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Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday in an operation it insists is safe but has generated a fierce backlash from China. The beginning of the discharge of around 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water into the Pacific over several decades is a big step in decommissioning the still highly dangerous site 12 years after one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Live video provided by plant operator TEPCO showed engineers behind computer screens and an official saying -- after a countdown -- that the "valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening." Monitors from the UN atomic watchdog, which has endorsed the plan, were due to be on site for the procedure, while TEPCO workers were scheduled to take water samples later on Thursday. Ahead of the operation, about 10 people held a protest near the site and around 100 others gathered outside TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, AFP journalists said. "It's like dumping an atomic bomb in the ocean. Japan is the first country that was attacked with an atomic bomb in the world, and the prime minister of the country made this decision," said Kenichi Sato, 68. China's environment ministry on Thursday blasted Japan's plan as "extremely selfish and irresponsible", saying it would "track and study" the impact on its waters. - Multiple meltdowns - With around 1,000 steel containers holding the water, TEPCO has said it needs to clear space for the removal of highly dangerous radioactive nuclear fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. Three of the reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people in 2011. Since then, TEPCO has collected 1.34 million cubic metres of water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in. TEPCO will carry out four releases of the treated water from Thursday until March 2024. The first discharge will take about 17 days. About 5 trillion becquerels -- a measure of radioactivity -- of tritium will be released this fiscal year, TEPCO added. Japan insists that all radioactive elements have been filtered out except the tritium, levels of which are harmless and lower than what is discharged by operational nuclear power plants, including in China. This is backed by most experts. "When released into the Pacific, the tritium is further diluted into a vast body of water and would quickly get to a radioactivity level which is not discernibly different from normal seawater," said Tom Scott from the University of Bristol in England. "Hence, it poses very little risk and the risk itself decreases with time due to the relatively short radioactive half-life... meaning that the amount of tritium (and hence the risk) continually reduces." - Sushi safety - Not everyone is convinced, with environmental group Greenpeace saying that the filtration process is flawed, and China and Russia suggesting the water be vaporised and released into the atmosphere instead. China has accused Japan of treating the Pacific like a "sewer", and even before the release, Beijing banned food imports from 10 out of 47 Japanese prefectures and imposed radiation checks. Hong Kong and Macau, both Chinese territories, followed suit this week. Restaurants in Beijing and Hong Kong serving sushi and sashimi are already reeling from the restrictions. "About 80 percent of the seafood products we use come from Japan," Hong Kong caterer Jasy Choi, who runs a small kitchen for takeaway Japanese food, told AFP. "If more than half of my Japan-imported ingredients are affected, then it would be difficult for me to continue to operate." Analysts said that while China may have genuine safety concerns, its strong reaction is also at least in part motivated by its economic rivalry and frosty relations with Japan. The South Korean government, which is seeking to improve ties with Japan, has not objected although many ordinary people are worried and have staged protests. Social media posts in China and South Korea have included false claims about the release including doctored images of deformed fish with claims they were linked to Fukushima. burs-stu/cwl © Agence France-Presse The post Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday in an operation it insists is safe but has generated a fierce backlash from China. The beginning of the discharge of around 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water into the Pacific over several decades is a big step in decommissioning the still highly dangerous site 12 years after one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Live video provided by plant operator TEPCO showed engineers behind computer screens and an official saying -- after a countdown -- that the "valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening." Monitors from the UN atomic watchdog, which has endorsed the plan, were due to be on site for the procedure, while TEPCO workers were scheduled to take water samples later on Thursday. Ahead of the operation, about 10 people held a protest near the site and around 100 others gathered outside TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, AFP journalists said. "It's like dumping an atomic bomb in the ocean. Japan is the first country that was attacked with an atomic bomb in the world, and the prime minister of the country made this decision," said Kenichi Sato, 