Contaminated Water Poses Latest Threat at Japanese Nuclear Plant

Posted June 2nd, 2011 at 1:30 am (UTC-5)
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Workers at Japan's crippled nuclear plant are urgently seeking new places to store highly radioactive water as levels rise toward ground level in utility trenches near two reactors.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company said Wednesday that water levels were less than 35 centimeters from the top of the trenches. Japanese media said the levels continued to rise overnight and the water could begin spilling into the ocean within days.

TEPCO said it hopes to use a turbine condenser to remove some of the water at the number three reactor and more water may be transferred to other buildings at the Fukushima complex. The company hopes to have a water purifier in place by the middle of June.

The company is manually pumping water into the reactors to keep the nuclear fuel from overheating, but some of the radioactive water is leaking into the basements of the buildings. Three days of heavy rain caused by Tropical Storm Songda added to the problem, and the rainy season is just beginning.

Workers have been checking for leaks near a third utility trench where water levels have been falling, even as they rise at the other two.

Contamination from the plant remains a major concern for residents in the surrounding Fukushima prefecture. National broadcaster NHK reported Thursday that schools in the prefecture are urging children to continue to wear their long-sleeve winter uniforms during the summer months to reduce their exposure to the fallout.

Rights Groups Hail Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Law

Posted June 2nd, 2011 at 1:05 am (UTC-5)
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A coalition of Nigerian rights groups is hailing the country's new Freedom of Information law as a victory for transparency in government.

A spokesman for Right to Know Initiative says the law passed by President Goodluck Jonathan Saturday gives Nigerians the tools uncover facts and hold public officials and institutions accountable.

The law also protects whistleblowers from reprisals by an employer or organization.

Private institutions that receive public funds or provide services to the public must also abide by the new law.

The coalition consisting of the Right to Know Initiative, Media Rights Agenda, and Open Society Justice Initiative pushed for the law since 1999, when Nigeria transferred to a democracy from military rule.

Vancouver Canucks Win Opening Game of NHL Stanley Cup Series

Posted June 2nd, 2011 at 12:55 am (UTC-5)
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Raffi Torres scored the game-winning goal with just 19 seconds remaining in regulation to give the host Vancouver Canucks a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins in the first game of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup championship series.

The game had been a defensive standoff up until that point, with Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo and Boston goalie Tim Thomas making numerous saves that threatened to send the contest into overtime. But Torres scored on Thomas after receiving a dazzling pass from teammate Jannik Hansen to give Vancouver, the NHL's highest scoring team, a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Luongo finished with 36 saves, while Thomas made 33 saves.

Game two of the Stanley Cup finals is set for Saturday in Vancouver.

Argentina Bans Tobacco Advertising, Smoking in Public Places

Posted June 2nd, 2011 at 12:45 am (UTC-5)
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Argentina has approved a nationwide ban on tobacco advertising and smoking in public places.

After years of debate, lawmakers in the lower house of the Argentine Congress overwhelmingly approved the law on Wednesday over the strong opposition of the tobacco industry. In addition to the bans on advertising and smoking in enclosed public spaces, the new law requires manufacturers to put health warnings on cigarette packages.

Argentine health minister Juan Manzur hailed the legislature's action, saying that “at last” Argentina has a law controlling tobacco use.

The Argentine government estimates that about eight million of its people smoke, nearly a third of its adult population. Tobacco-related diseases are thought to contribute to about 40,000 deaths a year.

In 2006, Uruguay became the first Latin American nation to ban smoking in public places and several other countries in the region have since followed.

Kan Offers Future Resignation as Party Faces Possible Defeat

Posted June 2nd, 2011 at 12:25 am (UTC-5)
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Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has offered to resign in the coming months amid party defections that threaten to bring down his government in a parliamentary vote later Thursday.

Mr. Kan said at a meeting of his Democratic Party of Japan Thursday that he would like to hand over power to a younger generation once the prospects for dealing with the consequences of a March 11 earthquake become more clear.

