Saturday, April 30, 2011
30/04 Quake reconstruction panel member says Fukushima should abandon nuclear power (E-J)
30/04 Weather chief draws flak over plea not to release radiation forecasts
30/04 Many prefectural governors unhappy with Kan's handling of disaster
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Just over half of Japan's prefectural governors do not believe that Prime Minister Naoto Kan has done well in handling the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis, a Kyodo News survey showed Friday.
Of 46 governors of Japan's 47 prefectures surveyed since mid-April, 25 said Kan has done poorly in leading disaster relief efforts, citing his inability to meet the changing needs of survivors in affected areas and the lack of a sense of determination in his action, among other reasons.
The governor of Fukushima Prefecture did not take part in the survey, saying he had to concentrate on the response to the natural calamities and the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The largest percentage of governors did not approve of the prime minister's handling of the nuclear crisis, with 30 mostly complaining about how the central government released information on the nuclear plant.
The governor of Akita Prefecture said the government was late in lifting the severity level of the crisis at the Fukushima plant to the highest level of 7 on an international scale, while the Oita governor complained that bad news should be made public more promptly.
Only six prefectural heads approved of Kan's response to the disaster, with the Saitama governor saying that the prime minister's decision to dispatch around 100,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel was appropriate.
Only two governors thought the prime minister had lived up to expectations in dealing with the nuclear crisis.
Asked how they would respond to a request to newly build or expand nuclear power facilities, nine governors said their basic stance is to refuse, while five said it is completely unacceptable.
Governors who did not say that freezing or scaling down existing nuclear power plants is necessary still suggested that certain changes are needed, with some calling for a review of safety standards and public discussion of the issue.
In reference to securing funds for reconstruction, some governors favored new government bond issuance and the cancellation of some of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's campaign pledges, while a small number supported tax hikes.
The survey also found that 45 governors plan or have already started to review local disaster prevention programs, with many considering enhanced ways to protect against tsunami and address problems at nuclear plants.
(Mainichi Japan) April 30, 2011
30/04 Cambodian, Thai troops break truce
PHNOM PENH, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Exchange of gunfire between Cambodian and Thai troops broke out again early Saturday in the disputed border area near the 13th century Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, marking the ninth straight day of border clash, said a field military commander. "The fighting started again this morning at around 4:00 a.m. at Ta Krabei temple, Thai soldiers launched the attack first," Suos Sothea, deputy commander of the artillery unit, told Xinhua by telephone from the battle field. "Thai troops have fired small arms, rockets and artillery at our troops. We have also opened fire to defend our territory, but we have not used heavy weapons to fight back yet." It's too early to report casualties, he said. The fighting erupted again despite both sides reached ceasefire agreement after the conflict left eight Cambodian and seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian dead in the last eight days. The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated. Cambodian Ministry of Defense said that Thai troops wanted to capture Ta Krabei temple and Ta Mon temple, 150 kilometers west of Preah Vihear temple which has been a flash point of border conflict between the two neighboring countries since it was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.
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30/04 Cambodian, Thai troops break truce
PHNOM PENH, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Exchange of gunfire between Cambodian and Thai troops broke out again early Saturday in the disputed border area near the 13th century Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, marking the ninth straight day of border clash, said a field military commander. "The fighting started again this morning at around 4:00 a.m. at Ta Krabei temple, Thai soldiers launched the attack first," Suos Sothea, deputy commander of the artillery unit, told Xinhua by telephone from the battle field. "Thai troops have fired small arms, rockets and artillery at our troops. We have also opened fire to defend our territory, but we have not used heavy weapons to fight back yet." It's too early to report casualties, he said. The fighting erupted again despite both sides reached ceasefire agreement after the conflict left eight Cambodian and seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian dead in the last eight days. The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated. Cambodian Ministry of Defense said that Thai troops wanted to capture Ta Krabei temple and Ta Mon temple, 150 kilometers west of Preah Vihear temple which has been a flash point of border conflict between the two neighboring countries since it was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.
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Miss Philippines 2011 winners bared
Candidates of the Binibining Pilipinas 2011 (Miss Philippines) pose in their swimsuits during the coronation night awarding ceremony in Quezon City, Philippines, April 11, 2011. The Binibining Pilipinas pageant crowned early Monday its newest beauty queens who will represent the country to attend international beauty competitions. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Winners of the Binibining Pilipinas 2011 (Miss Philippines) blow kisses during the coronation night awarding ceremony in Quezon City, Philippines, April 11, 2011. The Binibining Pilipinas pageant crowned early Monday its newest beauty queens who will represent the country to attend international beauty competitions. From left to right are Binibining Pilipinas-Tourism Isabella Manjon, Miss Philippines-Universe Shamcey Supsup, and Binibining Pilipinas-International Dianne Necio. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Kazakhstan Fashion Week drops curtain
30/04 Cái bang thời công nghệ cao
Wang Hao được gọi là "người ăn xin quyền lực nhất trên mạng" - Ảnh: shanghaiist.com |
29/04 Panasonic axing 40,000 jobs
Panasonic Corp. plans to cut nearly 40,000 jobs worldwide by the end of March 2013, the largest ever downsizing by a Japanese manufacturer.
