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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 23:11
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APPS OF THE WEEK: Watch March Madness For Free And Chat With StrangersFor the iPhone and Android user who has everything, we scoured the App Store and Market for the most useful and fun apps right now. This is our list of apps and feature-packed updates for productivity, social networking, March Madness, and even carpentry on your phone. Localscope elegantly combines social networking data with Google Maps The killer feature in Localscope is being able to visualize tweets and Four Square check-ins in the area around you. Directly from the app, you can share your location to a variety of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, as well as your current location to your Address Book or open it in Google Maps. Price: $1.99, iOS Webroot Mobile Security features valuable privacy tools like call and SMS blocking Another great feature is the ability to filter unwanted calls and text messages. Price: free (but not for long, app is in Beta), Android Foodspotting lets you geo tag your meal and view others on a map The app also enables you to search for restaurants, see the latest foods that have been " spotted," and even jazz it up a bit using its Instagram integration. Bills - On Your Table HD is the most beautiful way to keep track of your expenses Developer PoweryBase listened and provided this bill-reminding app with an intuitive and practical, yet gorgeous user interface on your iPad. Push reminders, a useful calendar, and a convenient passcode lock are among a few of its features. Also, once you sign up, you have access to a website that lets you access your information from your desktop. Price $4.99, iPad (for HD version) QR Droid can turn your contact information into a scan-able code for other Android phones The app includes Android integration to allow you to share your codes in a variety of ways. Price: free, Android NCAA March Madness On Demand streams every game live to your device Every game, streamed to your iOS device complete with brackets, customizable alerts (there's even one option to be alerted when a current game is going into overtime), and more. Watch your favorite teams over Wi-Fi or 3G, then make your predictions in the built-in Bracket Challenge to compete with others. Price: free, iOS Yobongo lets you chat live with people nearby This is no ChatRoulette, however. Yobongo monitors your location and the topics you write about, hoping to connect you with people that are not only close in proximity to yourself, but of like mind. For now, it's only works in San Francisco, Austin, and New York City. Price: free, iOS (now), Android (coming soon) - Read our more in-depth take on Yobongo here Top seller Infinity Blade updated with tons of new content Just-released Content Pack #2 includes ten stunning new enemies and thirty new weapons and items to collect and upgrade. ChAIR says Content Pack #3 is in the pipeline already. Price: $5.99, iOS Date Calculator ensures you never forget birthdays or anniversaries We like that this app doesn't try to do too much. Keeping your special dates in a separate calendar ensures you never lose them in the mix of your daily activities. Price: free, iOS Photo Measures is a life-saver for carpenters and home-improvers alike With this app, all you need to do is take a picture, input your measurements, and then never have to worry about lugging papers to Home Depot again. Color coding, tools to organize your photos by room, and the ability to use various units are among the very practical features this app offers. Price: $2.99, iOS Can't get enough apps? |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 22:57
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U.S. Navy handout photo of the earthquake and tsunami destruction in Wakuya
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese military helicopters and fire trucks poured water on an overheating nuclear facility on Thursday and the plant operator said electricity to part of the crippled complex could be restored in a desperate bid to avert catastrophe. Washington and other foreign capitals expressed growing alarm about radiation leaking from the earthquake-shattered plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo. The United States said it was sending aircraft to help Americans leave Japan. " The situation continues to be very serious," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano told reporters at Vienna airport as he left with a group of nuclear experts for Japan. Workers were trying to connect a 1-km (0.6-mile) long power cable from the main grid to restart water pumps to cool reactor No. 2, which does not house spent fuel rods considered the biggest risk of spewing radioactivity into the atmosphere. One official from the plant operator told a late night briefing the cable could be connected within hours. Other officials said it was unclear if water pumps at reactor No. 2, which sustained less damage from a series of explosions, would work. U.S. officials took pains not to criticise Japan's government, but Washington's actions indicated a divide with its close ally about the perilousness of the world's worst nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The top U.S. nuclear regulator said the cooling pool for spent fuel rods at reactor No.4 may have run dry and another was leaking. Gregory Jaczko, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told a congressional hearing that radiation levels around the cooling pool were extremely high, posing deadly risks for workers still toiling in the wreckage of the power plant. " It would be very difficult for emergency workers to get near the reactors. The doses they could experience would potentially be lethal doses in a very short period of time," he said in Washington. Japan's nuclear agency said it could not confirm if water was covering the fuel rods. The plant operator said it believed the reactor spent-fuel pool still had water as of Wednesday, and made clear its priority was the spent-fuel pool at the No.3 reactor. On Thursday morning alone, military helicopters dumped around 30 tonnes of water, all aimed at this reactor. One emergency crew temporarily put off spraying the same reactor with a water cannon due to high radiation, broadcaster NHK said, but another crew later began hosing it. Health experts said panic over radiation leaks from the Daiichi plant was diverting attention from other life-threatening risks facing survivors of last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, such as cold, heavy snow in parts and access to fresh water. Inside the complex, torn apart by four explosions since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit last Friday, workers in protective suits and using makeshift lighting tried to monitor what was going on inside the six reactors. They have been working in short shifts to minimise radiation exposure. The latest images from the nuclear plant showed severe damage after the blasts. Two of the buildings were a mangled mix of steel and concrete. " The worst-case scenario doesn't bear mentioning and the best-case scenario keeps getting worse," Perpetual Investments said in a note on the crisis. Financial leaders of the world's richest nations will hold talks on Friday on ways to calm global markets roiled by the crisis and concern it will unravel a fragile global economic recovery. One G7 central banker, who asked not to be named, said he was " extremely worried" about the wider effects of the disaster in Japan, the world's third-largest economy. