Factbox: Compensation for Fukushima crisis victims (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the owner of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, last month began accepting victims' applications for compensation, but the complex procedures have for many become a source of more grief.

After claimants have read a 160-page instruction manual, they then have to fill in a 60-page form and attach receipts for items including lodging, transportation and medical costs.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Tuesday that about 100 lawyers and experts would be sent to temporary housing complexes to help evacuees go through the application process.

Here are some facts about how victims of the nuclear disaster will be compensated.

PROCEDURES

To receive compensation over the nuclear disaster, victims can apply to Tepco directly or seek mediation by a third-party group.

They can sue the utility, though there have been only a handful of cases so far.

It is now accepting compensation application forms from evacuees and businesses for the five months to end-August.

After this, Tepco plans to accept claims at an interval of every three months. It is unclear until when this will last.

Nuclear compensation claims against it for the year to next March are likely to be about 3.6 trillion yen ($46.5 billion) according to a government panel calculation. Some analysts estimate payments could be as high as $130 billion.

The troubled utility is seeking help from a taxpayer-funded bailout body to foot the cost. It must submit a business restructuring plan and win government approval by the end of this month in order to receive funds from this body.

INDIVIDUALS

Those forced to evacuate are eligible for compensation covering lost income, psychological suffering and costs for transportation and lodging. It is unclear whether and how individuals who left voluntarily would be compensated.

In the case of those forced to flee, individuals would be paid 5,000 yen per person for transportation within the same prefecture. They would receive up to 8,000 yen per day for hotel expenses and 5,000 yen to cover decontamination efforts to deal with radiation exposure.

A typical family of four where the husband was the sole breadwinner making 270,000 yen a month would be paid about 4.5 million yen, including 2.8 million yen for psychological suffering, Tepco said.

Property damage and other claims that will take longer to assess will be dealt with at a later date, which some experts say is problematic as this is often the biggest asset for individuals.

Prior to the first round of compensation, the utility has handed out about 52 billion yen in temporary payments to 56,400 households and an additional 43 billion to individuals for fees they had paid to be evacuated.

It sent out application forms to some 80,000 individuals but have only received 7,100 requests for compensation as of October7.

BUSINESSES

Businesses can be compensated for lost profits and any additional costs occurring from the nuclear disaster. Such businesses include stores, staffing services, forestries, manufacturers and tourism businesses.

Most businesses will be compensated for lost profits, which will be calculated by comparing the profits for the five months after the nuclear accident to end-August and what they have made in the same period in the recent years.

Businesses will also be reimbursed for extra costs related to the disaster such as radiation tests.

Damage to property and other assets will be dealt with later.

Tepco has paid about 8.2 billion yen to small and mid-sized companies as temporary compensation.

The utility sent out about 10,000 application forms to businesses in and near Fukushima. Only 300 have been returned so far. Because of the extent of the impact of the disaster across Japan, about 300,000 businesses are expected to make claims.

FARMERS AND FISHERMEN

Farmers and fishermen will be compensated for lost profits and any additional fees they had to pay.

For those who were operating within 30 kilometers from the plant, where people were forced to or advised to evacuate, representative groups are negotiating with Tepco on compensation.

Tepco has paid about 21.8 billion yen to farmers and 3.6 billion yen to fishermen in temporary compensation. ($1 = 77.365 Japanese Yen)

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher and Joseph Radford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111018/wl_nm/us_japan_nuclear_compensation_factbox

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Rancic a 'wreck' before breast cancer reveal

It was only hours ago that Giuliana Rancic went public with her breast cancer diagnosis. But it took mere moments to find out that she has a massive support network standing by.

"I feel like such a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders," she admitted on Monday's E! News to longtime friend and co-anchor Ryan Seacrest, whom she had just shared the news with last night. "I've been keeping this secret from a lot of dear friends for a while now and it's nice to get it out there and not hide anymore."

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Via satellite from New York, Rancic admitted that the decision to go public "was a difficult one." But once the celeb thought about all the women she could inspire and perhaps educate ? regular breast exams are a must, ladies! ? she knew there was nowhere to go but in front of the cameras.

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"There was a long period of time where I thought I was going to hide this from everyone, that I didn't need to tell anyone," Rancic revealed. "And then as time went by, I would see friends of mine that didn't know, and I would think, 'God, I wish I could let her know what I'm going through,' so that she goes and gets checked."

And the same goes for all of the young female viewers of E! News, "Fashion Police" and "Giuliana & Bill."

"I started realizing I could be an example for women to not just be aware of breast cancer but to act on it," she told Seacrest. "To make an appointment, to give themselves an exam. Because truly, Ryan, the bottom line is, the earlier you find it, the better chance you have of survival.

