The Non-Life Insurance Rating Organization of Japan said insurance companies gained more than 2.51 million new earthquake contracts, since the 11 March 2011 megadisaster.
Not surprisingly the biggest gains were in the areas hardest hit: Fukushima Prefecture saw a 49.6% increase. Iwate Prefecture 26.4% increase. Miyagi Prefecture up 22.3%.
The Japanese government is about to vote on a standardized decontamination plan.
Here’s a list of suggested decontamination procedures for cities and towns:
High pressure washing of homes and buildings, including rain gutters.
Trimming of outer leaves and branches on bushes and trees.
Pulling up smaller plants and removal of top soil.
Washing roads, including flushing joints on asphalt and concrete roads, removing mud and dirt along roadsides.
All removed soil and plant material must be treated as nuclear waste.
The Japanese government will vote on a standardized plan on 26 August 2011. The amazing thing is that it’s been more than five months since the start of the ongoing nuclear disaster, and they’re just now coming up with a standardized national government decontamination plan.
The British Prime minister’s office is holding an emergency National Security Council meeting on Libya. The meeting is being chaired by Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Rebels claim they’ve found tunnels under the Bab al-Azizia compound. Sounds like fighting is taking place, rebels say they’re trying to “clear” the tunnels.
Despite many earlier reports from foreign reporters at the Rixos Hotel, saying rebels were threatening their lives, the BBC is now saying it’s Libyan government forces that’re doing the threatening. They say one of their reporters was threatened when he tried to leave the hotel.
Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi has taken a brief tour of Tripoli, just to prove he is still alive, and still in Tripoli. He’s made a TV address asking loyal Libyans to “cleanse the city”.
NATO responded with two air strikes. Witnesses say the explosions were huge.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs reports that one of their citizens was taken hostage by rebels.
President Obama is giving Libyan rebels $1.5 million in frozen Libyan funds. At the same time Germany is demanding that the United Nations give the rebels funds that were frozen under the UN sanctions.
Germany is also going to issue rebels a huge $140 million loan, within days.
What this means is the fragile Libyan rebel alliance (aka Transitional National Council) has run out of money to pay for military operations, which include mercenaries. A BBC report said the rebel alliance is so fragile that it could fall apart as soon as the war is over. It’s more likely it’ll fall apart if it runs out of cash.
Moody’s downgraded Japan, from double A2, to double A3. Moody’s cited continuing government budget problems, huge government debt, and government incompetence.
One of the signs of government incompetence is what has become a revolving door of government agencies and leaders. The latest change is that Prime Minister Naoto Kan has resigned, effective by the beginning of September.
Japan is the second largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt.
California State Fish and Game reports that 1,000 prize game trout were stolen from a fish farm.
It happened at the San Joaquin State Fish Hatchery. Each fish weighed at least three pounds.
Game wardens are searching fish markets. The trout sells for as much as $7.00 per pound. The thieves would have needed a large truck to get away with 1,000 three pound trout.
China’s Foreign Minister says the United Nations, not U.S. led NATO, should lead post-war efforts in Libya. He added that China will help rebuild the country, but only if the UN is in charge.
Rumors of poisoned water in Tripoli, has rebels confused. A BBC reporter said he overheard rebels arguing about whether the water was safe or not. So far, no one has confirmed the story of two people going to hospital after drinking poisoned water.
“Given the volatile security situation, the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli has suspended operations until further notice.”-Canadian government statement
A man from Ottawa, Canada, says Libyan rebels are threatening to kill him. Mahdi Nazemroaya, an independent journalist working for Russian and Arab media, is holded up in the Rixos Hotel.
His mother has been begging Canadian officials to do something to get her son out of Libya, they have refused.
Even Nazemoroaya’s alma mater, University of Ottawa, tried to get the Canadian government to help: “To call the government when a friend is in trouble, and hear ‘too bad so sad’, that is disappointing.”- Mireille Gervais, student appeal center
Reporters still holed up in the Rixos Hotel, in Tripoli, say the hotel is still under attack by Rebels. That’s because the area is still under the control of the Libyan government. It seems the rebels have not taken Tripoli after all.
CNN’s Matthew Chance said this about the situation: “Just had confirmation that a Maltese boat docked in a Libyan port. Would love to get on board and out of here.”
Another report says that SCUD missiles, supposedly being launched from Sirte, are being intercepted by the U.S. Navy. The SCUDs are targeting Misrata.