Exec KEPCO sees nuclear setbacks after the crisis of the Japan - Reuters

By Cho Mee-young.

SEOUL. Friday, April 29, 2011 3 pm EDT

Seoul (Reuters) - the Japan nuclear crisis could lead to a decline of two or three years on the market of nuclear reactor, but demand will increase in the long term, a senior at the Korea Electric Power Corp. said Friday.

Worse-on-record of the quake and tsunami March 11 Japan paralysed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, 240 km (150 miles) North of Tokyo. Japanese engineers have difficulty finishing the worst nuclear crisis in the world since the 1986 Chernobyl accident.

"The Japan crisis may affect the market in the next two or three years, but in a few decades nuclear demand will increase due to a lack of alternative energy," Byun Jun-yeon, executive vice president and officer of the State utility KEPCO nuclear project leadersaid in an interview to Reuters.

He said renewable energy would continue to play only a supplementary role because of its poor economy.

China currently appears to be scaling back its plans of nuclear power plants, but cannot stop, because it is difficult to meet their demand for huge power without nuclear reactors, and emits thermal coal electricity production also of carbon, "byun." added

China last month froze nuclear approvals for new and proposed nuclear power plants in the wake of the crisis of the Japan.

TAKING THE GOAL IN UPCOMING TENDERS

Byun, who majored in electrical engineering at the University of Korea and KEPCO added in 1977, stated that the Brazil, in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Argentina and South Africa are preparing tenders for nuclear reactors which could come later this year.

He declined to discuss specific transactions, but said KEPCO had intended to win tenders and Saudi Arabia have evaluated technologies for operation of the KEPCO reactor high compared with other countries.

"Importers of reactor want models that guarantee the security, the economy and energy efficiency... they also want builders who can help them run reactors at least 20 to 30 years later," said Byun.

"South Korea has no mention of the accident in its history of operation of the reactor nearly 40 years", he said.

KEPCO has been aimed at winning orders overseas for a total of 10 nuclear reactors by 2020. The United Arab Emirates United in December 2009 awarded a contract for $ 20 billion to build four 1,400 MW reactors, the largest energy deal in the Middle East, to a Korean consortium led the KEPCO. (Won Korean $1 = 1073.400)

(Edited by Jonathan Hopfner and Michael Urquhart)

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Japan allocates first 50 billion dollars to rebuild post-quake - Reuters

Members of the Force for the defence of the Japan remove debris that they seek victims in a House damaged in a region devastated by the earthquake on March 11 and the tsunami, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 21, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Toru HanaiBy Linda Sieg and Kazunori Takada

TOKYO. Friday, April 22, 2011 12: 48 a.m. EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - the Japan cabinet approved Friday almost 50 billion dollars in spending for post-earthquake reconstruction, a down payment on the larger public works effort in the country in six decades.

The budget of 4 billion yen ($48.5 billion) emergency, which is likely to be followed by more reconstruction spending packages, is still dwarfed by the overall cost of the damage caused by the earthquake on March 11 and the tsunami$ 300 billion.

"With this budget, we let one step towards the reconstruction... and to restart the economy," Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told journalists after a cabinet meeting.

The tsunami earthquake, magnitude 9.0 15 metres that followed caused the most serious crisis of the Japan since the second world war, killing up to 28,000 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

She also broke a nuclear power plant that began the radiation leak, a situation that said the operator of the plant may take throughout the year to curb.

Markets are keeping a close eye on how much the Government will borrow to finance the reconstruction. Although he kept his promise not to issue new bonds to fund this expenditure class, additional obligations should pay for the reconstruction of future budgets.

Although the Japan debt is twice the size of the economy of $ 5 trillion, it does not face a Greece-style debt crisis because most of these debts owed to domestic creditors rather than foreign banks.

The budget will be submitted to Parliament next week and should be adopted in May.

"CAUSED IN GREAT DIFFICULTY".

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who was accused by opposition politicians, his own party and triple quake survivors of failing to take command of the response of the country to disaster, said to be rebuild is an opportunity for national "Renaissance".

Approval of the Kan rates are extremely low. In a survey released Friday investors, 83% of the interviewees Reuters said they disapprove or strongly disapprove of the administration of crisis management.

The Japan recently exceeded by China, the second largest economy in the world, has been wrong with deflation for years.

