Gathafi says all his people have been armed, are ready to fight ‘long war’ to defeat Western forces attacking Libya. | |||||
| Middle East Online | |||||
WASHINGTON - Libyan leader Moamer Gathafi's forces are "no longer marching on Benghazi," top US military commander Michael Mullen said Sunday. "They are no longer marching on Benghazi," Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC News. He added that the initial part of an international operation to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya "has been successful." The comments came after the United States unleashed a barrage of strikes against the Libyan regime's air defenses, but ruled out using ground troops in what President Barack Obama called a "limited military action." In a dramatic show of force, US warships and a British submarine fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya against Gathafi's anti-aircraft missiles and radar Saturday, the US military said. Admiral William Gortney told reporters at the Pentagon that the cruise missiles "struck more than 20 integrated air defense systems and other air defense facilities ashore." Early Sunday, CBS News reported that three US B-2 stealth bombers had dropped 40 bombs on a major Libyan airfield in an attempt to destroy much of the Libyan Air Force. Gathafi vows 'long war' Gathafi said all Libya's people have been armed and are ready to fight a "long war" to defeat Western forces attacking his country, in a televised audio message on Sunday. "All the Libyan people are united. The Libyan men and women have been given weapons and bombs ... You will not advance, you will not step on this land," said Gathafi. "We promise you a long, drawn-out war with no limits," said the Libyan leader, who was speaking on state television for a second straight day without appearing in front of camera. "We are ready for a long war. You are not prepared for a long war in Libya. We are prepared. This is a very happy moment we are living." The leaders of Britain, France and the United States would "fall like Hitler ... Mussolini," he warned. "All tyrants fall under the pressure of the populist masses." "America, France, or Britain, the Christians that are in a pact against us today, they will not enjoy our oil ... You are aggressors, you are animals," said Gathafi. "We do not have to retreat from the battlefield because we are defending our land and our dignity," said the Libyan strongman who has faced a month-long armed uprising focused in the east of the country. Meanwhile, medics and AFP correspondents said Sunday said At least 94 people were killed in an assault launched two days ago on the rebel-held Libyan city of Benghazi by forces loyal to Gathafi. Libyan state media said Western warplanes had bombed civilian targets in Tripoli, causing casualties. An army spokesman said strikes also hit fuel tanks feeding the rebel-held city of Misrata, east of Tripoli. |
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Mullen: Gathafi's forces 'no longer marching on Benghazi'
Haitians elect president in delayed second round
Haiti's second-round run-off had been due to take place n January Haitians are voting in the delayed second round of the presidential election, amid an ongoing struggle to rebuild after last year's earthquake.
On the ballot papers are pop star Michel Martelly, and academic and former first lady Mirlande Manigat.
The poll is being held just two days after former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned from seven years in exile in South Africa.
Final results are not expected until mid-April.
Haitians have a choice between two markedly different candidates: Mirlande Manigat is a 70-year-old academic and wife of a former president, while Michel Martelly, 50, is a singer and entertainer known to his fans as "Sweet Micky".
They emerged after recounts and challenges as the top two from November's chaotic first round, which was marred by violence and fraud.
TurnoutWhoever wins will face a mammoth challenge.
Presidential candidates
Mirlande Manigat:
- Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP)
- Wife of former president Leslie Manigat
- Draws support from middle class
Michel Martelly:
- Repons Peyizan party
- Singer and entertainer
- Popular with younger voters
Haiti is struggling to rebuild after the devastating January 2010 earthquake, with some 800,000 people still living in camps.
The country has also been suffering a cholera epidemic that is likely to flare up again with the start of the rainy season in a few weeks.
International donors are looking for the next president to help restore some stability and be a partner they can work with.
One key factor will be how many of the 4.7 million eligible voters will cast their ballots. Only 23% votes in the first round, adding to the accusations of fraud.
Low turnout or even a boycott by supporters of Mr Aristide, who returned home on Friday, could undermine the poll's legitimacy, correspondents say.
Speaking to hundreds of his supporters at the airport, Mr Aristide criticised the exclusion of his party, Fanmi Lavalas, from the elections, which are also for the country's legislature.
"The exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas is the exclusion of the majority of Haitians," he said. The party was barred apparently because of technical errors on its application forms.
