Necklace on in the proposal

Trauma fears for Japan’s young disaster victims
What they have been through is unimaginable. Japan’s disasters have robbed many children of everything – their homes, family and friends. And while young survivors’ immediate needs are a priority, the fear is they could face long-term psychological trauma. !http://www.euronews.net/media/buttons/japan-btn2-en.jpg!”:/tag/japan-disaster/ “Yes, many children as they grow up are going to live with the consequence of the shock of this devastation,” said Hironobu Shibuya, Chief Executive Officer at Save the Children, Japan. Tests for radioactive contamination may well prove clear but the simple fact they lived near the stricken nuclear plant could be held against them. “People from Fukushima, especially kids, may face discrimination, just because they are from the region,” said Dr Keiko Yamada at a clinic in the city of Yonezawa. Around 100,000 children have been displaced by the earthquake and tsunami, according to the Save the Children charity. It says stability and protection are needed to safeguard their physical and emotional well-being. In Yonezawa, a four-year-old evacuee from Fukushima explained what she experienced: “The glass in my house was shattered and my friend’s house was damaged and my grandmother’s house, too,” she said. From problems sleeping to aggression or withdrawal, the symptoms of trauma are varied. As time passes and the world’s attention shifts from Japan, the hope is that its children won’t be forgotten. Copyright © 2011 euronews

A photovoltaic oasis
In the harsh, isolated, semi-desert region north of Cairo in Egypt, 150 acres has been planted with beans, peas and orange trees. But there is a problem: an endless need for water. Farmer Tantawi Mostafa explains: “Each plant needs a certain amount of water, depending on the season. Peas, for instance, need a lot of water, I have to irrigate them at least five hours a day. Oranges and grapes need less water during the winter season. But in any case, I never need less than 4,000 cubic metres of water per day.” They used to rely on old diesel pumps to bring the water to the surface. But local scientists have come up with different solutions to answer a whole range of problems. Fuad Ahmed Abulfotuh, an electrical engineer at the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, said: “In Egypt these diesel pumps are widespread. And we want this to change. These diesel machines have many inherent problems; they are very noisy, and very polluting. They release lots of toxic gases into the atmosphere. Also, they are quite expensive to use and maintain. You need to buy diesel, pass technical controls, change the motor oil, and buy spare parts. All this comes at a huge cost to farmers.” So how can water be pumped to the surface in a green, cheap way in these isolated regions? Researchers from NACIR, (New Applications for Photovoltaic Concentrators) are looking at the sun for answers. Gabriel Sala, the coordinator of the NACIR project took euronews to an experimental station where she explained: “We are testing the use of renewable energies to pump water and to provide irrigation in semi-desert regions.” The experimental station is well off the beaten track. And these are not ordinary photovoltaic panels. They use a brand new generation of photovoltaic cells built in Germany as part of an EU research project. Andreas Gombert, an optical engineer with Concentrix Solar/Soitec, gave the technical rundown: “Our system, concentrated photovoltaic technologies, consists of a panel of lenses in which 200 little single lenses concentrate the sun’s rays on very little solar cells. They’re really miniscule. The front section only focuses the light. If we look at the rear section, we see little squares that are actually heat reducers, which absorb the heat. The photovoltaic solar cells are inside those squares. Each cell is only two millimetres in diameter.” The trackers follow the sun all day. They are thought to be far more efficient than ordinary photovoltaic panels. Andreas Gombert, an optical engineer with Concentrix Solar/Soitec explained the difference: “Classic panels have solar cells all over the surface to capture the sunlight. With concentrated photovoltaic technologies, we concentrate the light on these tiny but very efficient solar cells. The main advantage is that one concentrated photovoltaic cell is up to twice as efficient as a classic solar cell.” In ideal conditions, each tracker produces around 50 kilowatts of electricity per hour. Spanish researchers from Instituto De Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentracion (Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems) are measuring the efficiency of the trackers in different meteorological conditions. Maria Martinez, an industrial engineer with ISFOC, said: “The clearer the sky, the more radiation, and the more energy these panels can generate. Temperature works the other way round. The hotter it is, the less energy the trackers will produce, but temperature is not an big factor. Wind is more important. A slight wind will increase energy production because it will lower the heat on the surface of the mirrors, cooling the whole system and making it more efficient. But strong winds can interfere with the trackers’ movements. A strong wind can also leave dirt on the mirror, which can significantly reduce energy production.” Energy is transformed and stored using a complex system set up by German electrical engineers. Alexander Schies, an electrical engineer with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, said: “We receive alternating current from the panels, which arrives here and is fed into the AC (alternating current) main power grid. Three inverters establish an electrical grid, and when there hasn’t been any sun for a few days, they also supply power to the panels so that they can rotate towards the sun. There is a DC (direct current) control box, which measures the power and stores it in a battery. The power reservoir is small, just enough to power the captors for two days, so that they can follow the sun even when it’s cloudy.” Electricity is then used to pump water up from a depth of almost 40 meters, desalinate it, and irrigate nearby experimental wheat fields, supervised by local researchers. One of those, Fuad Ahmed Abulfotuh, said: “We are going to invite farmers from the region to come and see these experimental crops. This wheat field will teach them more than 1,000 speeches and conferences about the benefits of renewable energy could do. People will see with their own eyes, and learn how to take advantage of concentrated photovoltaic energy. And we are going to help them understand those advantages. When we get all the data, we’ll translate it into figures so people will know how much they need to invest, and how much they’ll get in return. In this easy way they will learn how useful this technology can be in their daily lives.” And scientists say that farmers will not be the only winners – similar stations could be developed in other isolated, semi-desert regions. NACIR project coordinator Gabriel Sala said: “We will only have to import the concentrated photovoltaic cells from outside Egypt. All the other materials used in this experimental plant are conventional. Glass, mirrors, metals, iron; all these materials can easily be obtained locally. So we are creating jobs. The system will not only improve farmers’ living conditions, but hopefully improve conditions for everyone living in isolated regions. We are tackling a global energy problem with a local approach.” And scientists hope that this could soon become a reality not only in Egypt, but also in other countries which have inefficient electricity generation and supply systems, but lots of sunlight! For more information, see www.ies.upm.es/NACIR Copyright © European Commission 2011 / euronews 2011

