Ultimate Loyalty: Japanese Dog Refuses to Leave Injured Friend Behind
YouTube.com - ''Emerging coverage from Japan offers a moving example of ultimate dog loyalty, and clearly illustrates the challenges faced by animal victims of the earthquake and tsunami.''
Philip Dorling
March 16, 2011
WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange is believed to have been tipped off more than seven months ago about Australian intelligence scrutiny of his whistleblowing activities.
Senior government ministers yesterday claimed to have no knowledge of co-operation between Australian intelligence agencies and the United States government concerning Assange after WikiLeaks began publishing thousands of secret documents leaked from the US Defence Department.
But sources within Wikileaks have told The Age that an Australian intelligence official privately warned Wikileaks on August 11 last year that Assange was the subject of inquiries by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, and that information relating to him and others associated with Wikileaks had been provided to the US in response to requests through intelligence liaison channels.
The Australian intelligence official is also claimed to have specifically warned that Assange could be at risk of ''dirty tricks'' from the US intelligence community, including the possibility of sexual entrapment.
The information is said to have been provided to WikiLeaks by means of a submission through the website's electronic ''drop box'' on the day Assange flew from London to Stockholm to speak on freedom of the press.
Nine days later, on August 20, a Swedish newspaper reported that Assange was wanted by Swedish police for questioning in relation to sexual assault allegations involving two women in Stockholm. Assange immediately tweeted on the WikiLeaks Twitter page: "We were warned to expect 'dirty tricks'. Now we have the first one.''
Subsequently, on August 23, Assange said in a telephone interview with Arab news channel Al Jazeera: ''We were warned on the 11th [of August] by Australian intelligence that we should expect this sort of thing.''
Assange is appealing a British court decision to uphold an arrest warrant for him to be extradited to Sweden for questioning about the sexual assault allegations. He and his lawyers have retreated from earlier claims that the allegations are the product of a conspiracy involving foreign intelligence agencies.
WikiLeaks also learnt its Australian intelligence source was aware of the group's intention to seek legal advice from a prominent Melbourne lawyer - information not public at the time and known only to people within WikiLeaks.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard was confronted with a video message from Assange when she appeared on ABC TV's Q&A program on Monday.
Assange asked the Prime Minister whether her government had exchanged information about Australian citizens, specifically people linked to WikiLeaks, with foreign powers.
He asked that if she could not give a straight answer to the question, whether the Australian people should consider her to have engaged in treason.
Ms Gillard replied ''I honestly don't know what he's talking about,'' adding that no one had asked her about Assange during her recent visit to Washington.
''So I'm afraid I can't help him with a full and frank exchange about people who work with WikiLeaks.''
Mr Gillard did acknowledge Australia regularly exchanges information about Australian citizens with other countries in relation to law enforcement matters, but she said in regard to WikiLeaks, ''to my knowledge, it hasn't happened''.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister yesterday declined to say whether Ms Gillard had initiated any inquiries to determine whether Assange's claim was correct.
A spokesperson for Attorney-General Robert McClelland said that the Attorney-General was unaware of information sharing concerning Assange, but said it was ''entirely appropriate'' for the US to investigate the leakage of classified information.
Julian Assange grills Julia Gillard on live television
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard appears on live Australian television program ''Q & A'' and is surprised with a video question from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Epic win. Clip aired on 14 Mar 2011.
Check out an article from The Age, which reports that ASIO was spying on Mr. Assange -- and then sharing that intelligence with the United States.
Wind currents at 30,000 feet could carry a nuclear cloud across the Pacific Ocean, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission admits that it is ''quite possible'' that radiation could reach the U.S., with California ''monitoring situation closely,'' according to The Daily Mail.
"Fears that America could be hit by the nuclear fallout from the Japan earthquake have dramatically increased as workers prepared to abandon a reactor crippled by the earthquake and tsunami ..." in Fukushima, Japan.
"Right now it's quite possible that there could be some radiation floating over the United States,' said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman David McIntyre, according to The Daily Mail. Other pertinent parts of The Daily Mail report :
"The wind direction for the time being seems to point the (nuclear) pollution towards the Pacific," Andre-Claude Lacoste, of the French Nuclear Safety Authority, told AFP.
The NRC downplayed the threat to Americans, however. Mr McIntyre told the AFP: "We don't think that it would be particularly harmful... even in a worst case scenario."
"We see a very low likelihood, a very low probability that there is any possibility of harmful radiation levels in the United States or in Hawaii or in any other U.S. territories," added an NRC statement.
Read the full report : America on radiation alert: Japan faces world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl as experts warn fallout may reach U.S.
