World

The Fallout Grows At Fukushima

BY BRYAN WALSH

It’s easy to forget, but one of the most important parts of a nuclear power plant is the simplest one: H[subscript 2]O. The thermal energy created by a nuclear reaction generates steam, which drives electric turbines, and the excess heat is then dissipated in pools of water. When something goes wrong at a nuclear plant, water is usually involved.

So it is with the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northern Japan. Nearly 2½ years after Fukushima suffered a meltdown in the wake of a massive tsunami, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) is struggling to contain new leaks of highly radioactive water flowing from the plant. Some 430,000 tons of radioactive water is stored in nearby tanks, and each day an additional 400 tons is added to the total as groundwater flows past the damaged reactors. The hot spots near the tanks indicate that Fukushima is at risk of being inundated by radioactive water that could be released into the environment–and that TEPCO has once again understated the scale of the problem.

With Tokyo seeking to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been desperate to show that Fukushima is under control. On Sept. 3 the Japanese government announced that it would take over the cleanup and spend nearly $500 million on an underground ice wall and other measures that would hopefully halt the leaks of radioactive water. That might sound like something out of Game of Thrones, but such frozen walls have been used to isolate radioactive waste at other nuclear sites–albeit only for a few years at a time. Fukushima will require decades for a full cleanup. Radioactivity has a way of outlasting even the most determined government.

POLL

EUROPE’S FASTEST-GROWING COUNTRIES

A new Oxford study found that European men grew 11 cm on average from 1871 to 1980. Below, the per-decade breakdown.

1.41 cm

Netherlands

1.25 cm

Germany

1.24 cm

Denmark

1.19 cm

Spain

The Explainer

How Enrique Peña Nieto Wants to Transform Mexico

In his first state-of-the-nation address, on Sept. 2, the Mexican President said this could be the year the country “dared to take off.” Here are his proposed reforms (and what he’s up against):

BETTER SCHOOLS

Congress recently approved a bill to begin evaluation-based hiring, firing and promotion of teachers; many have protested for weeks, saying they’re unfairly blamed for subpar student performance.

ENERGY INVESTMENT

In August, he revealed plans to lure foreigners to Mexico’s vast oil and gas deposits, ending 75 years of protectionism; critics worry that the shift will lead to privatization.

LOWER CRIME

He touts a 13.7% drop in murders since he took office in December and plans to keep targeting extortion and kidnapping; 49% of Mexicans think violence has risen.

An Unyielding Battle

AFGHANISTAN

The body of an alleged Taliban fighter lies on the ground on Aug. 30; he was killed alongside seven other suspected militants during an overnight commando operation in Herat province. The Taliban has escalated its attacks against foreign combat troops as their 2014 withdrawal inches closer. Afghan police deaths have doubled this year after the poorly trained locals inherited security responsibility from NATO. Photograph by Hoshang Hashimi–AP

FRANCE

$5,270,000

Estimated cost to restore the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the famed 2nd century B.C. Greek sculpture at the Louvre in Paris

Roundup

Soccer’s Priciest Stars

What financial crisis? Top European clubs spent a whopping $2.3 billion acquiring the best soccer talent this summer; of that, a record $980 million came from clubs in England’s Premier League. (Many costs are augmented by TV deals and corporate sponsorships.) Here’s a look at some of the biggest player-transfer fees in history.

GARETH BALE

$132 million

The Welsh forward just left Tottenham Hotspur for a six-year contract with Real Madrid, making him the most expensive get of all time.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

$124 million

Florentino Pérez, Madrid’s club president, retained his no-player-costs-too-much reputation in 2009 by luring the Portuguese winger from Manchester United.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

$94 million

FC Barcelona netted the Swedish striker from Inter Milan in 2009 despite soaring debt in previous seasons. He’s now with Paris Saint-Germain.

KAKÁ

$92 million

In 2009, Real snagged the famed Brazilian midfielder from AC Milan–only to send him back there this summer.

ZINÉDINE ZIDANE

$64.5 million

Three years after the now retired midfielder led France to a World Cup win in 1998, Madrid grabbed him away from Italy’s Juventus.

THAILAND

‘What if the product was white and I painted someone white?’

NADIM SALHANI, CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts in Thailand, after Human Rights Watch called the campaign for its new chocolate Charcoal Donut–featuring a model in blackface–“bizarre and racist”; a global brand executive apologized and vowed to pull the ads

Trending In

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HEALTH

Former South African leader Nelson Mandela was discharged from a Pretoria hospital and is receiving care at home

FREEDOM

Iran released six Slovak paragliders held since May for photographing restricted areas; two others are still detained

MUSIC

Kanye West was reportedly paid $3 million by Kazakhstan’s President, an alleged human-rights abuser, to perform at his grandson’s wedding

CENSORSHIP

In Vietnam, a law that bars Internet users from discussing current affairs–only personal information is allowed–went into effect