Grounded ships leakage is small; salvage could take weeks ROCKHAMPTON, Australia - Workers rushed to contain an oil spill on Monday from a coal-carrying ship grounded on Australias Great Barrier Reef, sending two tugboats to stabilize the vessel so that it would not break apart and further damage the fragile coral beneath. Oil is seen next to the 230-metre (754-ft) bulk coal carrier Shen Neng I about 70 km (43 miles) east of Great Keppel Island in this April 4, 2010 picture. [Agencies]  Traveling at full speed of 10 mph (12 knots, 16 kph), the Chinese-registered Shen Neng 1 rammed into Douglas Shoals late Saturday, an area that has shipping restrictions in order to protect what is the worlds largest coral reef and one that is listed as a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species. Related readings:  Tons of oil spills into Luohe River  Cargo ship collides with boat in Shanghai  Big fuel spill on Alaska island  Australian navy to help spill clean up Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh said a boom will be put around the ship by Tuesday to contain oil leaking from the hull. Aircraft sprayed chemical dispersants in an effort to break up the slick Sunday. Our No 1 priority is keeping this oil off the Barrier Reef and keeping it contained, she told reporters in Brisbane. Bligh said a salvage team had reached the ship Monday and were attempting to stabilize it. The stricken Shen Neng I belongs to the Shenzhen Energy Group, a subsidiary of Chinas state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, better known by its acronym COSCO. The 230-meter ship was carrying 65,000 tons of coal to China when it ran aground with 975 tons of heavy fuel oil on board. Although only a small amount of oil has leaked so far, rescue officials have said the ship will require a long and careful salvage operation, expected to take weeks. Authorities fear the ship will break apart during the salvage operation and wreck more coral, or spill more of its heavy fuel oil into the sun-soaked sea. However, Bligh said the risk of the ship breaking apart appeared to have lessened since the first of two tug boats arrived and reduced its movement. One of the most worrying aspects is that the ship is still moving on the reef to the action of the seas, which is doing further damage to the coral and hull, according to Marine Safety Queenslands general manager, Patrick Quirk. Initial damage reports showed flooding in the main engine room and damage to the main engine and the rudder. Australia is a major exporter of coal. Environmentalists criticize the trade as significantly contributing to global carbon emissions and have called for a halt to plans to expand the industry. However, tourism is also a major earner of foreign exchange and the Great Barrier Reef and Queenslands pristine beaches are among the top tourist attractions. Numerous conservation groups have expressed outrage that bulk carriers can travel through the reef without a specialized marine pilot. Shipping lanes in Australian waters typically require a seasoned captain to go aboard an incoming ship to help navigate around hazards. Until now, the government has said there is no need for marine pilots around the protected area because large ships are banned there. COSCO and Shenzhen Energy Group officials in China could not be contacted for comment on April 5 because it was a Chinese public holiday. China Daily contributed to this report. Associated Press    Previous Page 1 2 3 Next Page      Previous Page 1 2 3 Next Page   Authentic Bruins JerseyDr. Tiffany M. DeLutis, a Brigantine resident and daughter of Charles and Marilyn DeLutis, received a doctoral degree in podiatric medicine from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine on May 20. Dr. Delutis was elected into the Pi Delta National Podiatry Honor Society for outstanding scholastic achievement, and also received the prestigious James A. Conforti, DPM Community Relations Award from the Ohio podiatric Medical Association for her excellent work in promoting Podiatry in the Community. Wade Jersey Jersey RedThis isn't to say the Heat's defense is the best we've ever seen. It's not. they have the best defensive rating of any Finals team since LeBron's Cavaliers in 2007, better than the vaunted Celtics teams of recent years, but while it is very good, it is not quite of that caliber yet. But you can't argue with the results, especially after their work in Game 1 against the Mavs. The Mavs feature such a balanced attack, Miami knew going in they were going to have a significant challenge from the Mavs' shooters. Authentic Bobby Orr Jerseythe most worrying thing might be his mindset on the defensive end. Fredette almost seems disinterested defensively, and this leads to poor help and poor positioning off of the basketball. Even worse, when he does get beaten by his man with the ball, he tends to give up instead of trying to recover, hoping that his help can get the job done. Black Wade Jersey JerseyIt seems that a possible package of draft picks, players, and cash could move the Bulls up the draft list, especially if they are willing to take on some salary. A team like the Houston Rockets at No. 14 might be willing to part with their pick, and then there is the Utah Jazz at No. 12. Utah already has the No. 3 pick in the draft (from New Jersey), so they might be willing to part with that second pick in a package deal. It would be interesting to see what the Jazz said to an offer of both the Bulls first round picks for that No. 12 selection.Discount Tiffany KeysFrank Patrick said today that' while he knew Boston interests were con templating entering the NHL this coming season, there- has been no sale of the Seattle team, to Mr. Adams and his associates. Art Ross is a life-long friend of Mr. Patrick and the coast t hockey leader Doctors from Shanghai Huadong Hospital offer free medical treatment to villagers in Jiangqiao town in Shanghai on Feb 19. [Photo Provided to China Daily]  Basic medical care network to cover urban and rural residents by 2020 SHANGHAI -The municipality of Shanghai kicked off a week-long debate on its draft plan to reform its medical and drug system, posting the plan online on Wednesday for public comment. In the plan, the government promised to set up a basic healthcare network covering urban and rural residents by 2020. Meanwhile, the city will enhance health management and improve residents health as well as their quality of life. It will also develop medical technology and build the city into a medical center in Asia. The municipal government will provide basic medical service for the whole population, including the registered population and people who live in the city for more than six months, and will greatly increase its health funding to ease the financial burden on residents. The draft is on the website of the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau, and residents have a week to give comments and suggestions. The plan will be adjusted based on public suggestions and the final version is likely to be issued in mid-April. Shanghai is one of the leading cities to carry out healthcare reform. The city has abundant healthcare resources, high-level medical services as well as advanced medical technology, said Xu Jianguang, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau. But the city still faces a lot of urgent problems, which pose great challenges to its development, Xu added. Faced with a large migrant population, most of whom live in the suburbs, the city should adjust the administration of medical resources to meet the increasing demand, he said. So far, the city has 34 large top-quality public hospitals, of which 32 are located in downtown areas, leading to an uneven distribution of medical resources. Under the draft plan, more top-quality public hospitals will be established or renovated on the citys outskirts to balance high-quality medical resources. Nine top-level hospitals are expected to open in the citys suburbs in 2012, the bureau said. Related readings: Country ramps up healthcare spending China announces 21% price cut on 162 medicines China to further reform healthcare system Healthcare reform According to the plan, the city will take measures to deal with the problem of an aging society. More nursing centers, rehabilitation centers and facilities for elderly people will be established. The city will also carry out a new round of a campaign to strengthen its public health system, including disease prevention, public health education, improvement of maternal and child hygiene, as well as food safety. In addition to being an international metropolis, Shanghai is also an important port city, which means a higher risk of importing diseases. This puts huge pressures on the citys public health, Xu said. Local communities will face more public health service problems, such as screening for diseases among newborns, checking for colorectal cancer among local residents and inoculating pneumonic vaccine for people aged above 60. Shanghai will train more medical personnel through a standardized program for resident doctors, which requires medical students to have one to three years of residency experience before they can become clinical doctors. The city was also exploring ways of improving the service of community-level hospitals and establishing the family doctor system. Family doctors will not only be able to offer home visits but also organize remote online consultations. In addition to the 307 commonly used medicines regulated by the health ministry on its essential drug list, the city added another 381 medicines. All of these drugs will be covered by medical insurance and sold at cost. ' ' '