But also try to rebuild the northeast of the ruin, Japan also has to cope with the worst nuclear crisis of the world since Chernobyl in 1986, the demolition of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) from Tokyo.

Radiation spilled the establishment after an explosion of hydrogen, and in their battle to cool the fuel cast iron rods, engineers has pumped radioactive water in the Pacific which concerned the neighbours of the Japan on the spread of contamination.

Masataka Shimizu, the President criticized many plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), met in local Governor of Fukushima Yuhei Sato Friday apologizing in person, for the first time that Sato has agreed to see the TEPCO head.

Shimizu, wear blue work clothes, bowed deeply to Sato.

"I apologise from the bottom of my heart for the great caused much trouble people in society."

SATO responded: "I want that collect you the wisdom of the world and to make all possible efforts so that people may think that they can return to their".

Shimizu, whose company has been accused of minimizing risks and ignoring warnings about the risk of an earthquake and the tsunami striking the plant, so that respond hard to damage, later will visit an evacuation center in the city of Kōriyama to offer apology to those forced to leave their homes.

The Japan, said this week that it will prohibit any person entering an area of 20 km around Fukushima Daiichi evacuation (12 miles).

Prime Minister Kan instructed residents in certain regions outside this area to leave to avoid radiation, Yukio Edano top Japanese Government spokesman said Friday, but it was not clear how many people it will affect.

"We have not the number." We work with local authorities, to the compilation of these data, "said an official with Japan nuclear and industrial safety agency.

(Written by Daniel). Magnowski; (Editing by Sugita Katyal)

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Japan govt OKs quake relief budget, eyes more spending - Reuters

* The Japanese large public debt is obstacle to the reconstruction of spending

* Packages more spending to follow, new debt and tax hikes in the framework

* To consider the Japan not now facing a Greece-style debt crisis but concerns

* Lobby business calls for budgetary discipline, monetary easing (adds business Hall proposals)

By Tetsushi Kajimoto

(TOKYO, April 22, Reuters) - the Japanese Government approved a budget for emergency of 4 billion yen (50 billion dollars) for the Friday disaster relief without resorting to new loans, but it is preparing them for more heavy reconstructionmore later this year spending will require a new bond issue and, eventually, to increase taxes.

Enormous funds needed for reconstruction after the March 11 earthquake and the tsunami, which left nearly 28,000 dead or missing and triggered a nuclear crisis, but the Japan has already public debt already double the size of its economy of $ 5 trillionthe worst among industrialized.

"With this budget, we let one step towards reconstruction after the earthquake, the Tohoku and to restart the economy" Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told journalists after a cabinet meeting.

"It is significant that we have compiled on a budget of 4 billion yen without issue of new bonds of the Government (of Japanese Government bonds). "It was quite difficult to reduce the amount of 4 billion yen, but we worked it."

Tokyo believes that material damage alone could top 300 billion dollars in more expensive natural disaster in the world, while analysts and some to the Interior of the Government led by the Democratic Party suggested that Japan might need to spend more than 10 billion yen.

The second supplementary budget should be compiled by the autumn at the latest, Katsuya Okada, Secretary General of the Democratic Party, said Thursday.

THESE INCREASES

The Government plans to increase taxes, including sales tax unpopular to fund reconstruction, but there is still a lack of consensus on the politically sensitive issue.

"If the Government can take this opportunity to change the social welfare and tax system, it could be a turning point rather than a point of no return," said Naomi Hasegawa, senior income securities strategist fixed to Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley securities.

"Investors want reassuring that the reconstruction of expenses will be supported by an increase in sales tax", she says, adding that a 3 percentage point hike would generate 7.5 billion yen in additional revenue each year.

JGBS acquired after the Government held its promise not to issue new bonds to finance the first emergency budget, helping to push the performance of 10 years to a minimum of four weeks.

The market players remained nonetheless cautious because the issuance of debt more in the future will need to pay for reconstruction, although the Japan does not now run a Greece-style debt since its public debt crisis is almost entirely held by domestic investors.

Emphasis on the concerns of investors, largest business lobby of Japan has urged the Government to ensure that the market is confident in its budgetary discipline, while the funds for reconstruction are wanted.

"Given the serious budgetary situation of the Japan, attention needs to be paid to the sovereign fluctuation risks and prices of government bonds," he said in a statement.