Wyclef Jean injuredThe former priest, who was forced into exile in 2004 amid a rebellion, has said he will not re-enter politics and has so far not endorsed either of the candidates.
Mr Aristide received a tumultuous welcome from his supporters Under Haiti's election law, the Provisional Electoral Council is due to announce preliminary results on 31 March, with the final results confirmed on 16 April.
The top United National official in Haiti, Edmund Mulet, acknowledged that the long wait for results could stir up rival supporters as each claimed victory.
However, Mr Mulet said he believed there would be a credible outcome.
"This is the first time in Haitian history that they will have a run-off election, a second round, so I think the product of this election will be a legitimate one that will have the support of the majority of the Haitian people and that alone is already an asset for the next government," he told Reuters news agency.
As campaigning drew to a close on Saturday, one of Mr Martelly's high-profile backers, hip-hop star Wyclef Jean was shot in the hand.
The details of the shooting were unclear and Mr Jean was released from hospital after treatment.
Japan warns on quake deaths rise
Hundreds of thousands of survivors are camped in basic shelters without heating or enough food Police in Japan say 15,000 people may have been killed in a single prefecture, Miyagi, by the huge quake and tsunami which struck nine days ago.
The announcement came as the official death toll rose to 8,133, with 12,272 people missing.
But there was some good news after an 80-year-old woman and a boy believed to be her grandson were found alive in the rubble of Ishinomaki city.
Attempts go on to stave off a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Engineers are still working to restore power supplies to the plant's cooling systems, which were knocked out by the tsunami.
But even when they do, there is no guarantee the cooling systems in the plant will work, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Toyko.
At reactor 3, pressure was reported to be rising again - suggesting it may have to be vented, a procedure which leads to the escape of radioactive material within the escaping steam.
Experts say that an improvised spraying operation using fire trucks may have to continue for months, our correspondent says.
HomelessThe new figure of a possible 15,000 dead comes from police in the worst-hit Miyagi prefecture, and does not include the thousands more dead and missing in areas to the north and south.
It is looking increasingly clear that the death toll will top 20,000 people at least, our correspondent says.
The disaster dwarfs anything Japan has seen since World War II and people are beginning to talk of the disaster in similar terms, he says.
In a rare story of survival, an elderly woman and a 16-year-old boy, believed to be her grandson, were found alive in a house in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, nine days after the quake, said Japanese media and police.
Sumi and Jin Abe were trapped when their home collapsed in the quake but were able to get food from the refrigerator. They are both being treated in hospital.
The authorities have begun building temporary homes for some of the hundreds of thousands of people - including an estimated 100,000 children - still sheltering at emergency evacuation centres.
Many survivors have been enduring freezing temperatures without water, electricity, fuel or enough food.
FUKUSHIMA UPDATE
- Reactor 1: Fuel rods damaged after explosion. Power lines attached
- Reactor 2: Damage to the core, prompted by a blast, helped trigger raising of the nuclear alert level. Power lines attached
- Reactor 3: Contains plutonium, core damaged by explosion. Fuel ponds refilled with water in overnight operation, but pressure said to be rising again
- Reactor 4: Hit by explosion and fire, temperature of spent fuel pond now said to have dropped after water spraying
- Reactors 5 & 6: Temperature of spent fuel pools now lowered after rising dangerously high. Diesel generators powering cooling systems
The destruction of the mobile phone network means people are queuing for hours to make their allocated phone call of one minute.
And crippling fuel shortages mean long queues at some petrol stations.
Meanwhile, at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, firefighters have continued to spray water at the dangerously overheated reactors and fuel rods, in a desperate attempt to avert a meltdown.
Engineers hope that restoring power will allow them to restart pumps to continue the cooling process, and have attached power lines to reactors 1 and 2, but it is unclear when they will attempt to turn the power back on.
Amid reports of rising pressure at reactor 3, Japan's nuclear safety agency said radioactive gas might have to be vented to prevent a dangerous build-up.
But Kyodo news agency quoted Tokyo Electric Power Co as saying that previously overheated spent-fuel storage pools at reactors 5 and 6 had been cooled by Sunday morning.
On Friday officials raised the alert level at the plant from four to five on a seven-point international scale of atomic incidents.