Pressure has been building for the resignation of Mr. Kan amid widespread dissatisfaction with his handling of the earthquake clean-up and the resulting Fukushima nuclear crisis. Dozens of party members plan to join the opposition in a Thursday no-confidence vote that is considered too close to call.

Analysts say the opposition needs 82 DPJ votes to pass the motion. NHK national television said it has been told by about 70 members that they plan to vote for the motion, and as many as 40 others are undecided.

Mr. Kan has said he will dissolve parliament and order new elections if the vote succeeds.

The opposition submitted the motion Wednesday evening, charging that Mr. Kan has failed to show leadership in the handling of the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. Opinion polls show the public shares that view, with Mr. Kan's approval rating consistently standing below 30 percent.

But few look forward to new elections, which would complicate Japan's efforts to deal with the massive job of rebuilding after the nation's worst earthquake and a resulting tsunami. The country is also struggling to cope with a massive public debt.

Many members of Mr. Kan's party would prefer to form a coalition with the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, enabling the country to confront its challenges with a united government.

In his remarks Thursday morning, Mr. Kan said he feels that he still must fulfill his obligations to the Japanese people.

But, he said, once the prospects for dealing with the earthquake become clear and he has been able to fulfill his obligations to a significant degree, he would like to hand over many of his responsibilities.

Japanese PM Promises to Resign After Earthquake Clean-up

Posted June 2nd, 2011 at 12:05 am (UTC-5)
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Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he will offer to step down once he has fulfilled his responsibilities to deal with the effects of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

National NHK television broadcast the remarks made by Mr. Kan Thursday to a meeting of his Democratic Party of Japan. Dozens of party members have threatened to vote against the prime minister in a no-confidence vote scheduled for parliament later Thursday.

Mr. Kan said he feels that he still has to fulfill his promises to the Japanese people. But he said that once the prospects for dealing with the earthquake become more clear, and he feels that he has fulfilled his responsibilities to a significant degree, he would like to hand over his responsibilities to “the younger generation.”

Recent public opinion polls have shown high levels of dissatisfaction with the government's response to the earthquake, and the resultant nuclear crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant, which continues to leak radiation almost three months after being struck by a tsunami.

Tornadoes Strike Northeastern US, Killing Four

Posted June 1st, 2011 at 11:35 pm (UTC-5)
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At least two tornadoes ripped through a heavily populated area of the northeastern United States on Wednesday, killing four people and injuring others.

The latest in a string of twisters to hit the country in recent weeks struck the western area of the state of Massachusetts, a region where tornadoes are relatively rare. The tornadoes left a path of destruction along a 64-kilometer stretch, with at least 19 communities reporting that buildings, cars and other property had been damaged by the swirling winds.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency and called up 1,000 members of the National Guard to help with rescue work.

Tornadoes have killed more than 500 people in the United States this year, the highest annual toll since 1950.

Meanwhile, officials say they have accounted for all the people who were missing after the May 22 Joplin, Missouri tornado. The death toll of 134 makes it the deadliest single tornado to hit the U.S. since 1947.

Authorities have said the bodies of some victims of the Joplin tornado are so badly damaged, it has been necessary to use DNA and dental records to identify them.

Japanese PM Promises to Resign After Earthquake Clean-up

Posted June 1st, 2011 at 11:35 pm (UTC-5)
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Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he will offer to step down once he has fulfilled his responsibilities to deal with the effects of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

National NHK television broadcast the remarks made by Mr. Kan Thursday to a meeting of his Democratic Progressive Party. Dozens of party members have threatened to vote against the prime minister in a no-confidence vote scheduled for parliament later Thursday.

Mr. Kan said he feels that he still has to fulfill his promises to the Japanese people. But he said that once the prospects for dealing with the earthquake become more clear, and he feels that he has fulfilled his responsibilities to a significant degree, he would like to hand over his responsibilities to “the younger generation.”

