Bahrain unrest: Opposition arrests follow crackdown

17 March 2011 Last updated at 08:12 GMT

Authorities in Bahrain have arrested at least five key opposition figures, a day after a crackdown on anti-government protesters in the centre of the capital Manama, reports say.

The streets are said to be calm but extremely tense, with soldiers patrolling after an overnight curfew.

Correspondents say the opposition, which is seeking political reform, has gone to ground to plan its next move.

At least three civilians and three police died in Wednesday's violence.

Matar Ibrahim, a former opposition MP from Bahrain's Shia majority who recently resigned in protest at the crackdown, told the BBC the government was completely ignoring the message from the US that it was on the wrong track.

The US state department has criticised the use of excessive force and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for dialogue.

State of emergency

The BBC's Caroline Hawley in Manama says opposition attitudes have hardened since the crackdown.

Mr Ibrahim told the BBC: "We refuse to enter a dialogue while there are guns pointed at our heads."

Continue reading the main story

Mid-East unrest: Bahrain

• King Hamad, 61, has been in power since 1999
• Population 800,000; land area 717 sq km, or 100 times smaller than Irish Republic
• A population with a median age of 30.4 years, and a literacy rate of 91%
• Youth unemployment at 19.6%
• Gross national income per head: $25,420 (World Bank 2009)

• Protests: Country by country

The arrested men include Hassan Mushaima and Abdeljalil al-Singace from the Haq party, who had been on trial for attempting to overthrow the leadership, although charges were dropped in a bid to calm tensions when unrest began.

More moderate protesters are calling for a constitutional monarchy, resignation of the government and an end to repression and corruption. However, the Haq party wants to set up a republic.

Shia activist Abdel Wahhab Hussein and Ibrahim Sharif, who leads a secularist Sunni party, were also detained.

"Two of the thugs climbed over the fence to get in our yard, one went over and pointed a gun in Ibrahim's face and the other went to our garage to let everyone else in," Farida Ismail, Mr Sharif's wife, told Reuters news agency.

"They were going around, wrecking things in the house."

Bahrain - which has a population of 800,000 and is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet - is the first Gulf country to be thrown into turmoil by the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world. Protests began there last month.

On Tuesday King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa declared a three-month state of emergency and Saudi troops were called in to keep order.

The following day troops moved in at dawn backed by tanks and helicopters to clear the central Pearl Square, where protesters had been camped for several weeks. Some Shia villages have been sealed off.

Troops also surrounded the main Salmaniya hospital, preventing the arrival and departure of doctors and injured protesters.

There are reports that they remain trapped, and that six medical staff were beaten as they tried to leave. Other doctors have said they fear they may have been arrested.

The government said it had taken over the hospital because it had become a stronghold of the opposition.

There was a call for further protests in mid-afternoon. But shortly afterwards a military officer announced a 1600 (1300 GMT) - 0400 curfew live on TV, and there were no reports of further demonstrations.

Donny George: the Iraqi who led fight to recover antiquities

Goerge’s death leaves great void because he was one of brightest experts on history of Mesopotamia.

Middle East Online

Donny George BAGHDAD - Iraq paid tribute on Tuesday to Donny George Youkhanna, a former director of the national museum who led a fight to recover looted Iraqi antiquities, and who died of a heart attack in Canada last week. "Through his energy and his relationships with universities around the world, Donny George played a key role in recovering stolen items," Qais Hussein Rashid, head of the Iraqi Council of Antiquities and Heritage, said on the sidelines of an official tribute at Baghdad Museum. About a third of the antiquities looted from the museum the month after the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 had been recovered, according to Rashid. George, a Christian and director of Iraq's National Museum from 2003 to 2005, said shortly after the invasion that US forces had committed the "crime of the century" for failing to protect looted Iraqi museums and archaeological sites. Days after the fall of Saddam Hussein, 15,000 artifacts were stolen from Baghdad Museum as US forces looked on. Born in 1950 in Iraq, George was first hired by Baghdad Museum in 1976. "His death leaves a great void because he was one of the brightest experts on the history of Mesopotamia," former culture minister Mufid al-Jazairi said. "He was from a generation that was impoverished of archaeologists," Jazairi added, explaining that Iraq had trained few specialists in ancient history between 1980 and 1990 because of wars and sanctions. George, who assumed the presidency of the Council of Antiquities and Heritage in 2005, fled Iraq with his family the year after receiving death threats. He left for the United States, where he taught at New York's Stony Brook University. He died on Friday in Toronto. "Donny George was a symbol of this country. With these candles we say goodbye with tears in our eyes," said deputy culture minister, Jaber al-Jaber.