The crisis, previously rated as a local problem, is now regarded as having "wider consequences".
Food ban mulledRadiation levels have risen in the capital Tokyo, 240km (150 miles) to the south, but officials say the levels recorded are not harmful.
Radioactive contamination has been found in some food products from the Fukushima prefecture, Japanese officials say.
The iodine was found in milk and spinach tested between 16 and 18 March and could be harmful to human health if ingested, the officials said.
International nuclear experts at the IAEA say that, although radioactive iodine has a short half-life of about eight days, there is a short-term risk to human health if it is ingested, and it can cause damage to the thyroid.
On Sunday, chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano said the government would decide by Monday whether to restrict consumption and shipments of food products from the area in the vicinity of the Fukushima plant.
Traces of radioactive iodine have also been found in tap water in Tokyo and five other prefectures, officials said on Saturday.
The traces are within government safety limits, but tests usually show no iodine.
Meanwhile, radiation has been detected for the first time in Japanese exports, with Taiwanese officials finding contamination in a batch of fava beans, although they say the amount is too small to be dangerous to humans.
Libya Live Blog - March 20
| By Al Jazeera Staff in | on March 19th, 2011. |
As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.
Blog: Feb17 - Feb18 - Feb19 - Feb20 - Feb21 - Feb22 - Feb23 - Feb24 - Feb25 - Feb26 - Feb27 - Feb28 - Mar1 - Mar2 -Mar 3 - Mar4 - Mar5 - Mar6 - Mar 7 - Mar8 - Mar9 - Mar10 - Mar 11 - Mar12 - Mar13 - Mar14 - Mar15 - Mar16 - Mar 17 - Mar 18 - Mar 19
AJE Live Stream - Special Coverage: Libya Uprising - Twitter Audio - Tweeting revolutions
(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)
The Taliban has issued a statement condemning the strikes in Libya, saying they represent a "politically-motivated and uncalled-for intervention and adventure" of Western nations in the internal affairs of the country.
The "anti-Islamic" and "colonialist" forces don't want a solution to the bloodshed, the statement said, but rather plan to weaken Libya and take its oil through "direct invasions."
The Taliban called on Muslims and rulers in the Islamic world not to remain neutral and to help Libya to "wriggle free" and "save itself from the tentacles of the foreign colonialism."
The Washington Post reports that Western reconnaissance satellites are watching a "small garage" south of Sirte where it is believed the Gaddafi regime stores around 10 tonnes of mustard gas.
Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, says there is no sign of Libyan regime aircraft in flight, a sign that they may have been destroyed or their facilities too badly damaged to use.
According to the AFP news agency, one hospital in Benghazi says at least 94 people died in Gaddafi's last push on the city late Friday night and Saturday morning, in the hours after the UN security council approved military action against him but before coalition planes were in the air.
The US Defense Department released this photo of briefing on Odyssey Dawn that shows approximate coalition target areas in Libya. One appears to be an airfield around 120km west of Tripoli (or roughly 30km east of the Tunisian border). Here's a Google satellite map image of the airfield:
Gaddafi spoke for about 15 minutes, a comparatively short address by his standards. During his remarks, Libyan state TV showed a static image of monument at the Bab al-Azizia - a giant gold fist crushing a fighter jet with "USA" written on the tail. Gaddafi was never shown, perhaps out of fear that he would reveal his location and expose himself to a coalition attack.
The Libyan leader was characteristically pugnacious, promising an endless war against the "Christian" enemy - France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and others.
"There is no justification for this cold war against Islam," he said.
Gaddafi also pointed to the wars in Vietnam and Iraq as well as US military efforts against Osama bin Laden and armed militias in Somalia as examples of the fate that awaits foreign military intervention in his country.
Gaddafi vows to fight for all the land of Libya. "We will not allow the enemies to come defeat us, we have already defeated the Italians," he says.
Gaddafi is speaking now, carried on Libyan state TV, though he is not visible in the picture.
A resident of the western city of Misrata tells Reuters there are loyalist Gaddafi snipers on the rooftops in the centre of the city.
Libyan state television reports that Gaddafi will speak soon. Who knows when that may actually be.
