Iraq's Mosul Dam faces 'risk of catastrophic failure,' U.S. says

Iraq's Mosul Dam is facing a "serious and unprecedented risk of catastrophic failure with little warning," the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned on Sunday.

At the same time, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi played down the threat of a potential breach at the country's largest dam.

ISIS militants seized the dam in August 2014. U.S. airstrikes helped Kurdish and Iraqi forces take control of it back that same month.

"A catastrophic breach of Iraq's Mosul Dam would result in severe loss of life, mass population displacement, and destruction of the majority of the infrastructure within the path of the projected floodwave," the U.S. government said in a fact sheet.

It stressed it had "no specific information that indicates when a breach might occur," but said it was providing recommendations now "out of an abundance of caution."

The 3.2-kilometer-long Mosul Dam holds back as much as 12.5 million cubic meters of water, according to Engineering News-Record, a construction industry website.

A wall of water tens of feet tall

If the structure were to give way, it would unleash a wall of water tens of feet tall that would race down the Tigris River toward Mosul and its inhabitants. It would also bring flooding to major cities farther downstream, including Baghdad.

According to the United States, approximately 500,000 to 1.47 million people live along the Tigris in areas at highest risk and would probably not survive the impact of the projected flood wave unless they evacuated.

"Proper preparation could save many lives," the embassy said.

Painting an alternative picture, Abadi discussed the "unlikely" scenario of the dam bursting in a statement from his office.

A rehabilitation operation, funded by the World Bank and to be done by a "premium international engineering company," is set to begin shortly, the Prime Minister said, stressing that regular and ongoing maintenance is already underway.

In the event of the dam bursting, however, Abadi advised that people living near the Tigris River move to higher ground, at least 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) away from the river.

The statement also sought to assure Iraqis that the government would issue emergency alarms in the event of a breach and would provide for any displaced people.

Oscar shines on 'Spotlight'

"Spotlight" is basking in the golden glow of Oscar.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" may have won more honors at the 88th Academy Awards, leading all films with six. "The Revenant" won some major prizes, including the first Oscar for actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

But when the last award of the evening was read, it was the little film about Boston Globe investigative reporters digging into a sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests that was left standing.

"This film gave a voice to survivors," producer Michael Sugar said. "And this film amplifies that voice, which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican."

It was one of just two awards "Spotlight" took home. The film also won for Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer's original screenplay.

But until that moment, it looked like "Revenant," about a vengeful trapper in the 1820s, was going to go all the way.

Alejandro González Iñárritu notched his second straight Oscar in the directing category; he's the first person to pull off that feat since Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1949-50. The film's Emmanuel Lubezki also kept a streak going, winning his third straight Oscar for cinematography.

But the big story was DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar with his fifth acting nomination.

After taking some time to thank Iñárritu, co-star Tom Hardy and director Martin Scorsese, among others, DiCaprio put in a plug for environmentalism.

"Climate change is real. It is happening right now; we needed to go to the tip of South America to find snow. ... It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species," he said. "We need to support leaders around the world who speak for indigenous people, for humanity, the voices who have been drowned out by the politics of greed. Do not take this planet for granted. ... I do not take this night for granted. Thank you."

Home remedies to perfectly grow your hair

Home Remedies to perfectly grow your hair

it is very important to take proper care of the hair for effective growth, here are tips to perfectly grow your hair to your desird length. Your general health, well-being, and genetic factors affect your rate of hair growth.

You can encourage hair growth by maintaining healthy hair through a good diet and proper hair care. Certain herbs can help make your hair grow faster, too.

1. Eat a healthy diet

Eating a diet rich in protein and vital vitamins and minerals is an essential prerequisite to healthy hair growth. Opt for foods high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium. Vitamin B-complex, in particular, is extremely important for making your hair grow faster.

So, include a variety of foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, chicken, eggs, whole grains, salmon, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, parsley, grapefruit, avocado, brown bread, oats, and alfalfa in your diet to nourish your hair and scalp. Plus, drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices, such as orange, grapefruit, carrot, beet, and lettuce juice.

Fish, flax seeds, walnuts, beans, winter squash, olive oil, and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are also good for hair growth as about 3% of a hair shaft is made up of omega-3 fatty acids.

Avoid nutritional deficiencies because they tend to affect your hair adversely. For example, vitamin E and zinc deficiencies lead to hair thinning and loss.

2. Use castor oil

Being rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, especially omega-9 fatty acids, castor oil promotes hair growth naturally.