Nippon Keidanren called for the Central Bank to implement the monetary easing steps more such as stimulate its system for the purchase of goods, stressing that financial markets should remain stable as companies were that it is difficult to issue capital to business.

The cabinet plans to submit the emergency budget--which includes approximately 1.6 billion yen of spending for infrastructure - to the Parliament on 28 April. Noda, said that he hoped that it would be adopted as soon as possible.

The actual size of the supplementary budget is only 305.1 billion yen, with most of the 4.0153 billion yen to military expenditures to be financed by spending cuts in foreign aid and places paid to families with children and other existing programs.

The Government also draws reserves for pension payments - regarded as a sacred cow in a rapidly aging society where each retired will be supported by less than two workers by 2030, and the opposition objected to this approach.

Friday he planned to explain early next month, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said how Tokyo should lead the economy and reconstruction after the disasters of last month. (Yen Japanese $1 = 82.465) (Other reports by Stanley White;) (Editing by Edmund Klamann and Edwina Gibbs)

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Director of "restrepo" Tim Hetherington killed in Libya: physicians. -Reuters

April 21, 2011, photographer and filmmaker Tim Hetherington (L) and Getty Images photojournalist Chris Hondros are visible in this photo of the combination.

Credit: Files/Reuters/Getty Images HandoutBy Michael Georgy

MISRATA, Libya. Wed, April 20, 2011 9 pm EDT

MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - of the fighting in the besieged rebel Misrata city the Libya killed at least 10 civilians, including a British filmmaker named Oscar, and NATO has urged non-combatants to avoid troops so he could intensify air strikes.

Among the dead were photojournalist Tim Hetherington, Co-Director of the documentary of war named the Oscar "restrepo" and American photographer Chris Hondros, killed when a group they were in came under mortar fire.

Seven Libyan civilians and a Ukrainian doctor were also killed in the fierce fighting in the third largest city of the Libya, said nursing.

France promised the insurgents Wednesday that it intensify airstrikes on the Libyan Government forces and send liaison officers, echoing a move by Britain, to help organize the poorly trained insurgents.

Rebels said they were fighting for control of a main street of Misrata, a port of 300 000 people and the last bastion of insurgents in the West of the country, where civil war unleashed in February on requests for the end of the rule of 41 years of Qaddafi.

About 120 people were injured, including the wife of the Ukrainian doctor who lost both legs, according to Khalid Abufalgha, a doctor on the Committee medical Misrata that tracks of civilian casualties.

Abufalgha, said a total of 365 people were killed, including at least 85 civilians, and 4,000 people injured in the Mediterranean city since it came under siege from Government about seven weeks ago. Civilians say they live in constant fear of Government snipers.

"Mohammed and his friends were in our garage." They went outside to play when he had to pause to put on his shoe. "At this time the ball hit his head," said Zeinab, mother of a 10 year old boy who was in bed with a gunshot wound.

Rebels complained that there were too few NATO air strikes.

"NATO has been ineffective in the Misrata." NATO has failed completely to change things on the ground, "spokesman for rebels Abdelsalam said."

Early Thursday, Libyan State television said that NATO forces had hit the Khala al-Farjan region of the capital, Tripoli, killing seven people and injuring 18 others. The report could not immediately be independently verified.

Also, spokesman for rebels Abdulrahman, reached by telephone from the Western City of Zintan, said clashes took place in Nalut, near the western border with the Tunisia.

"Clashes are currently produced in Nalut and going on since Monday." Gaddafi forces are using Grad missiles and mortar shells to attack Nalut. It is not an even battle. The rebels are not well armed. ?

NATO TELLS CIVILIANS TO AVOID GADDAFI FORCES

Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, Commander of NATO operations in the Libya, said civilian Libyan should stay away from Gaddafi forces to help NATO to conduct air strikes.

"Civilians may help NATO in is distancing himself from Gaddafi regime forces and equipment whenever possible." This will allow NATO to strike these forces and equipment with great success..., "said Bouchard in a statement.

Aid groups that the humanitarian situation in Misrata turns serious due to a lack of food and medical supplies.

Forces loyal to Qadhafi have been bombarding the Misrata strongly last week. The Government denies that it is targeting of civilians in the city.

There are long queues for gasoline and electricity was cut for residents rely on generators. Foreign migrant workers stranded thousands are waiting for rescue in the port area.

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister British David Cameron discussed Wednesday the need to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Kadhafi, said the White House.