Women have often stayed off the streets of east Libya during the uprising against Gaddafi for reasons of safety and religion, but this lady is most definitely not hiding indoors:
According to Reuters, she is a rebel fighter celebrating the withdrawal of Gaddafi troops from Benghazi on Saturday.
Citizen video, apparently filmed yesterday after Gaddafi troops attacked Benghazi, gives a sense of how loyalist fighters were cut down in urban gun battles. The jeeps shown here look to be the same style and colour as those we have seen being used by Gaddafi troops in numerous other videos and images.
Tony Birtley reports on the deadly results of Gaddafi troops' final push on Benghazi before coalition air forces began their strikes:
Issandr el-Amrani gives a critical, some might say pessimistic, analysis of the international intervention on his Arabist blog, wondering how the coalition will topple Gaddafi's regime while avoiding the side effects of a prolonged civil war.
Amrani predicts that the coalition's mission will move from air strikes to ground attacks and wonders how the rebels - whom he refers to as "insurgents" - will treat pro-Gaddafi civilians and the remnants of the regime.
It gets more complicated [if] the Qadhafis are gone, both Westerners and Arabs may be ready to deal with regime remnants (particularly if they play a role in getting rid of the Qadhafis) but the insurgents may not want anyone associated with the former regime in place. So prolonged civil war is one possible outcome, yet again. This is why some kind of recognized leadership for the insurgency that is able to negotiate with whoever comes after Qadhafi is necessary.Iraq's parliament was set to vote (likely in favour) about whether to recognise the Libyan national opposition council but had to delay until after the Persian new year - set to begin tonight - in order to get a quorum, Al Jazeera's producer in Baghdad reports.
More information on the force that has been deployed against Libya in the past 24 hours. CBS News reports: Three U.S. B-2 stealth bombers dropped 40 bombs on a major Libyan airfield
Add Russia to the list of those publicly disapproving of military action in Libya now that hostilities have begun. China has "expressed regret," the African Union has called for an "immediate halt," and now Moscow has "reacted 'with regret'" to the air strikes, according to a report by CNN.
The Russian statement said that the UN Security Council resolution on Libya - which came more than a month after the regime began killing civilian protesters - was "hastily adopted".
The African Union has reportedly joined China in expressing disapproval of the coalition's military action against Libya. The AU's Libya committee met in Mauritania and released a statement on Sunday calling for an "immediate halt" to the attacks, the AFP news agency reported.
The AU was created in 1999 after a summit in Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's hometown, and Libya has both funded the AU and established extensive economic interests throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Here's video of the USS Burke, a guided-missile destroyer, firing a Tomahawk cruise missile at Libya. According to a tweet from CNN's Wolf Blitzer, each Tomahawk costs around $1 million, and the United States has fired more than 100 so far.
China, which abstained from the UN Security Council vote approving military action in Libya, has publicly expressed regret for the ongoing coalition air strikes in the country.
"China has noted the latest developments in Libya and expresses regret over the military attacks on Libya," said a statement from the country's foreign ministry.
"We hope Libya can restore stability as soon as possible and avoid further civilian casualties due to an escalation of armed conflict."
An Al Jazeera crew exposed a Libyan envoy's secret visit to Tunis, as Al Jazeera's web producer Yasmine Ryan blogs here.
Libya state TV is reporting that airstrikes have killed 48 people and wounded 150 in "civilian areas". Citing an armed forces statement it said the capital Tripoli as well as cities of Benghazi, Misurata and Zuwarah were also hit.
Mark Toner, the acting deputy spokesman for the US state department, said no US officials remain in Libya. He said in a statement citizens are strongly advised against travel to the country, and urged those already there to leave immediately.
Gunfire and anti-aircraft fire heard over Libyan capital Tripoli.
Libya has decided to suspend co-operation with Europe in the fight against illegal immigration, state TV citing a security official reported on Sunday.
Libya on Saturday said it consider the UN security council resolution on a ceasefire by its forces no longer valid following the air raids by international forces on its territory.
Libyan state media said there were casualties caused by the bombing of civilians targets in Tripoli. An army spokesman was quoted as saying that fuel tanks feeding rebel-held city of Misurata, east of the capital, were also hit.
Libyan TV said a French warplane was shot down in Njela district of Tripoli, but French military was swift to deny the report.
