Sort of non-weather at the Castle this morn, light-ish, warm-ish, calm-ish and dull-ish, still at least it isn’t raining-yet.
Late again this day, no excuses, just overslept.
Engineers have managed to rig power cables to all six reactors at the Fukushima complex, and restarted a water pump that will help reverse the overheating that triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.
A spokesman for Tepco, the plant operator, said workers had to be briefly evacuated after light grey plume of smoke was spotted emanating from reactor three but added radiation levels had remained stable.
Oh well; that’s OK then….
Cabinet ministers have contradicted senior military commanders by suggesting that coalition forces in action over Libya can legitimately target Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Sir David Richards, flatly insisted that seeking to hit the Libyan dictator was not allowed under the terms of United Nations Security Council resolution 1973.
But after Defence Secretary Liam Fox suggested over the weekend that Col Gaddafi could be a "legitimate target", No 10 sources insisted it was legal to target anyone killing Libyan civilians.
Does that include UN planes and submarines?
BT has said it will raise call charges by 9% and increase its monthly standard line rental charge by 30 pence from 28 April.
The cost of UK landline calls will go up from 7p a minute to 7.6p a minute.
Customers are being informed of the changes by letter, although some with specific packages will not be subject to the price increases.
BT increased its call charges by 10% and its line rental by 50p in October last year.
That’ll help the inflation figures.
Welfare-to-work providers will be rewarded for helping long-term unemployed back into work and Lord Freud said they would be able to earn “very good fees” from the benefits overhaul.
He said: “Depending on the scale of the challenge the jobseeker faces, we will pay anything between £4,000 and £14,000 to the employment specialists – if they can get people into sustainable employment.”
There are 2.2million people on incapacity benefit, of whom 1.6million will be assessed to see if they are fit for work. Trials have suggested that one in three will be judged to fit to go back to work.
The highest premium - £14,000 - would only be paid to a firm who has moved a long term claimant into work, as long as they have stayed there for at least two years.
Lord Freud, a former City banker, was unapologetic about the prospect of large companies making millions of pounds from plans to replace a number of different benefits with the single Universal Credit.
He said: “Payment by results means that we can reward providers who invest successfully to get people into jobs – especially the hardest to help.
Yeah right…..so what is the Jobcentre minus for then?
Weapons, drugs, crumpets and a ride-on lawnmower were all stolen between 2008 and 2010, a report revealed yesterday.
Greater Manchester Police fared worst, losing £100,000 worth of goods – enough to pay for three extra officers.
West Midlands (£92,000) and Northumbria Police (£35,500) performed poorly, while City of London officers did better on £293. Eight forces did not take part.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “Being outsmarted by criminals is bad enough, but this also drains resources.”
Makes you feel safe and warm, wanna buy a ride on lawnmower?
Officials in Washington State say a 37-year-old worker came loose from a safety line and slid about 3,000 feet through a large sewer pipe at a wastewater treatment plant.
Authorities say the man was working on the sewer system at the plant and was about 150 feet below ground. He slid through a pipe that's about six feet in diameter.
Fire fighters and co-workers pulled the man, a contractor for Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, to safety on Monday. He appeared to have minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital for further evaluation.
And, a hose down, tetanus jabs, put into isolation and told to stop laughing.
Thieves have stolen up to $30,000 from a theme park wishing well near the Victorian city of Geelong.
Police say the thieves broke into Fairy Park, at Anakie, on Sunday night, and stole the coins that had been in the wishing well for up to eight years.
Detective Senior Constable John McKinnon says shops and banks should be on the look out for anyone trying to cash in large amounts of rusty coins.
He says the thieves brought in a pump to drain water from the well.
"The offenders have forced their way through the fence and drained the water, which is about two metres deep," he said.
Detective Senior Constable McKinnon says the owners believe the well may have contained up to $30,000 worth of coins.
Well…someone’s wish came true.
And finally:
Daniel Rahynes was caught after he showed ID to open an account then robbed the bank in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Darwin is spinning in his grave.
That’s it: I’m orf to upgrade my quantum computer
And today’s thought: A conclusion is the place where you find yourself . . . when tired of thinking.
Angus
3 comments:
No 10 sources insisted it was legal to target anyone killing Libyan civilians.
That opens up such a can of worms that Darfur comes into focus.
I feel for the workers in the Fuushima complex. A dauntless task with a death warrant.
I think the resultant debacle at Nato about sums it up James.
Doesn't seem to end does it?
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