department don't even pretend to look busy,' the poster bewailed. 'They openly play games on their phones. Others spend half the day gossiping… Information is weaponised. I don't have a single friend here, and I trust no one.' However, most hurtful was the comparison to peers in the private sector: 'Most of my friends earn several times more. Their grind feels worth it. I'm so jealous of my friend who resigned without a job lined up—she could afford to. I feel stuck here forever.' A familiar struggle What ensued was a torrent of reactions; a few were compassionate, others critical, but all profoundly expressive of the current public service experience. 'It sounds like a localised issue,' one netizen said. 'There are government departments where work overflows and people are swamped.' Another, more battle-hardened from experience, offered his opinion without the euphemisms: 'I've worked in three different agencies and all of them burnt me out mentally and physically. If you're pushing for promotion, you're in the rat race, but if you want to earn more, you need to get out. Government experience may not translate well to the private sector. It's your call.' For many, the sentiment was that the 'iron rice bowl,' a rewording for job security in the public sector, comes with its veiled risks. 'Sure, it's stable,' one commenter said. 'But it's an iron bowl on boiling water.' Is the grass greener? As the poster's observation triggered arguments, an obvious theme surfaced — the legend of the 'better' sector. See also AI may impact high-skilled professional jobs the most in SG 'Private sector may not necessarily be better,' several Redditors pointed out. 'You could be overworked and underpaid. At least here, you're underpaid but not overworked!' For the others, the stress-free pace of government work was a secret blessing: 'It's good to have little to do and still be earning income, lol.' However, not everyone viewed it that way. Others talked of government jobs with overwhelming assignments, extreme KPIs, and diminutive recognition. 'I work in the public sector too,' one netizen joined. 'It's always so busy for us—I wonder what line of work you're in!' The real enemy — disillusionment Underneath the opinions over workload, compensation, and status lies something more profound — disillusionment. The original poster's disappointment and misery aren't just about cash or toxic colleagues; it's about that sense of being trapped in a system where work devotion and trustworthiness don't result in progress, and effort doesn't always equate to reward and promotions. 'Even the scholars don't make as much as those in the private sector,' the original poster wrote. 'But at least they have the prestige.' Why am I staying? What would it take to leave? The thread echoed a universal truth — workplace unhappiness isn't exclusive to any one segment. Office politics, exhaustion, and inertia can be found in both public and private realms. What's important is positioning one's values with the environment, and not being scared of re-evaluating one's path. The original poster may still be at that solitary small table. But in expressing his frustrations online, he has kindled an unpretentious and candid dialogue, one that might help others ask the same tough question: Why do I stay? And what would it take to leave?