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, whose country is not part of the G7, called the situation a " colossal national disaster" . But Japanese Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano told Reuters the country's markets were not unstable enough to warrant joint G7 currency intervention or government purchases of shares. The yen surged to a record high against the dollar on market speculation Japan would repatriate funds to pay for the massive cost of post-disaster reconstruction. The yen rose as high as 76.25 per dollar, surpassing the previous record high of 79.75 reached in the wake of the Kobe earthquake in 1995. Japan's Nikkei average fell sharply on opening on Thursday, but ended the day down just 1.44 percent. The Nikkei has fallen more than 12 percent this week. CRITICAL REACTOR CONTAINS PLUTONIUM High radiation levels on Wednesday prevented helicopters from dropping water into reactor No. 3 to try to cool its fuel rods after an earlier blast damaged its roof and cooling system. Another attempt on Thursday appeared to partly succeed, with two of four water drops over the site hitting their mark. The giant, twin-blade aircraft have to make precisely timed flyovers and drops to avoid the brunt of the radiation. The plant operator described No. 3 -- the only reactor that uses plutonium in its fuel mix -- as the " priority" . Experts described plutonium as a pernicious isotope that could cause cancer if very small quantities were ingested. Sebastian Pflugbeil, president of the private German-based Society for Radiation Protection, said Japan's efforts to pull the Fukushima plant back from the brink signalled " the beginning of the catastrophic phase" . " Maybe we have to pray," he said, adding that a wind blowing any nuclear fallout east into the Pacific would limit any damage for Japan's 127 million people in case of a meltdown or other releases, for instance from spent fuel storage pools. The government warned Tokyo's 13 million people to prepare for a possible large-scale blackout but later said there was no need for one. Still, many firms voluntarily reduced power, submerging parts of the usually neon-lit city in darkness. In a possible sign of panic, one bank, Mizuho, said all its automated teller machines in the country crashed twice in the day after excessive transactions at some branches. ANXIETY IN TOKYO - AIRPORTS BUSY, STREETS QUIET A U.S. State Department official said flights would be laid on for Americans to leave Japan, and family of embassy staff had been authorised to go if they wanted. Scores of flights to Japan have been halted or rerouted and air travellers are avoiding Tokyo for fear of radiation. On Thursday, the U.S. embassy in Tokyo urged citizens living within 80 km (50 miles) of the Daiichi plant to evacuate or remain indoors " as a precaution" , while Britain's foreign office urged citizens " to consider leaving the area" . The latest warnings were not as strong as those issued earlier by France and Australia, which urged nationals in Japan to leave the country. Russia said it planned to evacuate families of diplomats on Friday, and Hong Kong urged its citizens to leave Tokyo as soon as possible or head south. Japan's government has told people within 30 km (18 miles) of the plant to stay indoors. At its worst, radiation in Tokyo has reached 0.809 microsieverts per hour this week, 10 times below what a person would receive if exposed to a dental x-ray. On Thursday, radiation levels were barely above average. But many Tokyo residents stayed indoors, usually busy streets were nearly deserted and many shops were closed. At the second-floor office of the Tokyo Passport Centre in the city's Yurakucho district, queues snaked to the first floor. " Since yesterday we have had one-and-a-half times more people than usual coming to apply for a passport or to enquire about getting one," said Shigeaki Ohashi, a passport official. SNOW COMPOUNDS MISERY FOR TSUNAMI SURVIVORS The plight of hundreds of thousands left homeless by the earthquake and tsunami worsened following a cold snap that brought heavy snow to worst-affected areas. Supplies of water and heating oil are low at evacuation centres, where many survivors wait bundled in blankets. About 850,000 households in the north were still without electricity in near-freezing weather, Tohuku Electric Power Co. said, and the government said at least 1.5 million households lack running water. " It's cold today so many people have fallen ill, getting diarrhoea and other symptoms," said Takanori Watanabe, a Red Cross doctor in Otsuchi, a low-lying town where more than half the 17,000 residents are still missing. The National Police Agency said it has confirmed 4,314 deaths in 12 prefectures as of midnight Wednesday, while 8,606 people remained unaccounted for in six prefectures. (Additional reporting by Linda Sieg, Terril Yue Jones, Nathan Layne, Elaine Lies, Leika Kihara and Mayumi Negishi Writing by Nick Macfie and Jason Szep Editing by John Chalmers and Dean Yates) |
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risktaker
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17-Mar-2011 19:58
Yells: "Sometimes you think you know, but in fact you dont" |
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I finally see japanese really take the nuclear crisis seriously. They failed to act fast. I really hope countries that own nuclear plant will learn the mistakes that the japanese made in this crisis. However now there is hope that this crisis could be contained. I expect some good news tomorrow :P Good luck for those who brought today. There might be a relief rally for the efforts 50 faceless japanese hero did :) I respect them. Salute ! | ||
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 19:40
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PetroChina Q4 net up 81 pct, bests forecast
* Q4 net profit 39.96 bln yuan vs 33.3 bln yuan consensus
* 2010 net 139.99 billion yuan vs 103.4 billion in 2009 * Avg realised crude price up 35.3 pct in 2010 to $72.93/bbl * Shares end down 0.8 pct before results in Hong Kong (Adds details, analyst comments) HONG KONG/BEIJING, March 17 (Reuters) - PetroChina Co Ltd , the world's second-biggest oil and gas producer by market value, on Thursday posted an 81 percent rise in fourth-quarter earnings, its best-ever quarterly profit, on the back of strong crude oil prices and robust domestic economic growth. Benchmark U.S. crude prices rose about 12 percent in the fourth quarter from the third quarter, boosting the earnings of PetroChina and other global oil majors such as Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp . PetroChina, the country's dominant crude oil producer, posted a fourth-quarter net profit of 39.96 billion yuan ($6.08 billion), based on Reuters' calculations. It beat a consensus forecast of 33.3 billion yuan from 22 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. " PetroChina's fourth-quarter net profit is quite good, higher than expected," said Gordon Kwan, head of energy research at Mirae Asset Securities (HK) Ltd. For the full year, the state-run energy giant posted a net profit of 139.99 billion yuan, versus 103.4 billion yuan in 2009. The company said in a statement that it expected higher energy demand this year as the global economy recovered, but the prospect for oil prices remained uncertain. " Factors like geopolitics and speculative trade could distort demand and supply patterns and bring major uncertainty to oil price trends," it said. PetroChina forecast 2011 capital expenditure to reach 350.6 billion yuan, up 27 percent from 276.1 billion yuan in 2010. Shares of PetroChina ended down 0.8 percent on Thursday ahead of the results, versus a 1.83 percent fall by the benchmark Hang Seng Index . The stock has gained 3 percent this year, outperforming a 3 percent loss by Hang Seng Index. ($1=6.571 Yuan) (Reporting by Alison Leung and Xu Wan Writing by Farah Master, Editing by Charlie Zhu and Chris Lewis) |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 19:39
