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Updated at 4.15pm
JAPANESE NUCLEAR AUTHORITIES are still pushing to restore energy to the earthquake- and tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in order to restore water pump action and cool overheated fuel.
The authorities said today that radiation levels in spinach and milk from farms near the nuclear plant exceeded government safety limits.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had incorrectly announced earlier today that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “has ordered a stop to the sale of all food products from the Fukushima Prefecture” following the discovery of radioactive iodine contamination in some food products. Instead, it clarified this afternoon, the government is considering the ban, but has not ordered it.
The tainted milk was found within 30km of the plant and the spinach was found between 80km and 100km south of the Fukushima station. Tests are being carried out on other food products.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the levels currently found “pose no immediate risk”, but “it would not be good to continue to eat it for some time”. The IAEA said the radioactive iodine decays naturally within weeks, but poses a short-term risk if ingested and absorbed:
If ingested, it can accumulate in and cause damage to the thyroid. Children and young people are particularly at risk of thyroid damage due to the ingestion of radioactive iodine.
Restoring energy
Officials say engineers are expected to reconnect energy supplies to four of the plant’s six reactors by the end of today, the BBC reports.
Reactors 1, 2, 5 and 6 should regain power today, while power will be restored to 3 and 4 tomorrow. However, given the level of damage already caused to the plant, it is not known if the pumps will work properly and succeed in cooling the reactors.
Yesterday, officials raised the alert level from a Level 4 to a 5 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, bringing it on a par with the Three Mile Island incident in Pennsylvania in 1979. The IAEA said this morning that white smoke was seen emerging from three of the reactors yesterday.
Speaking of the restoration of power to the plant, the IAEA said: “Progress has been achieved in restoring external power to the nuclear power plant, although it remains uncertain when full power will be available”.
Around 7,200 people are known to have died in the earthquake and tsunami which struck on 11 March and over 10,000 others remain missing. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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Ireland of all countries should understand the illegallity of Isreals colonisation.
Typical Ireland, don’t say anything until one of the bigger countries do. A bunch of crowd followers & yes men.
Here is an idea.Why don’t the Palestinians put down into their resolution that they recongise Israel and seek further peace talks to settle final boarders.
Imagine Iran would have to vote on that resolution recognising Israel. Even Israeli M.K’s said if something along those lines was put down.Israel must vote for it.
I think the wording is important, but remember the Palestinians will be breaking the Oslo Accord by doing this.A unilateral declaration of statehood will make the Oslo Accord null and void.
are you all aware of the fact that there are professional israel trolls out there (appox 2,000 of them, most probably “interns”) on the internet all day, sprewing forth your type of opinions Charlotte. Just saying
Well Gemma at least I have an opinion and I have lived in a Muslim country with the people and I know the way they think and the way they teach their children to hate Jews and Westerners.
I can’t understand why Israel makes it a prerequisite of peace talks that the Palestinians recognise Israel’s right to exist as a state yet the Israelis oppose outright the converse, it’s a two-way street.
Eoin. Thats not true. Even the right wing PM Bibi stood in the US Congress and said their needs to be a Palestinian State .The Israeli Preisdent Peres has been saying it for years. There are large lobby groups in Israel calling for the two state solution. But I bet you can’t name one Palestinian lobby group lobbying Abbas for the 2 state solution can you?
Why would Ireland vote for a State Of Palestine ? Sure are we not all good Christians here, who go to Church on Sunday? We all love our Lord Jesus the son of G*d, don’t we ? We really should not forget then that the Lord Jesus was born a Jew in the land of Israel and He lived all his life as a Jew in Israel and He died for the human race as a Jew in Israel at the hands of the Romans. So WHY would good and decent Irish people support the likes of a terror group such as Hamas and create a State for Hamas to continue to TRY to destroy Israel. If Ireland votes for a Palestinian State then G*d help us all , the rest of the world will know us for being two faced. Happy Sunday !
What a load of bollox!
They obviously have Internet access in the asylum…
Why Mr Potty Mouth Van Alcorn do you not like the truth, as we here in Ireland have been taught in our homes and schools and Christian Churches for such a long time. You really do not seem to understand the mentality of groups like Hamas ,as well as their declared intention to destroy the State of Israel ,they also hope to convert all westerners to Islam by force if need be. So go and wash out your dirty mouth !
AM CHAI YISRA”EL!!!!!
Israel should be recognised as a county/state within palestine.. Everyone happy????
I contacted Fine Gael about this very question 2 weeks ago, and they still haven’t done me the courtesy of even replying to my mail.
Sorry, that post was not meant to be in response to your post.
Dear All, The UN recognised Palestine in 1988 and as of approximately 130 countries have accepted Palestine (with East Jerusalem as its capital) including India, China, Brazil, Malaysia and the Russian Federation. The Palestinian Authority wish that Israel abide by its commitments to the Road Map (which is an international agreement) insisting Israel do not build any settlements including natural growth ones. The pace of illegal settlements is making the possibility of a just and durable peace harder by the day. UN membership for Palestine is now long overdue and I agree with the UN Secretary General about Palestine’s rights. A two-state solution will be based on the 1967 lines (following President Obama’s support for this). Incidentally there are over 150 UN Resolutions on Palestine including the ruling of the International Court of Justice in the Hague with respect to the illegality of the “separation wall” including that which goes through Jerusalem. God bless
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