Informant38

at this moment, in this world:

Nuclear power officials in Japan today admitted that the world's largest nuclear power plant had suffered at least 50 malfunctions including burst pipes, water leaks and radioactive waste spillage, when it was hit by yesterday's earthquake.
Officials were investigating possible radioactive leaks from the plant after reports that several drums carrying low-level nuclear waste had tipped over and lost their lids during the earthquake, which measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, in northern Japan.

Guardian UK 17.Jul.07
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The terrorist network Al-Qaida will likely leverage its contacts and capabilities in Iraq to mount an attack on U.S. soil, according to a new National Intelligence Estimate on threats to the United States.
The declassified key findings, to be released publicly on Tuesday, were obtained in advance by The Associated Press.

SHRADERandFLAHERTY/AP-SFGate 17.Jul.07
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The Vatican said Tuesday it would lead the fight against pedophilia, but said the problem was not limited to the Catholic Church and that other institutions should take responsibility.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi spoke to Vatican Radio after the Los Angeles archdiocese reached a $660 million settlement with more than 500 alleged victims of clergy sex abuse, the largest-ever U.S. payout.

WINFIELD/AP 17.Jul.07
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Firefighters tackled a stubborn wildfire Tuesday in the mountains of Santa Barbara's wine country, with several hundred residents advised to leave their homes over concern that a shift in the wind could push flames their way.
Officials issued the voluntary evacuation notice — the first since the fire began on July 4 — Monday evening.

CBS 17.Jul.07
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A District man pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges in a Massachusetts district court yesterday after being accused of forcing his two daughters into the trunk of his car Sunday afternoon.
Witnesses told police that Michael Fekete, 48, put his 9- and 11-year-old daughters into the trunk for an unknown period of time, then let them out and placed them in the back seat of the car.

Johnson/WashingtonPost 17.Jul.07