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Futures bounce back volatility seen on Japan fears
The New York Stock Exchange building
* Tensions in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain lift oil * Futures up: S& P 7 pts, Dow 51 pts, Nasdaq 11.5 pts NEW YORK, March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures bounced back on Thursday, a day after Wall Street wiped out much of its gains for the year, but increasing worry over Japan's nuclear crisis was set to drive trading in another volatile day for markets. * Global stocks stabilized after Wall Street's rout the previous day. Japan's Nikkei ended down 1.4 percent, but eased off lows as foreign buyers bought beaten-down stocks, while European equities rose 0.8 percent. * In a sell-off Wednesday, the S& P 500 and Nasdaq fell into negative territory for the year, while the Dow posted its worst daily decline since August as conflicting news on Japan panicked investors. * Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in New York, said equities markets would seesaw until there was greater clarity on the nuclear crisis. * " Traders will just be glued to the news in Japan, and I think we'll see moves in the market, based on that," he said. * S& P 500 futures rose 7 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 51 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures put on 11.5 points. * Brent crude rose 2 percent to $112.70 as tensions in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain fueled fears of further supply disruptions while investors weighed the impact on energy demand from Japan, hit by an earthquake and tsunami. * Japanese military helicopters dumped water on an overheating nuclear plant, while the United States expressed alarm about leaking radiation and sent aircraft to help Americans leave the country. * The Group of Seven ministers hold talks later Thursday to discuss the economic and financial impact of Japan's crisis, though they were likely to dismiss the need for action to curb the soaring yen. * Economic bellwether FedEx Corp is set to quarterly report earnings, with the world's largest shipping group seen reporting a rise in profit, but results may be hurt by the effects of severe winter weather and spiking fuel costs. * Economic data due later includes U.S. consumer inflation, weekly jobless claims and Midwest manufacturing. Investors see the reports as secondary as they assess the global economic impact of Japan's disaster. |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 19:36
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Fourteen wounded in new clashes in Yemen - activists
Anti-government protesters gather under a sign reading " A new Yemen" demanding the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdulah Saleh, outside Sanaa University March 17, 2011.
They said the clashes took place in the capital Sanaa and the southern city of Taiz and that 10 of the protesters were hurt when police used live fire and tear gas. Protesters in Taiz said two people were hit by bullets while another two suffered from the effects of tear gas. Some 150 people were wounded Wednesday when security forces tried to break up a rally in the Red Sea city of Hudaida. The Arabian Peninsula state, neighbour to oil giant Saudi Arabia, has been hit by weeks of protests trying to shake loose Saleh's 32-year grip on power. Both pro- and anti-government factions appear to have increasingly resorted to violence. Yemen's rial has fallen up to almost 8 percent against the dollar in the past week as unrest takes a toll on the poor Arab country's economy, traders said late Wednesday. The central bank has slapped unspecified penalties on 10 currency exchanges and other firms for dealing in dollars above the official set rate of about 214 rials. The United States, which has long seen Saleh as a bulwark against an active al Qaeda wing based in Yemen, has condemned the bloodshed and backed the right to peaceful protest. But it has also insisted only dialogue can end the political crisis. (Reporting by Mohamed Ghobari) |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 19:35
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Oil up $2 to over $112 on Middle East unrest
* Bahrain Petroleum partly shuts down production
* Japan battles to avert nuclear meltdown * Coming Up: U.S. Feb inflation, weekly jobless claims (Updates prices, quotes, BAPCO shutdown) By Claire Milhench LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Oil rose by more than $2 on Thursday as tensions in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain fuelled fears of further supply disruption while investors weighed the impact on energy demand from quake-hit Japan. Brent crude for May, the front-month contract after April expired on Wednesday, was up $2.13 to $112.73 a barrel at 1120 GMT. Overnight it fell as much as 1 percent to $109.45 but then rebounded Thursday morning to an intraday high of $113.12. U.S. crude rallied more than $1, reaching an intraday high of $99.86 before slipping back to $99.71 a barrel. " The market is seeing risks from the supply side and the demand side, and has to decide which is weighing more," said Barbara Lambrecht, a commodity analyst at Commerzbank. " It is looking for orientation -- I think we can expect more volatility." Prices had slid about 4 percent since Japan's earthquake and tsunami six days ago, touching a three-week low of $107.35 on Wednesday. But increased tensions in the Middle East have helped prices rebound. " The focus is back on continuing unrest in the Middle East and what will be a lot of disruption in Libya for a long time," said Christopher Bellew, an oil trader at Bache Commodities. " The risk is more to the upside -- there was a lot of long liquidation on that sharp sell off at the beginning of the week so we will work our way a bit higher probably." In Bahrain at least six opposition leaders have been arrested, a day after a crackdown on protests by the Shi'ite Muslim majority. A United Nations human rights official urged Bahrain to rein in its forces. State-owned Bahrain Petroleum Co (BAPCO) has partly shutdown production due to staff shortages caused by the protests, trade sources said.. Bahrain lies less than 100 kms from the hub of the Saudi oil industry at Dhahran, including the world's largest oilfields, oil terminal and processing plant. " The demonstrations in Bahrain are a potential threat to Saudi Arabia," said Thorbjorn Bak Jensen, oil market