68. China's environment ministry on Thursday blasted Japan's plan as "extremely selfish and irresponsible", saying it would "track and study" the impact on its waters. Multiple meltdowns With around 1,000 steel containers holding the water, TEPCO has said it needs to clear space for the removal of highly dangerous radioactive nuclear fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. Three of the reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people in 2011. Since then, TEPCO has collected 1.34 million cubic metres of water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in. TEPCO will carry out four releases of the treated water from Thursday until March 2024. The first discharge will take about 17 days. About 5 trillion becquerels -- a measure of radioactivity -- of tritium will be released this fiscal year, TEPCO added. Japan insists that all radioactive elements have been filtered out except the tritium, levels of which are harmless and lower than what is discharged by operational nuclear power plants, including in China. This is backed by most experts. "When released into the Pacific, the tritium is further diluted into a vast body of water and would quickly get to a radioactivity level which is not discernibly different from normal seawater," said Tom Scott from the University of Bristol in England. "Hence, it poses very little risk and the risk itself decreases with time due to the relatively short radioactive half-life... meaning that the amount of tritium (and hence the risk) continually reduces." Sushi safety Not everyone is convinced, with environmental group Greenpeace saying that the filtration process is flawed, and China and Russia suggesting the water be vaporised and released into the atmosphere instead. China has accused Japan of treating the Pacific like a "sewer", and even before the release, Beijing banned food imports from 10 out of 47 Japanese prefectures and imposed radiation checks. Hong Kong and Macau, both Chinese territories, followed suit this week. Restaurants in Beijing and Hong Kong serving sushi and sashimi are already reeling from the restrictions. "About 80 percent of the seafood products we use come from Japan," Hong Kong caterer Jasy Choi, who runs a small kitchen for takeaway Japanese food, told AFP. "If more than half of my Japan-imported ingredients are affected, then it would be difficult for me to continue to operate." Analysts said that while China may have genuine safety concerns, its strong reaction is also at least in part motivated by its economic rivalry and frosty relations with Japan. The South Korean government, which is seeking to improve ties with Japan, has not objected although many ordinary people are worried and have staged protests. Social media posts in China and South Korea have included false claims about the release including doctored images of deformed fish with claims they were linked to Fukushima. The post Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan to decide Tuesday on Fukushima water release
The Japanese government will decide on Tuesday about the release of treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, the government minister in charge said. Around 1.34 million tons of water, equivalent to more than 500 Olympic swimming pools, have accumulated since the Fukushima plant was knocked out by an earthquake and tsunami that killed 18,000 people in 2011. Plant operator TEPCO says that with around 1,000 steel tanks now full, space has run out and that it wants to gradually start discharging the water into the Pacific via a one-kilometer (half-a-mile) underwater pipe. "We would like to hold a meeting of the relevant ministers tomorrow (Tuesday) in order to make a decision on the commencement of the water release after confirming the status of efforts to ensure safety and to address reputational damage," Yasutoshi Nishimura, economy, trade and industry minister, told a news conference on Monday. "Relevant ministers will discuss and share information on what next steps should be taken, and based on these discussions, we would like to make a decision about the timing," he said. A TEPCO official said at a separate news conference that, once the government decision is taken, the release would begin "one to two days" later. The government had said it planned to begin releasing the water before the end of the summer. Diluted and filtered The water has collected in the past 12 years from water used to cool three melted-down reactors, combined with groundwater and rain at the site in northeast Japan. TEPCO says that it has been diluted and filtered to remove all radioactive substances except tritium, which is far below dangerous levels. The plan has been endorsed by the UN atomic watchdog, which said in July it would have a "negligible radiological impact on people and the environment". "Tritium has been released (by nuclear power plants) for decades with no evidential detrimental environmental or health effects," Tony Hooker, nuclear expert from the University of Adelaide, told AFP. Environmental pressure group Greenpeace says, however, that the filtration process is flawed and that an "immense" quantity of radioactive material will be dispersed into the sea over the coming decades. 