Japan: Nuclear crisis raised to Chernobyl level

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Hidehiko Nishiyama, spokesman for Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency: 'This doesn't mean people's safety is in danger'

Japanese authorities have raised the severity rating of their nuclear crisis to the highest level, seven.

The decision reflects the total release of radiation at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which is ongoing, rather than a sudden deterioration.

Level seven previously only applied to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, where 10 times as much radiation was emitted.

There have been no fatalities resulting from the leaks at Fukushima, and risks to human health are thought to be low.

Meanwhile a 6.0-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday prompted the plant's operator to evacuate its staff.

The operator of the Fukushima plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), said it was checking the status of the plant after the quake, the second to hit in as many days, but said there had been no reports of problems with external power.

The aftershocks come a month after a huge quake and tsunami hit north-east Japan, leaving 13,219 people dead and 14,274 missing. More than 150,000 people have been made homeless.

Impact of leaks

An official from the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan announced that the crisis level at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was being raised in a televised statement, adding that it was a preliminary assessment that was subject to confirmation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The level seven signifies a "major accident" with "wider consequences" than the previous level, officials say.

Analysis

Rachel Harvey BBC News, Tokyo

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On the face of it this reclassification from a level five incident to a level seven is an alarming jump.

But the change has not been made because things have suddenly got worse at the Fukushima plant. Rather, a full assessment of the available data now suggests that a higher rating is justified.

Although the Japanese incident now equates to Chernobyl on the international scale, the two accidents are different in a number of important ways. In Chernobyl it was the reactor core itself that exploded, releasing a huge amount of radioactive material in a very short space of time. Fukushima experienced a less critical hydrogen explosion.

The initial radiation leak amounted to about a 10th of that which escaped from Chernobyl. The major concern in Japan is that the nuclear plant has not yet been brought under control, and some radioactive material is still seeping out.

"We have upgraded the severity level to seven as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread from the air, vegetables, tap water and the ocean," said Minoru Oogoda of Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (Nisa), the government's nuclear watchdog.

One official from Tepco said that radiation leaks had not stopped completely and could eventually exceed those at Chernobyl, Reuters news agency reported.

However, a nuclear safety agency spokesman told reporters the leaks were still small compared to those at the plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union.

"In terms of volume of radioactive materials released, our estimate shows it is about 10% of what was released by Chernobyl," he said.

The decision to raise the threat level was made after radiation of up to 630,000 terabequerels per hour had been estimated at the stricken plant for several hours.

That would classify the crisis at level seven on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (Ines).

It was not clear when that level had been reached. The level has subsequently dropped to less than one terabequerel an hour, reports said.

In comparison the Japanese government said the release from Chernobyl was 5.2 million terabecquerels.

Evacuations extended

The severity level of Japan's nuclear crisis had previously been set at five, the same as that of the accident at Three Mile Island in the US in 1979.

World's worst nuclear incidents

• Level 7: Chernobyl, Ukraine, 1986 - explosion and fire in operational reactor, fallout over thousands of square kilometres, possible 4,000 cancer cases
• Level 7: Fukushima, 2011 - tsunami and possibly earthquake damage from seismic activity beyond plant design. Long-term effects unknown
• Level 6: Kyshtym, Russia, 1957 - explosion in waste tank leading to hundreds of cancer cases, contamination over hundreds of square kilometres
• Level 5: Windscale, UK, 1957 - fire in operating reactor, release of contamination in local area, possible 240 cancer cases
• Level 5: Three Mile Island, US, 1979 - instrument fault leading to large-scale meltdown, severe damage to reactor core

• Timeline: nuclear accidents

Japan has also said it is extending the evacuation zone around the crippled nuclear plant because of radiation concerns.

The zone will be widened to encompass five communities beyond the existing 20-km (12-mile) radius, following new data about accumulated radiation levels, officials said.

Japan's nuclear commission said that according to preliminary results, the cumulative level of external radiation exceeded the yearly limit of 1 millisievert in areas extending more than 60km (36 miles) to the north-west of the plant and about 40km to the south-southwest.

On Monday, a 7.1-magnitude quake hit north-east Japan, leaving three people dead. It also triggered a brief tsunami warning, and forced workers to evacuate the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Tuesday's quake rocked buildings in the capital, Tokyo.

There were no immediate reports of fresh damage, though Japan's Narita international airport temporarily closed its runways, and metro and train services were interrupted.

The cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were damaged in last month's disaster and workers have been struggling to prevent several reactors from overheating.

Officials have warned it will be several months before the situation at the nuclear facility is brought fully under control.

Tepco said on Tuesday that a fire had broken out briefly at Reactor 4, before being extinguished.

Libya: Alain Juppe says Nato is 'not doing enough'

Despite sustaining losses, Gaddafi forces are still a threat

Nato is not doing enough to destroy heavy weaponry used by Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya, France's foreign minister has said.

Libyan civilians remain at risk, Alain Juppe said, despite an ongoing bombing campaign now led by Nato.

"Nato must play its role fully. It wanted to take the lead in operations," Mr Juppe said, saying efforts so far were "not enough".

Libyan rebels opposing Col Gaddafi have been pushed back despite the air raids.

The US and other Western allies began air strikes on 19 March after UN Security Council Resolution 1973 authorised "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from Col Gaddafi's forces.

After initial sorties were flown under US command, Nato has since taken over responsibility for the campaign from Washington.

