FEMA demands Sandy victims repay $5.8M in aid

After Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast nearly two years ago, the federal government quickly sent out $1.4 billion in emergency disaster aid to the hurricane’s victims. Now, thousands of people might have to pay back their share. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is scrutinizing about 4,500 households that it suspects received improper payments after the storm, according to program officials and data obtained by the Associated Press through a public records request…

Customary Beliefs Vs Scientific Studies – Viewing The Sabah Earthquake From Both Perspectives

“Regardless the different religions and beliefs, our customs and ancestral teachings should be continuously practised, which includes the taboo of Mount Kinabalu that should always be respected by the locals as well as tourists” – Suhaji Ismail, 60, the mountain guide of Mount Kinabalu. It is evident that in the recent earthquake that hit Sabah with a 5.9-magnitude, particularly badly affecting Ranau, has brought to our understanding that apart from scientific studies, the local community still holds strongly to its customs and beliefs which have been inherited and adhered for centuries…

Speedy post-quake reconstruction underscores strength in China Model

Just like hardship may test the real character of a man, a country’s response to disasters may also be an indicator of its strength. With a miraculous record of post-quake reconstruction efforts, China has proven the effectiveness of its national governance system. The world may have gotten used to Chinese Miracles, but it could hardly imagine that in places far away from big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, new life could be breathed into battered towns and villages as fast as the pace of the national economy, or even faster…