BBC News - Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany

15 March 2011 Last updated at 11:51

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Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany

Germany had decided to prolong the life of its nuclear power plants

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Germany has temporarily shut down seven of its nuclear power plants while it reconsiders its nuclear strategy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said all reactors that went into operation before 1980 would be taken offline, while safety checks would be carried on the country's remaining plants.

All safety questions would be answered by 15 June, she said.

The decision comes after concerns about radiation leaks at a Japanese plant after last Friday's earthquake.

Last year, Germany decided to extend the life of its 17 nuclear power plants by 12 years, but that decision was suspended for three months on Monday.

The government had faced growing pressure for the extension to be scrapped.

More than a quarter of all German electricity comes from nuclear power.

The Swiss government has also suspended decisions on its nuclear programme.

The European Commission is holding a meeting of ministers and experts on Tuesday to discuss the implications of the explosions at Japanese reactors on the European nuclear industry.

Concerns are growing about radiation leaks at a nuclear plant in Japan that has been hit by a third explosion in four days following last week's earthquake and resulting tsunami.

The blast occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo - which engineers had been trying to stabilise after two other reactors exploded.

via bbc.co.uk

Lessons from Japan?

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Spotify: Big Numbers

Spotify founders Martin Lorentzon and Daniel Ek Image: Spotify

Popular European music streaming service Spotify opened the kimono a little bit, revealing that they have 1 million paying users.

As AllThingsD's Peter Kafka points out, that's 15% of their around 7 million active users. That's an absolutely astounding number. Most "freemium" startups are told to expect around 1% of their users to convert to paid, and 5% is considered really good. So 15% is really huge. It's even bigger when you consider that we're talking about online music, which can be obtained totally free (albeit illegally and somewhat inconveniently).

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Spotify is an amazing product and business that has probably "cracked the code" on building a music service that users love and that can make tons of money. Your writer has been a happy Spotify premium subscriber for over a year and loves it.

Don't Miss: DST Is Going To Pour $100 Million In Spotify →

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Glad to see SPOT looks as though it is here to stay!

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BBC World Service - Programmes - Outlook-rescue

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Moving story!

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RAF Rescue

Good news-those guys in the desert must be SO relieved!

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Two RAF Hercules have rescued about 150 workers from the Libyan desert, Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said.

The planes, carrying Britons and other foreign nationals, have reached Malta.

An RAF C130 Hercules at Valletta airport in Malta

Fears had been growing for British citizens left in the country which has been plunged into chaos as protests against Col Gaddafi's regime continue.

Meanwhile, the last government-chartered flight on which Britons could escape has left Tripoli and the British embassy there has suspended operations. Read more at www.bbc.co.uk

 

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FridNightComedy

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Wonderful stuff!

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Duchess of Cornwall on the ARCHERS

Good on 'er!

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made a guest appearance on The Archers, to help celebrate its 60th anniversary.

The Duchess of Cornwall has made a guest appearance on The Archers, to help celebrate its 60th anniversary.

She featured on the BBC Radio 4 drama making a Royal visit to Ambridge in her role as president of the National Osteoporosis Society, with the whole village turning out to meet her.

The Duchess spent the morning prior to her radio debut at BBC Birmingham, saying it was an opportunity to meet the cast, and put faces to the names that had kept her entertained for 30 years.

In her first scene on the show, she enquired after the health of Caroline Sterling's uncle. Read more at www.bbc.co.uk

 

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Tiger Woods fined for spitting.

Nothing going his way at the moment!

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Woods was visibly frustrated during his final round in Dubai

Tiger Woods is to be fined by the European Tour for spitting during the Dubai Desert Classic.

The former world number one spat on the ground, a few feet from the hole, after missing a par putt at the 12th during his final round on Sunday.

Woods was found guilty of breaching the European Tour's code of conduct and will be fined an undisclosed sum.

His closing round of 75 was Woods's worst ever finish in a regular European Tour event. Read more at news.bbc.co.uk

 

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