France said that he would send up to 10 military advisors in Libya, following the plan of Great Britain to send up to a dozen agents to help the rebels to improve the Organization and communication. Neither country plans to arm and train the insurgents to fight.

In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who led the intervention backed NATO United Nations, has promised more strong military action in his first meeting with the leader of the opposition of the Libyan National Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil.

"We will in effect intensify attacks and responding to the request of the national Council of transition," an official in the Office of the President said, citing Sarkozy as saying Abdel Jalil: "we help you".

He did not say how NATO-led forces planned to overcome the stalemate on the ground after the United States and several European allies refused week last to join the strikes on the ground.

Abdel Jalil told journalists he had invited Sarkozy to visit to the eastern rebel powerbase town of Benghazi to emphasize French support to put an end to the autocratic mandate of Gaddafi and "boost the morale of the revolution."

French officials have not said if Sarkozy had accepted.

Evidence resurfaced Wednesday that the Government of Gaddafi is dodging sanctions of the United Nations to import gasoline to the West of the Libya by intermediaries who fuel transfer between ships in Tunisia, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

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Groups urge Medvedev: bring the rule of law in Chechnya - Reuters

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gestures during his meeting with the Minister of education and Science Andrei Fursenko, in residence at Gorki outside Moscow on April 19, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Vladimir Rodionov/RIA Novosti/KremlinBy Thomas Grove

MOSCOW | Wed, April 20, 2011 2 pm EDT

Moscow (Reuters)-, the Russian human rights activists appealed to President Dmitri Medvedev on Wednesday to intervene to stop extrajudicial abductions and to enforce the rule of law in predominantly Muslim Chechnya region of the country.

A decade after federal forces led the separatists to power in Chechnya, workers of said rights leadership backed by the Kremlin in the region has enormous powers and local prosecutors did not have the power of sidewalk or cases of torture and abduction probe.

A letter prepared by five rights groups asked Medvedev to keep what they called a promise to investigate on a "such disappearances of applied to gross violations of human rights, torture and extrajudicial executions by members of law enforcement and security agencies.".

"As the highest official in the Federation of Russia you need to take comprehensive measures to enforce the law on the territory of the Federation of Russia," said the letter signed by the veteran Lyudmila Alexeyeva human rights activist and others.

Medvedev met workers rights eleven months ago to discuss the situation in the mountainous region of Chechnya, the site of two separatist wars since fall of the Soviet Union.

They said he has promised to investigate rights violations they had raised, but nothing had yet been done.

Chechnya is ruled by the loyalist turned separatists Kremlin Ramzan Kadyrov, who was accused by the groups for the defence of rights of use of its local militia to run personal decrees and the spread of fear.

Kadyrov repeatedly denied the allegations as attempts to tarnish his name. A spokesman for Kadyrov was not available for comment.

Igor Kalyapin, Chairman of the Committee against Torture, said that regional prosecutors had admitted that they were unable to take "concrete measures" stop violations or probe extrajudicial kidnapping, used as a means of cracking down on suspected militants.

"We can expect nothing law enforcement agencies if the Attorney gives this kind of assessment of the Committee of inquiry...". I see no way out of this situation with legal instruments, "he says.

Analysts say Moscow transforms to condone violations of rights by the forces loyal to Kadyrov provided he keeps the precarious in Chechnya peace as an Islamist insurgency spreads in other provinces of the North Caucasus, such as Dagestan and Ingushetia has alleged.

Rebels want to carve out an Islamic State in the region of the Russian Caucasus, which Imperial-era Moscow conquered after decades of bloody wars in the 19th century.

Insurgents claim responsibility for a bomb attack at the airport the busiest Moscow, Domodedovo, in January which killed 37 people.

Analysts and activists rights said that a powerful mixture of religion, corruption, and tactical methods by enforcement of the Act strengthens the Islamist separatist movements.

(Editing by Tim Pearce)

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Syria removes the head of the restive City police - Reuters

Demonstrators holding banners during a protest in the town of Banias, Syrian port on April 19, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/HandoutBy Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN. Wed, April 20, 2011 9: 00 am EDT

AMMAN (AFP) - the Chief of police in the Syrian city of Banias, was removed from the security, a rights group said Wednesday, after five civilians were killed in a campaign of repression against pro-democracy protests there last week.

