Tag: Times

Radiation around Japan plant reaches 4,385 times over legal limit

TOKYO - The levels of radioactive iodine found in seawater near Japan's stricken nuclear power plant was 4,385 times more than the legal limit on Thursday, the nuclear safety agency said.
The level was the highest recorded since the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant that was triggered by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency Deputy Director-General Hidehiko Nishiyama told a news briefing.
He added that this did not present a health

Radioactive iodine 1,250 times over limit in sea off Japan’s plant

TOKYO - The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan has detected radioactive iodine 1,250.8 times above legal limit in sea near the plant.
The level jumped to its highest so far in the survey begun this week, Tokyo Electric Power Co said.
According to the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the readings were taken Friday morning about 330 meters south of the plant, near the drain outlets of the reactors at the utility.

Times of India apologises

NEW DELHI - India's leading newspaper apologised on Thursday for suggesting that a World Cup match between Australia and Zimbabwe was under investigation for match-fixing.
The Times of India had claimed that the February 21 game in Ahmedabad was being probed by the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption body. "We apologise to Australia, Cricket Australia and the ICC for any embarrassment caused by this," the newspaper posted on its website.
"We also accept that at

Media Times sacks more than 200 employees

LAHORE - Media Times, a media group, on Friday fired more than 200 employees from its two organisations; Urdu newspaper Daily Aaj Kal and its satellite TV channel Business Plus. The group had been facing extreme financial constrains; employees were not getting salaries; there was at least a four months lag.
Aaj Kal Editor Khalid Chaudhry was also shown the door, Pakistan Today has learnt. More than 150 employees of Aaj Kal and Business Plus were sacked from their Karachi office,

Great expectations in hard times

The boiling political situation seems to be running out of steam - what with the minority government capitulating to the numbers-strong opposition and reversing the petroleum prices to those of October 31, 2010.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced this decision after a marathon session with the parliamentary leaders of all political parties. The majority prevailed. Though the economic managers of the government were opposed to withdrawing the increase in Petroleum, Oil

Agriculture sector annual review – It was the best of times,...

LAHORE - Calendar year 2010 was simultaneously the best and worst of years for agriculture. Experts believe that it was a positive year owing to surging commodity prices, while some are of the opinion it was the worst year as devastating summer floods washed away millions of rupees worth of agriculture produce.
However, the consensus is that any increase in commodity prices will not benefit farmers but only fuel further inflation in urban economy. Former Finance Minister Dr

Microfinance falls on hard times

LAHORE: Slow economic growth, double digit inflation, high unemployment rate and the high cost of production is not only hampering the growth of industry but also hitting the microfinance sector hard.
Official figures show that Pakistan's real GDP growth rate plummeted from six percent in the financial year (FY) 2005 to 2.7 percent (estimated) in FY10, productivity fell sharply and average annual inflation rose from 4.8 percent in FY05 to 14.2 percent in FY10. Economists believe

Depp laments ‘voyeuristic’ modern times

PARIS: US megastar Johnny Depp says he has mostly learned to tame the media "beast" which constantly stalks him -- but makes no bones about what he would do if the paparazzi overstepped the mark.
And while acknowledging the demands of global fame, the 47-year-old former "enfant terrible" also lamented the "voyeuristic sensationalism" of modern media culture. "I've had various relations with paparazzi over the years. Basically, I understand the beast," the "Pirates of the

CM wants one dish, wedding times implemented

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has directed that one dish law and the observance of fixed timings should be ensured strictly at the weddings.
CM, while presiding over a meeting, said that action should be taken against the marriage hall owners for violating fixed timings and should be sent behind the bars. He said that the action should be taken against the violators without discrimination and all articles of such halls should be confiscated.
He said

Governments flying high in times of crippling austerity

LAHORE: The federal and provincial governments are all praise for their respective austerity measures at a time when the civil apparatus at both ends is devoting enormous resources for the maintenance of its substantially large VIP fleet of 24 aircraft.
Data made available with Pakistan Today revealed that the federal and provincial governments operate 24 luxury aircrafts ranging from Airbus A310 to Cessna Citation for VIP movement. The data showed that the government bought the