Since the first explosion occurred at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on March 12, steam and smoke carrying radioactive iodine and cesium has been blowing east, out to sea. General opinion has been that it is fortunate the cloud is over the ocean, not forming over the rest of Japan or China. However, the consequence for marine life and ocean water could be equally harmful in the long run.
Last week, the Japanese government reported that higher than normal levels of radioactivity was detected in rainwater in Tokyo. Radioactive rain has almost certainly been falling into the ocean as well.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has detected radiation 18 miles out to sea, but said, according to the latest readings taken on March 27, that levels have been dropping from what they saw days earlier.
“It can be expected that the data will be quite variable in the near future depending on the discharge levels. In general, dilutions by ocean currents and into deeper waters as well decay of short lived radionuclides e.g. I-131 or I-132 will soon lead to lower values,” according to the IAEA’s March 29 update.
Trenches have been built at the Fukushima Daiichi plant to prevent the radioactive water used in cooling from flowing into the ocean. Officials said Tuesday that the levels of water in trenches a mile from shore have remained stable, but they are contaminated and they are still not sure how the contamination got there.
The IAEA says dispersion of the radioactivity through the ocean will take months or years to reach other Pacific countries. The main transport of contamination across long distances is through the air, said the agency, where it will likely be diluted.
Scientists at Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia, Canada, found iodine-131—a byproduct of nuclear fission—in the southern portion of Canada’s west-most province on March 19, 20, and 25. Nuclear physicist Kris Starosta told a press conference that the levels being seeing are not harmful to humans, but that the contamination certainly came from Fukushima, travelling to North American via a jet stream that crosses the Pacific Ocean.
.Although the effects of radioactive elements in the ocean may not be immediately observable, the size of the ocean should not be viewed as sufficient to dilute the radioactive waste.
“The vastness of the ocean is often taken to mean that it has an enormous power to dilute most of man’s wastes. That is a misconception that led most nuclear powers to dump radioactive waste into the ocean, before doing so was banned by international treaty in the 1970s,” wrote Jacob Hamblin via e-mail. Hamblin teaches history of science at Oregon State University and has researched and written about the history of dumping nuclear waste in the ocean.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Impact of Radiation on Ocean Water May Be Seen in Long Term
China says nuke programme affected by Japan crisis
CANBERRA: China's rapid construction plans for nuclear generators will be affected by Japan's radiation crisis , but atomic power will be an essential supplier of the nation's burgeoning energy needs in the future, an official said today.
Chinese climate change envoy Xie Zhenhua said China's nuclear power rollout was under review in response to the unfolding emergency at Japan's crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, which is leaking radiation following a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
"I believe this accident will have some impact on the development of nuclear power not only in China, but also the rest of the world," Xie told reporters at a bilateral climate change policy forum in Australia's capital.
"I think that the nuclear development plan of China will be affected to a certain extent," he added, without elaborating.
Chinese power industry official Wei Zhaofeng was quoted by state media on Tuesday as saying that China was likely to scale back its plant construction plans under a new policy that stresses safety instead of rapid development.
Xie said nuclear and hydroelectric power would be the major contributors to fulfilling China's target of having non-fossil fuels account for 15 percent of national energy needs by 2020.
Beijing's plans had called for nuclear plants to supply up to 5 per cent of China's power by 2020, but Wei said under the new policy, it would likely be closer to 3 per cent.
Xie said geological surveys were under way in China to ensure that the proposed locations of future nuclear plants were safe from earthquakes.
Plant management and monitoring safety standards were also under review, he said. "We have to ensure 100 percent safety of these nuclear power plants," Xie said.
But alternatives to nuclear energy such as building more hydroelectric dams also carry problems, including ecological damage, difficulties in relocating populations whose communities would be flooded and cost, he said.
Report: 2,000 bodies found in northeast Japan
(CNN) -- Approximately 2,000 bodies were found Monday in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's northeast coast, the Kyodo news agency reported.
If confirmed, the discovery would be the largest yet of victims from last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Roughly 1,000 bodies were found coming ashore on Miyagi's Ojika Peninsula, while another 1,000 were seen in the town of Minamisanriku, where some 10,000 people are unaccounted for, Kyodo reported.
Officials said earlier Monday that the official death toll from the disaster stands at 1,627, with more missing.As of 10:00 a.m. Monday (9:00 p.m. Sunday ET), at least 1,720 people were missing and 1,962 injured, according to the National Police Agency Emergency Disaster Headquarters.
The number of dead is expected to go up as rescuers reach more hard-hit areas.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Q&A: Japan's nuclear crisis
(CNN) -- Despite the heroic efforts of technicians and engineers battling to prevent a full nuclear meltdown at the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, radioactive material is still seeping into the surroundings of the power station.
Plutonium has been detected in soil samples near the plant, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said Monday.
And highly radioactive water has been found for the first time outside one of the reactor buildings on Monday, albeit in a tunnel. Radioactive iodine and cesium have also been detected in sea water near the plant, Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency said last week.
These latest reports of radioactive leaks -- and the possibility that there may have been a partial meltdown in three reactors -- raise questions about the immediate dangers poised to human health and the environment.
How did radioactive water leak out of reactor No. 2?
It is still not entirely clear how radioactive water made its way into a maintenance tunnel leading to reactor No. 2's turbine building.
However, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says he has received a report that the No. 2 unit's containment vessel "is damaged and water is leaking."
Professor Robin Grimes, Director of the Center for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London, says it is possible that some contaminated water could also have leaked from the "external steam suppression unit," which may have been damaged during a hydrogen explosion in the building surrounding the reactor on March 14.
"This is a guess, it has to be emphasized, " says Grimes, "There is a complex cacophony of different sources that could have contributed to the leaking water."
What about the contaminated seawater?
Levels of radioactive iodine in seawater just offshore of the nuclear plant spiked to more than 1,250 times higher than normal, Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency said Saturday. Those levels have been dropping in recent days.
The measurements also showed high levels of cesium and were taken outside the discharge canal for the plant's Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 reactors.
Journalist Martin Savidge, who is reporting on the incident for CNN from Tokyo, says one theory is that the tunnel may have contributed: "The fact that water has been detected in the tunnels could explain how it (contaminated water) has got into the ocean."
However, Japan's nuclear safety agency says there's no evidence yet of overflow. It said workers are using sandbags and concrete panels to keep the water inside the tunnel, which is located about 55 meters (180 feet) from the shore. The radioactive iodine and cesium could have also been in the atmosphere and then been washed down by precipitation.
And the radioactive soil?
Plutonium was detected in soil on the grounds of the nuclear power plant. The element was found in soil samples taken March 21-22 from five locations around the plant, says Tepco.
The No. 3 reactor has been of particular concern because it is the only one to use mixed-oxide fuel that contains a small percentage of plutonium, which is also a byproduct in other reactors.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters Tuesday that it was "likely" at least some of the plutonium came from the plant.
Grimes said it is not clear where the plutonium in the soil had come from, also adding that it is possible that it was from the Fukushima plant.
"These are incredibly small amounts at the moment but we need to keep watching," says Grimes.
What is radiation?
In the context of nuclear energy it is ionizing radiation that is referred to, which passes through matter causing it to become electrically charged or ionized. In living tissues, the electrical ions produced by radiation can affect normal biological processes.
Are these leaks dangerous?
"The sea is a phenomenally large dilution vehicle so when you get radioactive material in the ocean most of it just gets diluted. Some of the radioactive particles could collect in material near the reactor and this will have to be monitored and cleaned," says Grimes.
"If it got into local sea
Hole in US Airways plane was caused by a bullet, sources say
(CNN) -- A hole in a US Airways jet that landed in Charlotte, North Carolina, was caused by a bullet that pierced the passenger cabin, three government sources told CNN Tuesday.
Officials believe the bullet was fired in Charlotte, after passengers had exited the aircraft, one source said. The hole was discovered after the Boeing 737-400 landed Monday.
The sources said a bullet has been recovered inside the plane.
"We do not believe its terrorism related," said one of the government sources. "It appears to be a random event. We do not believe the plane was targeted. No one heard the bullet fired."
An investigation into who fired the shot into the aircraft has begun, said multiple government sources.
Flight 1161 from Philadelphia landed safely at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport about 4 p.m. Monday. The plane was being prepped for another flight when the pilot discovered the hole above a passenger window toward the back of the plane, according to airline officials. The airline pulled the jet from service and called in the FBI.