analyst at Global Risk Management. Saudi Shi'ites marched in the kingdom's oil-producing east on Wednesday, demanding the release of prisoners and voicing support for Shi'ites in nearby Bahrain, an activist and witnesses said. JAPAN, LIBYA DISRUPTIONS The market is also focused on the quake-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan where emergency crews are battling to cool an overheating nuclear plant in efforts to avert a meltdown. Although the Japanese reconstruction effort will be energy-intensive, manufacturing shutdowns such as that of Toshiba's LCD assembly line may reduce the immediate demand for electricity. Any lengthy disruptions to regional production networks could spill over into global supply chains and impact economic growth, investors fear. " With the Japanese crisis we are starting to enter an area of systemic risk where assets can see extreme fluctuations without necessarily a fundamental justification," Olivier Jakob, oil analyst at Petromatrix, said in a note. Bak Jensen said risk aversion had prompted the big sell-off earlier in the week, but when Japan regains control of its nuclear reactors, oil prices should pick up again. " Refined products such as fuel oil and gasoil are trading at premiums to Brent and that should put upward pressure on Brent," he said. In Libya, government soldiers battled rebels on the road to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi. The United Nations Security Council meets later on Thursday to consider its response to the escalating violence in Libya, with a vote planned on the no-fly zone. OPEC members including Saudi Arabia have increased output partly to compensate for the loss of as much as two-thirds of Libyan supplies, at the same time eroding spare capacity. Commerzbank's Lambrecht noted even if the Gaddafi regime quickly regains control of oilfields and exporting facilities, the sites are partly destroyed and market sanctions expected. (Additional reporting by Alejandro Barbajosa in Singapore editing by James Jukwey) |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 19:21
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U.N. rights boss urges Bahrain to rein in forces
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - Bahrain must rein in its security forces after allegations they had killed protesters and attacked medical workers, the top U.N. human rights official said on Thursday. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay voiced alarm at what she called the illegal " military takeover of hospitals" in the kingdom, where Bahraini forces used tanks and helicopters on Wednesday to drive protesters off the streets. " There are reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces," she said in a statement. " This is shocking and illegal conduct." Pillay, a former U.N. war crimes judge, said those who carried out these alleged acts, even under the orders of a superior, could be held criminally liable. The reported violations against pro-democracy activists related to Bahraini police, defence forces and troops from the Gulf Cooperation Council's Peninsula Shield Force, she said. Some 1,000 Saudi soldiers and 500 United Arab Emirates police officers entered Bahrain this week. " I urge the government not to use force against unarmed protesters, to facilitate medical treatment for the injured, to disarm the vigilante groups, including security officials wearing plain clothes, and I also urge the protesters and the government to engage in immediate dialogue for meaningful reforms and an end to violence," Pillay declared. Bahrain arrested at least six opposition leaders on Thursday, a day after its crackdown on protests by the Shi'ite Muslim majority drew rare U.S. criticism and raised fears of a regional conflict. Pillay said her office had received allegations that " automatic weapons may also have been used to shoot live ammunition at protesters and passers-by." Plainclothes security personnel had also been seen using " clubs, knives, swords and rocks to attack protesters." She had reports that security personnel had physically attacked medical workers at Manama's main hospital and were " preventing staff and patients from entering or leaving." There were fears that critically injured patients dependent on ventilators might die unless power was quickly restored at the hospital, she said, citing reports that electricity had been cut there on Wednesday. Bahraini forces had blocked ambulances from transporting injured civilians to medical facilities and attacked a number of villages, according to allegations received by her staff. Pillay also voiced concern at a three-month state of emergency declared by Bahrain's king this week and said that it was " no justification" for killings, torture or other abuses. (Editing by Robert Woodward) |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 19:18
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U.S. mulls air strikes as battle for Benghazi looms
Burnt-out cars are seen on the main road to Ajdabiyah
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan government soldiers battled rebels on the road to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi on Thursday as the United States raised the possibility of air strikes to stop Muammar Gaddafi's forces. But the international debate on what action to take may have dragged on too long to help the anti-Gaddafi uprising, now struggling to hold its ground one month after it started. Clashes around Ajdabiyah, a strategic town on the coastal highway, hampered the government advance on Benghazi but the army warned citizens it had the city in its sights and people should leave rebel-held locations. On the approaches to Ajdabiyah, burnt out cars could be seen by the roadside while Libyan government forces displayed artillery, tanks and mobile rocket launchers, much heavier weapons than those used by the rebels. The United States, previously cool on the idea of a foreign military intervention, said the U.N. Security Council should consider tougher action than a no-fly zone over Libya. " We are discussing very seriously and leading efforts in the Council around a range of actions that we believe could be effective in protecting civilians," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said in New York. " The U.S. view is that we need to be prepared to contemplate steps that include but perhaps go beyond a no-fly zone." Washington had initially reacted cautiously to Arab League and European calls for a no-fly zone over Libya, with some officials concerned it could be militarily ineffective or politically damaging. Diplomats at the United Nations told Reuters that the United States, Britain and France now supported the idea of the council authorizing military action such as airstrikes to protect civilian areas. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hoped the security council would vote " no later than Thursday." Saying Gaddafi seemed determined to kill as many as Libyans as possible, she said " many different actions" were being considered. Russia, China, Germany, India and other council members are either undecided or have voiced doubts about the proposal for a no-fly zone. Italy, a potential base for military action, ruled out military intervention in the oil-exporting country. A U.S. official said he could not confirm any discussion of a plan to attack Libyan forces. In theory, he said, military action could be directed not only at Gaddafi's air force, but at artillery and communications systems too. The U.S. change appeared to driven by the worsening plight of the rebels, who are fighting to end 41 years of rule by Gaddafi and have set up a provisional national council in Benghazi. Their ill-equipped forces have been routed by troops backed by tanks, artillery and war planes from towns they had seized in the early days of the uprising. ARMY ADVANCES Gaddafi, in an interview with French daily Le Figaro, said his troops' aim was to liberate the people from " the armed gangs" that occupy Benghazi. " If we used force, it would take just a day. But our aim is to progressively dismantle the armed groups, through various means, such as encircling cities or sending negotiators." But asked if dialogue with the rebels was possible, he repeated his assertion that they were linked to the al Qaeda Islamic militant organisation. " These are not people with whom we aim to talk to as al-Qaeda does not talk with anybody." On the fate of the rebel leadership, he said: " It is quite possible they will flee. Anyway, it's not really a structure. It has no value." A statement on Al-Libya state television told people in Benghazi that the army was on its way. " It urges you to keep out by midnight of areas where the armed men and weapon storage areas are located," it said. Benghazi residents poured scorn on the announcement and said the city was quiet. One civilian reached by phone from Tobruk, Hisham Mohammed, said: " People are okay here. There is a bit of tension, a little fear of air strikes but most people are fine." Three warplanes flew over Benghazi airport on Wednesday, witnesses said. An airport employee named Abdallah said one dropped a bomb that left a crater near the airport but did no other damage. Aid agencies the International Committee of the Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontieres have withdrawn their workers from Benghazi due to safety concerns. CLASHES ON BENGHAZI, TOBRUK ROADS The exact state of affairs in Abdabiyah, 150 km (90 miles) south of Benghazi on the Gulf of Sirte, was unclear on Thursday morning. Parts of it appeared to have changed hands several times in the past 48 hours, a recurring feature of the war over the towns strung along the North African coast. Osama Jazwi, a Benghazi doctor, said that when he left Ajdabiyah late on Wednesday, rebels controlled the city and fighting was still going on. At one point, Gaddafi's forces had cut the road from Adjabiyah to Tobruk but then rebels cleared them from it. But another civilian in Benghazi, who asked not to be named, said Ajdabiyah has fallen. " I know people there. There are many people leaving Ajdabiyah, coming through Benghazi and heading for the border." Bernard-Henri Levy, a French intellectual who returned from a mission to liaise with the rebel leadership, said it was already too late for a no-fly zone. " We should have done that eight days ago...Today we have to block the assault marching towards Benghazi which will launch a bloodbath. There are 1 million people who believed the Western promises who said Gaddafi is no longer legitimate," he said. Gaddafi will take a vicious revenge on the Libyan people who " made him look like a clown," he said in France. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Abbas in Tobruk, Mariam Karouny and Tarek Amara in Tunisia, Louis Charbonneau and Patrick Worsnip at the United Nations, Tom Heneghan in Algiers Writing by Angus MacSwan in Cairo Editing by Giles Elgood)
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 18:53
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thinking of singapore as a best place to stay, better think twice. korea housing is cheap and living in japan is not that expensive. | ||
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 18:49
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I've alway hold a strongly bearish thinky on singapore education system. In fact, the education journey from a child to adulthood is too lengthy, unless one willingly wish to compare those from china.  In europe, the education system is good. It's not about scoring full A for a certificate, it is on the willingness of oneself upgrade their knowledge. europe don't speak english at all. I means it was as their business language only. The percentage of english speaking class had dramatically decrease in near term.
In singapore, i learn that they like to compare own apple to a bad apple. the reason is quite simple... It tell ppl that own apple is alway sweeter than the other. WHY no own apple with good apple. It obviously showing other that they have no good apple under one sleeve
Afterall, is still the character of a person that really matter. |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 18:37
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I think ppl tend to act poor instead of being really poor. It quite true in urban area than those of rural area, i mean farmer. How the government want to utilise public money is of their own reputation risk thingy. in the end, they are paid and are the one tidying up the mess. thinking of " mia" is speculative. every word or movement from them are broadly broadcast through the media worldwide. Ya. i agree that the poor are those sick, old and lonely. they need government support to for a living. anyway human do live in the earth planet once in the live time.
Holland cpf policy is OK. i think singapore copy their version many many years ago. the dutch once says that we are here to work for a living, not live to work.... .
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pharoah88
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17-Mar-2011 16:22
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pharoah88
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17-Mar-2011 16:20
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# O V E R H E A R D # WHY do Governments ALWAYS ACT POOR in TIMES of CITIZENS' CRISIS ? ? ? ? Every month US$BILLIONS are spent on regional MEETINGS and they NEVER ACT POOR but instead ALL ACT RICH staying at 5-STAR SUITES and flying FIRST CLASS ? ? ? ? TRUE or FALSE ? ? ? ? |
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pharoah88
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17-Mar-2011 16:16
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Ms LOW shares her PROFITS from JAPAN POWER PLANTS with the JAPANESE consumers ! M A G N A N I M O U S ! LEADERSHIP Low's father, who was present at the ceremony, was clearly proud of his daughter's generosity -- the S$1 million comes out of her own pocket. He said the family has friends in Japan and the company also has business ties there. It imports equipment from Japan and supplies coal to Japanese power plants.
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 15:54
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S’porean donates S$1 million for Japan relief effortsTouched by the news about Japan's earthquake and tsunami disaster, one Singaporean decided she wanted to do more. 24-year-old Elaine Low presented her contribution to Japanese Ambassador to Singapore Yoichi Suzuki on Wednesday -- a cheque for S$1 million. Ms Low is the daughter of Datuk Low Tuck Kwong, 63, founder of Bayan Resources, an Indonesia-based coal-mining company. She is in charge of business development at the company.