Diplomats say new Iran weapons materials seized

South Korea, Singapore have seized suspect nuclear, weapons materials bound for Iran that breach UN sanctions.

Middle East Online

The seized tubes could be used for nuclear facilities UNITED NATIONS - South Korea and Singapore have intercepted suspect nuclear and weapons materials bound for Iran that breach UN sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic, diplomats said Thursday. The two seizures, made in the past six months but only revealed now, add to a growing list of alleged Iranian attempts to breach an international arms embargo, which are bringing mounting pressure to tighten sanctions, they said. "South Korea authorities found more than 400 suspicious tubes in a jet cargo at Seoul airport in December," one diplomat said, giving details from a report to the UN Iran sanctions committee. The tubes could be used for nuclear facilities, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the seizures have not been made public. "In September, aluminium powder that can be used for rockets was found on a ship in Singapore harbor," the diplomat added. In each case the product was destined for Iran. The details were confirmed by a second envoy at the UN who said the sanctions committee would study them when it discusses the latest report from Iran experts monitoring the sanctions regime.

Egyptians to vote in first post-Mubarak test

Voters will have their say on package of constitutional changes intended to guide Egypt through fresh parliamentary, presidential elections.

Middle East Online

By Steve Kirby - CAIRO

Most of the amendments are by themselves uncontroversial Egyptians go to the polls on Saturday to give their verdict on the military's plans for a rapid transition from the 30-year authoritarian rule of ousted president Hosni Mubarak. Just five weeks after the veteran strongman quit in the face of nationwide protests, voters will be asked to say yes or no to a package of constitutional changes intended to guide the Arab world's most populous nation through fresh parliamentary and presidential elections. An appointed panel of experts drew up the proposed amendments in just 10 days, as the military council which took over on Mubarak's resignation strove to restore civilian rule as quickly as possible and keep the army above the political fray. But the hasty, improvised nature of the proposed constitutional underpinnings of Egypt's promised new democracy has driven many of the leading groups and figures behind the victorious protest movement to urge a "no" vote. Most of the amendments are by themselves uncontroversial, although critics argue that they do not go nearly far enough in overhauling the Mubarak-era charter, which they say needs to be completely rewritten. The president would serve a maximum of two four-terms and would no longer have the power to refer civilians to the military courts. The state of emergency which has governed Egyptian life for decades could only be imposed for six months without endorsement in a popular referendum. Restrictions on who can stand for president would be eased, if not entirely relaxed, and judicial supervision of all elections would be restored. The head of the judicial commission overseeing the referendum, Mohammed Atteya, hailed it as among "the first fruits of the revolution" which overthrew Mubarak's regime at the cost of at least 384 lives. "This is the first time in Egyptian history voters would be participating in a political process that is both credible and transparent," he said. "It is a principal step in the process of democratic transformation to a modern and civil state and the transfer of constitutional powers to a civilian authority elected by the people." But two declared candidates for the post of president -- Arab League secretary general Amr Mussa and former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei -- have both called for the vote to be postponed or scrapped. "Rejecting the constitutional amendments is the right decision for the voters heading to polling stations," Mussa said on Wednesday. The changes "do not meet the ambitions of the Egyptian people who dream of a new democratic era," he added. ElBaradei said the country needed a constitutional assembly to write up a new democratic charter and at least a year to prepare for truly free elections. "If we adopt these amendments, it would mean holding legislative polls within two months, and 80 percent of Egyptians, or the silent majority, won't have the chance to participate in a real parliamentary election," he said. The young militants who spearheaded the 18 days of demonstrations that led to Mubarak's ouster have also called for a "no" vote. Only the powerful Muslim Brotherhood -- outlawed but generally tolerated under Mubarak -- and elements of his former ruling National Democratic Party have called for a "yes" vote. Critics say they are the ones who stand to benefit if elections are held too quickly without giving new parties time to organise. Organisers of the referendum have made clear that rejection of the proposed amendments will leave the military no choice but to decide the constitutional arrangements for new elections by decree, leaving many voters in a quandary. "Most Egyptians are still undecided about the referendum," wrote columnist Emadeddin Hussein in the independent Al-Shuruq newspaper. "A 'yes' vote would shorten the political transition but at the risk of seeing the partisans of the old regime return to the scene. A 'no' vote would extend the transition at the risk of having no clarity about the future."

