Weekly 3 MH17 destroyed in instant by 'number of high-energy objects', says report

MH17 destroyed in instant by 'number of high-energy objects', says report

Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was destroyed in an instant when the cockpit and other parts of the fuselage were peppered by "a large number of high-energy objects," causing the plane to break apart over easternUkraine before anyone could raise an alarm, according to a preliminary report on the disaster which was released on Tuesday.

The report by the Dutch Safety Board (DSB), does not speculate on the origin or nature of objects, noting its investigators have not been able to visit the crash site because their security could not be guaranteed in the midst of the conflict between Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatist forces.

The findings are consistent with US and Ukrainian assertions the Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down by an anti-aircraft missile, which they say was provided by Russia. However, some air-to-air missiles also have fragmentation warheads which spray small shrapnel when they detonate close to a target.

The DSB report rules out other possible causes for the crash, which killed all 298 people on board, saying: "There are no indications that the MH17 crash was caused by a technical fault or by actions of the crew." It found that the shrapnel came from outside the plane and hit the cockpit above the level of the floor, implying it sheared through the space occupied by the pilots. The front parts of the plane broke away first, leaving the rest of the aircraft to fly on for some distance, with parts of the rear and centre ending up miles further east than the cockpit.

The US and Ukraine have accused separatists of shooting down the plane with a surface-to-air BUK missile, which explodes near its target, peppering it with high-velocity shrapnel. Moscow has denied the charge, pointing instead at the Ukrainian air force.

Rebel leaders have by turns admitted and denied possessing a BUK system. On Monday Alexander Zakharchenko, the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Russia's Interfax new agency: "We simply do not have the military hardware capable of shooting down a Boeing passenger jet such as the Malaysian plane."

The Dutch board was given the lead in drawing up the report because 193 of the 283 passengers and 15 crew who died came from theNetherlands. Russia, Ukraine, the US, the UK, Malaysia and Australia were all given the politically sensitive report for review.

The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said: "We have to guard against drawing premature conclusions. The case is still wide open."

WHO: The DSB report

WHEN: on Tuesday

WHAT: Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was destroyed in an instant when the cockpit and other parts of the fuselage were peppered by "a large number of high-energy objects," causing the plane to break apart over easternUkraine before anyone could raise an alarm, according to a preliminary report on the disaster which was released on Tuesday.

HOW: the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Russia's Interfax new agency: "We simply do not have the military hardware capable of shooting down a Boeing passenger jet such as the Malaysian plane."

WHERE: over eastern Ukraine

cockpit駕駛員座艙

fuselage機身

preliminary序言（性）的

midst中部；中間；中央；當中[U]

bring down結束; 終止

fragmentation分裂；破碎

separatist分離主義者

premature過早的

shrapnel砲彈碎片

Weekly3 Taiwan Government Agrees to Halt Construction on Nuclear Plant

Taiwan Government Agrees to Halt Construction on Nuclear Plant

 TAIPEI—Taiwan's government Sunday said it would stop construction work at the island's fourth nuclear power plant to assuage growing opposition to the use of nuclear energy on the island.

Speaking to the reporters, Fan Chiang Tai-chi, spokesman for the ruling Kuomintang, said the government and the party agreed that after the safety inspection process has been completed for reactor one, it won't go into operation, but will be sealed off. Meanwhile, all work on reactor two will be halted immediately.

"The cabinet also agreed to hold a national level meeting as soon as possible to ensure the future of energy supply," Mr. Fan Chiang said.

The announcement tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Taipei this weekend demanding the government abandon nuclear energy.

"There are too many unanswered questions about the safety of nuclear power. If a nuclear disaster can happen in an advanced country like Japan who is to say it won't happen in Taiwan?" New Taipei City resident Huang Chung-liang, 43, said. Two of the country's three existing plants are located at New Taipei City and another is under construction.

The government has agreed to hold a referendum about continuing with the plant, promising no fuel rods will be inserted before the referendum. It will shut the country's three existing nuclear plants by 2025 with the under-construction plant intended for decommission by 2050, according to the Bureau of Energy. However, it maintains nuclear power is the most efficient.

Protesters argue the requirement for more than 50% of eligible voters to cast a ballot for a referendum to be valid is too much. None of six earlier referendums in Taiwan reached that threshold.

Many demonstrators Sunday said they supported antinuclear activist Lin I-hsiung who has been on hunger strike since Tuesday.

Mr. Lin, 73, was a political dissident during martial law between 1949 and 1987 and has been jailed several times for speaking out against the government.

Antinuclear sentiment in Taiwan increased after the 2011 Fukushima, Japan, disaster.

Taiwan imports more than 95% of its energy.

WHO: Mr. Fan Chiang , Huang Chung-liang, Mr. Lin,Cabinet

WHEN: Sunday

WHY: Taiwan's government Sunday said it would stop construction work at the island's fourth nuclear power plant to assuage growing opposition to the use of nuclear energy on the island.

WHERE: Taipei

HOW: Taiwanese worry about their safety because they don’t know whether the nuclear power plant will blow up.

WHAT: The government wanted to construct the forth nuclear power plant in Taiwan

assuage緩和,減輕,鎮定

reactor 反應者

seal off封閉

cabinet內閣

rods棍子,棍棒

inserted插入,鑲補

decommission使退役

cast投

Source:http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304163604579527072873788850