NATO deny Gaddafi assassination attempt
The Libyan government has accused NATO of deliberately targeting Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after the alliance launched a number of night strikes in the capital Tripoli. NATO war planes conducted several bombing runs on government buildings. Libyan officials escorted journalists to the offices of the country’s High Commission for Children, which suffered extensive damage. A hospital was also partially hit after a nearby telecommunications tower was felled by a missile. NATO has denied any moves to kill Gaddafi. Brigadier General Claudio Gabellini gave the media details of the night’s mission: “NATO is not targeting individuals. No individual is a target for NATO. We only look after command and control centres. The target is to stop Mr Gaddafi ordering his troops to slaughter civilians and block humanitarian aid from coming into the country.So we are not interested in individuals, in Mr Gaddafi’s life.” The raids came as Western powers planned their next move as the conflict to oust the Libyan leader appears to have reached stalemate. Copyright © 2011 euronews

French strikes destroy tanks near Benghazi
French military sources say that the French airforce has already carried out strikes on various targets around Benghazi, and has opened fire on a government army vehicle and destroyed it. Reports also say four government tanks have been destroyed to the south-west of the city. The French airforce have been carrying out wide-ranging reconnaissance missions across Libya all afternoon. French military sources say that their planes are also patrolling the skies above Benghazi in an attempt to halt operations by troops loyal to Colonel Gaddafi. The city has been under heavy bombardment all day. TO READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy The French aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” is to be deployed tomorrow, said a French spokesman, along with other naval vessels. The coalition navies, including the Canadian Navy, will enforce a blockage of Libya, to ensure that a ban on selling arms to the Libyan government is enforced. Six Canadian fighter jets have now arrived in Europe and are being prepared to carry out missions over Libya. Copyright © 2011 euronews

European markets at close: 01.03.11
A roundup of the days markets data from euronews.net, brought to you as video on demand. Copyright © 2011 euronews

New Zealand police: ‘it remains a rescue operation’
The official death toll from the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand has risen to 98. There are fears in New Zealand that many more bodies will be dragged lifeless from the rubble in the coming days. Yesterday there had been applause as a survivor was brought out. But hopes are beginning to fade of finding others alive, more than two days after the 6.3 magnitude quake. Japanese specialists have joined other foreign teams and plenty of volunteers on the ground, to search for about 200 people still missing. Meanwhile, across the city the race is on to restore water and power supplies. “Yesterday we had about 65 percent of the customers back on. Tonight, we’re aiming to have 75 percent of the customers back on,” said local power executive Roger Sutton. “Compared to the September 4th event (last year’s earthquake), it’s a much, much larger event for us. We’ve a lot more damage.” The army’s presence – to keep order and keep people away from unstable areas – may be reassuring. It is also a reminder of the gravity of the situation. The authorities say they are still involved in a rescue operation, but a fire chief said they had no signs of life. For others, life is anything but normal as they struggle to cope with collapsed and unsafe buildings, broken roads and flooded sewers. Copyright © 2011 euronews