The plane holds 144 passengers, according to the US Airways website. It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard the flight. All of the passengers on the next flight were accommodated on other planes, a US Airways spokeswoman said.
"We've released the plane back to US Airways last night," after completing their investigation, FBI spokeswoman Amy Thoreson said Tuesday.
But the airplane remained grounded Tuesday while US Airways performed its own investigation, said company spokeswoman Valerie Wunder.
Before the plane can be put back into service, it will have to be inspected by the Federal Aviation Administration for flight certification, according to agency spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.
California town calls in FBI to help investigate cross-burning
Arroyo Grande, California (CNN) -- First, an 11-foot wooden cross was stolen from Saint John's Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande, California.
Then, weeks later, the cross was discovered set aflame in the middle of the night outside the bedroom window of a 19-year-old woman of mixed race.
Now authorities are investigating the case as a theft, arson and hate crime, police said Tuesday. The burning cross was erected in a neighbor's large front yard adjacent to the house rented by the woman and her mother.
The mystery of who stole the cross and set it afire has deeply disturbed the small coastal town of Arroyo Grande, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It sits in the heart of a wine region, just 47 miles northwest of the vineyards depicted in the movie "Sideways."
Police Chief Steven Annibali told CNN Tuesday that a cross-burning is unheard of for his community of 17,000, and that only three hate crimes have been reported in his town the past 15 years, mostly for uttering slurs. That figure is the lowest for San Luis Obispo County, he said.
With a picturesque mountain backdrop and only about 5.5 square miles in size, Arroyo Grande calls itself "the gem" of the central California coast.
Authorities have announced a $3,500 reward in the case and even established a "Justice for All in Arroyo Grande" fund-raiser to raise that amount.
But an attorney for the alleged victim and her mother has criticized the police investigation.
"The family is trying to go about daily business, but they have ongoing concerns about their security and the direction of the investigation," attorney Louis Koory told CNN on Tuesday.
"For example, if there are known racist elements in the community, it is not clear that the police are looking at these groups. It appears that it would be a logical starting point for an investigation, if there are known racist groups in the community. The first problem is that the police initially treated this as a prank and may have lost the opportunity to conduct an effective investigation," Koory said.
Arroyo Grande police have not released the name of the 19-year-old woman, citing confidentiality provisions under California hate-crime laws.
Annibali, the police chief, said his agency moved quickly over the weekend following the cross burning, which occurred on a Friday, and is now working with the FBI, the California Department of Justice, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's investigators and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department. His agency is also working with the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP, he said.
"It's funny that he would even say that because we have a very good relationship with the victim and the mother from the start," Annibali said about the family's attorney.
"Like with most crimes, you look at who would want to do this, and have you been involved in any activities that would lead someone to do this, or do you know somebody who would," the police chief said.
"I'm very comfortable that we handled this appropriately," he continued. "We have been given access to any resources that the FBI has. And for a local agency like this, it's unprecedented."
Annibali said police never called the cross-burning a "prank," saying that word was misattributed by local media.
Agencies are now pursuing several leads, and he believes the cross-burning isn't the work of an organized hate group, he said.
"We feel right now that it's people who are local. We don't think it's an organized group or anything like that. It's bloggers who want to raise that issue," the chief said. "There's no active hate groups in Arroyo Grande, none that we're aware of. We're working with the FBI, so we're pretty confident."
Arroyo Grande police submitted physical evidence from the cross-burning scene to an independent crime lab for forensic analysis, authorities said. Authorities are also analyzing an "accelerant" used on the cross, Annibali said.
In an interview with CNN at her home, the mother said she and her daughter looked out their window after midnight March 18 and were horrified b
Nurse haunted by screams of patients she could not save as tsunami hit
At a hospital in northeastern Japan, the remnants of lives stolen in seconds are scattered on each of its four floors.
Metal beds are bent, I-V bags are filled with muddy water, and blood pressure monitors sit underneath splintered trees.
But Takata Hospital nurse Fumiko Suzuki doesn't just see the damage, she hears the haunted screams of the patients she could not save.
"The patients couldn't walk," said Suzuki, recalling the moment the tsunami hit.
"I heard someone screaming, 'Auntie, I can't save you. I'm sorry.' Then she ran out of the room."
Suzuki said a glance out of the window revealed a wave as high as the fourth floor.
The nurse said she told the patient "I'm sorry" as she raced up the stairs.
"If I tried to save this person who was lying on the bed, I would have lost my life as well," she said.
Suzuki pauses, grief etched on her face.
"It is the biggest regret I have," she said of leaving patients behind.
The tsunami following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11 engulfed every floor of the hospital just as Suzuki stepped onto the roof. At least 10,901 were killed nationwide.
Of the 51 patients hospitalized, doctors and nurses could not move 12 and they drowned in their beds, said Mikihito Ishiki, a medical director at the hospital.
One patient died as the hospital staff moved him to the roof while two more died on the frigid roof awaiting rescue.
"Ten of my staff also died with the patients," Ishiki said.
The doctor lost his staff, his patients and the hospital he proudly called his home. His wife remains missing and is presumed dead.
As soon as rescuers plucked the doctor from the engulfed building, he started working from a makeshift clinic on higher ground.
The doctor's composure cracks as he lifts a handwritten note from a satellite phone sitting in his clinic.
"Yokosawa is helping us from heaven," he reads, referring to a 60-year-old hospital administrator, Shigeru Yokosawa, set to retire in April.
After the tsunami warning, Ishiki asked Yokosawa to find the satellite phone on the first floor of the hospital.
Satellite phones are vital lines of communication after a natural disaster because phone lines are usually knocked out.
Yokosawa got the phone and moments before a massive wave swallowed him, tossed it to a colleague, who ran to the roof.
Seconds later, the tsunami engulfed the hospital.
His sacrifice is part of the reason Ishiki won't leave this clinic, now fully operational and treating patients across Rikuzen-Takata.
His fellow survivors tirelesslesly work along him.
Suzuki, who brought her elderly and sick mother to the clinic, said the doctors and nurses can't feel guilty for surviving the disaster.
"When I hear that," she said, "it breaks my heart. It's a natural disaster. They want to save everyone, but in this situation, they can't."
Suzuki said she is grateful to see familiar faces of her colleagues, and hope they realize they are making a difference in the present.
She pushes her pain -- the loss of her home, her friends and her relatives -- to the back of her mind as she focuses on her patients.
The town has given her not just a refuge from the pain, but donations of clothes for days she's not wearing her nurse uniform.
"Whatever the situation, I will stay here. Talking with the patients will be my cure. I feel like I'm not the one taking care of others, but the one being taken care of," she said.
Richard Quest reports from Rome
Added On March 29, 2011
CNN's Richard Quest reports from Rome where the government is taking on the huge task of preserving Rome's historic sites.
Australia PM Julia Gillard's computer 'hacked'
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's parliamentary computer and those of at least two senior ministers are suspected of being hacked, according to a newspaper report.
The government was alerted to the security breach by a US intelligence tip-off, Sydney's Daily Telegraph said.
It is reported that several thousand emails may have been accessed from the computers of at least 10 ministers.
The Australian authorities have refused to confirm or deny on the reports.
The cyber attacks are believed to have targeted the Australian Parliament House email network, the less secure of two networks used by MPs.
Among the computers allegedly breached were those belonging to Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Stephen Smith.
Reports suggest the hackers may have been trying to access information on Australia's lucrative mining industry.
Sydney's Daily Telegraph quoted four unnamed government sources as saying Chinese intelligence agencies were among a number of suspected hackers.
The government says it will not comment on specific intelligence matters.
However, Attorney-General Robert McClelland said that the Australian authorities were "constantly strengthening cyber security measures".
The US recently said China's cyber-warfare capabilities were formidable, though China routinely denies hacking claims.
Scottish teacher tells of Japan earthquake aftermath
Neil Slorach, 30, from Milngavie, Glasgow, has lived in Japan for four years and teaches English to children.
For the last two years he has been a resident in Sendai, among the worst affected areas by the earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.
Here Neil tells of his experiences.
From the moment the earthquake struck everything changed.
I rushed outside as soon as the shaking stopped, glad that my building hadn't fallen down. I stood outside in a t-shirt with snow starting to fall.
The streets were filled with people rushing to get to their homes and people cramming into local newsagents to buy up as much as they could before the shops closed their doors.
Crowds thronged the streets, afraid to go indoors because of the constant aftershocks occurring every five to 10 minutes.
With the night coming and no power for street lighting they eventually had to venture back in as they wanted to start cleaning their homes.
