I thought today might be a slow news day (Japan still bad. Libya still bad. Bahrain still bad) – So I had planned to use most of my 500 words to explain how the Stock Market works instead. Looks like that will have to wait…
Reporters have been dashing back and forth from “Nuclear meltdown imminent” to “Chill out everyone, it’s really not that bad.” Here are the facts: Radiation is now leaking directly into the air from Japan's Fukushima plant. A third explosion has now occurred. Radiation levels as far as Tokyo are 10 times higher than usual. 140,000 people who live closer to the plant have been ordered to stay inside and make sure their homes are airtight. It is still too dangerous for engineers to check the reactors properly but we can assume things are melting. Forecasters are attempting to console people’s fear by pointing out that at least the wind is carrying radiation out to sea, rather than inland. Not so consoling for our fishy friends. Stock markets around the world have been exhibiting an abundance of nose-diving red arrows. More on what that means tomorrow.
Libyan rebels have met with a number of big Western powers at a summit in Paris to ask for help and intervention. Russia, Germany and America all said no, not yet. France stamped their feet about this but to no avail. It has been suggested that the French are just worried about the number of Libyan refugees likely to try flooding into France, should Gaddafi triumph. Gaddafi himself has tickled this little concern by warning that if he is overthrown, his gates will open and “Europe will become black.” Which is an odd thing to say about your own people. You wouldn’t hear Sarkozy standing up before the world and saying it. “Hey guys. Leave me alone or I’ll release all my frogs. That’s right. The whole world will be hopping with frogs.” Hmm.
Bahrain has declared a three-month state of emergency in response to their growing number of Shia Muslim demonstrators. All these demonstrators are asking for is equal rights, and a fair democracy. The rulers of Bahrain have responded by calling in military intervention. Yes, comparisons are being made to the situation in Libya. No, we’re not getting involved in this one yet either.
The average ‘shopping basket’ of the UK (a bunch of stats on what we’re all buying, which is used to calculate inflation) has changed in recent times. It now contains a bottle of bubbly, a subscription to a dating agency and a handful of Smartphone apps. Lager and cigarettes are out. Apparently we are coming over all sophisticated.
Clink, clink.
No comments:
Post a Comment