More fears about contaminated produce in Japan
The authorities in Tokyo are advising that tap water should not be given to babies after levels of radiation dangerous for infants were detected at a purifying plant. Read our news file Officials have stopped the shipment of some produce from the Fukushima area. Unhealthy levels of radiation have been found in 11 types of vegetables. But shoppers are confused over food safety. When questioned by Euronews, one said that many people thought more types of vegetables had been contaminated. But another said she had been told vegetables were safe to eat as long as they had been washed. In Fukushima, some power has been restored to the stricken nuclear plant but experts on the scene say it will be some time before they can say the damaged reactors have stabilised. Meanwhile, in the coastal town of Higashi-Matsushima, a mechanical digger was used to dig a mass grave for two dozen victims of the earthquake and tsunami on March the 11th. Officials say up to 1000 people could eventually be laid to rest at the site. The grave is temporary. Burials are unusual in Japan, where cremation is the norm, but the authorities say the system is currently overwhelmed so the dead are being interred until a later date. The official death toll has now risen to more than 9,000. Almost 14,000 are still missing. Copyright © 2011 euronews

EasyJet hit by fuel price rise
Rising fuel prices and tough economic conditions caused low-cost airline easyJet losses to almost double in the six months up to the end of March. Its pretax loss widened to the equivalent of 174 million euros as revenues rose 8.1 percent to 1.4 billion euros. The British budget carrier said seat sales indicate revenue through the summer will be slightly ahead of the same period last year. Chief Executive Carolyn McCall said: “The past six months has been tough with sharply rising fuel costs combined with cautious behaviour by consumers and an adverse impact from taxes on passengers.” The airline said the rising price of fuel cost it 43 million pounds (49 million euros) in the period, while increased passenger taxes accounted for 21 million pounds (24 million euros) of its losses. Rising oil prices — coupled with unrest in the Arab world — could wipe out airline profitability in 2011 and hinder the industry’s recovery, airline body IATA said earlier this month. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Elizabeth Taylor,?�Actress and?�Humanitarian
Elizabeth Taylor?�at her best was a beautiful sight to behold.?�Born in London in 1932 to American parents,?�she was gracing screens before she was ten.?�Stardom followed.?�She would?�win Best Actress Oscars: for?�Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1960 and 1966 respectively.?�Playing Cleopatra brought her together with Richard Burton, who she went on to marry. Twice.?�She had a passion for marriage,?�tying the knot eight times?�with?�seven different?�husbands.?�?�In the 1970s, Taylor’s health began to fail her.?�Her film-making slowed down.?�Reviewers were?�often?�scornful,?�her public disappointed. ?�Yet more than ever, movie-lovers followed her private life in the mass media.?�Despite?�sometimes venomous criticism, Taylor’s popularity rose to a new height.?�In 2000?�her regal namesake Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.?�The first actress to have commanded superstar salaries in?�film was?�now devoted to AIDS charities.?�Fundraising was her forte and she helped raise millions.?�She was the first celebrity to get involved and?�fight for HIV attention, before it became fashionable.?�She screamed for education – about sex and?�against ignorance.?� “I come before you today not as an actress but on behalf of all those living with Aids. I am the advocate of the dying child in an impoverished nation. I am the voice of the needle-user in the inner city. I am the delegate of the prostitute in the urban street. I simply ask you for help for all those who cannot speak.“?�?�Taylor recruited and worked with a vast circle of friends for the cause.?�She said it became her life and?�that while on tour promoting her perfume she would seek out patients’ hospices, where the press did not?�follow her.?�An associate said: “She works very hard to let people know that it’s not over.“?�?�She wanted to be remembered most for her work with Aids sufferers.?� Copyright © 2011 euronews

Army defectors join revolt and seize Benghazi
Libya’s second city, Benghazi, is reportedly under control of an army unit that has defected. According to some residents the troops seized the city after overpowering members of Libya’s elite Praetorian Guard. With many communication lines scrambled, the report is impossible to verify. But several people have posted information on social networks, video sharing websites or contacted Western news agencies by telephone. Habib al-Obaidi, a doctor at the city’s main hospital claimed the bodies of 50 people had been brought in today alone. Most, he said, had died from bullet wounds. Sunday’s bloodshed follows the deaths of scores of protesters on Saturday in one of the most violent days since protests began sweeping through the Arab world two months ago. Copyright © 2011 euronews