'Dark ages'
Not much sleep was had that night and the night time was strange and eerie, with pitch blackness and silence outside.
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Most of the week consisted of taking a walk outside to see the damage, returning home to cook what little food I had and lighting my candles”
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Sitting at home with candles re-reading books, unable to contact family or friends, I felt as if Japan had been thrown into the dark ages.
For the following week the majority of people were without power or water and some were also without gas. I was without power and water but luckily I had gas due to my supply being fed from a canister outside my apartment.
With transport ground to a halt, and no shops open at all, most of the week consisted of taking a walk outside to see the damage, returning home to cook what little food I had and lighting my candles. Some supermarkets began to open for a limited time, with the amount each person could buy strictly limited.
If, however, you wanted to get into the supermarkets you had to wait in line for at least two to three hours. Once inside there was next to nothing left which is still pretty much the case as I write this.
Set limits as to how much each person can buy in certain shops are still in place. Most supermarkets have very little in the way of fresh food and nearly no liquids, with bottles of water in very short supply.
Some of the damage in Ishinomaki near Sendai, Japan Depression is a real danger as so many people now have no house, no job and no possessions
The majority of petrol stations are closed. This is also the case for the suppliers of the gas people use in their homes, with people being told they may have to wait for up to a month for supplies to return. Still, we know we are lucky.
Television channels carry endless coverage of the mounting number of dead and missing, along with story after heartbreaking story of people searching for loved ones among the wreckage of what were once busy towns.
These people, along with the extraordinary number living in the shelters are the ones who most need help.
From seeing these areas and speaking to Japanese friends, I know there are many people who are trying their best to remain positive about a very dire situation, but there are also many who are not coping as well.
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One Japanese friend described it as being as if the people had gone wild. For the orderly, disciplined Japanese this is a very painful experience”
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'Living hell'
Every day the main Sendai city broadsheet publishes a full page, sectioned into different areas of Tohoku, detailing the names of the dead and the missing. With each day bringing a new page of names it is a very sobering sight.
In their own words these people are in a living hell. Many don't want to face the reality of what has happened and are at the moment living from meal to meal and not thinking about the future.
They feel like giving up because as far as they can tell there is no hope. Depression is a real danger at the moment as so many people now have no house, no job
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Quake kills at least 74 in Myanmar, one in Thailand
Yangon, March 25 (DPA) A magnitude-6.8 earthquake killed at least 74 people in northeast Myanmar and one in Thailand, officials said Friday.
About 74 people died and 111 were injured in Tarli and Tachilek towns, near the Myanmar-Thai border in Myanmar's Shan state, and destroyed 244 houses, nine government offices and 14 Buddhist monasteries, government-run Myanmar television reported.
The epicentre of the earthquake was about 50 km north of Tachilek, a border town 680 km north of Bangkok.
Myanmar Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Maung Maung Shwe was reportedly en route to the quake-hit area for an assessment tour.
The Myanmar Red Cross and Crescent Society has dispatched 1,000 relief packages to the area, but access to the region is difficult.
'It takes around four days to reach the affected area by car from Yangon and there are flights twice a week into Tachilek's airport,' aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a statement.
There were no reports on casualties in Yangon and Naypyitaw, Myanmar's former and current capitals, respectively.
The earthquake struck at 8.25 p.m. (1355 GMT) Thursday, with its epicentre in northeast Myanmar, 589 km northeast of Yangon, and 772 km north of Bangkok, according to the US Geological Survey.
In Chiang Rai, Thailand, Hong Khamping, 55, died when a concrete wall in her home collapsed on top of her. The wall was poorly constructed, Thai officials said.
'There were no other deaths or injuries in northern Thailand,' said Chiatha Mositrat, head of the Chiang Rai Disaster Prevention Office.
Tourists in Chiang Rai, including members of the Syrian triathlon team, evacuated their hotel rooms for several hours.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Yuvraj Singh guides India past Ricky Ponting and into the semi-finals
India's Yuvraj Singh, left, shakes hands with Australia's captain Ricky Ponting after the Cricket World Cup quarter-final. Photograph: Aijaz Rahi/AP
It is rare for such an eagerly anticipated contest to live up to expectations. But this one did. A fast-fluctuating, red-blooded contest played out in front of a cacophonous and ultimately euphoric crowd, was won by India by five wickets with 14 balls to spare. This means that there is the small matter of a meeting between India and Pakistan in the semi-final in Mohali on Wednesday.
The Australians defended a total of 260 for six, thanks to a superb century from Ricky Ponting, and they protected it tenaciously right until the end. They were often quite brilliant in the field, hurling themselves across the turf and throwing their bodies on the line at every turn. On one occasion Brett Lee stopped the ball with his eyebrow.
But their pacemen, despite summoning up every last dreg of energy, were not quite disciplined enough on a sluggish track. Moreover, the lack of quality in their spin department was exposed. They did not lack spirit but they lacked subtlety. So for the first time since 1996 someone else will be world champions.
Perhaps it will be India, though there were moments when they looked as if they might buckle under the pressure. In the end it was Yuvraj Singh, currently in princely form, who guided the home side to victory.
As ever there were some wonderful, flamboyant off-side shots, though he also threatened to run out several of his partners along the way. He finished it all off alongside Suresh Raina, preferred to Yusuf Pathan for this game, which now looks an inspired selection.
This pair of left-handers joined forces on 187 for five with the game in the balance. They did not exactly undertake to "get 'em in singles". Singh peppered the off-side boundaries when Ponting recalled his pacemen; Raina launched a six off Brett Lee into the stands at mid-on and the game was just about up for the Australians.
Earlier in the Indian reply Sachin Tendulkar had batted exquisitely for 53, long enough to get everyone thinking about that 100th international century. Then he edged outside the off-stump and walked for the second match in a row. For a while he was detained while the umpires checked the validity of Shaun Tait's delivery. It was just legitimate.
Gautam Gambhir scrambled a 50 but betrayed Indian nerves when he was run-out. So did Virat Kohli when he hit a David Hussey full-toss to midwicket. Those nerves extended to the crowd when MS Dhoni was caught at cover point with 74 runs still needed, but Yuvraj and Raina soon cheered them up.
There was not so much to cheer for Ponting, despite his return to form, though he could be proud of the commitment of his team. He did not bat like a man contemplating the delights of carpet slippers, the occasional round of golf and the odd guest appearance on Channel Nine's equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing –they must have one.
He batted like great batsmen do on the big occasion: pragmatically. It did not matter to him how he got his runs. But he was damn well going to get them. He willed himself to a hundred, not because he was consumed by saving his career, but because there was a very important game to win. Australia have appeared in the final of every World Cup he has played in and he was determined that this sequence should not be broken.
Ponting came to the crease in the 10th over after Shane Watson was bowled by Ravi Ashwin, attempting to sweep. For a while he was content to bat in Brad Haddin's shadow. The wicketkeeper has an exquisite touch; there were three boundaries from Munaf Patel's first over, followed by a delicious late cut in a 57-ball half-century.
But once Haddin was caught at extra-cover, Ponting had to carry the innings on his shoulders. Neither Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey or Cameron White could settle, but Ponting remained positive while spurning any unnecessary risks. There were glimmers of genius, a six over extra cover and moments of good fortune – he might have been lbw to Harbhajan Singh
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Japan's Nuclear Disaster Gives Survey Participants Pause
The Civil Society Institute said 53 percent of 814 people surveyed support a moratorium on new nuclear reactor construction if efficiency and renewable sources could meet near-term demand.
* Mar 23, 2011
Sixty-seven percent of 814 adults who were asked said they would oppose the construction of new nuclear reactors within 50 miles of their homes, according to a telephone survey conducted by ORC International for the Civil Society Institute (CSI), a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank in Newton, Mass. Twenty-four percent said they already live within 50 miles of a reactor site.
The earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan and created the Daiichi nuclear complex disaster were still fresh in participants' minds when surveyors contacted them on March 15-16. Four of the 12 survey questions made reference to the plant disaster.
"The Japanese crisis is a sobering occasion," said Pam Solo, founder and president of CSI, during a telephone press conference on March 22. She added that the survey results favor a conservative approach to energy, one that insists on safety.
CSI noted that it is independent and receives no direct or indirect support of any kind from any nuclear industry interest, or any other energy-related company, organization, or individual.
Solo, who began her public interest career in the 1970s by co-founding and -directing the Rocky Flats campaign and the national Nuclear Weapons Facilities Task Force, founded CSI 19 years ago. She formerly worked for the Armed Services committee professional staff and as campaign director for U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder.