'Sewer' Beijing has accused Tokyo of treating the ocean like a "sewer". China -- Japan's biggest market for seafood -- has banned food shipments from 10 Japanese prefectures and imposed radiation checks on imports from elsewhere. These time-consuming checks have already led to a 30-percent slump in Japanese seafood imports into China last month, Japanese and Chinese media reported, citing Chinese customs data. Hong Kong, an important market for Japanese seafood exports, has also threatened restrictions. Many in Japan's fisheries industry worry therefore that the discharge will do renewed massive damage to the reputation of Japanese seafood abroad. "Nothing about the water release is beneficial to us," third-generation fisherman Haruo Ono, 71, whose brother was killed in 2011, told AFP in Shinchimachi, 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of the nuclear plant. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has promised a 30-billion-yen ($200-million) fund to compensate local fishermen for reputational damage. He said on Monday after meeting Masanobu Sakamoto, head of the national fisheries cooperative, that the government has "made every possible preparation to ensure the safety, prevent reputational damage and help keep people's livelihood afloat, and we have been offering explanations to that end". Japan has spent months trying to win over public opinion at home and abroad, with everything from livestreaming fish living in the treated water to efforts to counter online disinformation. Public concern also remains high in South Korea but its government, which has sought to thaw ties with Japan, said its review of the plan found it in line with international standards. The release of the treated water -- a maximum of 500,000 liters per day, TEPCO says -- is just one stage of the clean-up. The far more dangerous task remains of removing radioactive debris and highly dangerous nuclear fuel from the three reactors that went into meltdown. The post Japan to decide Tuesday on Fukushima water release appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MIF good money
The Maharlika Investment Fund is not expected to earn an annualized return of 10 percent as its critics have demanded. Even the most successful sovereign wealth funds do not have such high yearly income. An 8.6 percent yield as estimated by House members would already be a high target but University of the Philippines economists said the MIF must reap at least 10 percent to compensate for the foregone opportunities that resulted from diverting public funds for social welfare spending. Economic managers explained that the amount invested in MIF is a mere fraction of the funds that the government institutions own. LandBank has P1.3 trillion in investible funds compared to the P50 billion injected into MIF. That’s just roughly three percent of the total LandBank funds. DBP has P850 billion of investible funds and will only utilize P25 billion for MIF. After going through refinement at the Senate, the bicameral approval of the final version ensures that the bill will come nearer to the “perfect” version that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wanted. Thus, the MIF safety nets against the funds’ misuse are guaranteed to be there. The layers of auditing are MIF’s strongest shield against irregularities. It will have internal and external auditors aside from the annual Commission on Audit checks. An essential part of the fund is the capital that is expected to grow as the interest of investors picks up. The amount of capitalization determines the size of projects that the MIF can invest in. Sovereign wealth funds that are considered successful based on various metrics such as size, investment returns, and strategic objectives include the Government Pension Fund of Norway, also known as the Norwegian Oil Fund. This is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund with assets under management of over $1.3 trillion. It was established in 1990 to invest the government’s revenue from oil and gas production. The fund has achieved impressive returns over the years, with an annualized return of 6.1 percent since its inception. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is another example of a successful fund in the world, with estimated assets under management of around $700 billion. It was founded in 1976 to invest in the oil revenues of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Nearer in the region is the China Investment Corporation with assets under management of over $1 trillion. It was established in 2007 to manage a portion of China’s foreign exchange reserves and to diversify its investments. The fund has achieved impressive returns over the years, with an annualized return of 6.6 percent since its inception. Other successful wealth pools include the Kuwait Investment Authority, the Qatar Investment Authority, and the Singaporean sovereign wealth funds GIC and Temasek. Even the argument that the Philippines does not have surplus income is not a valid argument against the MIF. Countries with no current account surplus such as Indonesia, India, and Vietnam, have established their so-called sovereign wealth funds to strengthen and support their priority development projects. The government of Indonesia has contributed $2 billion to set up Indonesia Investment Authority and it also transferred assets worth $3 billion. Even as Indonesia operates on a deficit, the government also provided $2 billion as capitalization for INA. Copying the Indonesia model, the Philippines hopes to use the MIF to beef up revenues. The post MIF good money appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Taipei, Washington boost trade