• As this oil is quite viscous, mix the castor oil with an equal amount of coconut, olive, or almond oil. Massage your scalp with it and leave it on for 30 to 45 minutes. Then shampoo your hair.
• You can also add essential oils, especially rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, or thyme oil, to the castor oil and then put it in your hair.

3. Massage your scalp

Massaging promotes blood flow to the scalp, which in turn stimulates the hair follicles. In addition, deep condition your hair once a week with a hot oil treatment or deep conditioning hair mask.

1. Apply the oil (preferably warm) or conditioner to your hair.
2. Gently rub your fingers on your scalp in a circular motion for three to five minutes.
3. Rinse the oil or conditioner out of your hair.

4. Flip your hair upside down

This is one of the most popular tricks to promote faster hair growth. Just flip your hair upside down by flipping your head over for two to four minutes daily. It is believed to work by improving circulation.

5. Stay stress-free

Stress is one of the most important factors that contribute to hair loss. It is believed that stress can disrupt the normal hair cycle and trigger hairs to enter the telogen or fall-out phase. Thus, when striving for faster hair growth, minimize the stress in your life.

To manage stress, you can use meditation, breathing exercises, or other relaxation techniques. Plus, be sure to get your beauty sleep as the growth hormone is released during sleep.

6. Whip up an egg mask

Eggs are highly beneficial for faster hair growth because they are packed with protein and also contain iron, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. You can use an egg hair mask at least once a month.

• Whisk an egg. Mix in four tablespoons of grapeseed oil and a few drops of lavender oil. Apply it on your hair and scalp and leave it on for half an hour. Finally, rinse it out and shampoo your hair as usual.
• Apply a mixture of two egg yolks and two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil on your scalp. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash it out with cold water and then shampoo your hair.
• Alternatively, whisk an egg and add one cup of milk, two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and the juice from half a lemon to it. Apply it on your scalp and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes before washing it out and shampooing your hair.

7. Infuse your hair with herbs

Herbs like rosemary, catnip, nettle, burdock, horsetail, and sage promote faster hair growth. Rosemary, in particular, is excellent for hair growth because it stimulates the hair follicles. It also adds luster to your locks.
Furthermore, the polyphenols and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea are also linked to hair growth. Plus, most herbs stimulate hair growth by improving circulation.

• Prepare an herbal infusion by steeping any of these herbs in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes. Use it as a final rinse after shampooing and conditioning your hair. In addition to encouraging hair growth, it will strengthen your hair and make it soft and manageable.
• You can also mix herbal infusions or essential oils in your shampoo.
• Drink herbal teas.

8. Take vitamin and herbal supplements

In addition to eating a proper diet, you can take supplements like folic acid, biotin, kelp, fish oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, and others to augment hair growth.

Folic acid and biotin are B-complex vitamins (vitamin B9 and B7 respectively) that aid faster growth of hair. Before taking any supplements, though, make sure you consult your doctor.

9. Nourish your hair with aloe vera

Aloe vera encourages hair growth and prevents hair loss. It also reduces dandruff and helps restore your hair’s natural sheen.

• Apply fresh aloe vera gel mixed with a little lemon juice and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Shampoo your hair. Do this once every week or two.
• You can also combine aloe vera gel with equal amounts of coconut milk and wheat germ oil and then apply it on your hair.
• Drink aloe vera juice on a regular basis.

10. Address medical problems

Your efforts to boost hair growth will not reap good results if you have underlying problems like a thyroid disorder, hormonal imbalance, chronic illness, or a severe infection.

Certain medications like birth control pills, beta-blockers, anabolic steroids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and others may also contribute to problems such as hair thinning and hair loss.

Seborrheic dermatitis and scalp infections cause issues like itchy scalp and mild hair loss. So, identify any underlying issues contributing to hair problems and address them as soon as possible so they don’t hamper your hair growth efforts.

In addition to these tips, try some home remedies such as Indian gooseberry or amla oil, fenugreek paste, a mayonnaise hair pack, and other healthy hair ideas.

Maintain healthy hair by following a good hair care routine and using hair products that are suitable for your hair type. Plus, protect your tresses from sun damage and avoid the use of heat styling products.

16 Ways to be a Better Kisser

1. Good kissers keep it #treal.

The #1 must-have for even a semi-deec kiss: You actually want to. If you're kissing someone only because it feels like what you "should" be doing ~in the moment~ or because you feel weird pressure, then STEP AWAY FROM THE FACE.