The Syrian Observatory of human rights, citing sources in Damascus, the name of the agent as Amjad Abbas. The security forces had sealed off the city weekend after protests against President Bashar al-Assad and an attack by irregular forces loyal to El-Assad on the people who keep a Sunni mosque.

Inspired by uprisings across the Arab world, demonstrators took the streets more than a month demanding more freedoms, undaunted by a security crackdown.

Rights groups, who say more than 200 have been killed since the unrest began a month ago, have called for independent investigations into the actions of the security forces.

The last approach seemed another attempt to appease protesters, who has rejected appeals by the authorities to stop the demonstration and ignored a concession by the Government which approved legislation Tuesday to end the State of emergency in force for 48 years.

Abbas had been identified by the Banias residents said Observatory, the officer fired, as one of the security officers seen beating a villager in the town nearby Baida, according to a video.

With the Bill on the right of emergency, the newly appointed cabinet also approved legislation requires that the Syrians to obtain the permission of the State until they demonstrate.

DEFIANT PROTESTS

Hours earlier, the Ministry of the Interior asked citizens to refrain from protest to all the. Activists said the statement by the Ministry and the fact that the authorities Tuesday night arrested a figure of the left-wing opposition suggest move of the Government to lift the emergency law stop not repression.

The Defiant protests continued overnight, including in the suburbs of Damascus in Zabadane where demonstrators called "the fall of the regime" and for freedom, the rallying cry revolts in Tunisia and Egypt.

There are also sit-in in Jabla on the coast, women Barzeh Damascus rally and candlelight procession in such near the capital of the day to the next.

Homs, soldiers and irregular forces loyal to Assad dressed in black patrolled the road between two central squares, witnesses said. Shops is remained closed to protest more than 20 demonstrators was shot dead by security forces in the city since Monday, they said.

In the second city of the Syria, Aleppo, irregular forces Assad dispersed a small demonstration at the University of the city, beating several students and arresting 37, said rights activist.

The State Department, said the new law, apply for permits to hold demonstrations do not clear if the end of the State of emergency would be a less restrictive government.

A semi-official newspaper quoted an official source saying that assad would issue orders confirming the decisions of the Government, which also include the dissolution of the Supreme Court of the State of security, on Wednesday.

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Yemen opposition spurns talks, defines Saleh deadline - Reuters

Demonstrators carrying posters of revolutionary leader Che Guevara (L) and the late President of the Northern Ibrahim al-Hamdi Yemen during a demonstration demanding the eviction of President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Yemen in the South of Taiz city on April 13, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah

SANAA. Thu April 14, 2011 6: 11 am EDT

SANAA (Reuters) - the Yemen opposition has rejected an offer Thursday to join the talks mediated by the Gulf in Saudi Arabia on a transfer of power and set a deadline of two weeks for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign.

Gulf Arab Foreign Ministers had said that they would invite Saleh, who has faced two months of demonstrations demanding his resignation and his opponents talks mediation on a transfer of power. However, the opposition a fight on the offer.

"We renewed our focus on the need to accelerate the process of quality (Saleh) down for two weeks.". "So we go to Riyadh," said Mohammed al-Mutawakkil, a prominent opposition leader.

Allies Saudi Arabia and West of the Yemen fear a deadlock in the State of the Arabian Peninsula could ignite clashes between rival military units in the capital and elsewhere and cause chaos that would benefit from a wing based at the al-Qaeda Yemen active.

Opposition of the Yemen first rejected a statement by the Council of the Gulf cooperation framework for the discussions, had been to be held in Riyadh, because it seemed to offer Saleh a waiver of prosecution in the future and has not asked for an immediate transfer.

Later, they met the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and the Kuwait, Oman Tuesday seeking clarification of the understanding of the "transfer of power," GCC that does not specify a time for Saleh to resign.

Some opposition leaders had suggested that the talks could begin as early as Saturday, before said Mutawakkil clarifications offered by the ambassadors of the Gulf had been insufficient.

"We did not find in the clarification that the ambassadors presented everything which responds to our requests for immediate removal," said Mutawakkil. "There was nothing new by the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council."

Saleh agreed to the framework of the talks, even if another player key, General Ali Mohsen, a relative of Saleh, whose units are protecting the demonstrators in Sanaa, have accepted the plan of the CCG.

Technically, a transfer of power to the Yemen could last until the next presidential election scheduled for 2013, a perspective the opposition considers unacceptable.