Gathafi forces press assault in west

Seif al-Islam predict everything will be over in 48 hours as Clinton hopes UN Security Council will vote on new measures against Libya.

Middle East Online

By Karim Talbi - TOBRUK

Not over Libyan strongman Moamer Gathafi's forces pressed rebels in the west on Wednesday and threatened their eastern bastion of Benghazi, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate ceasefire. With fighting on several fronts and casualties rising, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hoped the UN Security Council will vote on new measures against Libya as early as Thursday that might include a no-fly zone. In the month-old Libyan revolt, Gathafi loyalists killed two rebel fighters and two civilians on Wednesday in an assault on the country's third-largest city of Misrata, a rebel spokesman reached by telephone said. A witness in Zintan, the first western town to go over to the opposition, said "things were starting" there, as Gathafi's son Seif al-Islam predicted everything would be over in 48 hours. And witnesses in Ajdabiya, the gateway to Benghazi, said fighting was still going on there although government sources said it had fallen on Tuesday and repeated that on Wednesday. A doctor reported by telephone that fighting was still going on Wednesday in and around in Ajdabiya, which also guards the road to Tobruk and the Egyptian border in the rebel-held east. "We received four bodies today, all rebel fighters," Abdelkarim Mohammed said, adding that 22 dead, mainly civilians killed by artillery or air strikes, were brought in on Tuesday. Gathafi, who has repeatedly claimed the uprising is the doing of Al-Qaeda, said he would not talk with the rebels because of that. "These are not people who we can consider holding dialogue with, because Al-Qaeda does not hold dialogue with anyone. If people want to talk to Al-Qaeda, then they should talk with (Osama) bin Laden," he said in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro to be published on Thursday. As talks resumed in the divided UN Security Council on a bid to secure a no-fly zone, Ban spokesman Martin Nesirky said the secretary general "is gravely concerned about the increasing military escalation by government forces, which include indications of an assault on the city of Benghazi. "A campaign to bombard such an urban centre would massively place civilian lives at risk. The secretary general is urging all parties in this conflict to accept an immediate ceasefire and to abide by Security Council resolution 1970." The February 26 resolution called for an end to Gathafi's onslaught against opponents and imposed sanctions against his regime. In Cairo, meanwhile, Clinton said "we want to do what we can to protect innocent Libyans against the marauders let loose by the Gathafi regime." "And yes, time is fast upon us. There is an urgency to it," she said in an interview with CBS television while visiting Libya's eastern neighbour Egypt. Clinton stopped short of explicitly backing a no-fly zone, which has so far failed to gain enough international support to be imposed, saying only that it was one of a number of options under consideration. But she said the Arab League's endorsement of action against one of its own members, including a no-fly zone, had had a major impact on the views of the major powers on the Security Council. "I think that there was a sea change in opinion when the Arab League issued its statement on Saturday," she said. Asked about opposition from veto-wielding permanent members China and Russia, Clinton said: "I think they are willing to talk about what's at stake here." Britain, France and Lebanon, on behalf of the Arab nations, are seeking to overcome resistance to a no-fly zone. "What we want to do is move as fast as possible and we will be stressing the urgency of the need for action this morning," British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said in New York. And in a letter to the leaders of the other countries on the 15-nation council, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "Let us save the martyred Libyan people together. Time is now counted in days, or even hours." But German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said "we have no wish to and we cannot take sides in a north African civil war." A no-fly zone would amount to military action and ground forces could be needed as a follow up if it failed, and "we do not wish to start down a path which would eventually lead to German soldiers taking part in a war in Libya." Russian Foreign Minister Sergy Lavrov has requested more information from Arab states on how a no-fly zone would be policed. The two-part draft resolution calls for a no-fly zone and toughened sanctions against the Gathafi regime, according to diplomats at the United Nations, which says the conflict has cost more than 1,000 lives. In the turmoil, four New York Times journalists have gone missing in Libya, the paper said on Wednesday, as Britain's Guardian newspaper said one of its journalists has been freed from detention and safely left the country. That brought a warning from White House spokesman Jay Carney, who said that "American journalists need to be allowed to do their work, not harassed or detained." Libyan state television said on Tuesday that the army would soon move against Benghazi, and hundreds of people were streaming over the Egyptian border after fleeing Ajdabiya, Benghazi and other cities, an AFP correspondent said. In New York, deputy Libyan UN ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi warned that, "in the coming hours we will see a real genocide if the international community does not act quickly." Dabbashi, who defected early on from the Gathafi regime, said "about five" Arab states were ready to join the no-fly zone if it is adopted. In Bahrain, hundreds of riot police backed by tanks and helicopters moved into Pearl Square shortly after dawn Wednesday, a day after King Hamad declared a three-month state of emergency in a bid to quell the protests. The king was boosted by the arrival in the strategic island state of troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in line with a pact between the Arab monarchies of the Gulf. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Gulf Arab states are on the "wrong track" in sending troops into Bahrain. The protesters are demanding democratic reform from the Sunni dynasty that has ruled the archipelago -- home of the US Fifth Fleet -- for more than 200 years. In Yemen, another regional hot spot, dozens of people were hurt when police fired live rounds and tear gas at anti-government demonstrators in the western port city of Al-Hudaydah, witnesses said. And security forces in Damascus arrested more than two dozen demonstrators in a second day of rare protests that are banned under Syria's emergency laws. Washington called on Damascus to exercise restraint.

