Officials said they could not rule out the possibility of a meltdown, which occurs when nuclear fuel rods cannot be cooled and melt the steel and concrete structure containing them, at all three troubled reactors at the plant.

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The Japanese government said Monday that the fuel rods in one reactor have fused together in a partial meltdown.

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The fuel, called MOX, takes uranium from spent fuel rods and mixes it with plutonium, creating a less stable fuel, one that is potentially far more dangerous in a meltdown.

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Given the low interest rate environment in the U.S., the U.S. dollar has been weak against other foreign currencies in recent years, which, in addition to the other factors previously discussed, has helped fuel a rise in the price of gold since the great market meltdown of 2008.

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Engineers and workers so far have managed to stave off a complete meltdown in Fukushima Daiichi's reactors 1-3 and in the spent fuel pool of unit 4.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

That ruling, authored by Judge Jed S. Rakoff, added fuel to the criticism that the financial sector has largely evaded responsibility for its role in the 2008 financial meltdown.

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