For cthippo: I do not think the pebble beds are ready for widespread implementation.
As far as the info coming out from Japan about the nuclear stuff, they are probably sharing more than you think. It is probably just to the right people.
More than a few emergency workers have probably been hurt or killed both at the nuclear facility and elsewhere in response to this huge natural disaster. Emergency workers are sometime called on to lay it all out on the line and they deserve nothing but admiration and respect when they do. Those big explosions were what they were and anyone in the wrong place would not do so well.
By the grace of God, I have never needed to provide this kind of function, but I am part of our plants response team. I like to think I would do what ever is needed to protect the public, but it is probably better to just make sure that heroism is never needed in the first place.
I know what the nuclear lingo means, and as such I was able to get a pretty reasonable picture from web based news releases. I just reviewed a 11:20 release for 3/22 and there is not much change. The way the world "news media" can take so-so facts and turn them into "death & gloom" is pretty obvious. Not much point in telling these guys much given what their track record is.
From my experience, Japan has been somewhat less open to talk about events at their facilities than most countries, but there is a world nuclear organization that tends to keep everyone honest enough. We all insist on sharing lessons learned so that we can all get better and avoid repeating mistakes made elsewhere. The nuclear utilities are not really in competition with each other, so we probably share info as good or better than any other major industry. It is pretty obvious that a bad event anywhere causes trouble for all of us.