Bahrain rounds up dissident leaders

Shiite opposition MP says five hardline Shiite activists, one Sunni are rounded up during night.

Middle East Online

By Ali Khalil - MANAMA

All quiet in Pearl Square Bahrain rounded up dissidents Thursday as it came under mounting diplomatic pressure to end a bloody crackdown on Shiite-led protesters which has alarmed its ally the United States and infuriated Iran. Five hardline Shiite activists and one Sunni were rounded up during the night, a parliamentarian from the Shiite opposition alliance said, after a day of violence which left five dead in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. "They were arrested in the night," Khalil Marzouk, deputy leader of the Al-Wefaq opposition movement, told AFP. Among those arrested was Hassan Mashaima, a leader of the hardline Shiite Haq group which is seeking to overthrow the Sunni monarchy that has ruled the Shiite-majority island state for 230 years. Mashaima only returned to Manama from abroad on February 26 after terrorism charges against him were dropped as part of an earlier peace offering from the government to the opposition. Human rights activist and Haq member Abduljalil al-Singace, who was released in February after six months in jail, was also detained, the opposition said. The government has not confirmed the arrests. Security forces firing tear gas and shotguns cleared out a month-old pro-democracy sit-in at Manama's Pearl Square on Wednesday in the worst day of violence since activists took to the streets last month. The opposition said three demonstrators were killed in the raid, while the government said two police died in hit-and-run attacks by opposition motorists. US President Barack Obama, whose country is a close ally of Bahrain, called King Hamad to express "deep concern," while British Prime Minister David Cameron urged the king to pursue "reform, not repression." The protesters are demanding a constitutional monarchy, the resignation of the government and an end to repression and corruption. More radical Shiite elements like Haq want a republic. King Hamad declared a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday and hundreds of armoured troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have entered the country to help restore security. The sectarian tensions have given rise to fears among Bahrain's Sunni-led Arab neighbours that Iran, the Shiite power a short boat ride away across the Gulf, is seeking to foment unrest in the kingdom. In the wake of the violence, Obama telephoned King Hamad and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to express "deep concern," stressing the need for "maximum restraint" and "importance of a political process," his spokesman said. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised the Gulf deployment, in remarks to journalists in Cairo. She said it was "the wrong track. And we believe that a long-term solution is only possible through a political process." "What is happening in Bahrain is alarming, and it is unfortunately diverting attention and effort away from the political and economic track. That is the only way forward to resolve the legitimate differences of the Bahrainis themselves." Bahrain is the home of the US Fifth Fleet and a major regional financial hub. Police and troops have fanned out across Manama and Shiite villages in the surrounding countryside were sealed off amid reports of clashes which have left hundreds wounded. A dusk-to-dawn curfew was slapped on Manama's business district, and movement was restricted. Rights activists have accused the security forces of preventing the injured from reaching hospitals and of beating medics trying to collect the wounded from the streets. Bahrain's Health Minister Nizar Baharna, a Shiite, announced his resignation after police allegedly burst into a Manama hospital, and 12 Shiite judges also stepped down in protest at what they termed the "excessive use of force." Amnesty International's regional director Malcolm Smart said reports coming out of Bahrain were evidence the authorities were "using lethal and other excessive force to crush protests, with reckless disregard for human life." "Wounded protesters have also been prevented from accessing medical attention by government forces. The Bahraini authorities must immediately put a stop to this bloodshed," he said in a statement. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned the intervention of Saudi-led Gulf forces to prop up the Al-Khalifa royal family as "foul and doomed." Iran later withdrew its ambassador from Bahrain in a tit-for-tat response to the withdrawal of Bahrain's ambassador from Tehran a day earlier. Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the Bahraini leadership had committed a "strategic and political" blunder and warned the intervention would cost its "legitimacy." "Such actions will increase tensions and undermine regional stability and security," said the defence minister of Shiite Iran. The spiritual guide of Iraq's majority Shiites, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, "appealed to Bahraini authorities to stop violence against unarmed citizens." In Beirut, hundreds of supporters of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah held a rally to denounce the Saudi intervention.