Saleh has offered for new parliamentary and presidential elections this year in political reforms, but said that he should stay in power to oversee the change or to submit to what he calls the "safe hands".

(Reported by Mohammed Ghobari.) Written by Cynthia Johnston. (editing by Andrew Dobbie)

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Agreement to try to calm the restive Syrian City - Reuters

Women demonstrate, on the coastal road Baida, April 13, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/HandoutBy Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN. Thu April 14, 2011 6 pm EDT

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian authorities sought to defuse tensions in Banias in agreeing to withdraw from the secret police feared the restive coastal town, replacing them with army patrols and to release imprisoned pro-democracy demonstrators.

Syrian forces walled Banias and surround the reservoir after a protest against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, 45, in the City Friday, during which demonstrators shouted "people want the overthrow of the regime."

The demonstration, echoing the cries of rallying of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, was part of a wave of unrest that have swept through the Syria in which a rights group said 200 people died. Students walk on Wednesday in the second city of Aleppo the Syria.

Loyalists irregular to El-Assad, called "al-shabbiha", has killed four people at Banias on Sunday, a rights activist said, raising tensions in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation governed by minority Alawi, acceding to an offshoot of Islam Shi'ite.

"Banias residents arrested in recent weeks are already filed," said the Syrian human rights observatory. "The army will go but there is also a pledge out of the secret police... and improve living conditions."

In the United States, France, Britain and other nations have urged Assad to refrain from violence in dealing with protests.

The Syria problems came to a head after police arrested more than a dozen children in the town of Deraa to graffiti inspired by pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the Arab world.

These events would have been unthinkable a few months ago this more closely controlled the Arab countries, where the Baath party has been in power for nearly 50 years. Modern Syria has obtained its independence from the France in 1946.

AHEAD OF THE FRIDAY PRAYER

Television Al Jazeera reported that the Syrian army had said Banias residents could enter the city, but he promised that no there is none of the attacks by the military.

The deal, struck in Damascus between an official of the Baath party and the imams and the personalities of Banias, was intended to help calm the city, is home to one of oil refineries two of the Syria, before the Friday prayer which have been a flash point.

Friday prayers have been mounting protests against the rule of iron of the Ba'ath party, which began in the city of the South of Deraa almost a month ago. The protests have spread to the suburbs of Damascus, North-East, the Mediterranean coast and other areas.

The Baath party has banned opposition and respect the laws of emergency since 1963. The wave of disorders presented Assad with the biggest challenge to his rule since he succeeded his father Hafez Al-Assad, who ruled for 30 years until his death in 2000.

Assad responded to demonstrations with a mixture of deadly force - security forces killed unarmed demonstrators, according to witnesses - and vague promises of reform have failed to dampen protests.

The Damascus Declaration, the basic rights of the Syria group, said that the balance of these events reached 200.

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China always interested to invest in Spain-source - Reuters

* Wealth China funds nie examines the investment of $9 bln

* Source in Madrid, said report was "communication error".

* Bank of the reports of the Spain on banks for financing plans Thursday

* Bank of Spain lower ECB debt in 3 years

(A recast, adds comment, details)

By Paul Day

(MADRID, April 14, Reuters) - China is interested in investing in the banks of the Spain savings, a Spanish source insisted on Thursday, brushing off a denial of Beijing News expected on how markets sick lenders plan to plug financing gaps.

All beginning, China Investment Corp., sovereign investment fund of the country, said Thursday that he did not contemplate an investment of $ 9 billion, after an another Spanish source said China may inject a total of $ 13 billion in the sector of the difficulty. [ID: nL3E7FE0CP]

"It was a communication error." There is a willingness to invest in the credit unions of the Spanish debt... but clearly, we cannot give specific amounts or name particular fund, the second source - as the first, the Government - said.

"Reports are without foundation and do not conform to the truth," an officer CIC, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters earlier in Beijing.

The Spain is under intense scrutiny by the international debt markets concerned fourth largest economy in the euro area will follow the Greece, the Ireland and Portugal in seeking a bailout supported by the European Union and the IMF.

Demand of investors premium hold that Spanish on German debt has fallen since the Portugal announced that he would need to ask for help, although rose again to about 190 basis points Thursday, up to about 9 basis points on the day.