Graham Hueber, senior researcher at ORC International (a major polling firm that has partnered with CSI to conduct 28 surveys to date), ticked off the survey results during the press conference and concluded: “When Americans are asked about their views on specific policy questions that go to the future of nuclear power, there is majority support across the board on every question for moving away from greater reliance on this power source.”
The survey found:
* 14 percent of participants said their views had not been changed by the Japanese reactor crisis.
* 73 percent of participants do not “think taxpayers should take on the risk for the construction of new nuclear power reactors in the United States through billions of dollars in new federal loan guarantees.”
* 74 percent of participants would support “a shift of federal loan-guarantee support for energy away from nuclear reactors” in favor of wind and solar power.
* 73 percent of participants would favor Congress reviewing a 1957 law indemnifying nuclear power companies from most disaster clean-up costs.
* 46 percent of participants would “support more nuclear power reactors in the United States” and 44 percent now oppose new reactors. According to CSI, that support level is down by more than 25 percent from the March 2010 Gallup Poll showing 62 percent support for nuclear power.
In May 2010, CSI also funded the report "Beyond Business As Usual," which was produced by Synapse Energy Economics, and looks at a future without coal or nuclear power. Bruce Biewald, president of the research consulting firm and a report author, said the United States over-relies on coal and nuclear technologies and should consider transitioning to efficiency, regional wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal power sources.
In related news, U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Lisa Murkowski on Monday released white paper (pdf) that outlines the questions that must be answered before lawmakers can develop a "Clean Energy Standard," which President Barack Obama mentioned in his State of the Union address. The national goal would be for 80 percent of U.S. electricity to come from clean energy technologies by 2035.
What Does FEMA Advise in a Nuclear Reactor Emergency?
In the nuclear power policy survey funded by the Civil Society Institute, 52 percent of participants living within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor told surveys that they do not know “what to do in the event of nuclear reactor emergency,
Japan earthquake and tsunami: How to help
Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on March 11. The magnitude-9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the small island nation, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. Thousands of people are dead and many more are still missing or injured; almost half a million people are homeless.
Japan has often donated when other countries have experienced disasters, such as when Hurricane Katrina impacted the United States. Below are organizations that are working on relief and recovery in the region.
AMERICAN RED CROSS: The American Red Cross is currently supporting and advising the Japanese Red Cross, which continues to assist the government in its response. You can help people affected by disasters, like floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes, as well as countless other crises at home and around the world by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Donate here.
GLOBALGIVING: Established a fund to disburse donations to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. We are working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to provide support. Our partners on the ground are working hard to provide immediate relief. Donate here.
SAVE THE CHILDREN: Save the Children, which has worked in Japan since 1986, has an immediate goal of $5 million to launch longer-term recovery for children affected by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Save the Children has opened the first child-friendly space in Japan, protective environments where children can gather to play and share their experiences under the supervision of trained, caring adults. Donate here.
SALVATION ARMY: The Salvation Army has been in Japan since 1895 and is currently providing emergency assistance to those in need. Donate here.
AMERICARES: AmeriCares and its relief workers in Japan are working to deliver medicines and supplies to hospitals, shelters and health responders to treat and care for survivors. The AmeriCares team began mobilizing within hours of the first reports of the dual disasters, dispatching an emergency response manager to Tokyo to direct the efforts of our relief workers in Sendai, the largest city closest to the impact zone. Our team is in direct contact with local officials, evacuation shelters and hospitals treating the injured in Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate to determine health needs. Donate here.
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: A team of doctors flew to Sendai, where they will be delivering supplies, assessing needs, and identifying communities that have not yet been reached. We continue to coordinate with local health authorities and partners on critical gaps, providing technical expertise and assisting with logistics. Donate here.
SHELTERBOX: ShelterBox responds instantly to natural and man-made disasters by delivering boxes of aid to those who are most in need. The box includes a tent for a family of 10, cooker, blankets, water purification, tool kit and other items survivors need to rebuild their lives in the days, weeks and months following a disaster. Donate here.
Japan earthquake and tsunami: How to help
Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on March 11. The magnitude-9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the small island nation, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. Thousands of people are dead and many more are still missing or injured; almost half a million people are homeless.
Japan has often donated when other countries have experienced disasters, such as when Hurricane Katrina impacted the United States. Below are organizations that are working on relief and recovery in the region.
AMERICAN RED CROSS: The American Red Cross is currently supporting and advising the Japanese Red Cross, which continues to assist the government in its response. You can help people affected by disasters, like floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes, as well as countless other crises at home and around the world by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Donate here.
GLOBALGIVING: Established a fund to disburse donations to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. We are working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to provide support. Our partners on the ground are working hard to provide immediate relief. Donate here.
SAVE THE CHILDREN: Save the Children, which has worked in Japan since 1986, has an immediate goal of $5 million to launch longer-term recovery for children affected by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Save the Children has opened the first child-friendly space in Japan, protective environments where children can gather to play and share their experiences under the supervision of trained, caring adults. Donate here.
SALVATION ARMY: The Salvation Army has been in Japan since 1895 and is currently providing emergency assistance to those in need. Donate here.
AMERICARES: AmeriCares and its relief workers in Japan are working to deliver medicines and supplies to hospitals, shelters and health responders to treat and care for survivors. The AmeriCares team began mobilizing within hours of the first reports of the dual disasters, dispatching an emergency response manager to Tokyo to direct the efforts of our relief workers in Sendai, the largest city closest to the impact zone. Our team is in direct contact with local officials, evacuation shelters and hospitals treating the injured in Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate to determine health needs. Donate here.
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: A team of doctors flew to Sendai, where they will be delivering supplies, assessing needs, and identifying communities that have not yet been reached. We continue to coordinate with local health authorities and partners on critical gaps, providing technical expertise and assisting with logistics. Donate here.
SHELTERBOX: ShelterBox responds instantly to natural and man-made disasters by delivering boxes of aid to those who are most in need. The box includes a tent for a family of 10, cooker, blankets, water purification, tool kit and other items survivors need to rebuild their lives in the days, weeks and months following a disaster. Donate here.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Massive earthquake hits Japan
An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit off the east coast of Japan early today. The quake -- one of the largest in recorded history -- triggered a 23-foot tsunami that battered Japan's coast, killing hundreds and sweeping away cars, homes, buildings, and boats. Editors note: we'll post more as the story develops -- Lloyd Young (47 photos total)
in reference to: Massive earthquake hits Japan - The Big Picture - Boston.com (view on Google Sidewiki)War clouds hover over Tripoli
TRIPOLI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- War clouds are gathering over here as Western forces have started launched air strikes against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces after a no-fly zone is imposed on Libya.
At around 02:30 a.m. local time (00:30 GMT) on Sunday, missiles whistling from the sea hit the Tajura area near Tripoli and the ensuing huge explosions sounded over the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
The air-defense forces loyal to Gaddafi immediately fought back with anti-craft guns, misbelieving Western warplanes were coming to attack. The traces of anti-aircraft gun shots could been seen in the night sky over Tripoli.
Intensive anti-aircraft guns lasted about 10 minutes in the southern and southwestern part of the city.
Soon in the early Sunday morning, some angry local residents rushed to a hotel in Tripoli, where foreign journalists stay, to protest the air assaults carried out by the Western forces.
The world's major powers, Britain, the United States and France, Saturday started to launch strikes from the air and sea against Gaddafi's forces after the UN Security Council had passed a resolution to impose a no-fly zone on Libya and protect civilians in Libya.
France carried out initial four air strikes, while the U.S. military said 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from American and British ships and submarines at more than 20 Libyan coastal targets.
French warplanes Saturday night attacked an air defense site in Tajura, about 10 km east of Tripoli, and destroyed several armored vehicles of the Libyan government troops near Benghazi, the last stronghold of Libyan rebels.
Libyan Parliament Speaker Mohammed Abul-Qassim al-Zwai told a press conference that foreign fighter jets hit Tripoli and Misurata, which caused many casualties.
Sixty-four people have been killed and 150 others wounded in the air strikes since Saturday, Libya's health officials said on Sunday.
Western warplanes have bombed civilian targets in Tripoli, causing the casualties, and several fuel tanks were also hit, Libya's state television reported.
In a brief audio message carried out by Libya's state television hours after the air strike, Gaddafi called the Western attacks as "a crusader war" against the Libyan people, saying that the air strikes were designed to "terrify the Libyan people" and were "terrorist means."