Disaster in Japan: March 17 Live Blog

By Al Jazeera Staff in

Asia

on March 16th, 2011.

A cyclist passes a mound of rubble - topped by a boat - in Kesennuma [Photo: GALLO/GETTY]

Show oldest updates on top

Follow the latest events around the Pacific Rim after an 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan's coast triggered a devastating tsunami.

Blog: Mar11-12 - Mar13 - Mar14 - Mar15 - Mar16

(All times are local in Japan GMT+9)

• Timestamp:

  6:44pm

  Israel’s main newspaper Yediot Ahronot highlights a different concern following Japan's disaster: Israel fears sushi shortage after quake

• Timestamp:

  6:28pm

  South Korean officials detected unusually high levels of radiation on three passengers arriving from Japan on the first day of such checks at the country's main Incheon airport, news reports say.

  A Japanese man in his 50s who is believed to have lived in the Fukushima prefecture had a reading exceeding 1 microsieverts from his hat and coat, which is several times the normal reading, South Korea's Yonhap news agency says.

  The level poses no public health risk and officials will release the three passengers, according to YTN television. South Korea's nuclear safety agency has said it considered 300 nanosieverts per hour as the ceiling of normal level of radiation in atmosphere. One microsievert translates to 1,000 nanosieverts. The checks at the airport were voluntary, a Reuters photographer at the airport says.

• Timestamp:

  6:17pm

  The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the North East of Japan. British nationals in these areas should consider leaving, reads a statement on its web site.

• Timestamp:

  4:55pm

  This interactive map shows the extent of the devastation after Friday's 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami: Tracking Japan's disaster

• Timestamp:

  4:55pm

  Three of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are now relatively stable, officials say.

  "The first unit is relatively stable, for now," Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Administration.

  He said reactors 5 and 6 were being powered by a shared diesel generator.

• Timestamp:

  4:44pm

  The authorities are still struggling to reduce critical temperatures which could lead to catastrophic collapse and a massive leak of lethal radiation.

  Al Jazeera's Azar Sukri reports:

• Timestamp:

  4:30pm

  An unexpected, large-scale power outage is possible in Tokyo and surrounding areas on Thursday evening if power demand exceeds that of this morning, Japan's trade minister says.

  Trade minister Banri Kaieda says demand this morning almost reached the availanle capacity of Tokyo Electric Power Co, adding that electricity demand usually peaks in the evening or early night.

• Timestamp:

  3:22pm

  Tokyo shares closed down 1.44 per cent on Thursday, ending off their earlier lows after the yen retreated from a record high and as investors monitor efforts to avert a nuclear disaster.

  The Nikkei-225 index dropped 131.05 points to 8,962.67, giving back some of the gains seen a day earlier when bargain hunters had emerged after two days of heavy selling following the earthquake and tsunami.

  Shares in TEPCO, the operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant at the centre of the crisis, finished down 13.35 per cent on Thursday, extending recent heavy losses.

• Timestamp:

  3:04pm

  The New York Times offers a good oversight of the six quake stricken reactors at the Fukushima power nuclear plant: Status of the Nuclear Reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant

• Timestamp:

  2:10pm

  Two CH-47 helicopters were seen scooping up seawater and releasing it over the reactor after another helicopter checked radiation levels in the air. The operation has since been suspended, Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas, reported from Osaka.