"So that's my situation. I'm going to survive, I'm going to be just fine, I'm not broken, but that's because I found it early."

MORE: Wanda Sykes Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Double Mastectomy

Rancic explained how her cancer was diagnosed following a mammogram that she at first didn't even want, but that her IVF doctor insisted upon if she was going to keep trying to get pregnant.

"I wasn't prepared to get a mammogram until I was 40 years old, like I'd been told," the 36-year-old Rancic told Ann Curry on TODAY. "I never in my wildest dreams expected anything to be wrong."

And that TODAY interview was no piece of cake, even for the seasoned TV personality.

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"Right before I went on, I was such a nervous wreck," she recalled. "Ann gave me tissues right before we started and said, 'Keep these under your dress.'" Rancic worried, though, that people were going to feel sorry for her.

"(Husband Bill Rancic) came over and said, 'Be yourself, just tell your story and help women. Show that you're a positive role model, that you're strong and that you're getting through this. Don't cry. It's OK, honey, you can do this.'"

MORE: Reese Witherspoon Joins Thousands for Breast Cancer Walk

"He was such an amazing support at the last minute," Rancic said of her hubby.

The perennially busy TV star is going to be taking some time off while she undergoes a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, but she warned Seacrest not to get too comfortable without her ? either on the air or behind the scenes.

"Can I use your closet space?" he teased. "You have a ton of space for your shoes and stuff and I'm tight on space.... Can I borrow your assistant? Something!"

Story: 10.5M watched Kim Kardashian's wedding

"No, don't touch my clothes, but you can have my parking space for the week!" Rancic laughed. "You really need more than four assistants? Leave my assistant alone!"

In the meantime, the entire E! family is wishing Giuliana a full and speedy recovery!

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44941807/ns/today-entertainment/

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Fewer Than Half of Kids Hurt in Car Crashes Wearing Seat Belts (HealthDay)

SATURDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Fewer than half of U.S. children injured in car crashes between 2002 and 2006 were wearing seat belts, and minority children had the lowest rates of seat-belt use, a new study finds.

Researchers examined data on car accidents involving nearly 40,000 children under age 16 and found that 47.5 percent were restrained. Black, Hispanic and Native American children had the lowest rates of seat-belt use.

The overall death rate among the children was nearly 6 percent and the injury rate was nearly 7 percent. Of the children who were injured, nearly 13 percent required emergency surgery.

The researchers also found that seat-belt use was associated with a lower injury severity score (ISS) and that a higher ISS was associated with a greater risk of emergency surgery, severe outcomes, longer hospital stay and death.

The study was slated for presentation Oct. 15 at the American Academy of Pediatrics' national meeting in Boston.

Because this study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"After adjusting for the use of restraints, we found no differences in mortality among different ethnic groups. The major determinant of both morbidity and mortality is the severity of the injury as quantified by the initial injury severity score," lead author Dr. Rebecca Stark said in an academy news release. "Because the use of restraints decreases the ISS, we feel our results highlight the need for further education and outreach to the pediatric population about the benefit of seat-belt use."

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about child passenger safety.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111018/hl_hsn/fewerthanhalfofkidshurtincarcrasheswearingseatbelts

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Lowe's to close 20 stores

MOORESVILLE, N.C.?? Home-improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. says it will close 20 underperforming stores in 15 states and cut 1,950 jobs in a move that it says will allow it to focus on more profitable locations.

Ten locations were closed Sunday; the other 10 will close in a month.

Before the closures Lowe's operated 1,725 stores.

Lowe's, based in Mooresville, N.C., also says it will only open 10 to 15 stores in North America annually beginning in 2012. Previously the company expected to open 30 stores per year. It will open 25 stores this year.

Lowe's says the moves will cost it 17 cents to 20 cents per share in 2011.

In August, Lowe's said volatile weather and shoppers' worries about the economy hurt demand. Its net income was nearly flat in the second quarter and the company lowered its yearly sales forecast.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44928593/ns/business-retail/

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Cruz, Rangers beat Tigers, take 3-1 lead in ALCS

Texas Rangers' Nelson Cruz hits a 3-run home run in the 11th inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Texas Rangers' Nelson Cruz hits a 3-run home run in the 11th inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Texas Rangers' Nelson Cruz rounds first base after hitting a 3-run home run in the 11th inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera is tagged out by Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli at home plate during the eighth inning of Game 4 of baseball's American League championship series Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera sits at home plate after being tagged out by Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli during the eighth inning of Game 4 of baseball's American League championship series Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

DETROIT (AP) ? The Texas tag team of Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli was too much for the Detroit Tigers.

Cruz made a rocket throw to keep the score tied, then hit a crushing three-run homer in the 11th inning off Jose Valverde that helped send the Rangers over the Tigers 7-3 Wednesday night for a 3-1 lead in the AL championship series. Napoli had put Texas ahead with an RBI single earlier in the 11th.