A British submarine fired missiles into Libya as David Cameron, the British prime minister, urged and end to Gaddafi's "appalling brutality". A Trafalgar-class submarine launched the Tomahawk cruise missiles in a joint attack with US forces. More than 110 missiles were fired.
Gaddafi says he will arm civilians to defend Libya against "colonial, crusader" aggression, adding:
It is now necessary to open the stores and arm all the masses with all types of weapons to defend the independence, unity and honour of Libya.
US national security official says Libya air defence systems "severely disabled", according to Reuters news agency.
Spain's defence ministry in a statement said four F-18 fighter jets and refuelling aircraft have been sent to the Italian base on the island of Sardinia as part of international air raids on Libya. It will also deploy an F-100 frigate, an S-74 submarine and a CN-235 maritime surveillance plane.
The statement said:
These planes will carry out patrol mission and will be operational from tomorrow, Sunday.
Gaddafi vows Libya will defend itself from what he called "crusader aggression" as international forces launch airstrikes on Saturday. Speaking to Libyan state TV, he said the action was unjustified and "simply a crusader aggression that may ignite another large-scale crusader war".
AFP reports that the United Arab Emirates will be contributing 24 fighter jets (Mirage 2000-9s and F-16s) and Qatar will contribute between four and six Mirage 2000-5s, citing a French official.
Earlier today, as international air strikes became imminent, supporters of Muammar Gaddafi gathered at several locations to act as human shields. Aisha Gaddafi, his daughter, is seen here outside the Bab al-Aziziyah palace, Gaddafi's residence in Tripoli. [Picture: Reuters]
Muammar Gaddafi threatened to attack both military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean in retaliation against air and sea strikes on Libyan air defences, AFP reports.
Gaddafi calls on Africans, Arabs, Latin Americans and Asians to stand by Libyans, Reuters reports.
Welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of developments in Libya, on a night where international forces have begun air strikes on Libyan air defence targets, including SA-5 missile sites, communications sites and parts of the air defence command and control infrastructure.
Catch up with all the latest by reading our news story, as well as yesterday's live blog.
Disaster in Japan Live Blog: March 20
| By Al Jazeera Staff in | on March 19th, 2011. |
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 - Mar17 - Mar18 - Mar19
(All times are local in Japan GMT+9)
A sign is placed along a road in Tamura, Fukushima prefecture, March 19, 2011. The sign reads, "Danger in 10 km. Restricted Area. Fukushima Police Department ":
Engineers at Japan's stricken nuclear plant were checking the cooling and other systems at reactor No. 2 late Sunday, aiming to restore the power soon, operator TEPCO said.
An external electricity supply has been restored to the distributor but power at the reactor unit was not yet back, spokesman Naohiro Omura said.
It will take more time. It's not clear when we can try to restore the systems.
Tokyo Fire Brigade has begun spraying water on the No. 4 reactor at 19:30 local time. This is expected to last around 3 hours.
Radiation has been detected on fava beans imported from Japan to Taiwan, Taiwanese officials said, in what could be the first case of contamination in Japanese exports.
The disclosure came a day after Japanese officials said radiation in low amounts had been found in spinach and milk produced near the damaged Fukushima nuclear power complex in northeast Japan that has been leaking radiation.
An official from Taiwan's Department of Health said the radiation detected on the Japanese fava beans was slightly higher than naturally occurring trace levels.
A woman holding a placard marches down the street during an anti-nuclear protest in Taipei.
Thousands of activists rallied on Sunday to urge the Taiwan government to shut down the three nuclear installations on the island and to stop the construction of the fourth one.
NHK reporter, quoting a doctor at the hospital to which the two survivors were taken by helicopter, said the two had been trapped in their kitchen after the massive earthquake and survived by eating yoghurt and other food in the refrigerator.
The grandson eventually made it to the roof and waved down a rescue helicopter
Japan's top government spokesman says the country's tsunami-ravaged nuclear plant must eventually be scrapped.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano's comment Sunday was the first word from the government that the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex will have to be closed once its overheating reactors are brought under control.
Closing the plant is inevitable, since the seawater that emergency crews are using to cool the reactors is corrosive, rendering key parts of the complex unusable.
Edano says the plant will be in no condition to be restarted.