Gaddafi vowed to snatch a victory over Western forces, saying the western forces would be defeated.
All the Libyan people were united and have been given weapons, "ready for a long war" in the country, he said.
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said on Sunday that the initial stage of an international operation to set up a no-fly zone over Libya "has been successful."
Speaking to ABC's "This Week" news program, Mullen said the Libyan government forces' advance on rebel stronghold Benghazi has been stopped, adding the operation has "limited goals," and isn't aimed at regime change in Libya.
The UN Security Council Thursday adopted a resolution to impose a no-fly zone on Libya and authorize "all necessary measures," excluding ground troops, to protect civilians in the embattled country.
On Saturday afternoon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy invited leaders from some Arab countries and main Western powers to attend an emergency summit held at the Elysee Palace on the implementation on the UN resolution on imposing a no-fly zone on Libya.
After the emergency summit, Sarkozy said France had already taken military action against Libya, noting "our determination is total."
Earlier Saturday, several French reconnaissance planes were flying over Libya. French warplanes also fired the first shots Saturday, destroying tanks and armored vehicles near Benghazi.
Denmark dispatched six F-16 jet fighters to the U.S. base in Sicilia, Italy, preparing to participate in action against the Libyan government forces.
In addition, British and Canadian warplanes are on their way to join their NATO allies' operations against Gaddafi. Italy has agreed to open seven military bases for the operations.
On Satu
China to monitor food imported from Japan for radiation
BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- China's quality watchdog said Monday it has asked local authorities to monitor food imported from Japan for radiation following the nuclear disaster at its Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant .
Local quality watchdogs should test food from Japan for radiation to ensure the safety of China's food imports, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said.
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Japan reached 303.06 billion U.S. dollars, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
China imported 593 million U.S. dollars worth of agricultural products from Japan last year, accounting for 0.33 percent of Japan's total exports to China.
The country had been Japan's biggest trading partner and export destination as of the end of last year.
The massive earthquake that struck Japan's northeast coast on March 11damaged the country's nuclear power plants and killed thousands of people.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Russian Celebrity Has Her Twitter Account Stolen, Threatens Court Trial
March 04, 2011 | Svetlana Gladkova
Russian celebrities are not really that different from every other celebrity in the world in their hunt for PR. Logically, many of them quickly jumped on the Twitter bandwagon when they realized the PR power of it. Tina Kandelaki, a TV personality, is one of the most active Twitter users among Russian celebrities as she reports quite a number of her daily events to more than 50 thousand of followers. And today she has had her account hacked.
The irony of the entire story is that the account has not even been stolen by some clever hacker (and we are supposed to have plenty of them in Russia) – it was just a journalist. Allegedly he wanted to get a comment from Tina on a now revived political issue she was involved with a few years ago but when he got none (because of her busy schedule or unwillingness to comment – does not matter), he decided to attract her attention in this pretty unusual manner.
The account is told to have been controlled by the journalist-hacker for a few hours. After managing to log in under the celebrity’s account, he has promptly changed the password to lock the owner out of her account. The only problem was that he has not changed the email linked to the account so Tina has managed to gain control of the account a few hours later. Over the hours, the journalist has allegedly posted 3 updates there regarding her unwillingness to provide a comment.
I personally do not think there is anything specifically extraordinary about someone hacking someone else’s account on a social network but still this issue poses a serious question given Twitter popularity today. It is pretty obvious that whoever manages to hack an account of a person with a significant number of followers will be able to broadcast messages that will be retweeted and eventually reach many-many eyes of the people who trust the person who seems to be their author. And it could have nothing to do with truth at the same time!
It is not clear yet what the reason for the hack was – a terrifically simple password for Tina’s account or some vulnerability of Twitter. I am inclined to blame Tina and her lack of attention in choosing a password because the suspect does not seem to be a hacker experienced in breaking into websites – he is a journalist who could probably only try a few meaningful and simple passwords to get in – and succeeded.
Or of course he could also hire someone way more professional – and in this case it could probably not be Tina’s fault but this scenario at the same time poses interesting questions regarding Twitter security. In fact, I would expect Tina to be pretty careful with her online presence given her obsession with the latest and greatest in technology. For example, she was the first among the Russian people I follow on Twitter to get her hands on an iPad of her own a few days after it became available in the US and sounded extremely excited expecting the flight from New York bringing the gadget to her. I would expect someone with this interest in technology to know what a secure password is and how to use it.
Anyway, the celebrity is now planning to appeal to the police for them to deal with the incident. And whoever actually hacked the account or whatever the reason, it will probably be the first trial about stealing Twitter accounts in Russia (there has already been some on local social networks) and it will be interesting to see if Twitter team chooses to cooperate with Russian law enforcement authorities now.
Japan earthquake: Footage of moment tsunami hit
Japan earthquake: Footage of moment tsunami hit
13 March 2011 Last updated at 08:06 GMT
Newly emerged footage shows the force at which the tsunami struck Japan's coast.
In the fishing port of Miyako, in Iwate prefecture, boats were overturned, while video from Kamaishi city shows cars being dragged down city streets by the water.
The tsunami that followed the 8.9-magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc along a huge stretch of Japan's north-east coast, sweeping far inland and devastating a number of towns and villages. Powerful aftershocks are continuing to hit the region.
Footage courtesy of TV Asahi and TBS
Narora Atomic plant can withstand quakes: NPCIL
NEW DELHI: With Japan's deadly quake raising questions over safety of nuclear reactors worldwide, the state-run nuclear operator today allayed any fears with regard to Narora Atomic Power Station located in seismic zone IV in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr.
"The design of the plant itself takes care of seismicity. It can withstand earthquakes measuring in the excess of 7 on the Richter scale," Sudhindra Thakur, Executive Director and Fellow, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited told PTI.
He said the Narora site falls in the Zone IV which is low seismic zone.
Thakur noted that IIT-Roorkee had suggested additional safety measures for the Narora plant which was the only plant in India to be located in seismic zone IV. The other plants fall in seismic zones II and III which have even less probability of occurrence of a strong earthquake.
Thakur pointed out that even in Japan, the damage to the nuclear plants was due to the tsunami that was generated after the powerful earthquake.
"The nuclear plants in Japan had shut down immediately after the earthquake. It is the subsequent tsunami that caused the damage," Thakur said.
Another nuclear scientist closely associated with the operation of the Narora plant said the region was not prone to earthquakes.
The plant had withstood the the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Uttarkashi, he said.
In Japan, the nuclear plants are located in Seismic Zones VII, VIII and IX.
Japan calamity calls temporary hit for rare earth Reuters / Pittsburgh
March 16, 2011, 8:40 IST,,,,,,,,,,,,,The aftermath of Japan's disastrous earthquake and tsunami could hold down rare earth prices over the next month, but overall those prices are likely to remain elevated for the next few years, executives said.
Temporary closures of Japanese businesses, coupled with disruptions to ports and the electric grid as authorities struggle to stop the release of radiation from a quake-hit nuclear plant, may cause delays in shipments of the metals used in everything from Apple iPads to wind turbines. But few rare earth users are likely to turn away previously ordered materials in the face of continued export cutbacks by leading supplier China.
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"You're looking at something that probably has an impact of two to four months. We may see some relaxation in prices over that time, more as a knee-jerk reaction," said Jon Hykawy, rare earth analyst with Byron Capital Markets.
Over the long term, no rare earth users are likely to turn away shipments out of concern about the overall current short supply of the materials.
"Deliveries will go on, shipments will go on. There will be delays in processing," Hykawy said at the Asian Metal International Rare Earth Summit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Western companies including Molycorp Inc, Lynas Corp Ltd, Great Western Minerals Group and Avalon Rare Metals are scrambling to redevelop mines capable of producing rare earth elements.
They are largely focusing on restarting mines that were idled at times when prices were lower, but look economical since China last year began reducing its rare earth exports.
Shares of rare earth producers sold off on Tuesday, amid a broad decline in US equities sparked by concerns about how Japan's disaster will affect world economic growth.
NOT 'IN THE MOOD'
For now, Japanese demand for rare earths has dried up, said one executive.
"We cannot call our customers right now and say, 'Do you want to buy something?' No one is in the mood ... So if 50% of the consumption of the world is in Japan and this 50% stops for a couple of weeks, or a couple of months, this will be a huge impact on the consumption side or the demand site," said Furkhat Faizulla, marketing manager from Advanced Material Japan Corp. "We will have to see the real situation in Japan in one week, two weeks, but maybe the prices will come down in the coming months."