Cruz, whose grand slam in the 11th inning won Game 2, once again starred for the Rangers in a game delayed at the start for more than two hours by rain.

With Detroit runners at the corners in the eighth and the score 3-all, Cruz caught Delmon Young's flyball to right field and made a strong peg to Napoli, the catcher, to nail Miguel Cabrera.

"For you guys that haven't seen Nelson every day, he's capable of doing exactly what he's doing," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "We've been waiting for it for a long time, and as I always say, I don't judge Nelson just because he hits balls out of the ballpark. He's a complete player. He takes pride in every part of the game."

Napoli blooped a go-ahead single in the 11th and Cruz soon added his fourth home run of the ALCS. Cruz became the first player in major league history to hit a pair of extra-inning homers in the same postseason series.

Texas tries for its second consecutive AL pennant on Thursday, sending C.J. Wilson to the mound to face Detroit ace Justin Verlander.

The ALCS has marked quite a turnaround for Cruz. After going just 1 for 15 in the first-round playoff win over Tampa Bay, he's 5 for 14 with nine RBIs in only four games against the Tigers ? and seven of those RBIs have come in the 11th inning alone.

Brandon Inge hit a solo home run in the Detroit seventh that tied it. The Tigers wasted a terrific chance an inning later following some risky Texas strategy.

With one out and nobody on, the Rangers intentionally walked Cabrera, practically daring the rest of the struggling Detroit lineup to beat them. The AL batting champion hit a two-run double earlier in the game, in fact.

"First time shame on you, next time shame on me," Washington said.

Victor Martinez, who hurt his ribcage on a home run swing in Game 3, followed with a single to right and Cabrera lumbered around to third.

"I respect Martinez a heck of a lot," Washington said. "Once again, he got that base hit and we almost paid for it, but I certainly wasn't going to let (Cabrera) have a swing of the bat there and beat us."

Young, another Tigers starter who has been banged up lately, managed to lift the ball to medium right. Cruz caught it and made a perfect, one-hop throw to the plate that beat Cabrera by several feet.

Cabrera bowled over Napoli, to no avail. Napoli held onto the ball and Cabrera never touched the plate.

"We throw to the bases every day," Cruz said. "We take flyballs every day, make sure we know the ballpark, we know any situation we can be involved in during the game. When you prepare, everything comes more easy."

Austin Jackson was hit by a pitch with one out in the Detroit 10th, but Napoli threw him out stealing, and reliever Scott Feldman made it through the inning without further trouble.

"I'm glad I can do it on the defensive side," said Napoli, who was traded from the Los Angeles Angels to Toronto and then to Texas in the offseason. "I kind of got labeled as not too good behind the plate, and I'm glad I can show it and be myself behind the plate and just help us win."

Feldman got the win and Texas closer Neftali Feliz worked the 11th.

Cruz tried to contribute with his legs, too. He was on first base with two outs in the ninth and tried to steal second while Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit was holding the ball. The pitcher stepped and threw to second to retire Cruz.

Valverde had already pitched a perfect 10th, but he couldn't hold off Texas for another inning. Cruz was mobbed by teammates at the Texas dugout after his homer, and Detroit fans began heading for the exits. Some of those that remained began applauding Valverde, who hasn't blown a save all year but was unable to keep this game going for another inning.

"It's one of the best baseball games I've ever been involved in," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Just didn't come out the right way."

The teams waited through a rain delay of 2 hours, 13 minutes before the first pitch. The game was supposed to begin at 4:19 p.m. EDT, but the rain didn't let up until around 5:30. Fans then began filling the seats closest to the field and, about 20 minutes later, the grounds crew came out to remove the tarp.

A misty rain began falling again around the end of the second inning, and umbrellas started popping up all over the ballpark. Water would kick up as the ball hopped along the grass, but the rain wasn't a factor in the late innings.

Cabrera hit his two-run double in the third, but Texas scored three times in the sixth.

Inge tied it with a stunning homer off Alexi Ogando in the seventh. The Detroit third baseman hit .170 against right-handers during the regular season with no homers in 171 at-bats, but he lifted a high drive to left field that seemed to stay in the air forever before clearing the fence to make it 3-all.

Rangers relievers allowed only one run in 15 innings through the first three games of the ALCS ? and they allowed only one in Game 4.

Detroit's Rick Porcello allowed three runs ? two earned ? and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out six with no walks.

Matt Harrison allowed two runs and three hits in five innings for Texas.

Porcello breezed through the first five innings, bringing the Detroit crowd to its feet with each scoreless frame. The 22-year-old right-hander finally faltered in the sixth. After a leadoff single by David Murphy, Ian Kinsler hit a one-out double, and Murphy scored when Young misplayed the carom in the left field corner.