The United States and Taiwan are boosting trade under a deal to be signed in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. “Taiwan will continue to move towards a comprehensive FTA (free trade agreement) with the United States to ensure Taiwan’s economic security,” Taiwan cabinet spokesperson Alan Lin told reporters in Taipei. The new initiative looks to boost trade by streamlining customs checks, improving regulatory procedures, and establishing anticorruption measures between the US and the island. Washington has remained a key ally and arms supplier to Taiwan despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. It is also the island’s second-largest trade partner. Washington unveiled plans for the trade negotiations last August in a show of support as Beijing was staging huge military drills in response to then-speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei. China detests any hint of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and other governments as it considers the self-ruled island its own territory. The post Taipei, Washington boost trade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Survey shows Filipinos view the challenge of health longevity with growing concern
Health longevity, or the length of a time people think they will remain in good health, is an emerging concern among Filipinos surveyed, especially as they consider the financial costs of critical illnesses amid a backdrop of economic uncertainties, according to a new study by Manulife. The new Manulife Asia Care Survey 2023 shows that while the surveyed Filipinos on average expect to retire at 59 years of age, they anticipate only remaining healthy for three years post-retirement. Of those surveyed, Filipino millennials aged 25 to 34 are the most pessimistic, believing they will only remain healthy until they are 55, below the average perceived health longevity. The study noted that the financial risk posed by poor health lies in the cost of medical treatment, a significant concern for many Filipinos. Nearly half (49 percent) of those surveyed said that the expense of treatment was their number one health management worry. Other concerns of those surveyed include loss of income or job because of illness (37 percent) and not knowing who will take care of them in the event of illness (26 percent). Almost all of those surveyed are worried about at least one illness, with heart disease, diabetes and cancer being their top three main fears. It also found that around a third of Filipinos surveyed believe they currently enjoy excellent physical and mental health. With concerns about both their current health and health longevity, nearly all Filipinos surveyed claim that they are taking actions to manage their well-being through exercise (65 percent), better diet (62 percent), regular body checks (52 percent), and closer self-monitoring (50 percent). Despite their concerns about the future, especially with regard to health, most of those surveyed (57 percent) feel confident about their current finances, with more than three quarters (77 percent) expecting their finances to improve in the coming 12 months. Almost three-quarters expressed confidence in being able to achieve their financial goals (72 percent), such as saving for retirement (55 percent), paying for healthcare and medical treatment costs (43 percent) and emergencies (36 percent). This optimism, which may be reflective of a post-Covid euphoria and, to an extent, the mobility of the workforce, is tempered by the threat of inflation (75 percent), which emerged as the most prominent financial concern among Filipinos surveyed, more than in any of the other markets surveyed in the region. The other main threats cited are an economic slowdown (56 percent) and rising healthcare costs (38 percent). These concerns may have merit given that 81 percent of Filipinos surveyed said that cash and bank deposits are the primary ways they believe will help achieve their goals. The Manulife study showed that the majority of Filipinos surveyed (80 percent) view positively the idea of retirement planning, well above the regional average (68 percent) and, for many, it is their top personal finance goal (55 percent). Yet, despite that, only a third of them (30 percent) have such a plan in place. However, including those with plans already in place, 70 percent said they will have plans set up within three years. Most are looking at relying on their cash savings or deposits (46 percent), potential inheritance from family members (18 percent), government or state subsidy (18 percent), or support from their children (17 percent). With their interwoven concerns about their health, finances and the economy, the Filipinos surveyed are clearly interested in insurance (80 percent), the highest in the region (average 68 percent), mainly because of the protection it offers against financial risk (54 percent). However, their current ownership of insurance (59 percent) is the lowest in the region (average 70 percent). During the coming 12 months, however, 87 percent of those surveyed said they intend to buy insurance, with health (36 percent), life (34 percent) and hospitalization (33 percent) insurance topping the list. To address the heightened