Ms Elaine Low makes her generous contribution to the victims of the Japan disaster. (ST Photo)
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niuyear
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17-Mar-2011 14:41
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Kadhafi must be very happy that no one pays attention to him this whole week. lol! | ||
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 14:25
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Japan TOPIX close down 0.8 pct, JGB futures flat
TOKYO, March 17 (Reuters) - Japan's broad TOPIX share index ended down 0.8 percent on Thursday, after a volatile session, amid a deepening nuclear crisis and following the yen's surge to an all-time high versus the dollar.
Ten-year Japanese government bond futures finished the regular session down 0.02 point after pulling back from earlier highs as stocks reversed some of their losses. JGB futures ended at 139.70 after rising as high as 140.39 as speculators braced for possible currency intervention following the yen's surge or further monetary easing by the Bank of Japan in the wake of the yen's rally. (Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski and Shinichi Saoshiro Writing by Kazunori Takada Editing by Jacqueline Wong) |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 14:23
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IAEA chief heading to Japan to face nuclear crisis
By Sylvia Westall and Fredrik Dahl
VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. atomic energy chief said he planned to fly to Japan on Thursday to seek first-hand information of what he called a very serious situation at a stricken nuclear power plant in his home country. Yukiya Amano said he intended to request an extraordinary meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation governing board as soon as possible after he returned to Vienna. Amano's announcements of his trip and the IAEA board session made clear his growing concern over the crisis in Japan. It also suggested frustration at the Vienna-based agency, which is tasked with fostering the safe use of nuclear energy, about the lack of speedy and detailed information from Japan. " It is different to receive facts by email from Tokyo to sitting down with them and exchanging views," Amano told a news conference. " We always need to improve the flow of information." He said he hoped to meet high-level Japanese officials but left open whether he would go to the site of the severely damaged Fukushima plant during his one-day trip. Amano said it was not the time to say whether developments at the site had spun out of control, as suggested by a European Union energy official in remarks that hit global shares. The IAEA said it was seeking more information about the water levels at the reactor's spent fuel pools, which are essential for cooling down the high-level radioactive material. IAEA data on units 5 and 6 at the site showed the temperature in their pools had climbed to some three times normal levels. It had no recent data for the pool at unit 4. The United States has said it may have run dry. " If fuel is no longer covered by water or temperatures reach a boiling point, fuel can become exposed and create a risk of radioactive release," the IAEA said. REACTOR VESSELS " LARGELY INTACT" Amano said the IAEA had continuously been trying to help improve the safety of nuclear power plants against earthquakes. But he declined to comment on a report, in Britain's Daily Telegraph, that U.S. cables obtained by WikiLeaks said Japan had been warned more than two years ago by an IAEA official over the possible impact of earthquakes on nuclear power plants. The unnamed official was quoted in the document as saying that " recent earthquakes in some cases have exceeded the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving seismic safety work." In Japan early on Wednesday another fire broke out at the earthquake-damaged facility, which has sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo in the past 24 hours, triggering fear in the capital and international alarm. " It is a very serious situation," Amano said. Damage to the cores of units 1, 2 and 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor has been confirmed, although there has been no serious change there since Tuesday, he said. He said water was at a level that left up to two metres of the cores holding the fuel rods exposed, even though the pressure inside indicated the vessels remained " largely intact." Japanese media have criticised the government's handling of the disaster and operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. for its failure to provide enough information on the incident. The IAEA, which has as a mandate to share information with member states when there is a nuclear emergency, has also been criticised in the media and in comments posted on its Facebook page for providing scant and out-of-date information. The IAEA says it can provide only the information it receives and verifies. (Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton) |
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krisluke
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17-Mar-2011 14:16
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JAPAN PREPARED TO RECONNECT PLANT, HELICOPTERS DUMPING WATER NOW ON REACTORS9:34 ET: Regulators in Japan are speaking nowon the situation. We're covering LIVE. The speaker gave a rundown of the situation at the 6 reactors. The power plant will be re-hooked up to the grid soon, though even then it will be awhile before everything's working at full speed. 8:53 PM ET: IF you turn to NHK right now, you can watch helicopters dropping water on the plant right now.
8:38: A couple flashes from Reuters. One is that TEPCO is preparing, again to inject more water. The other is that radiation levels are actually DECLINING around the reactor. So, all things considered, not horrible news. 8:25 PM ET 3/16: The Nikkei has opened. After its big rally on Wednesday, stocks are diving. Meanwhile, Stars and Stripes has details on the Pentagon's worst-case-scenario disaster preparation. THE LATEST: All of the water is gone from one of the spent fuel pools, says U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission chief Gregory Jaczko. That means there's nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and melting down, according to the AP.
EARLIER: The UK's Foreign Office is now advising all British citizens in Tokyo, and north of Tokyo, to move away from the area, according to Sky. The U.S. government is telling its citizens that live within 50 miles of Fukushima to remain indoors or evacuate, according to Reuters. Click here for a map showing the affected area >
Update 9:16: DigitalGlobe has a great before-after image of the explosions at the reactors.
 Image: DigitalGlobe Update 6:51 AM: A depressing read here from the New York Times sizing up the situation. Update 5:51: And now according to Kyodo Wire, there are concerns at #5 and #6.
Update 4:49 AM ET: Nouriel Roubini's shop RGE Monitor (via @tracyalloway) has sent out a note on the crisis, predicting it gets upgraded from a 4 to a 5. The note is authored by Mikka Peneda:
This year marks Chernobyl's 25th anniversary, and how ironic it is that the world has a new nuclear emergency on its hands: Japan's Fukushima power plant, operated by TEPCO. The situation at Fukushima continues to worsen, with explosions at two more reactors and the radiation released surpassing that of Three Mile Island. The 40-year-old reactors, designed by General Electric, were due for decommissioning at the end of this month. The Fukushima nuclear incident will likely be upgraded from a level 4 to a 5 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. The scale runs from 0 to 7—the most severe. The incident will remain " an event with local consequences," although this excludes the consequences for the expansion of nuclear power generation around the world. Three Mile Island was a level 5 Chernobyl was a level 7—the only level 7 event so far.