  Only four flights were made and of those water drops by the helicopters only one hit its target. Given that more than a hundred would be required to hit dead-on to fill the reactor with enough water to cool the rods, it is – forgive the phrase – a bit of drop in the ocean at the moment.

  

• Timestamp:

  12:50pm

  US president Barack Obama told Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan the United States will do all it can to help Japan recover from an earthquake and tsunami. The White House said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone:

  The president briefed Prime Minister Kan on the additional support being provided by the US, including specialised military assets with expertise in nuclear response and consequence management. Prime Minister Kan briefed the president on the status of Japanese actions to contain the nuclear emergency and to bring the situation under control.

• Timestamp:

  12:37pm

  The official death toll of the earthquake and tsunami has risen to 5,198, the Japanese police say. Thousands are still missing.

• Timestamp:

  11:45am

  The New York Times has reported that a United Nations forecast of the possible movement of the radioactive plume coming from crippled Japanese reactors shows it churning across the Pacific, and touching the Aleutian Islands on Thursday before hitting Southern California late Friday.

• Timestamp:

  11:42am

  A Japanese army helicopter dumps water onto troubled nuclear reactor.

• Timestamp:

  9:47am

  Reuters news agency has reported that the Operators of a quake-crippled nuclear plant in Japan hope to run an electricity cable to the site on Thursday that could help pump water needed to cool reactors and spent fuel rods that have been overheating.
  
  Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials also said that radioactivity levels at the Daiichi nuclear facility, around 240 kms (150 miles) north of Tokyo, were declining.

• Timestamp:

  6:43am

  A banner is displayed at the Real Madrid Vs Lyon UEFA Champions League match for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

  

  [Picture: GALLO/GETTY]

• Timestamp:

  6:07am

  IAEA officials warned Japan in December 2008 that nuclear safety rules were outdated and earthquakes could cause "serious problems" for nuclear power stations, according to a leaked US embassy cable, reports Britain's Daily Telegraph:

  The document states: "He [the IAEA official] explained that safety guides for seismic safety have only been revised three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now re-examining them.

  "Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have exceeded the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving seismic safety work."

• Timestamp:

  5:57am

  The US military has banned access to 13 websites - including YouTube, eBay, Amazon, MTV and ESPN [but not Facebook] on its computer network - to free up bandwidth for relief efforts in Japan, say officers at US Cyber Command. The Pentagon said:

  This action is in no way a reflection on any specific site or the content of any specific site ... [it is] in response to the needs of the military in a time of extreme demand on all circuits and networks in a region of the world that has been devastated by geological activity.

  The step was requested by US Pacific Command, which is overseeing the military's disaster relief efforts, said the Pentagon.

• Timestamp:

  5:45am

  More from US NRC boss Gregory Jaczko, who earlier spoke in near-apocalyptic tones, has told Congress that he "strongly believes" the United States could "mitigate" the impact of a nuclear crisis similar to the one unfolding in Japan, if it had occured in the US.

• Timestamp:

  5:25am

  The Yen has hit its highest level against the dollar since World War II, AFP reports.

• Timestamp:

  5:15am

  Rescue workers look for more bodies from the rubble of Kesennuma, a city destroyed by the devastating earthquake, fires and tsunami.

  

  [Picture: GALLO/GETTY]

• Timestamp:

  4:57am

  More on that "US nuclear chair" - who has now been named as Gregory Jaczko, the chief of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, currently giving a report to Congress.

  He says all the water has gone from the spent fuel pools at reactor No.4 in Fukushima No.1 facility, Japan's most troubled nuclear plant. This means there is nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and ultimately melting down.

  The outer shell of the rods could also ignite, with enough force to propel the radioactive fuel inside over a wide area, he says.

  Gregory Jaczko did not say how the information was obtained, but the NRC and US Department of Energy both have staff on site at the Fukushima complex of six reactors.

  He says officials believe radiation levels are extremely high, and that could affect workers' ability to stop temperatures from escalating.

• Timestamp:

  4:30am

  Asia's spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) market has dried up this week as producers earmarked extra cargo for Japanese utilities, rather than put them up for spot sale. Tony Regan, an analyst at Tri-Zen Capital, said:

  Once you start talking to traders, they'll start pushing the prices up... looking in the spot market is the last thing they will do.