2. Good kissers stay fresh.

Would you want to be thisclose to someone's face space only to find that their mouth smells like the dumpster behind Olive Garden? Kay. If you're anticipating a trip to MakeoutTown, avoid the stank-inducing foods like garlic, onions, processed Cheetos-like cheese, etc. It's basic manners.

3. Good kissers Keep Calm and Carry Balm. No one can hate when your gloss game is strong, but actually mashing that onto a human's face is gross and cruel and no. Bae is probs trying to kiss your actual lips, not your Melon Mango Primer, so stick to that good ol' neutral lip balm.

4. Good kissers talk it out.

Listen, #aintnobodygottime for bleh makeouts. Expert kissers skip to the good parts by taking control and mentioning the things you do like ("So, that tongue move you just did. Yasss."), and show them alternatives to the things you don't. ("Hey, instead of that ... toothy … situation you did with my lip, how about you just graze it gently, like this?")

5. Good kissers channel the right emojis.

Here's a list of emojis not to be when kissing:

🐟: Open-mouthed and gasping for dear life.

🐶: How did your tongue get in my nostril?

🐤: Stop pecking at my face ARE MY LIPS SEEDS.

If you're channeling ANY emoji, it should be Pink Shirt Massaging Her Head: Relax your lips. Relax your life. You're a hot, awesome human, and this person is lucky (and probably also just as nervous) to be kissing You. Collect your chills and relax. 💆

6. Good kissers move ~like you're my miiiirrror~

1. I'm not mad at envisioning J.Timbs when kissing anyone, and
2. Bomb-dot-com kisses are a mirror dance — meaning, mimic: Slow down, take note of the things bae does, and gently do it back. Bust out moves you'd want them to do to you. Remember that the show's not all about you: You're both in control of this dance.

7. Good kissers know: Less is EVERYTHING.

Thinking too hard about going for some ~sexy trick~ you learned is how makeout seshes end up feeling like dental cleaning. Pro kissers know to start off small and slow, and to only #turnup if you feel like it's right. Oh, you'll know.

8. Good kissers ARE ANTI-HICKEY.

Question: Who thought it'd be sexy to literally be a mouth vacuum? Oh, no one? GREAT — then we're officially retiring The Hickey. Be nice to Bae's neck: Small kisses down from the jaw or gentle lip-brushes FTW.

9. Good kissers know that lips-only are for basics.

💋Under the jawbone.

💋Soft spot behind the earlobe.

💋The UGH-so-cute little dip in the collarbone.

💋Tip of the nose.

💋Inside the wrist.

💋Forehead. 💋Shoulder. 💋CLOSED EYELID. #THEPOSSIBILITIES.

Give the both of you a second to mouth-breathe again and freakin' explore!

10. Good kissers take the long route.

Consider this a Google Maps for your meggouts:

1. Start at the lips, kissing (NO TONGUE) gently down towards the chin, then all along the jawbone, towards the ear. From here, give their earlobe a little nip, or whisper softly … "So when are we getting Chipotle?" (Optional.)
2. Sneak up on bae from behind and kiss from the top of their shoulder, along the curve towards their ear. (And again, The Optional Whisper: "I want to eat an entire pizza with you.")
3. Gently kiss down the forehead, starting at the hairline, along the slope of the nose, ending at the lips. Congrats: You're now so goddamn cute.

11. Good kissers can make PDA not-obnoxious.

Bae will def appreciate the sneak-attack smooch:

💥Facing each other on the bus? BOOM, tip-of-the-nose.

💥Approaching them while they're sitting? BOOM, forehead.

💥Strolling along, holding hands? BOOM, knuckle-peck.

💥Are you vertically challenged and only come up to their shoulder? BOOM, shoulder smooch.

💥Lounging con Netflix? BOOM, inside-of-the-wrist lip-graze. (Careful. Tickles.)

12. Good kisser can keep their tongue in check.

First Rule of Tongue: USE SPARINGLY. Start off by just finding their tongue with the tip of yours — almost like a gentle tongue fist-bump — then pull back. Try grazing past the tip of their tongue — then pull back. Circle the tip of their tongue — then pull back. (Drool and breath and blegh happens when you don't pull back.)

When you're feeling up for it, you can try running your tongue just along the inside of their upper lip, or pull a quick lick under their top lip in a sort of come-here/teeny-ice-cream-cone maneuver.

13. Good kissers don't nibble. Anything. EVER.

I'm sorry — the thought of someone "nibbling" on my lip the way I legitimately nibble on straws and pen caps and beef jerky GIVES ME THE ABSOLUTE FEAR. Why do we still tell each other to nibble?! Good teeth action starts with taking bae's bottom lip between your front teeth, giving a gentle tug, and letting go.

