Tag Archives: disaster

Fukushima

One Year Later: Even more Strontium pouring into the Pacific Ocean from Fukushima!

April 5, 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company is admitting that even more strontium 90 is pouring into the Pacific Ocean from the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

TEPCo officials say at least 12 tons of contaminated water poured into the ocean overnight.  They blame it on the usual suspect; leaking pipes!

Around 02:00 the morning of April 5, workers found a joint in a waste water pipe had been disconnected, causing the huge leak.  It took them half an hour to fix it.

This is the third major strontium leak reported by TEPCo, since December 2011.

Business/Economics, International

Class Warfare: David Cameron plays Robin Hood with bank accounts and Charities, another game of smoke and mirrors

April 4, 2012, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, announced that the British government will start raiding bank accounts, officially to fund charities.

The British plan (called Big Society Capital) claims to be targeting bank accounts that have been inactive for more than 15 years.

The British government has realized how bad of an effect their slashing and burning of social programs is having on the general population of the U.K.   So, they’ve come up with this plan of raiding bank accounts, supposedly belonging to wealthier Britons, in order to fund charities now struggling to deal with growing social strife due to the government funding cuts.

There is also a catch to this plan to help the poor, charities must prove they are helping people and that their programs are successful, or else the money stops: “Big Society Capital is going to encourage charities and social enterprises to prove their business models, and then replicate them. Once they’ve proved that success in one area they’ll be able, just as a business can, to seek investment for expansion into the wider region and into the country.”-David Cameron, Prime Minister United Kingdom

To add confusion about the sincerity of the Big Society Capital plan, some bank officials have told inactive account holders not to worry, because if they ask for their money back they’ll get it.

History shows that whenever the elites of Briton put a capitalist spin on social programs they always end in disaster for the poor.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Yahoo confirms, will lay off thousands of employees

“The changes we’re announcing today will put our customers first, allow us to move fast, and to get stuff done…smaller, nimbler, more profitable…We are intensifying our efforts on our core businesses and redeploying resources to our most urgent priorities.”-Yahoo memo to employees

On March 31, 2012, rumors hit the internet that Yahoo was in trouble and would fire thousands of employees.

April 4, 2012, Chief Executive Scott Thompson revealed they will indeed lay off 2,000 employees.

Thompson said he would reveal more details on April 17.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Australia to allow United States to greatly increase military operations Down Under

Australian military officials gave a clue just how much the U.S. military will increase its presence in the region.

Not only will at least 2,500 U.S. forces be based in Darwin, Australia, but the U.S. Navy will be allowed to use their naval port at Perth.

Asian media pointing out that all the locations the U.S. will be allowed to operate from in Australia, face China, India and Southeast Asia.

Michael Wesley, at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, says Darwin is just outside the reach of Chinese ICBMs.

The Australian government has also revealed that the U.S. could be allowed to operate terror drones from the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

International, U.S.

World War 3: More huge drug busts, dozens more deaths, Mujahideen Spring Offensive rolls on

April 4, 2012, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials claim 227 kilograms (500 pounds) of marijuana was found in Kandahar Province, during a routine patrol.

The day before, in Nimroz Province, aircraft spotted two suspicious vehicles.  A search turned up more than 3,150 pounds (1,430 kilograms) of drugs.  ISAF claims they destroyed the drugs.

ISAF is also reporting four more U.S. led NATO soldiers were killed on April 4.   One was killed in an ambush by Mujahideen in eastern Afghanistan, the other three were killed when their vehicle hit a mine in northern Afghanistan.

As usual ISAF refuses to give even a location where the incident took place: “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”-ISAF statement

ISAF is also claiming that U.S. led forces, including Afghan government forces, have killed or captured 14 Mujahideen in the past 24 hours.

Also, on the morning of April 4, in Faryab Province an explosion killed at least five civilians and six U.S. led troops, and wounded about 26 others.

According to local security boss, Abdul Khaliq Aqsai, it was a suicide bomber who attacked a ISAF/NATO convoy, which just happened to be near the provincial governor’s office.  ISAF has not commented.

In Kandahar Province, a local police chief was assassinated, about noon time April 4.  The provincial governor’s office said they do not know who did it.

 

 

 

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Japanese official says some areas of Japan will be radioactive forever. Duh, just ask the people of Prypiat, if you can find them!

About one year ago, Japanese government officials swore to the refugees fleeing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, that they’d be returning home soon.

Not only did that turn out to be a lie, but one official now says some towns will never be inhabitable.

On April 4, 2012, Japan’s reconstruction minister, Hirano Tatsuo, told the Governor of Fukushima Province, and the Mayor of Futaba Town, that because of the storage of highly radioactive waste coming from Fukushima Daiichi, the areas around that waste can never be lived in.