• Timestamp:

  4:20am

  Good evening Britain! We're now live on UK Freeview TV for the next few hours, so do tune in, join us and keep up to date. But if you don't have access to Freeview, or are lucky enough to live in Britain, you can always check out our live TV stream: Watch AJE live.

  And if you're in the US, why not Demand Al Jazeera?

• Timestamp:

  4:18am

  Staff at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant may receive "lethal doses" of radiation, the US nuclear regulator has told Congress. Gregory Jaczko, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said:

  We believe that around the reactor site there are high levels of radiation. It would be very difficult for emergency workers to get near the reactors. The doses they could experience would potentially be lethal doses in a very short period of time.

  But he noted US authorities did not want to speculate too much on the matter:

  Our information is very limited.

• Timestamp:

  4:05am

  We've got a new map online, which you can interact with by clicking here. It gives you geo-tagged tweets, YouTube videos, Ushahidi reports - and earthquake sites, news reports, seismic data... and photos. Check it out.

  

• Timestamp:

  3:54am

  We've got a slideshow of photos online, giving the scene as the tsunami struck. To access it, click here.

  

• Timestamp:

  3:49am

  The Tokyo Electric Power company says "a new power line that could solve the nuclear crisis is almost ready".

  We'll keep you posted.

• Timestamp:

  3:25am

  The "US nuclear chair" is being quoted by the AFP news agency as saying there is now "no water at the Fukushima reactor No.4", and radiation levels are "extremely high".

  Read below for why this is a bad thing.

  We'll bring you more details as they emerge...

• Timestamp:

  3:14am

  The US military has delivered high-pressure water pumps to Japan to help cool Fukushima's crisis-hit nuclear power plant.

  The pumps were ferried to Yokota Air Force Base for use at the crippled Fukushima plant, with four additional pumps delivered from Sasebo, in Japan's southwest, the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

  Rising temperatures caused by damage to the cooling system pumps during Friday's earthquake are cauding the water in the reactor cores to turn to steam, increasing pressure, and exposing the fuel rods.

  When the fuel rods become even partly exposed, the temperature increases rapidly, turning more of the water to steam, and increasing pressure even more quickly. When the rods come into contact with steam, rather than water, hydrogen is produced.

  With large amounts of hydrogen held in a container whose heat and pressure is increasing rapidly, there is a risk of an explosion, which may damage the containment vessel and allow nuclear fuel to leak out, spreading large amounts of radiation.

  The high-pressure pumps are used to re-fill the reactor cores as the water level begins to drop, replacing the water at a speed which cools both the rods and the chamber, reducing pressure and averting the potential for a meltdown.

• Timestamp:

  3:07am

  As foreigners are urged by their governments to consider leaving Tokyo, many Japanese residents are not taking any chances and have started rushing out of the capital.
  
  Concern is growing in the capital that radiation leaking from the Fukushima plant, about 270km away, will spread. Many have begun hoarding supplies of basic necessities, in case they need to spend long periods indoors.
  
  Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports on the mood in the metropolis.

• Timestamp:

  2:59am

  British officials have advised its citizens in Tokyo and to the city's immediate north to consider leaving the area, say Reuters.

• Timestamp:

  2:48am

  The US embassy in Tokyo recommends US citizens living within 80km of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant to leave the area or shelter indoors. This echoes an earlier move by the US military.

  The embassy has said this is "precautionary".

  Japanese officials have asked all those within 20km of Fukushima to evacuate their homes, and those living within 20-30km of the plant - some 100,000 people - to remain indoors.

• Timestamp:

  2:44am

  The debate over the future of nuclear power has just stepped up a notch - with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima plant "raises questions" about the use of nuclear energy in the country. She said:

  
  What's happening in Japan raises questions about the costs and the risks associated with nuclear power, but we have to answer those. We get 20 per cent of our energy right now in the United States from nuclear power.

• Timestamp:

  2:34am

  A French parliamentary hearing called to discuss the worsening nuclear crisis in Japan has been suspended in uproar - in a spat over a parked car.

  As ministers outlined France's response to the explosions, part-meltdowns and radiation leaks at Fukushima nuclear plant, independent member of parliament Maxime Gremetz stormed into the committee room to complain his car was blocked.