14. Good kissers play with the pre-game.

Before kissing, lean in and swipe your lips past theirs, slowly and lightly, then pull back. Take a one-two pause to bask in Bae's "OMG WTF I NEED YOUR FACE" reaction before going in for the kill. And for those feeling sass-tastic: If you've taken a break and are getting ready to lean back in, build up some anticipation by pulling back a half-inch and smiling, like "Not yet, sucker — Deal With It." Proceed with makeout as scheduled. #sorryneversorry

15. "But what do I do with my hands?!" you ask.

👋Both on either side of their head — with plans to slide back into their hair.

👋One on their lower back, and one behind the neck (can also venture into Hair Land).

👋Both hands lightly resting on their chest.

👋Both hands on hips, which can sneak around their lower back to squeeze.

👋One hand taking a selfie. (JK – just making sure you're still paying attention.) (But we'd be super impressed if you could pull it off, JS.)

👋One or both hands pulling on the neck of their shirt a little bit, towards you.

👋A few fingers up and down their spine, down the nape of their neck, or hovering around their cheeks and jaw.

16. Good kissers can manage bad kissers like a pro.

Pause an aggressive kisser by leaning back, putting a hand gently on their collarbone, and approaching v e r y s l o w l y — almost like saying, "Chill. Take it down 4 notches.Like this." Reroute an overly acrobatic kisser by pulling back, just enough so you can whisper, and say, "I like kissing you like this." Proceed with what you'd want done to you. 

7 Ways to Stop Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE), which I prefer to call early ejaculation, is the most common sexual problem facing men under 40. While it’s important to understand the physical and emotional causes of PE, it might appeal to the male “fix-it” nature instead to suggest certain techniques known to slow or stop PE.

I refer to these techniques, which you can teach him so that he can learn to delay his sexual response, as a woman’s special “tool box.” By dipping into the tool box, you can do more than just try to extend his erection — you can further build your relationship and deepen your intimate connection. You will both benefit from your role as Ms. Fix-It!

Here are seven of the most effective tools.

Deep Breathing 
Deep breathing is a form of meditation that can sometimes help control the arousal and tension that lead to early ejaculation. Try to see if he can avoid shallow, short breathing, which speeds up his heartbeat and can trigger EE. Try to get him to spend five seconds breathing in one deep, full breath, hold it for about three seconds, and then exhale for five seconds. If he can do this for about five minutes without breaking the rhythm, he may be able to use it in the bedroom. Plus, focusing on each other’s breathing, and how it rises and falls, can build an intimate connection.

The Stop-and-Start Method 
This begins as a solo exercise. Your partner should begin by masturbating alone, bringing himself close to orgasm and stopping. After relaxing, he should continue bringing himself closer and closer to orgasm until he can’t hold it any longer. (Doing this several times by himself without distraction will help him learn where his point of no return is.) When he feels that he has mastered the technique, the two of you should engage in sexual activity that stops short of intercourse.

The Squeeze Method 
This method requires one of you to squeeze the base of the penis at the same point that the stop-and-start technique would be used, when he is at the brink of orgasm. The idea is to reduce your partner's erection through squeezing. Just as with the stop-and-start method, your partner should do it on his own first, master it, and then invite you to practice the technique with him.

Kegel Exercises 
Kegels aren’t just for women. There’s no better method to strengthen the pelvic region than to create a strong pubococcygeus muscle (PC muscle), which can help control ejaculation. The easiest way for him to find this muscle is to see if he can stop the flow of urine when he goes to the bathroom. It’s the PC muscle that he uses to do that. Once he finds it, he needs to practice feeling exactly where it is located and make sure he engages it, rather than using his abdominals, buttocks, or thighs. (These must all stay loose when doing Kegel exercises.) To do Kegels, he will quickly clench and release the PC muscle repeatedly for ten seconds. He should do three sets, with a ten-second break between sets. If he contracts his PC muscle when he’s close to orgasm, he should be able to slow things down.

Tantric Techniques 
Sex that is truly explorative is more than just traditional physical pleasure. Try using the tantric techniques of establishing an intimate connection, including when he’s nearing the point of no return. When he approaches that point, he should cease stimulation (i.e., pull out), then contract the PC muscle and lower his chin to his chest (this is important, as it prevents energy from rising too high and making him feel ungrounded). He should then draw in a breath, feeling the warmth of sexual energy rise upwards in his body. Repeat this as needed, until the desire to release is no longer urgent.

