Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 6 March 2017

China premier pledges: ‘We will make our skies blue again’

National People’s Con- to step up work to upgrade
gress highlight how public coal-fired power plants to
discontent has made re- achieve ultra-low emissions
ducing smog, the most visi- and energy conservation,
ble of China’s environment and prioritize the integra-
problems, a priority for the tion of renewable energy
leadership. The 10-day sources into the electricity
event got underway under grid. Integration problems
a sunny blue sky, thanks to have arisen because Chi-
heavy gusts from the north na has added wind and
that cleared away the un- solar power at a faster
healthy gray from the day rate than the grid has ex-
before. Protests have in- panded. That capacity
creasingly broken out in cit- is then wasted when grid
ies where residents oppose operators choose to use
the building of chemical traditional energy sources,
plants and garbage incin- including coal, over renew-
erators, as China’s middle ables. Despite China’s lin-
class grows increasingly gering dependence on
vocal in awareness of the coal plants, its consump-
dangers of pollution. tion of the energy source
In a report to China’s cer- fell in 2016 for a third year in
emonial legislature, Li said a row. Coal now makes up
that “people are desper- 62 percent of China’s total
Bus ushers leap as they pose for a group photo at Tiananmen Square during a plenary session ately hoping for” faster energy consumption mix.
of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, Saturday, March 4, 2017. China pledged Sunday to progress to improve air Building on publicly avail-
make the country’s smoggy skies blue again and “work faster” to address pollution caused by the quality. “We will make our able real-time and hourly
burning of coal for heat and electricity. skies blue again,” he de- readings from coal plants
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
clared to almost 3,000 del- and other factories, Li said:
LOUISE WATT Sunday to make the coun- by the burning of coal for egates in the Great Hall of “All key sources of industrial
Associated Press try’s smoggy skies blue heat and electricity. the People. pollution will be placed un-
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese again and “work faster” to His words to delegates at He said the government der round-the-clock online
Premier Li Keqiang pledged address pollution caused the opening of the annual intends over the next year monitoring.” q
Malaysia: Ambassador’s expulsion is a warning to North Korea

EILEEN NG Kang Chol 48 hours to to be manipulated,” Depu- Kim died within 20 minutes Kang’s expulsion came just
Associated Press leave the country after he ty Prime Minister Ahmad Za- after two women smeared days after Malaysia said it
KUALA LUMPUR, Malay- refused to apologize for his hid Hamidi was quoted as his face with VX, a banned would scrap visa-free entry
sia (AP) — Malaysia said strong accusations over saying Sunday by Malay- nerve agent considered a for North Koreans and ex-
Sunday that its expulsion Malaysia’s handling of the sian national news agency weapon of mass destruc- pressed concern over the
of North Korea’s ambassa- investigation into the Feb. Bernama. tion. use of the nerve agent.
dor was intended to warn 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam The death of Kim, the es- North Korea has rejected Ri Tong Il, a former North
Pyongyang that it cannot at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. tranged half brother of Malaysia’s autopsy finding Korean deputy ambassa-
manipulate the investiga- “I think we have given a North Korean leader Kim that VX killed Kim. Kang dor to the United Nations,
tion into the killing of the clear message to the North Jong Un, has accused the Malaysian has said Kim probably died
North Korean leader’s half Korean government that has unleashed a diplo- government of trying to of a heart attack because
brother. we are serious about solv- matic battle between Ma- hide something and said it he suffered from heart dis-
The government on Sat- ing this problem and we do laysia and North Korea. colluded with outside pow- ease, diabetes and high
urday gave Ambassador not want (the investigation) Malaysian authorities said ers to defame North Korea. blood pressure.q