In 1979, Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island (TMI) power plant experienced a cascade of events more similar to those of Fukushima. TMI was a pressurized water reactor Fukushima was a boiling water reactor. There's little difference between the two insofar as both used water to cool and regulate the reactors, except that TMI had a pressurizer. Like Fukushima, Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) was vented into the air to reduce pressure in the core, releasing some fissile products (Cesium-137 and Iodine-131—the same products released from Fukushima). TMI-2 also experienced a small hydrogen explosion, which tore off the exterior walls of the containment building, and a partial core meltdown. Cleanup cost US$975 million and took 14 years to complete.
Update 3:53 ET AM ET: NHK has released pictures showing again just how badly damaged reactors #3 and #4 are. There's also talk of another possible radiation leak at reactor #2 due to a collapse in pressure.
 Image: NHK Update 1:25 am EST March 16: Tokyo Electric Power Co. just released this photo of reactors #4 (center) and #3 (left) at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant taken the day before. (Photo: TEPCO via Yomiuri) Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that the most recent spike in radiation may stem from a damaged containment vessel in reactor No. 3, where rising smoke or steam was also observed on Wednesday. (via Marketwatch and CNN)
 Image: TEPCO via Yomiuri Update 11:39 pm EST: Japan has evacuated most workers and suspended temporarily efforts to prevent the Fukushima nuclear plant from melting down after increasing radiation levels became too dangerous for workers to remain at the facility, AP reports. About 50 technicians are the only people who currently remain at Fukushima.
A Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman said the " helicopters were deemed impractical, but that other options were under consideration, including fire engines," according to AP. Update 5:46: Fire breaks out again at reactor #4, according to Reuters, citing NHK.
And now, via Reuters, there are two workers missing. Update 2:35: The IAEA is out with a new statement, which includes this line: As of 00:16 UTC on 15 March, plant operators were considering the removal of panels from units 5 and 6 reactor buildings to prevent a possible build-up of hydrogen in the future. It was a build-up of hydrogen at units 1, 2, and 3 that led to explosions at the Daiichi facilities in recent days.
Update 10:45: According to Reuters, TEPCO's new plan is to dump water by helicopter, which sounds incredibly desperate. And some minor good news: All of the TEPCO power plants OTHER than the main one are fine, according to the IAEA.
Update 9:14: Another horrible headline from Kyodo Wire: TEPCO unable to pour water into No. 4 reactor's storage pool for spent fuel Update 8:35: Via ForexLive, TEPCO is saying that spent fuel rods in reactor #4 are exposed to the air. That sounds horrible.
Update 7:47 AM: France: The nuclear crisis is now a level-6 crisis on a scale of 7.
This is from Swedish paper Expressen.se:
Update 3:40 AM ET 3/15: After a night of terror, there is a brief calm. Radiation has pared back a little bit, and according to government spokesman Yukio Edano there isn't any indication of new radiation coming out. In fact, via TimeOutTokyo, Edano says the latest readings outside of Fukushima don't show radiation readings that are harmful to humans.
The latest from Kyodo: There are concerns over water levels at reactor #4, which is where there was a fire earlier.
Markets are diving around Asia. The Nikkei closed down 10.5%!
50 workers will stay at the plant to pump seawater into three reactors and battle the fire at the fourth, according to the NYT. KYODO Wire is now reporting that a small amount of radiation has been discovered in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, experts from the IAEA are coming to Japan, and word is that TEPCO has evacuated all non-essential personell.
The NYT has more details on the blast, and explains why this one may have been different than the other two. Meanwhile, radiation levels outside Fukushima have spiked.
Via Time Out Tokyo:
Cabinet Chief Yukio Edano: Now Reactor #4 is on fire. Digital Globe (via NYT) has some remarkable new satellite images from the damaged plant (note: this doesn't appear to be from the latest blast).
 Image: Digital Globe ------------- THE LATEST: Authorities have failed to keep Fukushima Daiichi reactor 2 under water, and it's now exposed, increasing the threat that radioactive material may enter the air, according to The New York Times.
The New York Times did not confirm earlier reports that nuclear fuel rods were melting in the reactors. 1:19 PM ET: The nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima power facilities continues, with 3 reactors fuel rods now melting down, according to Sky. TEPCO has admitted that rods are again exposed at reactor 2.
Read more on the reactor's history here>
EARLIER ON DAY 4: 11 people were injured in an explosion at Reactor #3, according to the BBC. This was somewhat expected and warned about yesterday. A wall at one of the reactors collapsed. Meanwhile, according to Kyodo Wire, the cooling function has been lost at a third reactor -- reactor #2. TEPCO disagrees, and says that both reactors 1 and 2 are likely safely cooled down, per FT Alphaville. According to the New York Times, the situation could play out like this for months. As the scale of Japan’s nuclear crisis begins to come to light, experts in Japan and the United States say the country is now facing a cascade of accumulating problems that suggest that radioactive releases of steam from the crippled plants could go on for weeks or even months. Also worrying is news that the crew of the USS Ronald Reagan has been exposed to a radiation cloud off the coast of Japan. The Japanese safety agency has said that there is " no chance" of a Chernobyl at Fukushima, according to Sky News.
Update 9:38: There's a low level " emergency" at a new power plant -- the Onagawa plant -- according to the IAEA, and France is warning its citizens to get out of Tokyo, thanks to fears of radiation.. Update 12:24: The cooling system has reportedly stopped at yet another plant, the Tokay No. 2 plant, which is in Japan's Ibaraki prefecture. This would make the third plant that has seen issues. Fukushima, Onagawana, and now this. Update 4:31: World Nuclear News has a good update on the situation, which is still very tense, but there appears to be some optimism and relief that things have stabilized at the closely watched reactor #3.