There are areas of Fukushima Province, being used to store hundreds of tons of contaminated water (left over from trying to keep the disaster reactors cool), that are being irradiated by the deadly levels of radiation in the water.

The Japanese media is pointing out that Hirano’s opinion runs counter to the official statements of the government.  The Japanese government continues to promise the nuclear refugees that they will be able to return to all their homes.

Here’s a thought: It’s been proven that Fukushima Daiichi is worse than Chernobyl, and yet, how many people have been allowed to return to Prypiat, the town next to the Chernobyl nuclear plant, 26 years later?  Zero!

Prypiat had nearly 50,000 people prior to the Chernobyl explosion in 1986.  Now it’s a city full of vacant and ghostly skyscrapers.

International, U.S.

World War 3: NATO supply convoy blown up, U.S. led soldiers killed, Afghan police killed

On the night of April 2, 2012, a NATO fuel supply convoy was ambushed and destroyed in Farah Province, Afghanistan.

Six fuel tankers and two escort vehicles were burned to the ground.  No info concerning casualties.

Another evening attack left at least four Afghan police and two civilians dead.

The attack took place in Helmand Province. Officials say Mujahideen launched an attack on a police checkpoint.

During the morning of April 3, in the province of Nangarhar, an explosion wounded at least three people.

Local officials say a vehicle with bodyguards riding in it hit a mine (roadside bomb).

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials say at least two U.S./NATO soldiers were killed on April 3.  One from an explosion, the other from non-combat injuries.

As is SOP (standard operating procedure) for ISAF, they refuse to give any further details.  ISAF officials defer troop details to the “…relevant national authorities.”

For the week of March 25-31, ISAF reported approximately seven instances of U.S./NATO troop deaths.

 

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Syrian Army rescues hostages held by U.S. supported Rebels, Rebels surrender to Syrian government, Russia sends navy destroyer, Lebanon catches arms smugglers

Russia has sent a destroyer to Syria.  The ship left its Black Sea home of Sevastopol and is expected to be at the Syrian port of Tartus in a few days.

Russian officials say it is a routine visit.

April 2, 2012, in the city of Homs, the Syrian army claims to have rescued 66 hostages held by U.S./Israeli backed rebels.

In the city of Idlib at least eight rebels were killed.

Also on April 2, more than 100 rebels surrendered to Syrian government officials.

In Lebanon, nine men were indicted of trying to smuggle Western supplied weapons and ammo into Syria.  Three of the men are still on the loose, the other six are in Lebanese jail.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Chopper down, Afghan police join Mujahideen, Afghan woman executed, children wounded

April 1, 2012, Zabihullah Mujahid (supposed Taliban rep) claims they shot down a U.S./NATO/ISAF helicopter, killing 14 people.

Mujahid says they used an old Cold War era Soviet 82mm RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). It happened in Ghazni Province.

Also in Ghazni Province, on April 2, at least three Afghan national police were wounded after their vehicle struck a mine.  Mujahideen are claiming responsibility.

On April 2, 2012, two explosions hit a town in Baghlan Province.  24 people, including 12 children, were wounded.  As is normal in attacks against civilians, no one claims responsibility.

Again on April 2, in Kandahar Province, a Afghan army vehicle patrol hit a mine (IED, roadside bomb).  One Afghan soldier was killed, three other wounded.

On April 1, an Afghan national police officer got into a shootout with suspected militants, in Kandahar City.  The cop was killed, as well as two suspects.

In Paktia Province, an unmarried woman was sentenced to death for having sex with a man!  The sentence came from tribal elders, who then executed her.

Local police have arrested her two brothers, saying they basically set her up.  There is some confusion, because the man the woman was accused of having sex with, might have been in jail in Kabul at the time.  Also, local police say those who did the actual execution have fled the area.

According to the UN’s Independent Human Rights Commission, about 15 murder cases and 24 suicide cases, involving women, were reported just in the province of Paktia in 2011.

In Uruzgan Province, at least 11 Afghan national police officers joined the anti-government Mujahideen. It happened on April 1. Government officials noticed they were short about a dozen cops and went looking for them.

A spokesman for local Mujahideen, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, announced the cops had joined their operation, bringing all their government issued weapons with them.

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? European Unemployment Up, Spain hit hardest

April 2, 2012, the European Union reported that unemployment is still high.  It’s the 8th straight month of increasing unemployment for the EU.

Portugal’s unemployment is now at 15%, with Italy at 9.3%.

Spain is hardest hit, with 23.6% officially unemployed.  Young workers under 25 years of age are suffering the most.  Spain’s youth unemployment rate is at 50.5%, which means that one out of every two youth are out of work!