But long-term demand is unlikely to be affected unless more of Japan's industrial core is affected by subsequent troubles, executives said.
"A large amount of the infrastructure in Japan is not on the coastal side of Japan, there's a lot inland," said Russell Starr, a partner in Euro Pacific Canada and an investor in the sector.
CHINA SHIFT?
Executives at the conference also wrestled with the question of whether China, which accounts for more than 95% of global rare earth production, but is estimated to hold just a third to half of the world's reserves, would eventually shift to become a net importer of rare earths.
Growing Chinese demand could have that country importing more rare earth than it expects at some point "beyond 2015," Great Western executive chairman Gary Billingsley said.
That was a similar to a projection made by Molycorp Chief Executive Mark Smith, who said he expected the gap between global demand and supply to be wider in 2011 than it was in 2010, when the boom began.
Pierre Neatby, vice president of
Japan crisis won't trigger global recession: economists
Japan's nuclear crisis and the devastations caused by last Friday's earthquake and tsunami are unlikely to trigger a global recession as happened in the aftermath of the collapse of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers three years ago, according to leading economists.
However, they expressed fears that automobile and electronic industries around the world, especially in Asia, Europe and the US, may face manufacturing delays, if the Japanese production of components remain crippled for a long period.
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Concerns over a renewed global recession or a bankruptcy of Japan are unfounded, said Thomas Mayer, Chief Economist, Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest bank.
Even though Japan is the world's third largest economy, its share of the global gross domestic product (GDP) is below 5%.
Therefore, the consequences for the global economy from the catastrophe will be very minimal, Mayer said in an interview to German economic daily Handelsblatt.
In the areas hit by the earthquake and tsunami, relatively less industries are located, but the main problem is the disruption of power supply.
The Deutsche Bank estimates that the power cuts could reduce monthly growth of the Japanese GDP by 0.1% Mayer said.
The Japanese economy has to cope with a second successive quarter of negative growth this year after a strong turnaround in 2010.
Before the earthquake and tsunami, the Deutsche Bank had forecast a 1.6% growth for the Japanese economy this year.
This will have to be corrected downwards depending on whether the nuclear crisis intensifies and how long it takes to start the reconstruction, he said.
Mayer estimated the costs of reconstruction will be much higher than around 10 billion yen invested by the government after the Kobe earthquake if the situation at the crippled reactor complex in Fukushima worsens and becomes a full-blown nuclear catastrophe.
In the Kobe earthquake, much more industries were destroyed, but the number of casualties were around 6,500, which is about half of the estimated loss of lives in the present disaster, he said.
Klaus Juergen Gern of the Institute for World Economy at the University of Kiel said that the earthquake, tsunami and the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan could affect supply of electronic components worldwide, especially chips which are crucial for a wide range of industries, including the automobile sector.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Japan radiation toxic cloud may hit US west coast
There has been debate among experts as to whether the nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan will affect the United States. One thing most agree on is that wind direction and weather patterns will play a role in the extent of the spread of the disaster.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan last Friday forced Japanese officials to release radioactive steam into the atmosphere. The measure remains an effort to prevent a total meltdown of four damaged reactors and the subsequent release of massive amounts of radiation into the environment.
Elevated radiation levels have been reported as far away as Tokyo, 170 miles to the south of the troubled Fukushima Daiiachi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.
"No citizen of any country can be assured that he or she can be protected from radioactive contamination. One nuclear reactor can pollute half the globe... Chernobyl fallout covers the entire Northern Hemisphere," according to data from the Russian Institutes of Radiation Safety.
While the toxicity of a radioactive cloud may be diluted on its journey across the Pacific Ocean, there is no guarantee that if and when it reaches the west coast of the United States that there will be no consequences.
Radiation from nuclear waste can remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years.
Japan radiation toxic cloud may hit US west coast
There has been debate among experts as to whether the nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan will affect the United States. One thing most agree on is that wind direction and weather patterns will play a role in the extent of the spread of the disaster.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan last Friday forced Japanese officials to release radioactive steam into the atmosphere. The measure remains an effort to prevent a total meltdown of four damaged reactors and the subsequent release of massive amounts of radiation into the environment.
Elevated radiation levels have been reported as far away as Tokyo, 170 miles to the south of the troubled Fukushima Daiiachi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.
"No citizen of any country can be assured that he or she can be protected from radioactive contamination. One nuclear reactor can pollute half the globe... Chernobyl fallout covers the entire Northern Hemisphere," according to data from the Russian Institutes of Radiation Safety.
While the toxicity of a radioactive cloud may be diluted on its journey across the Pacific Ocean, there is no guarantee that if and when it reaches the west coast of the United States that there will be no consequences.
Radiation from nuclear waste can remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years.
Japan radiation toxic cloud may hit US west coast
There has been debate among experts as to whether the nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan will affect the United States. One thing most agree on is that wind direction and weather patterns will play a role in the extent of the spread of the disaster.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan last Friday forced Japanese officials to release radioactive steam into the atmosphere. The measure remains an effort to prevent a total meltdown of four damaged reactors and the subsequent release of massive amounts of radiation into the environment.
Elevated radiation levels have been reported as far away as Tokyo, 170 miles to the south of the troubled Fukushima Daiiachi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.
"No citizen of any country can be assured that he or she can be protected from radioactive contamination. One nuclear reactor can pollute half the globe... Chernobyl fallout covers the entire Northern Hemisphere," according to data from the Russian Institutes of Radiation Safety.
While the toxicity of a radioactive cloud may be diluted on its journey across the Pacific Ocean, there is no guarantee that if and when it reaches the west coast of the United States that there will be no consequences.
Radiation from nuclear waste can remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years.
Japan radiation toxic cloud may hit US west coast
There has been debate among experts as to whether the nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan will affect the United States. One thing most agree on is that wind direction and weather patterns will play a role in the extent of the spread of the disaster.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan last Friday forced Japanese officials to release radioactive steam into the atmosphere. The measure remains an effort to prevent a total meltdown of four damaged reactors and the subsequent release of massive amounts of radiation into the environment.
Elevated radiation levels have been reported as far away as Tokyo, 170 miles to the south of the troubled Fukushima Daiiachi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.
"No citizen of any country can be assured that he or she can be protected from radioactive contamination. One nuclear reactor can pollute half the globe... Chernobyl fallout covers the entire Northern Hemisphere," according to data from the Russian Institutes of Radiation Safety.
While the toxicity of a radioactive cloud may be diluted on its journey across the Pacific Ocean, there is no guarantee that if and when it reaches the west coast of the United States that there will be no consequences.
Radiation from nuclear waste can remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years.
Russia Holds Emergency Meeting On Japan Disaster Effects
Russia has held an emergency meeting on the disaster in Japan to make sure it is prepared for any effects on its own people. Prime Minister Valerie Putin said natural gas projects along the coastline facing Japan should be speeded up.
Putin said the region may be facing long term leaks from the damaged Japanese reactors, Ria Novosti reported.
“We should act faster on our plans to develop gas projects in the Far East, including the Sakhalin-3 project,” Putin said. “All services should be on alert for any possible scenario.”
There also has been talk of using an undersea cable connecting the two countries to deliver power.
There has been a rush on iodide pills, a form of iodine believed to slow or block the intake of radiation through the thyroid glance. Scientists say they are of limited value. Russian units on Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands have developed plans for an evacuation should it become necessary.
Although the two nations have long been at odds over disputes involving several islands, Russia appears to be putting them aside for now.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Defence shield: India successfully test-fires ballistic missile interceptor
Balasore: India successfully test-fired indigenously developed interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile, today from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island off Orissa coast.
"Aimed at developing a full fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, the trial was carried out from two launch sites of ITR off Orissa coast," defence sources said.
Describing the trial as successful, they said the whole exercise is to achieve "desired result with precision".
The 'hostile' target ballistic missile, a modified surface-to-surface 'Prithvi', was first lifted off from a mobile launcher around 9:33 am from the launch complex-3 of ITR at Chandipur-on-Sea, 15 km from here.
Within four minutes, the interceptor, Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile positioned at Wheeler Island, about 70 km across sea from Chandipur received signals from long ranging tracking radars installed along the coastlines, and then travelled through the sky at a speed of 4.5 Mach to a definite altitude over the Bay to destroy it, sources said.
