Japan Admits Partial Meltdown at Nuclear Plant
Japanese authorities admitted Thursday one of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility suffered a partial meltdown of its core. The disclosure by the Tokyo Electric Power Company is the latest indication that the nuclear disaster was worse than previously disclosed. A TEPCO official said radioactive water had leaked from the reactor, exposing fuel rods and triggering their meltdown.
Dorothy Parvaz Remains Missing
Al Jazeera English reporter Dorothy Parvaz, an American-Canadian-Iranian citizen, was detained in Syria on April 29 when she arrived to cover the ongoing unrest. She has not been seen since. On Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported she had been deported to Iran, although there has been no direct contact with her.
Exxon, Shell See Profit Hikes; Venezuela Unveils Oil Windfall Tax
Oil companies continue to report major profit increases amidst rising prices for gas and oil. On Thursday, Exxon Mobil said it posted a $10.7 billion profit in the first quarter, a gain of 69 percent. Royal Dutch Shell earned $6.3 billion, up 30 percent. The news comes as the Venezuelan government has announced a new tax on oil companies’ windfall profits. In a statement, the group Public Citizen called for a tax on oil companies’ windfall profits in the United States, saying, “Prices at the gas pump are jumping, even though the cost of drilling hasn’t changed… Big Oil is able to pocket the difference—at the direct expense of consumers.”