A trader said that the increase is due to a recent rebound of the outperformance and not a sign more in addition to risk of contagion among peripheral economies. [ID: nLDE73D0IB]

It is unclear what terms could make a considerable investment risk in Spanish banks attractive in China. CIC has invested prudently in foreign financial markets in the past two years, partly to avoid any criticism is wasted reserves.

But an economist, said that the refusal of CIC was more likely to reflect a diplomatic gaffe that an overhaul of the policy.

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Q + A-hazards at each reactor of the Japan is devastated by plant - Reuters

Mayumi Negishi and Chizu Nomiyama

TOKYO, April 14. Thu April 14, 2011 6: 48 a.m. EDT

(TOKYO, April 14, Reuters) - the Central Daiichi Fukushima nuclear in the centre of the Japan crisis has six reactors. The plant is operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO).

The following summarizes the main risks as Japanese engineers struggle to deal with the worst nuclear crisis since the collapse of Chernobyl 1986:

WHAT IS THE OVERALL SITUATION?

Two of the reactors are considered safe, but the other four are still volatile. The nuclear safety agency said that the temperature and pressure in all reactors are stable.

Workers have managed to curb chain reactors at no. 1, no. 2 reactions and No.3 resulted after the earthquake struck, but they were unable to cool the reactors in some fuel melted inside reactor cores.

Engineers are now trying to cool the reactors at the point where they can be turned off. Until the cooling pumps or alternatives, are online to continuously cool reactors, workers are obliged to periodically inject new water to maintain the freshness of the fuel, but that creates the most contaminated water.

The immediate challenge is to transfer and store the contaminated water, while at the same time as much as possible the spread of radiation always leaking into the atmosphere and the sea. Currently, workers do not have access to the cooling systems in reactors, no. 1, no. 2 and no. 3.

So far, eight workers suffered injuries of radiation at the Daiichi plant. All have been released from the hospital.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS AT EACH REACTOR?

-REACTOR No 1: 460 - MW (manufacturer GE)

Reactor fuel can melt the most, with TEPCO estimate that 70 per cent of fuel may have been damaged, judging by the released radiation. Detection of neutron in mid-March beams may also mean that flashes of nuclear reaction occurred when the fuel was at its warmest.

Pumps are now injection of freshwater in the reactor and workers hope to install independent power line for pump to another, in the case where an aftershock knocks out the power again.

Workers are also injecting nitrogen into the reactor in the hope of avoiding a repeat of a breath of hydrogen on 12 March, which could endanger the lives of workers, blocking access in the plant and spread rained radiation in the environment.

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The Japan reactor operator apologises for radiation - Reuters

* TEPCO apologizes to the Japan, neighbours to radiation

* For pumping of radioactive water at sea at the end Sunday

* PM Kan to visit the tsunami zone

* Japan hopes banned agricultural imports from China will remain "reasonable".

By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chisa Fujioka

(TOKYO, April 10, Reuters) - Japanese power company Executive has apologised for the dissemination of radiation in the air and sea as regulators said the pumping of radioactive water in the waters off the coast of the Japan of a nuclear power plant crippled would end Sunday, one day later than scheduled.

The apology of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T) came a day after China and the Korea of the South is concerned about discharge of contaminated water from the plant of Fukushima Daiichi broken by the earthquake of last monthreflecting the growing international unease over the nuclear crisis of long months.

"I would like to apologize for my heart on the worries and disorders we are causing to society due the release of radiological materials in water of sea and the atmosphere," Sakae Muto, TEPCO vice President, said Saturday.

"We worry and trouble for having taken this decision without taking enough time to explain the case prior to the persons concerned, to the press, the fishing industry and people abroad, and we are sorry to do this""," he added.

In Jakarta, Foreign Affairs Minister Takeaki Matsumoto explained political crisis of Japan with counterparts from the 10 ASEAN countries Saturday and his spokesperson urged the neighbours of the Japan only way to exaggerate the low levels of radiation.

"We are quite sorry on the fact that nuclear power plants are causes these concerns, concerns around the world, but you have to check the level of radioactivity the IAEA spoke,", said spokesman Satoru Sato.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, an Assistant Director-General of the Japan nuclear and industrial safety agency, told reporters Saturday: "we are working on the release of water... we are likely to complete this tomorrow."

<>

Take a look at more recent stories [nL3E7ER075]

Report on the market of the Japan [.][T]

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