After Kinsler stole third, bringing Detroit's infield in, Elvis Andrus tied it with a single to right-center.

Trying to hold the speedy Andrus close to first, Porcello made a pickoff throw that hit the runner and bounced away, allowing Andrus to take second. Porcello was charged with an error, then paid an even bigger price when Michael Young's single up the middle put the Rangers ahead 3-2.

Young was 3 for 29 this postseason before that hit.

NOTES: Delmon Young has been banged up all series but made a nice running catch near the wall in the fourth. ... The last time a team intentionally walked the potential winning or tying run with nobody on and at least one out in the eighth inning or later in a playoff game was Oct. 22, 2009, according to STATS LLC. The Angels gave Yankees star Alex Rodriguez a free pass with two outs in the ninth inning and a one-run lead in Game 5 of the ALCS. New York ended up loading the bases, but Nick Swisher hit a game-ending popup. ... Valverde has a 0.52 ERA this year in save chances, including the playoffs, according to STATS. In non-save situations, his ERA is 6.83.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-10-13-BBA-ALCS-Rangers-Tigers/id-3b3c15fb9195455ca130b122cdca7a4a

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Bellator 54: Makovsky fighting for respect

Zach Makovsky is very good. How good? It's difficult to truly gauge if he's amongst the top 10 bantamweights in the world.

He stormed to Bellator's 135-pound tourney title last year, but even he recognizes that he needs to be more active and face a higher level of competition.

"I don't know. I try not to get caught up in any of that. It kind of is what it is. The UFC is by far the biggest name in the game. I would think to most casual fans, they don't know the sport is called Mixed Martial Arts. To them, the sport is Ultimate Fighting," Makovsky told Bloody Elbow's Matt Roth. "It's frustrating from that kind of stand point. But at the same time you appreciate what the UFC is doing and they're obviously doing good things for their business."

Makovsky (13-2) is one of the headliners against Ryan Roberts at Bellator 54 tomorrow night in Atlantic City.

Bellator's tournament format is great because you control your own destiny, but the television exposure from the WEC might have been more beneficial over the last few years.

"I mean, of course if I fought in the WEC earlier I would have had that exposure so people would know me better but I kind of really started building my name in Bellator. I kind of was under the radar until I got in the tournament and ended up winning it. There's not much else I could have done otherwise. I don't think the WEC would have had me in there before I created a name in Bellator which is a good thing about Bellator," said Makovsky.

Makovsky's story is similar to many of the elite fighters around mixed martial arts. He was a standout wrestler at Drexel in Philadelphia, but unlike most high level college wrestlers he wasn't a big high school star. He walked on at Drexel and when he was pushed to new limits, Makovsky took it as a challenge and made himself into an elite grappler.

The 28-year-old has a bright future and at 5-foot-4, he looks like a candidate to be a hot shot down at 125 pounds when that division blows up. But he's got to get his work done at Bellator 54.

Roberts is big for the weight. He's got UFC experience and been in there at lightweight with guys like Marcus Aurelio, Donald Cerrone and Duane Ludwig.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Bellator-54-Makovsky-fighting-for-respect?urn=mma-wp8265

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Pirates release tanker, sailors seized off Nigeria (AP)

LAGOS, Nigeria ? Pirates released an oil tanker seized off the coast of Nigeria, an official said Friday, freeing the 20-member Eastern European crew unharmed after five days in captivity.

The pirates left the MT Cape Bird late Thursday night, allowing the crew to sail away to safety from the spot 90 nautical miles off the coast of Lagos where they were being held, said a spokeswoman for Columbia Shipmanagement GmbH of Hamburg, Germany.

The spokeswoman said she could not give any information on whether a ransom had been paid or if any of the ship's cargo of oil had been taken. She spoke on condition of anonymity demanded by company policy.

A spokesman for the Nigerian Navy could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

Pirates seized the vessel Saturday night, apparently targeting its cargo of either refined or unrefined crude oil. That's part of a growing trend to target oil shipments moving out of Nigeria in the region. Analysts say some of the targeted ships carry crude stolen from Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, where thefts run into the hundred of thousands of barrels of oil a day.

The hijacking is one of the latest in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, which follows the continent's southward curve from Liberia to Gabon. Over the last eight months, piracy in the oil-rich region has escalated from low-level armed robberies to hijackings and cargo thefts.

In August, London-based Lloyd's Market Association, an umbrella group of insurers, listed Nigeria, neighboring Benin and nearby waters in the same risk category as Somalia, where two decades of war and anarchy have allowed piracy to flourish.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111014/ap_on_re_af/af_west_africa_piracy

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