On Thursday (15th), the Tokyo Electric Power Company of Japan provided further clarification on the cause of the nuclear waste water leakage at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, stating that it was due to human error on Wednesday (7th). Last Wednesday, about 5.5 tons of radioactive contaminated water leaked from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's water purification system. According to Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the leak occurred on Thursday morning in the high-temperature incinerator building while the facility was cleaning and treating contaminated water from the reactor building with the "second cesium adsorption system" to reduce radiation levels in preparation for maintenance. The system is connected to the external wall's exhaust vent, through which the contaminated water leaked. According to TEPCO, two operators from collaborating companies failed to notice the open state of a valve and missed relevant reminder signs before starting t...
On Friday (2nd), a ministerial meeting was held between the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brussels, Belgium. After the meeting, a joint statement was issued, reaffirming the strategic partnership between the two parties and their shared interests in maintaining regional peace, stability, and prosperity. The joint statement talks about the South China Sea in five parts, reaffirming the importance of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It emphasizes the respect for the rule of law, sovereignty, maritime security, freedom of navigation, and peaceful resolution of disputes. This convention defines the rights of countries in the ocean, including the establishment of exclusive economic zones. In the face of China's increasingly assertive actions in the South China Sea, ASEAN countries have repeatedly referred to this convention in their appeals, but the joint statement does not explici...