The program will mean a 10-percent reduction in the group's global work force and is expected to bite deepest into divisions and subsidiaries abroad.
The 40,000 figure, due to be announced on April 28 along with the group's fiscal 2011 management strategy, includes about 20,000 jobs sliced from the group's payroll through the sale of its Sanyo Electric Co. subsidiary's semiconductor business, which was announced in summer 2010.
That leaves a total global staff estimated at about 360,000 people at the end of March. The group is planning to cut that by about 20,000 within two years.
Further sales of group businesses and a voluntary retirement program will help slash the payroll.
Panasonic acquired a majority stake in Sanyo in 2009, and, on April 1, Sanyo and Panasonic Electric Works Co. became wholly owned subsidiaries of the group.
As of the end of March 2010, the group's work force consisted of about 220,000 Panasonic Corp. employees, about 100,000 Sanyo employees, and about 60,000 Panasonic Electric staff. About 20,000 of the Sanyo staff are leaving because of the sale of its semiconductor division.
The group will reorganize its corporate structure by whittling down its 16 business divisions to nine in January 2012.
Business divisions that the three group companies run separately--head office functions, white goods (e.g. washing machines) and overseas manufacturing--will be restructured and scaled back. The group will focus resources on TVs, white goods, and environment-related businesses.
The Panasonic group cut about 20,000 jobs in 2001 shortly after the collapse of the IT bubble economy. It slashed about 15,000 jobs in fiscal 2009 when it posted a deficit in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers. One of its competitors, Sony Corp., shed 16,000 jobs in 2008.
29/04 Scientists to map radioactive contamination in Fukushima
About 300 experts from Osaka University, Hiroshima University, the University of Tokyo and other academic and research institutions will start collecting soil samples in May at up to 10,000 locations in 1,500 designated areas, mainly in Fukushima Prefecture, to create a soil-pollution map.
The map will be designed primarily to help designate evacuation areas.
The science ministry intends to use the map as a picture of the situation concerning radioactive pollution in areas around the crippled plant
The project was formed on the initiative of three scientists: Mamoru Fujiwara, associate professor, Osaka University Research Center for Nuclear Physics; Masaharu Hoshi, professor, Hiroshima University Research Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Biology; and Takaharu Otsuka, professor, University of Tokyo Center for Nuclear Study.
In response to a call by the researchers, experts nationwide in nuclear physics, environmental radioactivity and meteorology have offered to help.
The group will also receive support from a Russian research institute of radiation medicine, which carried out environmental surveys in areas contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
Around mid-May, the team will start its work by dividing the area around the stricken nuclear power plant spanning 100 kilometers north-south and 60 kilometers east-west into 1,500 2-kilometer square zones. The researchers will collect soil samples at five to seven points in each zone to measure levels of such radioactive isotopes as iodine-131, cesium-137 and strontium-90. The level of radiation in each zone will be shown on the pollution map.
The group also plans to conduct a radiation survey in the 20-kilometer off-limits zone around the plant, and is holding talks with the government for the survey.
Levels of soil pollution are affected by such factors as topographical and meteorological conditions. Measurements at two points in the same area can differ widely.
Detailed pollution data are essential for careful planning of evacuation zones.
The group plans to carry out the survey every few months to update the map.
Regular updates are important because, compared with the areas around the Chernobyl plant, those around the Fukushima plant are more undulating and rainy, according to the researchers. Rain causes soil drainage and significant changes in radiation levels over time.
The group will also study the effects of soil contamination on human health by using data from health checkups of local residents.
It was three years after the Chernobyl accident that a detailed map of cesium-137 contamination was completed.
Since the measurements of iodine-131, which has a short half life of about eight days, in areas around the Chernobyl plant were not sufficient, it was impossible to make an accurate assessment of the effects of this radioactive material on the health of local residents, in particular the correlation between levels of iodine-131 contamination and the incidence of thyroid cancer. Exposure to iodine-131, which is concentrated in the thyroid when absorbed by the body, is believed to increase the risk of thyroid cancer.
The science ministry is also developing its own soil pollution map, but it is currently measuring radiation levels at only 53 locations.
"We hope to work with the researchers and make effective use of the map," said an official at the ministry.
"An early radiation survey is indispensable for accurately estimating the risk of developing cancer due to exposure to radioactive materials," said Osaka University's Fujiwara. "Basic data about soil pollution will also help develop convincing evacuation plans for local residents."