Just outside the 20KM radius, notes CNN, is the city of Minamisoma, population 72K. Update 8:06 AM: Kyodo has a long article explaining the latest, and at this moment there may still be reasons to be hopeful, specifically noting that the explosion is at the plant, near the reactor, but not inside vulnerable reactor #1. The NYT also has a good technical explanation of what's going on, including this hopeful sounding note: Naoto Sekimura, a professor at Tokyo University, told NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, that “only a small portion of the fuel has been melted. But the plant is shut down already, and being cooled down. Most of the fuel is contained in the plant case, so I would like to ask people to be calm.” Meanwhile, large aftershocks continue to rock the area. See here for satellite photos of the damage. Update 3:11 PM: It's been awhile since any official 'progress report' on the plant, however this report from the FT is encouraging, noting that enough seawater has been pumped into the plant to the point that it's not " dangerously low." Update 3:59: The first news in awhile, and it's not good. Two quick flashes from Reuters, one citing Japanese officials saying the cooling system at reactor #3 is NOT working, and another saying that 140K have now been evacuated from the Region.
Update 5:10: Reminder, you can watch English-language coverage LIVE from NHK here.
Update 5:56: There's a new headline from Kyodo Wire " 6th reactor at Fukushima nuke plant loses cooling functions." It's not clear if this a new reactor than the latest one previously reported to have lost cooling function.
Q& A time: Will the number of people exposed continue to grow from 9? Edano: No, the exposure was related to yesterday's release. Press conference over. Bottom line: At reactor #1, seawater has been injected and rods are underwater. Similar situation at reactor #3. 9:09 PM ET: The reactor has been flooded with seawater to avert a full meltdown. Officials are trying to figure out whether they can also flood #3. The New York Times describes these as extraordinary measures that will likely permanently disable the reactors. There is evidence that a partial meltdown has already occurred. EARLIER: This video, via Gabe Rivera, shows the moment the explosion happened at the 1:22 second mark.
Original post: Ominous flash from Kyodo Wire: The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant reported an abnormality Friday following a powerful earthquake which hit a wide area in northeastern Japan including Fukushima Prefecture, the industry ministry said. The system to cool reactor cores in case of emergency stopped at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., it said.
Update: There's no evidence of any radioactive leakage, but officials have confirmed that the cooling process for the nuclear plant has not yet gone according to plan. Update 2: Japan has declared a nuclear emergency. Update 3: 2000 residents near the Fukushima Nuclear Plant have been urged to evacuate. Update 4: According to reports, Japanese jets have been ordered to fly over the Fukushima Nuclear plant Update 5: According to Reuters, a Dam has broken in the same region as the at-risk nuclear power plant. Update 6: The owner of the plant, TEPCO, says the reactor pressure is rising, and there are risks of a radiation leak, according to Reuters. Update 7: Now the trade minister says a leak is possible.
Update 9: Japan just expanded the evacuation range from 3 KM to 9 KM, says Reuters. Update: 4:29 PM ET: Anti-nuclear expert Kevin Kamp explains the nightmare scenario in Fukushma, via Forbes and the Institute for Public Accuracy: “The electrical grid is down. The emergency diesel generators have been damaged. The multi-reactor Fukushima atomic power plant is now relying on battery power, which will only last around eight hours. The danger is, the very thermally hot reactor cores at the plant must be continuously cooled for 24 to 48 hours. Without any electricity, the pumps won’t be able to pump water through the hot reactor cores to cool them. Once electricity is lost, the irradiated nuclear fuel could begin to melt down. If the containment systems fail, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur. “In addition to the reactor cores, the storage pool for highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel is also at risk. The pool cooling water must be continuously circulated. Without circulation, the still thermally hot irradiated nuclear fuel in the storage pools will begin to boil off the cooling water. Within a day or two, the pool’s water could completely boil away. Without cooling water, the irradiated nuclear fuel could spontaneously combust in an exothermic reaction. Since the storage pools are not located within containment, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur. Up to 100 percent of the volatile radioactive Cesium-137 content of the pools could go up in flames and smoke, to blow downwind over large distances. Given the large quantity of irradiated nuclear fuel in the pool, the radioactivity release could be worse than the Chernobyl nuclear reactor catastrophe of 25 years ago.” Meanwhile, Kyodo is reporting that local radiation levels are 8 times more than normal. Update 4:43 PM: Now according to Kyodo, radiation is measured at 1000x normal. Update 5:05: The entire world is now watching the Fukushima plant. Here's a link to a satellite image of the plant, just to get some more perspective on where this is.
Update 7:39: The latest from Kyodo Wire: Government holds emergency meeting on the plant, and is taking unprecedented step of demanding the plant open a key valve. Update 7:51: At least 20,000 people are being evacuated from the region says Reuters, which ominously quotes an expert who thinks there may be just a few hours until meltdown. Update 3/12 12:19 AM: This just came from Reuters on twitter... REUTERS FLASH: #Japan nuclear authorities say high possibility of meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi No. 1 reactor - Jiji Update 3/12 12:26: Now a headline from Kyodo Wire: Fukushima nuke plant might be experiencing nuclear meltdown. From AP via Steve Herman: A meltdown would potentially put humans at risk within a 6 KM range. What is a nuclear meltdown? Wikipedia has a good primer. WSJ: Authorities pouring water into reactor to " stop the meltdown." Update 3/12 2/21: First positive headline in awhile from Kyodo: Pressure successfully released from Fukushima No. 1 reactor. Saturday 3:50 ET: There's been a large explosion at the nuclear plant and the outer wall has been destroyed, according to Reuters.
Click here for dramatic pictures of the disaster >
 Image: NHK |
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8:41 PM ET: BREAKING Japan Nuclear Agency says nuke plant could be reconnected to power grid THIS afternoon.
Update 5:03 AM: According to broadcaster NHK, Japan's Defense Forces have aborted its latest plans to spray water on reactor #3.
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