Condoms With Benzocaine 
The results vary, but climax-control condoms can extend sexual activity and delay a male’s climax as long as five minutes. These condoms have benzocaine in the tip; it’s a mild anesthetic with a slight numbing effect, so it can help to decrease his sexual sensation and bring his sexual response down to a more manageable level. Don’t worry, he can still enjoy sex! And while he doesn’t need the protective benefits of a condom duringmasturbation, he can try using the condoms in a solo session to see if they help to prolong and control his excitement.

Promescent 
Just recently, a new medication for early ejaculation was approved by the FDA. Promescent is a topical medication that is applied to the penis ten minutes before sexual activity, and it helps a man to better manage the sensations of sex through desensitization. However, unlike other topical medications for early ejaculation, Promescent absorbs below the skin where the nerve endings that control ejaculation are located. A man receives only the dosage needed to control his ejaculation while still allowing him to enjoy the sensations of sex, and since it is absorbed into the skin, it will not negatively impact his partner’s sensations.

Medical Options 
Even though your partner may not be depressed, the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) family of antidepressants, including drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft, may help his EE. The drugs can be taken several hours before sexual activity, and since they inhibit arousal, they can help make it easier for a man to control ejaculation. Before he makes a decision regarding these drugs, which require a prescription, he will need to see either his general practitioner or a urologist; he should also ask about and keep in mind 

TEPCO: Fukushima meltdown announcement made months late

The reactor meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant hit by a devastating tsunami in 2011 should have been announced much sooner, the operator admitted this week.

In a statement, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said that a public declaration of the meltdown should have been done within days of the disaster.

It did not reveal that a meltdown was taking place for almost two months.

More than 160,000 people were evacuated from the area near the Fukushima meltdown, the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

First case of cancer linked to Fukushima cleanup work diagnosed

7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A TEPCO employee measures a radiation level of 213 microsieverts per hour in front of the No. 2, left, and No. 3 reactor buildings on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A worker approaches the No. 3 reactor on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A worker levels out the ground at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

Workers, wearing protective suits and masks, stand near the No. 3 and No. 4 reactor buildings on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A TEPCO employee walks past the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on February 10, 2016. Next month, Japan will mark the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, when an earthquake and tsunami hit on March 11, 2011, leaving more than 15,000 people dead.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

TEPCO employees, in blue protective suits, brief a press group in front of storage tanks for radioactive water on Februray 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A member of the tour group, donning a protective suit and a mask, takes a look at the crippled No. 3 reactor on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A TEPCO employee measures a radiation level of 213 microsieverts per hour in front of the No. 2, left, and No. 3 reactor buildings on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A worker approaches the No. 3 reactor on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A worker levels out the ground at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

Workers, wearing protective suits and masks, stand near the No. 3 and No. 4 reactor buildings on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A TEPCO employee walks past the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on February 10, 2016. Next month, Japan will mark the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, when an earthquake and tsunami hit on March 11, 2011, leaving more than 15,000 people dead.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

TEPCO employees, in blue protective suits, brief a press group in front of storage tanks for radioactive water on Februray 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A member of the tour group, donning a protective suit and a mask, takes a look at the crippled No. 3 reactor on February 10.

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7 photos: Inside Fukushima: Cleanup underway, 5 years on

A TEPCO employee measures a radiation level of 213 microsieverts per hour in front of the No. 2, left, and No. 3 reactor buildings on February 10.

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Regulations ignored

The company said internal regulations that a meltdown should be declared if damage to the reactor core exceeded 5% were not followed.

Damage to one of the reactor cores exceeded 50% within three days of the tsunami, but TEPCO did not acknowledge that a meltdown was taking place until months later.

While it did not tell the public until May, TEPCO said that it had informed the government of the ongoing meltdown within days of the disaster, as required by law.

"We apologize for the great inconvenience and worry" the delay caused, TEPCO said.

Sensitive topic

Whether or not to declare a meltdown was a fraught and politically charged decision at the time, both at TEPCO and within the Japanese government.

TEPCO previously admitted in a 2012 report that it played down safety risks at the Fukushima plant out of fear that additional measures would lead to a plant shutdown and further fuel public anxiety and anti-nuclear movements.

After Koichiro Nakamura, a senior Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency (NISA) official told a news conference a day after the disaster that a "meltdown of the reactor's core" may be taking place, he was removed from a PR position at the agency.

NISA was heavily criticized after the disaster for a perceived conflict of interest, given that its parent organization, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, is responsible for promoting nuclear power in Japan. The agency was abolished in 2012 and a new body set up under the Ministry of Environment.