NHK domestic now showing live pictures of a rescue chopper carrying two survivors who have just been discovered. The survivors are an 80 year old and 16 year old who are reported to have been rescued in Ishinomaki.
The operator of Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant has backed away from plans for a tricky venting of radioactive gas at one of the troubled reactors, saying that pressure inside has stabilized.
Tokyo Electric Power company officials say the company has decided that there is no immediate need to vent the pressure at the Unit 3 reactor of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.
They say the pressure is relatively high, but that it has stabilized.
NHK reports that technicians will not be releasing air from the containment vessel of No. 3 in order to reduce the pressure inside. The pressure in there is now reported to be stable.
AP Report: Japan's government to lend up to $122 billion to companies for quake recovery.
Taiwan says radiation detected on batch of Japanese peas, but levels not harmful. (AP)
The official death toll from Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami has risen to 8,133 with 12,272 still missing, Kyodo news agency said, citing the police.
Police earlier said they feared more than 15,000 people had died in one prefecture alone, Miyagi, in the March 11 disaster.
Nuclear officials: Pressure rises again at Japanese reactor, requiring new radiation release. (AP)
The number of people dead in Japan's earthquake and tsunami has rised to 7,700. That comes as hundreds of people from a small town near Fukushima's damaged nuclear plant have been evacuated and put into a sports arena.
A group of boys has taken it upon themselves to scavenge for food and supplies among the debris in Taro, where their village once stood. They have been able to provide some relief to hundreds of survivors sheltered at a nearby Buddhist temple.
Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports on their inspiring deeds from Morioka in northern Japan:
The operator of Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant says it will be difficult to restore power to the cooling system for reactor No. 2 by the end of the day, Jiji Press reported.
Japan has deployed 10 Self Defence Force trucks and one borrowed from the US military to begin spraying tonnes of water over Reactor 4.
NHK is reporting that the water temperature in the spent fuel storage pools in reactors 5 and 6 have dropped since the power generator in reactor 5 was restored.
The Chinese embassy in Tokyo says more than 6,000 of its nationals in Japan's disaster-hit areas have been voluntarily evacuated, with half returning home and the rest holding up in various emergency shelters, including in Niigata.
An estimated 300 engineers are battling inside the danger zone to salvage the six-reactor Fukushima nuclear power plant. The crisis has also set back nuclear power plans around the world.
Work reportedly advanced on restarting water pumps used to cool overheating nuclear fuel. On Saturday, Hidehiko Nishiyama, the deputy-general at Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency, said:
We are making progress ... [but] we shouldn't be too optimistic.
Yukiya Amano, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief, says it is still too early to say whether things are going in the right direction in Japan's actions to stabilise the stricken reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
My impression is that the Japanese side is strengthening [its] activities to overcome, to stabilise the reactors. I hope that safety, stability will be recovered as soon as possible...
General Motors Co has suspended all nonessential spending and global travel while the automaker assesses the impact of the crisis in Japan on the company, a GM spokesman says.
In addition, GM will suspend production in Zaragoza, Spain, on Monday and cancel two shifts in Eisenach, Germany, on Monday and Tuesday, spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin told Reuters. Japan is a key supplier to the global auto and technology sectors, making prolonged disruption a threat to both.
General Motors Co has suspended all nonessential spending and global travel while the automaker assesses the impact of the crisis in Japan on the company, a GM spokesman says.
In addition, GM will suspend production in Zaragoza, Spain, on Monday and cancel two shifts in Eisenach, Germany, on Monday and Tuesday, spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin told Reuters. Japan is a key supplier to the global auto and technology sectors, making prolonged disruption a threat to both.
The photo below shows a fire engine dousing reactor No.3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Fukushima prefecture on March 18. Japanese crews fighting to cool overheating reactors laid a power line into the plant yesterday. [AFP]
Aside from the nuclear crisis, officials in Japan are now turning their focus towards delivering crucial supplies and aid to the worst affected areas. But with almost half a million people left homeless, the future seems bleak.
Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Morioka in Iwate Prefecture:
Russia will hold consultations with the European Union in the near future about increasing gas supplies to Europe to allow larger liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Japan, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman of prime minister Putin says.
This is a case when the co-ordination of efforts by the global economic community is required.
