A tank at Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant has leaked another 100 metric tons of highly contaminated water, the worst incident since August. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) said Thursday that the water had overflowed late the previous day after a valve had mistakenly been left open. “We are taking various measures, but we apologize for worrying the public with such a leak,” said Masayuki Ono, a spokesman for the utility. “Water is unlikely to have reached the ocean as there is no drainage in that tank area.” The leak, considered a level three, or “serious incident,” on the seven-point international scale for radiological releases, adds to criticism of the utility’s response to the three nuclear meltdowns that followed the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Last week, a nuclear regulatory official said Tepco had postponed the release of record-high measurements of highly radioactive strontium-90 in the groundwater, despite repeated requests.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
JAPAN: Aides give Japan's Abe a headache on history, U.S. alliance
Remarks by aides to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about U.S.-Japan ties and the wartime past are giving the Japanese leader a political headache as he seeks to soothe strains with key ally Washington amid rising regional tensions.
SINGAPORE'S hidden poverty problem
Singapore has become on the wealthiest countries in the world, but poverty remains a problem.
CHINA'S Neighbors Split Over Naval Power Play
Flotilla's unusually wide geographic embrace highlights the growing reach of the People's Liberation Army Navy.
THAILAND: Thai Court Backs Protesters
A Thai court ruled that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra can't use force to disperse protesters, putting the government at a disadvantage to handle monthslong street protests.
NORTH KOREA: Kerry and the Diplomatic Dead End With North Korea
Secretary of State John Kerry’s first visit to Northeast Asia last April was consumed with near-term crisis management since it coincided with the peak of regional tensions driven by North Korea’s provocative rhetoric. In contrast, his second visit to the region last week occurred against the backdrop of apparent easing of inter-Korean tensions and afforded a better environment for long-term coordination toward North Korea. Unfortunately, the visit appears to have illuminated the dead ends the administration faces on denuclearization of North Korea rather than showing a way forward. Washington has placed its bet on pressure from Beijing as the best hope for turning Pyongyang back to denuclearization, but Kerry’s conversations in Bejing raise questions about whether this route can really succeed.
CHINA soldiers too big for outdated tanks
Soldiers in China have become fatter and taller in recent years, and are finding themselves cramped in tanks designed decades ago, a development that adds urgency to upgrade military equipment.
JAPAN: Sochi 2014 Day 13 - Speed Skating Ladies' 5000m
Masako Hozumi of Japan competes during the Women's 5000m Speed Skating event on day 13 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Adler Arena Skating Center
JAPAN: Prices Rise in Japan for First Time in Five Years
Japan's government said prices are "rising moderately" even though growth has slowed to an annualized 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Core consumer prices rose 1.3 percent in December from a year earlier, a sign that the economy may reverse fifteen years of deflation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