Recent public opinion polls have shown high levels of dissatisfaction with the government's response to the earthquake, and the resultant nuclear crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant, which continues to leak radiation almost three months after being struck by a tsunami.

Gates: US Won’t “Hold Down” Great Power China

Posted June 1st, 2011 at 11:20 pm (UTC-5)
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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States understands that China has been a great power for thousands of years and will continue to be a great power into the future.

Gates told reporters Thursday that the United States is not trying to “hold China down” but only to manage the military relationship in ways that will permit the countries to cooperate where possible and to handle their differences peacefully.

Gates, who plans to meet his Chinese counterpart at a security conference that begins Friday in Singapore, said on his flight to Asia that Beijing is developing a number of new weapons systems that are of concern to the United States. But, he believes China learned a lesson from the failure of the Soviet Union and does not intend to challenge the United States across its “full range of capabilities.”

Rather, he said, he thinks the Chinese are pursuing capabilities that will give them greater freedom of action in Asia and allow them to extend their influence.

Gates said he had no opinion about a request from Taiwan to purchase advanced F-16 jet fighters from the United States, a move that would likely set back recent improvements in military relations between the countries. The relationship was frozen for a year over the last U.S. weapons sale to Taiwan.

The secretary did say that both Democratic and Republican Party administrations in which he has served have been careful to balance relations with China against a statutory requirement to make sure Taiwan has adequate weapons for its self-defense.

This is the seventh visit to Asia in 18 months for Gates, who retires at the end of this month. He will be meeting with defense ministers and military chiefs from across the Asia-Pacific region, including Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, during the Shangri La Dialogue which runs Friday through Sunday in Singapore.

Strong Explosions Rock Tripoli

Posted June 1st, 2011 at 10:20 pm (UTC-5)
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At least three suspected NATO air strikes hit targets in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, early Thursday while yet another high-ranking official fled the country and announced his defection from leader Moammar Gadhafi's embattled government.

Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem, one of the most prominent officials to have publicly broken with the Libyan strongman, said in Rome Wednesday that he left his job because the violence and killing in his homeland had become “unbearable.”

Italy's ANSA news agency quoted Ghanem as saying it had become impossible to work in such circumstances and that he had quit “to join young Libyans to fight for a democratic country.” Ghanem said he has not yet decided if he will join the anti-Gadhafi rebels.

Last month, Libyan officials denied reports Ghanem had defected in Tunisia, saying instead he was abroad on business. His announcement in Rome came two days after eight senior Libyan army officers held a news conference there saying they had abandoned Libyan government forces and urging fellow security officials to do the same.

Also Wednesday, a U.N. panel investigating the Libyan conflict said forces loyal to Mr. Gadhafi and anti-government rebels have both committed war crimes.

Three U.N.-appointed experts said in the report that the violations committed by pro-Gadhafi forces were severe enough to also constitute crimes against humanity. However, they said acts by opposition armed forces were not severe or widespread enough to be put in that category.

Last month, the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants for Mr. Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and Intelligence Chief Abdullah al-Senoussi for alleged crimes against humanity. Libyan officials dismissed the ICC request, saying the court has no jurisdiction in the country.

The U.N. report came the same day that NATO extended its military mission in Libya for 90 days. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the move is meant to send a clear message to the Gadhafi government that the pressure to oust him will continue.

The current NATO operation, comprising of airstrikes and enforcement of a no-fly zone, would have ended in late June. The extension carries it to September.

Meanwhile, in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, a large explosion destroyed two cars outside a hotel used by foreign diplomats, journalists and opposition leaders. A rebel spokesman said Gadhafi loyalists had thrown a hand grenade under the cars in a “desperate attempt” to sow terror. There were no casualties.

U.S. State Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week for a meeting of the 22-nation Libyan Contact Group. Earlier this month, the group agreed to set up a fund to help provide Libyan rebels with food, medicine and military supplies in the areas under their control.

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