Top Indian scientist calls for nuclear moratorium

A top Indian scientist and government advisor has called for a moratorium on all future nuclear projects following the nuclear crisis in tsunami-hit Japan.

In an open letter, extracts of which were published in the media Friday, P. Balaram, director of the Indian Institute of Science and part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's scientific advisory council, described the events in Japan as "a wake-up call" for India.

"We strongly believe that India must radically review its nuclear power policy," Balaram said in the letter, which was signed by 50 prominent figures.

"Pending the review, there should be a moratorium on all further nuclear activity, and revocation of recent clearances for nuclear projects," he said.

Fuel-hungry India has pushed ahead with its nuclear energy plans since 2008 when then-US president George W. Bush signed into law a nuclear deal that ended a three-decade ban on US nuclear trade with India.

Since then, France, Russia and private US and Japanese firms have been locked in fierce competition to sell new reactors to India.

Balaram's call marked the first direct appeal from within government circles for a nuclear moratorium.

Japan once again hit by huge tsunamis

A 10-metre-high tsunami ploughed into the Japanese coast Friday, dashing ships into the shore, washing away houses and leaving devastation in its wake. The destructive wave, triggered by a massive 8.9-magnitude undersea quake just 130 kilometres (80 miles) off the coast, inundated large areas of far

mland in northern Japan and set off Pacific-wide warnings.

Here is a chronology of some of the major quakes and tsunamis around the world since the Asian tsunami of December 2004 which left more than 220,000 dead in what was one of the world's worst natural disasters:

  

-- December 26, 2004: SOUTHEAST ASIA - A 9.3-magnitude undersea quake off the coast of Sumatra island triggers a tsunami that kills 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

  

-- July 17, 2006: INDONESIA - A 7.7-magnitude undersea quake strikes off Indonesia's Java island, unleashing a tsunami, killing at least 654.

  

-- April 2, 2007: SOLOMON ISLANDS - An 8.0-magnitude quake in the Western Solomon Islands triggers a tsunami that kills 52 people and displaces thousands.

  

-- September 29, 2009: SAMOA - A tsunami sparked by an 8.0-magnitude  earthquake flattens villages and resorts in Samoa and the neighbouring Pacific islands of American Samoa and northern Tonga, killing more than 190 people.

  

Japan 8.8 earthquake and tsunami - March 11th 2011

Japan’s Panasonic plans to invest Rs1,000 crore in Jhajjar

According to recent reports, the Japan-based electronics major company Panasonic has expressed its desire to set-up its first “Eco Idea factory” in India at Dadritoi village of Haryana’s Jhajjar district with the total investment plan of around Rs1,000 crore.

Further, the new plant will be spread in a total area of almost 76 acers and its foundation stone will be laid on February 23.

The declaration was made by an official here.

While talking to media, a company official said, “The Factory will start production within one year.”

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda said, “The new Industrial and Investment policy 2011 of the state government has been implemented to make sure holistic industrial development.”

According to him, the region will b developing as a power hub, a world level medical institute, AIIMA-II, was being established at Badsa village in the same district.

Companies from Japan plans to invest in Taiwan

As per the data released by a senior economics from Taiwan, after touring Japan said that number of Japanese firms are planning to invest in production facilities in the island, in part as of a bettering investment nature.

While talking to media, Vice Economic Affairs Minister Lin Sheng-chung said, “My visit to Japan Feb. 14-16 at the head of a delegation to solicit investment, he received commitments from Japanese businesses to invest a possible NT$8 billion (US$272.14 million) in Taiwan.”

The minister then told media, that number of firms from Japan reveals that Taiwan’s investment nature had turned for the better as well as expressed that they were planning to modify their offices or boost investment in the country.

Liu said, some of the companies anticipated their desire of working with island’s firms to jointly tap into China’s market, targeting potential policies stemming from the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) inked by the two nations in June last year.

Liu said, “This shows that Taiwan has become a springboard for foreign companies to tap into Chinese or Southeast Asian markets.”

Japanese Economy fell to 3rd place behind China

According to some recent reports, Japanese flag Japan's "lost decade" has left a lasting impact.

The country has lost its place as the world's second-biggest economy to China, figures out later is expected to show.

During the period of last three months of the last year and the complete year gross domestic product figures will be revealed by Japan at 0850 in Tokyo on Monday (2350 GMT Sunday).

However, the country's economy has been tasted a drop in exports as well as consumer demand, while China has enjoyed a manufacturing boom.

At its present rate of growth, analysts see China is all set to over take the United States as the world's top economy in about a decade.

While talking to media, Tom Miller of GK Dragonomics, a Beijing-based economic consultancy said, “It's realistic to say that within 10 years China will be roughly the same size as the US economy.”