The situation at Fukushima nuclear power plant may be stabilising but there are still risks it will deteriorate further, the UN nuclear agency says. Graham Andrew, a senior International Atomic Energy Agency official, told a briefing:
Could we have something unexpected? Most certainly. There are risks, it could get worse
Japan confirms the presence of radioactive iodine contamination in food products from near a crippled nuclear plant and is considering whether to order a halt to the sale of such products from the area, the UN nuclear body says:
Though radioactive iodine has a short half-life of about 8 days and decays naturally within a matter of weeks, there is a short-term risk to human health if radioactive iodine in food is absorbed into the human body.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that Japan is starting to get control of the situation at its stricken nuclear power station. Putin told a meeting of nuclear specialists and emergency workers in the Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk:
Our Japanese colleagues are gradually, not right away and with mistakes... getting the situation under control.
Tepco, the operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant announced that the "cooling function for spent fuel storage pool in reactor No.6 has been restored".
Earlier, the UN nuclear watchdog said it was unclear whether water pumps at the plant would work once power was restored. Graham Andrew, a senior official of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also told a briefing that the overall situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was similar to Friday.
Andrew said it was hoped power would be restored to the plant's unit 2 "today", without giving details. "We do not know if the water pumps are damaged and if they will work when power is restored," he said.
Justin Dargin, a nuclear energy expert from Harvard University based in Middle East talks to Al Jazeera on the perils of nuclear radiation and the best possible way to check radiation from spreading.
On electricity being connected to the plant:
I am encouraged; it appears to be quite optimistic. If authorities are able to connect the auto-grid with internal electrical system then I think they would be able to do a comprehensive diagnostic in order to check if cooling system is working or not.
Authorities earlier were optimistic that they would be able to help system on line in, the electrical system, by tonight in terms of reactors 1, 2 and 4 but reactor number 3 can take a bit longer, may be tomorrow. I think that’s a good first step. But we have to be cautious so there really hasn’t been any change in the overall system.
Will the supply of electricity help in checking whether systems at the reactors are working or not?
More or less, that would be the first step. But after words they will have to see if cooling system is operative. If it is operative, then they will be able to turn it on and that would the first thing to start in order to start cooling down the spent fuel rods and as well the rods that have partially melted in reactors 1 and 2. But not insignificant but nothing has changed as of yet. Still we've to be a bit cautious.
On Chernobyl model
The Chernobyl option, as they call it, is the last ditch effort in order to stop nuclear facility that has experienced meltdown. And that would require dumping massive amount of sand and earth on the nuclear facility then after words you construct some type of sarcophagus over it and this may be made of steel and concrete and it would arrest any spread of radioactivity.
However, the eco-system of the area could be contaminated for some period of time. And that is why authorities don’t want to look at that option.
Another issue is that depending how you put sand and earth and other material on top of the fuel rods, you could have uranium pellets inside. If they [pellets] mash together they can recatalyse, then you could have intense amount of radiation released.
The nuclear crisis in Japan is spreading with signs of radioactive contamination in food and drinking water in Tokyo. At the source of the crisis - one of the damaged reactors at the Fukushima has been stabilised.
Al Jazeera's Anu Nathan reports on the efforts prevent a major radiation leak at the site:
Welcome to our new liveblog, we'll continue to keep you updated right here...
Major Yemen tribe urges Saleh to step down
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| Leader of Hashed asks president to concede to people's demands as funerals are held for dead protesters. Last Modified: 20 Mar 2011 10:56 | ||||
Yemen's most powerful tribal confederation has called on Ali Abdullah Saleh, the country's longtime president, to step down after his bloody crackdown on protesters. Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, the leader of Hashed, which includes Saleh's tribe, issued a statement on Sunday asking Saleh to respond to the people's demands and leave peacefully. It was co-signed by several religious leaders, who met at al-Ahmar's residence late on Saturday night. Huge crowds were joining Sunday's burial procession of some of the 52 protesters killed on Friday, the bloodiest single day of the monthlong uprising. The killings prompted condemnation from the UN and the US, which backs his government with hundreds of millions in military aid to battle an al-Qaeda offshoot based in Yemen's mountainous region. Police stormed on Saturday a protest camp in the southern port city of Aden and fired tear gas and live rounds, wounding three anti-government demonstrators. Ministerial resignations The escalating violence has rocked the government of Saleh, and resulted in four ministerial resignations, as well as the resignation of Yemen's ambassador to the UN. The diplomat, Abdullah Alsaidi, resigned in protest over violence against demonstrators, a Yemeni foreign ministry official said on Sunday. "Mr Alsaidi has sent his resignation to the president's office and the foreign ministry."