OperationLeakS : Bank of America ''mortgage fraud'' documents have been released
Anonymous, an online activist group, has published documents, which it claims can prove mortgage fraud at Bank of America. With this latest document drop, the new site is already experiencing heavy traffic.
The group had previously released documents obtained from Bank of America and HBGary. The main home page for the new website can be found at : http://bankofamericasuck.com/
The latest publication followed several announcements posted on Twitter.
Since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami, Japan has endured a nuclear crisis that has now lead to two explosions at a nuclear power plant.
Moments ago, a new explosion took place at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, this time in what has been described as its Unit 3 reactor. YouTube video of the new explosion :
This new explosion follows an earlier explosion in the Unit 1 reactor at the same power plant. YouTube video of that explosion :
The twin disaster is prompting fears about radiation prevention and treatment, including any necessary safety measures that would provide for the public health.
The power plant at Fukushima is approximately 150 miles north from Tokyo. The people living closest to the damaged nuclear power plant had already been told to stay indoors and avoid drinking tap water as a result of the Saturday explosion. Evacuees are being taken to shelters. It is not yet known what other nuclear emergency advisories are being made, or preparations being taken, at other large large cities in Japan. Yesterday, it was also reported that authorities were planning for the distribution of Iodine to residents. (Iodine can be taken to prevent the absorption of radiation by the thyroid, reported MSNBC.)
New (Hydrogen) Explosion At Fukushima Number 3 Reactor (March 14)
March 14, 2011: A new explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant at the number 3 reactor.
From an AP Wire Story : "Japan’s chief cabinet secretary says a hydrogen explosion has occurred at Unit 3 of Japan’s stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The blast was similar to an earlier one at a different unit of the facility. AP journalists felt the explosion 30 miles (50 kilometers) away."
Video credit : ProducerMatthew
Third Anniversary Protest of Term Limits Scam : Christine Quinn's Puppet Show and Political Farce
Join us on Sunday, October 23, 2011, at 2 pm, outside City Hall, for a protest to mark the third anniversary of the City Council vote that overturned term limits.
Back on this day in 2008, the New York City Council voted to change the term limits law, thereby allowing Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek re-election. The action by the City Council, lead by Speaker Christine Quinn, undid the term limits approved by New York City voters, who had previously passed two referendums that had restricted the service of elected politicians to a limit of two four-year terms.
Vote Quinn out of office !
Updated : Early Sunday : 13 March 2013 -- New (Hydrogen) Explosion At Fukushima Number 3 Reactor (March 14)
March 14, 2011: A new explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant at the number 3 reactor.
From an AP Wire Story : "Japan’s chief cabinet secretary says a hydrogen explosion has occurred at Unit 3 of Japan’s stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The blast was similar to an earlier one at a different unit of the facility. AP journalists felt the explosion 30 miles (50 kilometers) away."
Video credit : ProducerMatthew
Early Sunday : 13 March 2013 -- Fears Grow Over Second Nuclear Reaction Explosion in Japan ; Larry Kudlow Shockingly Insensitive Japanese Tragedy Comment ; Disturbing Satellite Photos Show Widespread Tsunami Damage
Worries intensify that another reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is at risk of explosion, due to continued mechanical malfunctions of the cooling system, including pressure relief valves.
News of the worries at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are in addition to problems that have been identified at three other nuclear power stations.
As of yesterday, it had been reported that the integrity of the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant was also in danger of collapse, leading to the possibility of another nuclear crisis. Now, words has been received that two additional nuclear power plants face critical failures : radiation had been detected outside one plant approximately 60 miles from Sendai, and still yet another nuclear plower plant, this one located approximately 75 miles north of Tokyo, was having cooling system problems, The New York Times reported.
The cumulative effect of all these power plant problems could result in additional power blackouts in the nation, which is still yet trying to assess the damage to infrastructure as a result of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
Meanwhile, reaction from conservative CNBC television commentator Larry Kudlow has shocked the conscious of the world. He took to the television to announce that, "We Should Be 'Grateful' That Human Toll From Japan Quake Is 'Worse' Than Economic Toll."
Meanwhile, The New York Times has published disturbing satellite photos of before and after the earthquake-tsunami disaster in Japan.
Arianna Huffington Describes The Lede Blog on The New York Times as an ''Aggregation Blog.''