"After the launch of 'target' and 'hit' missiles from their launch sites, detailed results and the 'kill' effect of the interceptor were being ascertained by analysing data from multiple tracking sources," a Defence Research Development (DRDO) scientist said soon after both the missiles roared in to the skies leaving behind a thin white ribbon of smokes.
"While the interceptor designed for endo-atmospheric condition (up to 30 km altitude) is a seven-meter long and single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile, equipped with an inertial navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator under command by the data uplinked from sophisticated ground based radars, the interceptor designed for exo-atmospheric condition is a two stage missile," sources said. .
The interceptor missile had its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.
This is for the sixth time that the DRDO scientists are testing the interceptor missile.
The previous trials were conducted on November 27, 2006, December 6, 2007 and March 6, 2009 from Wheeler Island.
The fourth test which was scheduled in mid March 2010 was put-off twice. Due to some technical glitches in the sub-system of the missile, the mission was aborted prior to take off on March 14.
The next day on March 15, 2010 the target missile, modified 'Prithvi' deviated from its pre-determined trajectory, which forced the scientists of DRDO to put-off the launch of the interceptor missile in last minutes.
However, the last trial, fifth in its series, conducted on July 26, 2010 incorporating some new technologies to the interceptor missile was a success.
As a safety measure, Balasore district administration has temporarily shifted?401 civilian families, a total of 3221 people, residing within two km radius of ITR launch pad-3 at Chandipur this morning to the nearby shelter centres.
The New Egypt: 5 reasons why US should be concerned
New Delhi: When it comes to Egypt, US is walking a fine line in diplomacy. While it has always haboured reservations on Mubarak’s autocratic rule, it has also played safe by allying itself with the present government to maintain a strong foothold in the Middle-East.
Being the largest Arab country, Egypt has long been a cornerstone for US foreign policy and its strategic military partner in the Middle-East region. The fact that Egypt has made peace with Israel plays a strong role in keeping a check on Arab hostilities towards the Jewish state. The ouster of Mubarak raises the strong possibility that the present status-quo might be upset.
When the unrest in Egypt began, US took a guarded stance by not straying too far away from Mubarak while simultaneously supporting Egyptians’ cry for democracy. “We will be reviewing our assistance posture based on events that take place in the coming days,” the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs told reporters.
However, as the revolt grew in strength, the US has started making appropriate noises clearly supporting democracy for Egypt. "He (Mubarak) needs to listen to what's being voiced by the Egyptian people, and make a judgment about a pathway forward that is orderly but that is meaningful and serious," Obama has said.
US is slowly coming to terms with the fact that the cosy relationship it shared with Mubarak is nearing an end. It has now to mull on the possibilities and the steps it will have to take to protect its interests in the Middle-East region.
Egypt’s importance to US:
Egypt is the largest Arab country with the strongest military power among the Arab countries. This makes it strategically important to the US whose foreign policy is heavily influenced by it.
Israel-Arab relations:
The most important breakthrough for US in the middle-east came on the 26th of March 1979, when Israel-Egypt peace treaty was signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. With this treaty, Egypt became the first Arab country to recognise Israel, which made it next to impossible for Arab countries to go to war with Israel. US has since viewed Egypt as its closest ally in the Middle East and continues to supply it with military and economic aid, and supporting it politically. For the past 30 years, since the time Mubarak took over after Sadat’s assassination, Mubarak has been a close ally to the US, upholding the peace treaty and being the key to America’s foreign policy in the Middle East.
“The Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty is the pillar of the structure in the Middle East,” said Edward P. Djerejian, a former American ambassador to Israel and Syria. “If the 1979 agreement goes asunder, everything falls apart.”
Military cooperation:
Egypt is the second largest recipient of US military aid after Israel, which makes it a major non-Nato ally of the United States- a fact which plays to America’s benefit in the Middle East.
The US-Egypt military cooperation gives US key access in the Middle-East. It is also considered to be a part of administration’s strategy in maintaining the availability of Persian Gulf energy resources. It also ensures that the international oil route, the Suez Canal, is secure. The Suez Canal forms a critical route for US warships transiting between the Mediterranean, and either the Indian Ocean or the Persian Gulf.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
Egypt is a key figure in the ongoing process to reach a resolution on the Israel-Palestine conflict. US relies heavily on Egypt to broker peace negotiations between the two countries.
President Hosni Mubarak has often stepped forward to encourage peace negotiations and has hosted peace summits which brought together world leaders in an effort to reach a resolution for the continued crises between the two countries. His now elected vice-President, General Omar Suleiman has also made efforts in the same direction and is highly regarded by both countries.
With Palestine itself, Mubarak shares a love-hate relationship. While Abbas, who controls the West Bank
Friday, 4 March 2011
Gadhafi forces battle rebels as 37 killed in Libya
TRIPOLI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi's regime struck back at its opponents with a powerful attack Friday on the closest opposition-held city to Tripoli and a barrage of tear gas and live ammunition to smother new protests in the capital. At least 37 people died in fighting and in an explosion at an ammunitions depot in Libya's rebellious east.
The bloodshed signaled an escalation in efforts by both sides to break the deadlock that has gripped Libya's 18-day upheaval, which has lasted longer than the Egyptian revolt that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak and inspired a wave of protests across the region.
So far, Gadhafi has had little success in taking back territory, with several rebel cities repelling assaults and the entire eastern half of the country under rebel control. But the opposition forces have seemed unable to go on the offensive to march on pro-Gadhafi areas.
Meanwhile, in Tripoli — Gadhafi's most important bastion — his loyalists have waged a campaign of terror to ensure that protesters do not rise up in significant numbers.
Friday's assault on the rebel city of Zawiya, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli, appeared to be the strongest yet by Gadhafi's forces after repeated earlier forays against it were beaten back.
In the morning, troops from the elite Khamis Brigade — named after the Gadhafi son who commands it — bombarded the city's western edges with mortar shells, heavy machine guns, tanks and anti-aircraft weapons, several residents said. By the evening, another brigade had opened a front on the eastern side. Armed Zawiya citizens backed by allied army units were fighting back.
The commander of the rebel forces — Col. Hussein Darbouk — was killed by fire from an anti-aircraft gun, said Alaa al-Zawi, an activist in the city. Darbouk was a colonel in Gadhafi's army who defected along with other troops in Zawiya early in the uprising.
A witness in Zawiya's hospital said at least 18 people were killed and 120 wounded. Libyan state TV reported the attackers had retaken the city. But al-Zawi, the witness and other residents said it remained in rebel hands, with skirmishes continuing after nightfall.
N. Korea heir formally invited to China: South Korea spy agency
SEOUL (Reuters) – China has formally invited North Korea's leader-in-waiting to visit, but it was not clear when Kim Jong-un would make the trip, a South Korean lawmaker said on Saturday, quoting a senior spy agency official.
China is the only major power isolated North Korea can count on as an ally. Jong-un is North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's youngest son and heir apparent, who came into the public eye in September when he was named to a senior ruling party post and promoted to the rank of four-star general.
South Korea's spy agency believes Jong-un is likely to accept the invitation and visit Beijing soon, said the lawmaker who is a member of the parliament intelligence committee after a closed-door briefing on Friday.
Senior officials from the spy agency attended the briefing, and members of parliament are asked not to disclose the information they were briefed on, the lawmaker said, declining to be identified.
Little is known about Jong-un other than he is in his late 20s and had a Swiss education. South Korean officials said the North's official media have been on a campaign to paint him as the person best fit for leadership of the state founded by his grandfather.
The visit, if it takes place, will boost Jong-un's standing as the North's next leader, as China remains the reclusive North's main economic and political backer.
Jong-un is likely to ask China for large-scale economic aid when he visits, a Japanese newspaper reported earlier last week, adding he could go as early as this month, after the end of China's National People's Congress meeting.
China has stood by the North even when Pyongyang was harshly criticized after the sinking of a South Korean navy ship last year, which Seoul blames on its neighbor, and the shelling of a South Korean island in November that killed four people.
Tensions peaked on the Korean peninsula after those attacks, with the rivals nations threatening war, but tensions have since eased and South Korea's president has called for dialogue.
(Editing by Miral Fahmy)
Libya rebels losing one city, but take another, as dozens die
TRIPOLI, Libya — After a battle in which at least 30 civilians were killed Friday, forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had cornered rebels and claimed to have retaken a key city near the capital.
The rebels, for their part, claimed to have taken Ras Lanouf, a key oil port, while hundreds rallied in the capital Tripoli against Gadhafi. Live ammunition and tear gas were fired to break up the protest, witnesses said.