  "That's enough! This is unworthy!" science committee chairman Claude Birraux protested, amid shouts from MPs, enraged by the timing of the interruption.

  After disrupting the hearing - screened on live television - for a second time, Gremetz was ordered to get the car registration number. Committee chairman Birraux told him:

  With Japanese people risking their lives today, don't come here and be a pain in the neck with your story about badly parked cars.

  Energy minister Eric Besson said he was sure the offending vehicle did not belong either to him, or Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, telling the committee:

  If it was either of our cars, I am sure the chauffeurs would be sitting in the front.

• Timestamp:

  2:10am

  With tens of thousands still missing along the country's north-east coast, battered by the earthquake and tsunami, rescue workers face an extra challenge in their already tough job - the snow.
  
  Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports as the temperatures plummet in the worst-hit regions, where thousands have been made homeless.

• Timestamp:

  1:47am

  Al Jazeera's D.Parvaz (@DParvaz) has been in touch again, and sent us this photo from Tokyo. She tells us:

  Shelves are never raided like this here. Notice the shelves behind, where candy was stocked, loom pretty full. So people are far from starving - but the basics, which require constant re-stocking, are low - due to some level of panic buying, but also issues with manufacturing and transportation.

  

  [Photo: D.Parvaz]

• Timestamp:

  1:42am

  Statement from the office of the UN secretary-general:

  The Secretary-General this morning spoke with H.E. Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan.

  The Secretary-General once again extended his sympathy and condolences to the people of Japan for the catastrophic impact inflicted by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, and commended the massive efforts being undertaken to assist those affected.

  The Secretary-General and Prime Minister Kan also discussed the situation at the Fukushima nuclear plants.

  The Secretary-General remains very concerned while appreciating the Government of Japan’s efforts to contain the risk to the population.

  The Secretary-General reiterated that the United Nations stands ready to provide any additional support if requested.
  
  

• Timestamp:

  1:35am

  More bad news for those suffering after the earthquake and tsunami wiped out their food stocks. At least nine ships carrying grain are unable to unload their cargoes because of problems at ports hit by the tsunami.

  This is likely to have knock-on effects along the food supply chain.

• Timestamp:

  1:23am

  The situation at Fukushima is "very serious", says the UN nuclear watchdog chief. So much so, he's on his way. IAEA head Yukiya Amano will fly to Japan tomorrow - for a one-day trip.

• Timestamp:

  1:03am

  Al Jazeera's D.Parvaz (@DParvaz) sends us this photo of the unusual sight of a queue for the elevator at Shin Osaka train station. This means the train was packed with people travelling with babies in prams, as well as the elderly, fleeing Tokyo, she tells us.

  

  [Picture: D.Parvaz]

  While you're at it, why not also check out the blog post she sent us yesterday: Trying to outrun radiation

  

• Timestamp:

  12:54am

  Some US air crews are being given potassium iodide tablets ahead of missions as a precaution against radiation, says Reuters - though no US military personnel in Japan are showing signs of radiation poisoning, says the Pentagon.

• Timestamp:

  12:50am

  Some news breaking out of the Pentagon: US forces in Japan are not being allowed within 80km of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant without special authorisation.

  It's worth remembering, for Japanese residents, the evacuation zone around the site is limited to 20km, and those living between 20-30km from the plant encouraged to 'stay indoors'.

• Timestamp:

  12:32am

  Japanese officials are worried about the state of a pool holding spent nuclear fuel the Fukushima nuclear plant, says the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency saud:

  Japanese authorities have reported concerns about the condition of the spent nuclear fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 and Unit 4.

  The IAEA said Japan's defence minister had announced helicopters planned to drop water onto Unit 3, and officials were also preparing to spray water into Unit 4 from ground positions, and possibly later into Unit 3.

  Some debris on the ground from the March 14 explosion at Unit 3 may need to be removed before the spraying can begin.

• Timestamp:

  12:22am

  An evacuee from the area around the Fukushima nuclear plant is screened for possible radiation exposure by medical staff using Geiger counters at a public welfare centre in Hitachi City, Ibaraki.

  

  [Picture: Reuters]

• Timestamp:

  12:02am

  Welcome to our new live blog for March 17. We'll bring you all the latest from Japan as events develop following the devastating earthquake and tsunami - and we'll keep you up to date with reports following the explosions and partial meltdowns at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.