Social media executive Arianna Huffington went on Twitter this afternoon, and she called the page on The Lede blog dedicated to the Japan disaster a ''great aggregation blog.''
| Re: Lisberg: Mayor Mike Bloomberg 'pedals' his vision of city's future Posted: Mar 13, 2011 6:00 AM  in response to: Guest | |||
 Watch the video footage from four years ago --- too date DEP and DOB cannot get this fixed and ditto for around the corner on St. Marks Place between 2nd Ave. and 1st and all over the city --- why are the streets and below the streets -- a dangerous mess? Ditto for the MTA? Bloomberg and the worst city planner, Amanda the people's Burden, socialite mega-millionaire pushed a reckless, dangerous tsunami of development and by the way --- many if not all of the hideous New New York built could not survive an earthquake like Japan's. DOB did not police the builds as they should have perhaps because of bribes and because there were too many builds too actually police but DOB, DEP, the MTA, Con Ed should have joined us in raised voices that said over and over Safety First!!! Bloomberg, Burden and Christine Quinn supported greed and stupidity first! | |||
Cuomo wants lobbying groups to be required to disclose financial backers
It is about time and sadly too little too late. Albany to City Hall it is a culture of corruption and most lobbyists are pimps! We should get rid of lobbyists and charge a set fee to post what one wants represented for all the people to see. For now it is back room deals, kick-backs, agreements to exclude rival companies from even being considered. Massive conflicts of interest and if we had wire tapping the jails would be filled with politicos and lobbyists!
Two Days After the 8.9 Magnitude Earthquake and Tsunamis, the True Extent of the Disaster in Japan is Yet Unknown.
Rescue teams from various countries, including the United States, Great Britain, and numerous other countries, have set out for Japan, to join what is being described as the ''colossal'' effort to rescue survivors of the tripple tragedies of the earthquake, tsunami, and the resulting nuclear emergencies.
Reports of food shortages in Japan continue to grow, not only as a result of the damage to stores, but to transportation and distribution systems.
One emotional story that demonstrates the large scale loss of life is the often-repeated news report that as many as 10,000 people are reported to be missing in the port town of Minamisanriku, after the tsunami swept away large portions of the town.
Adding to the rescue and recovery efforts is the concern about the nuclear emergency taking place at the Fukushami nuclear power plants. The New York Times is finally catching up to the severity of the nuclear fears.
''The emergency appeared to be the worst involving a nuclear plant since the Chernobyl disaster 25 years ago. The developments at two separate nuclear plants prompted the evacuation of more than 200,000 people. Japanese officials said they had also ordered up the largest mobilization of their Self-Defense Forces since World War II to assist in the relief effort.''On Saturday, Japanese officials took the extraordinary step of flooding the crippled No. 1 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 170 miles north of Tokyo, with seawater in a last-ditch effort to avoid a nuclear meltdown. That came after an explosion caused by hydrogen that tore the outer wall and roof off the building housing the reactor, although the steel containment of the reactor remained in place.
''Then on Sunday, cooling failed at a second reactor — No. 3 — and core melting was presumed at both, said the top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. An explosion could also rock the No. 3 reactor, Mr. Edano warned, because of a buildup of hydrogen within the reactor.''
The official death toll, reported to be as low as 800 people, is unrealistic in the face of the evidence of disaster in the coastal town and villages following the dangerous tsunami.
Another example of the underreporting of the extent of the damage is the growing reality that Japan is facing a nuclear emergency. Although more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from danger zones around two atomic facilities in Fukushima, Japanese media and government officials keep insisting that few people have been hospitalised as as result of radiation exposure. And the events at the Fukushima nuclear power plants continue to be irresponsibly described as possible''partial meltdowns,'' in spite of the facts that one nuclear reactor exploded on Saturday and the desperate efforts to cool the damaged nuclear reactor cores at the troubled nuclear power plants with sea water.
Nobody knows what Japan's plans are, in order to keep people safe, should a nuclear meltdown happen.
Meanwhile, the divergence in reporting doesn't end with the fallout of the disaster. Even the size of the earthquake is in dispute. The Associated Press has reported that the Meteorological Agency in Japan upgraded the magnitude of Friday's catastrophic earthquake to 9.0 from its earlier measurement of 8.8. By comparison, the U.S. Geological Survey had measured the earthquake at magnitude 8.9 -- leaving that measurement unchanged as of Sunday.
Youtube.com - IAEA Director General Briefs Member States and Media on Nuclear Safety in Japan
At 17.45 CET on 14 March 2011, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano convened a technical briefing on the consequences of the twin natural disasters for nuclear safety in Japan.
Youtube.com - IAEA Director General's Video Update on Tsunami and Earthquake Emergency Response
[12 March 2011, 2000 CET] - IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano released a YouTube video statement on the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. Director General Amano noted the current effort to prevent further damage to Unit 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The text portion of the YouTube video indicated that the IAEA was using emergency communication channels to exchange verified, official information between Japan and other IAEA Member States, as well has been coördinating the delivery of international assistance, should Japan or other affected countries request emergency relief.