Friday's assault on Zawiya, about 30 miles west of Tripoli, appeared to be the strongest yet by Gadhafi's forces after repeated earlier forays against it were beaten back.
An improvised force of rebels had been pushed back to the central Martyrs Square in Zawiya, a rebel spokesman said. "Many people were killed in Harsha, which is now occupied by them," rebel spokesman Youssef Shagan told Reuters by phone, referring to a small town outside Zawiya.
"They shot at civilians. We still control (Zawiya's) central square," he added. "They are four to five kilometres away."
In the morning, troops from the elite Khamis Brigade — named after the son of Gadhafi who commands it — bombarded the city's western edges with mortars, heavy machine guns, tanks and anti-aircraft guns, several residents said.
By the evening, they had also opened a front on the eastern side. Armed Zawiya residents backed by allied army units were fighting back.
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"I have been to hospital less than 15 minutes ago," a Zawiya resident identified only as Mohamed told Reuters by telephone. "Dozens were killed and more were wounded. We have counted 30 dead civilians. The hospital was full. They could not find space for the casualties."
Mohamed said the Gadhafi forces used grenade-launchers, heavy machine guns and snipers on the rooftop of a new hotel in the town to fire at protesters while they marched after Friday prayers to demand the fall of the regime.
"People used swords and hunting rifles to defend Martyrs Square. Even mothers used those weapons," he added.
The account could not be independently verified and reports of the death toll in the clash varied widely, with the Associated Press quoting a witness at Zawiya's hospital as saying 18 people had been killed and 120 wounded. Another resident told Reuters that between 40 and 50 people were killed in the clashes.
Video: Gadhafi under increasing local, world pressure (on this page)
The commander of the rebel forces in Zawiya — Hussein Darbouk — was among those killed, Alaa al-Zawi, an activist in the city, told the AP. Darbouk, a n army colonel who defected along with other troops in Zawiya early on in the uprising, was shot to death by fire from an anti-aircraft gun, he said.
State-run TV and a source "close to the government" cited by al-Jazeera reported that the city had been retaken by pro-Gadhafi forces. But other accounts indicated control of Zawiya was divided between the rebels and security forces.
East of Tripoli, meanwhile, anti-Gadhafi rebels were on the offensive, attacking a military base on the outskirts of Ras Lanouf, a small oil port on the Mediterranean, about 380 miles from Tripoli.
Rebels attacked Ras Lanouf on Friday afternoon, feeling flush with victory after repelling Gadhafi forces who attacked them days earlier at Brega, a larger oil facility just to the east. Fighters armed with Kalashnikovs and heavy machine guns were seen streaming in pickup trucks and other vehicles from Brega heading in the direction of Ras Lanouf.
Cloud Computing And Software-As-A-Service : The Future Of Software
Every time you search Google, you take advantage of cloud computing. Many of us use Gmail or other Google applications like Google docs and Google sites. These wonderful applications are a result of Google’s cloud computing infrastructure.
Before I write more about cloud computing, let me provide a perspective on what are web based applications and how they work:
Any program which is used over the internet through a web browser is termed as web application. Most commonly used web applications are Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Twitter etc. According to internet experts, in the next 10 years, 80% software will be used over the web.
A web application functions in a completely different way than your desktop software. With web application, information is processed and stored on the Web Server which runs the application.
When you send request to a Web Server it processes your request and returns appropriate result on your web browser. Therefore, your personal computer is free from the burden of storing and processing information, since all the action happens on the Web Server.
Despite the fact that using web application is fun and extremely productive, it also invites problems such as availability and reliability. With increase in the number of users, the number of requests a Web Server has to process also increases exponentially. If the number of request a server receives, increases than its capacity, it crashes. That’s when we see errors such as ‘Server down’ or ‘Server inaccessible’.
You must be wondering how all this is related to Cloud computing. So let me tell you the story of Google and how they solved similar problems faced by their web application (in this case their search engine).
In late 90’s when Google was gaining huge popularity world-wide, one of the biggest challenges they faced was scaling their Web Server to handle millions of requests. In order to ramp up their capacity, they vociferously installed hundreds and thousands of web servers at various locations across the globe. This capacity built up was done at an investment of millions of dollars. A similar problem was faced by other internet companies like Amazon.com and they did the same with their own infrastructure. With the capacity ramp up, they were able to handle large number of user requests very efficiently.
However, they faced another problem after doing this ramp up. They realized that the processing and storage capacity of these servers were not fully utilized all the time. They discovered that other than peak loads, most of their servers resources were utilized only up to 50%. A large pool of server resources was lying underutilized.
During this period, the concept of Virtualization had started gaining momentum. Virtual Servers are similar to a physical server in terms of performance and availability but the biggest difference is in the fact that a Virtual Server in itself does not posses processing or storage capability; but it utilizes the underlying hardware to store and process the information.
With the advancement in Virtualization technology, companies like Amazon and Google started thinking about their Server as a piece of software that provides necessary resources (like processing power, memory and storage) to run a web application. Instead of web application being directly installed on the physical hardware server, they inserted an intermediate piece of software on the physical servers which would provide processing, storage and memory to the web application. Gradually these companies realized that by using the Virtualization technology, they can combine the processing power of thousands of server into a big Virtual Server which can be used to distribute computing capabilities to a variety of web applications. This was the birth of Cloud computing. Cloud computing allows resources needed by a web application to be virtualized by using an intermediate software layer called Virtual Server.
China's defence budget to rise 12.7% in 2011
BEIJING: China's defence budget will rise 12.7 percent in 2011 to 601.1 billion yuan ($91.7 billion), a government spokesman said on Friday, amid persistent concerns about Beijing's military build-up.
The figure was contained in a budgetary report submitted to the National People's Congress, the parliament's spokesman Li Zhaoxing told a news conference on the eve of the opening of the annual NPC session.
"China has always paid attention to controlling the size of defence spending," Li told reporters, describing spending as "relatively low" compared with the rest of the world.
Li, a former foreign minister, said the figure represented six percent of the total national budget in the world's second-largest economy.
The number however represents a return to double-digit increases, which have alarmed the United States and several of China's Asian neighbours. That trend had been broken last year when the defence budget rose 7.5 percent.
The People's Liberation Army -- the world's largest -- is hugely secretive about its defence programmes, but insists its modernisation is purely defensive in nature.
"This will not pose a threat to any country," Li said.
For Willy Lam, a China analyst at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the published military budget -- which he said was likely only one-third to one-half of total spending -- will be poured into next-generation equipment.
"The return to this double-digit PLA budget reflects the growing power of the PLA," Lam told AFP. "They are trying to close the gap with Russia and the United States."
Experts say the spending hike also reflects a desire to keep the pressure on Washington, Tokyo and others in the region.
"The Chinese communist leadership needs to increase its military intimidation of the United States, Taiwan and neighbours like Japan and India," said Rick Fisher at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in the US.
"Spending increases advance this goal by ensuring that programmes entering their expensive procurement phase, like aircraft carriers and nuclear missile submarines, can proceed without delay," Fisher told AFP.
Tokyo has repeatedly questioned Beijing's military intentions, especially after collisions in disputed waters in September between two Japanese coastguard boats and a Chinese fishing vessel that sparked a major row.
"We regard the modernisation of China's military power and its growing and intense activities as concerns," top Japanese government spokesman Yukio Edano said Thursday, after two Chinese planes approached a contested island chain.
"Our country will continue to pay close attention to moves by China's military."
Japan has said it plans to send more forces to its scattered southern islands and away from Cold War-era locations in the north near Russia, citing Beijing's increased assertiveness in the East and South China Seas.
India's defence minister last month expressed "serious concern" over China's growing military might, pledging to boost its own forces.
The two countries have long-standing border disputes in the Himalayas.
On Monday, India announced a nearly 12 percent jump in defence spending to $36 billion in its annual budget -- up from a four percent hike last year.
In January, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Beijing to patch up frayed military ties -- and was instead greeted with the maiden flight of China's first next-generation stealth fighter.
Last month, the Pentagon proposed a record "base" defence budget -- excluding the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- of $553 billion for fiscal 2012.
"Advances by the Chinese military in cyber and anti-satellite warfare pose a potential challenge to the ability of our forces to operate and communicate in this part of the Pacific," Gates said after his China visit.
But he added that Washington and Tokyo were well-placed to counter the threat with high-tech hardware and that it was not a foregone conclusion that China would turn into a military rival.