Earlier, Huda al-Baan, Yemen's human-rights minister, said she had resigned in protest from the government and the ruling party over the sniper attack on demonstrators. Baan said in a statement late on Saturday that her resignation was to protest the "massacre" of demonstrators demanding the departure of Saleh, who has been in power since 1978. The undersecretary at the ministry, Ali Taysir, also resigned in protest. Al-Baan became the third Yemeni minister to resign in as many days. The chief of the state news agency has also stepped down, along with Yemen's ambassador to Lebanon. Witnesses said pro-government "thugs" on Friday rained bullets from rooftops near a square at Sanaa University, which for weeks has been the centre of demonstrations calling for the end of Saleh's rule. Medics said at least 52 people were killed and over 120 wounded in the bloodbath. | ||||
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| Source: Al Jazeera and agencies |
Pressure stable at troubled Japan reactor
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| Officials rule out venting of radioactive gas into air for now at leaking Fukushima nuclear complex. Last Modified: 20 Mar 2011 07:06 | ||||
The operator of Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant has backed away from plans for a venting of radioactive gas at one of the troubled reactors, saying that pressure inside has stabilised. Officials of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said on Sunday that the company decided there was no immediate need to vent the pressure at the Unit 3 reactor of the Fukushima plant. Hidehiko Nishiyama, safety agency official, had said earlier that rising pressure inside the reactor's containment vessel made the release of radioactive gas necessary to prevent a more dangerous build-up. Radiation - a danger for days in areas around the plant - already has seeped into the food supply, with the government warning that tests of spinach and milk from areas as far as 120km away exceeded safety limits. Tap water farther away turned up tiny amounts of radioactive iodine in Tokyo and other areas. Caught offguard Amid concerns of wider contamination, a nuclear safety official said the government was caught offguard by the accident's severity and only belatedly realised the need to give potassium iodide to those living within 20km of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex.
The pills help reduce the chances of thyroid cancer, one of the diseases that may develop from radiation exposure. The official, Kazuma Yokota, said an explosion at the plant's Unit 3 reactor last Sunday should have triggered the distribution but the order only came three days later. "We should have made this decision and announced it sooner," Yokota said at the emergency command centre in the city of Fukushima. "It is true that we had not foreseen a disaster of these proportions. We had not practised or trained for something this bad. We must admit that we were not fully prepared." While four of Fukushima's six nuclear reactors have been dangerously overheating since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disrupted cooling systems, Unit 3 has proved particularly troublesome. Though the government said on Saturday that the unit appeared to be stabilising after being doused with water, nuclear-safety officials said the efforts may not have worked. While battling Unit 3, emergency teams used an unmanned vehicle to spray water at another at-risk reactor - Unit 4 - even as they prepared to switch power back on for the first time since problems began at the complex. However, there was no guarantee the cooling systems would work once power was restored. Rising toll Japan has been struggling with an overwhelming chain of disasters prompted by the 9.0-magnitude quake. It touched off a tsunami that ravaged the northeastern coast, killing more than 8,100 people and knocking out cooling systems at the plant, prompting overheated reactors and fuel to leak radiation. More than 12,000 people are still missing, and around 452,000 are living in shelters. Police said an 80-year-old woman and a teenage boy were rescued from the wreckage of a house in northeastern Japan, nine days after the earthquake and tsunami. Rescuers found the 16-year-old boy on the roof of his house in the hard-hit city of Ishinomaki, calling out for help, according to the Miyagi Prefectural Police. The national police agency said on Sunday 8,133 people had been confirmed dead and 12,272 officially listed as missing - a total of 20,405. The death toll has now well surpassed that of the 7.2-magnitude quake that struck the western Japanese port city of Kobe in 1995, killing 6,434 people. The March 11 quake has become Japan's deadliest natural disaster since the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which killed more than 142,000 people. | ||||
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| Source: Agencies |
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