need for health protection, Manulife Philippines and Manulife China Bank Life offer HealthFlex, an affordable and customizable health insurance plan that allows customers to choose their critical illness coverage depending on their needs and budget. Customers may choose which types of illness will be covered by their insurance: cancer only; cancer, heart attack, and stroke (the top three critical illnesses); cancer plus other elderly and critical illnesses; or the top three illnesses, plus other elderly and critical illnesses. It also provides guaranteed coverage until the age of 100 for more than 112 critical illnesses and may be further upgraded through protection riders. The Manulife Asia Care Survey was conducted via online self-completed questionnaires in seven markets: mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. A total of 7,224 people, aged 25 to 60 years old, were surveyed in late December 2022 and early January 2023. In the Philippines, 1,004 people were surveyed. Each person surveyed either owns insurance or intends to buy insurance. The post Survey shows Filipinos view the challenge of health longevity with growing concern appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Filipina rescued from mail-order bride syndicate
The Bureau of Immigration rescued a suspected victim of a mail-order bride syndicate, targeting Filipinas sent to China under false pretenses......»»
US reaffirms support for Philippines sovereignty amid its tensions with China
Washington, DC [US], March 28 (ANI): US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila in defending its sovereignty while criticising China's "dangerous" water cannon attack at the Philippine supply mission vessel on Saturday. In a telephonic conversation between Austin and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the US Secretary reiterated the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.....»»
Philippines announces decisive measures amid tensions with China
Manila [Philippines], March 28 (ANI): Amid the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr has announced decisive measures to protect his country's sovereignty and maritime rights while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Marcos, known as Bongbong, said that the measures, aimed at addressing what he said is the "open, unabating, and illegal" actions by China's Coast.....»»
China urges ROK to stay prudent on South China Sea issue: Chinese FM
BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China urges the Republic of Korea (ROK) to stay prudent when it comes to the South China Sea issue, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday. Lin made the remarks at a regular press briefing when responding to a media query about ROK Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's biased and unfactual comments on the South China Sea issue over the past few days. "China.....»»
Chinese Diplomat Liu Jianchao Meets With Singapore s Leaders
singapore - Liu Jianchao, the senior diplomat widely expected to become China's next foreign minister, said "the world needs connectivity, not decoupling," during a four-day visit to Singapore.Liu, who heads the international department of the Communist Party, was in the city-state to meet with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the country's incoming leader, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.During a s.....»»
Philippines’s Marcos pledges action in response to China’s ‘dangerous attacks’
President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines has issued a strong statement in response to recent confrontations in the South China Sea, stating that the country.....»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
China: PH is ‘straying down a dangerous path’
MANILA, Philippines — China continued to blame the Philippines and its ally, the United States, for the continued tensions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. In a statement on Thursday, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian warned that the Philippines is going down a dangerous path. READ: No letup in Chinese water cannon attacks.....»»
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS.....»»
Marcos: Philippines won’t be ‘cowed into silence, submission’ by China
“We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience. Filipinos do not yield,” Marcos said. .....»»
Pentagon chief reaffirms support after latest China aggression in WPS
Austin emphasized US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in a phone call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday. .....»»
Dela Rosa considers war with China but admits: ‘Hindi naman natin kaya’
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is already fed up with China’s persistent harassments in the West Philippine Sea, prompting thoughts of engaging in war with Beijing. But he knows, war is not an option. “Naubos na ang sasabihin ko dapat dyan. Short of declaring war na tayo dyan against sa kanila e,.....»»
FOCAP condemns Chinese embassy’s claims on ‘manipulated’ West Philippine Sea videos
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines strongly rejected and condemned yesterday China’s “false and baseless” claims that journalists manipulate videosthey recorded in the South China Sea to present the Philippines as a victim......»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»