Despite this, heavy weapons are still being used to bombard the rebel-held western Libyan city of Misrata, reports say.

There are grave concerns for the humanitarian situation in Misrata and for the safety of civilians still inside the city.

"It [Nato] must play its role today which means preventing Gaddafi from using heavy weapons to shell [civilian] populations," Alain Juppe said on Tuesday.

Winklevoss twins lose Facebook appeal over site idea

The Winklevosses say Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social network site

A US appeals court has ruled that twin brothers who say the idea for Facebook was stolen from them by Mark Zuckerberg cannot back out of a settlement deal they made with the website.

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss had asked in January to re-open a $65m (£42m) legal settlement signed in 2008.

The twins say Mr Zuckerberg stole their idea after he was hired by them to code their ConnectU site in 2003.

The court said it saw no reason to re-open their case against Facebook.

Facebook has rejected the brothers' claims.

"The Winklevosses are not the first parties bested by a competitor who then seek to gain through litigation what they were unable to achieve in the marketplace," three Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges said in the ruling.

"At some point, litigation must come to an end. That point has now been reached," the judges said.

'Stolen code'

The Winklevosses have argued that Mr Zuckerberg, who attended Harvard with them, took the code for their social networking website and launched Facebook with it in 2004.

Facebook agreed to a 2008 settlement to end "rancorous litigation" but did not admit Mr Zuckerberg had taken the twins' idea.

The Winklevosses received $20m in cash and $45m worth of stock valued at $36 per share in the deal.

"For whatever reason, they now want to back out... Like the district court, we see no basis for allowing them to do so," the judges said, referring to the settlement deal.

Jerome Falk, a lawyer representing the Winklevosses, said he disagreed with the ruling and that his legal team would file for a rehearing within the next two weeks.

"In my judgment, the opinion raises extremely significant questions of federal law that merit review by the entire Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals," Mr Falk said in a statement.

Mr Zuckerberg has always maintained that Facebook was his creation.

The lawsuit over Facebook was dramatised in the film The Social Network, which was nominated for best picture at the Oscars.

Facebook is the world's biggest social network with more than 500m users, and Mr Zuckerberg is one of the world's youngest billionaires.

AU seeks end to Libya unrest

African Union panel, due to visit Benghazi, appeals for "an immediate end to hostilities" as fighting rages in Ajdabiya. Last Modified: 10 Apr 2011 11:31

African Union mediators on Libya have reiterated their appeal for "an immediate end to all hostilities" and proposed a transition period to adopt reforms as intense fighting continues across the country. The committee, headed by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, is expected to head to the opposition stronghold of Benghazi in eastern Libya later on Sunday. The delegation also includes the leaders of Mali, Uganda, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A statement from the presidency said South African President Jacob Zuma said: "The committee has been granted permission by NATO to enter Libya and to meet in Tripoli with ... [Libyan leader Muammar] Gaddafi. The AU delegation will also meet with the Interim Transitional National Council in Benghazi on 10 and 11 April." The committee said in a statement that it had decided to go along with a roadmap adopted in March, which calls for an end to hostilities, "diligent conveying of humanitarian aid" and "dialogue between the Libyan parties". Click here to follow our Libya live blog It also said it intended to propose "inclusive management" of a transition period aimed at adopting and setting up of "the political reforms needed to eliminate the causes of the present crisis." Nabila Ramdani, a French journalist and Middle East expert, said the situation with regards to Libya had reached not only a military but also a political deadlock. "It's quite worrying," she told Al Jazeera. "Unfortunately, my view about the African Union is that it will appear as not being a credible group of people to be in a position to broker a deal on behalf of [Muammar] Gaddafi. "They're a group of dictators themselves and they won't be taken very seriously given that they're from very brutal regimes which are in many ways far worse than the Gaddafi regime." Ajdabiya shelled Meanwhile, opposition fighters said forces loyal to Gaddafi had killed four rebels in a battle for control of the strategic east Libyan town of Ajdabiya. "I saw the four this morning. Their throats were slit and they were all shot through the chest and dumped on the road. Their car was also riddled with bullets," Mohammed Saad, a rebel at a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Ajdabiya, told Reuters. Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from just north of Ajdabiya, confirmed that fighting was ongoing. Al Jazeera's has obtained exclusive footage showing Gaddafi forces in the battlefield "We're seeing plumes of smoke and constant shelling ... There are pockets of Gaddafi's forces in the city." She said she had been told that there were patients in a hospital who appeared to have been shot by sniper fire. She described the city as something of a "ghost town" as many residents have fled since fighting erupted a few weeks ago. On Saturday, rebels fought off an assault by Gaddafi's forces on the besieged western city of Misurata, losing up to 30 men. Mustafa Abdulrahman, a rebel spokesman, said Saturday's fighting centred on a road to Misurata port, while NATO carried out several attacks on forces loyal to the Libyan leader. Abdulrahman praised what he called a positive change from NATO. Rebels have complained for days that NATO has been too slow to respond to government attacks. NATO said armoured vehicles firing on civilians had been targeted in air strikes, and that its jets had also struck ammunition stockpiles being used to resupply forces involved in the shelling of Misurata and other population centres. A rebel who identified himself as Abdelsalem told Reuters that government troops had attacked Misurata on three fronts. "Medical workers and rebels told me that at least 30 rebel fighters were killed," he said. Residents fleeing Misurata, Libya's third largest city, has been under siege by Gaddafi's forces for weeks. Rebels say people are crammed five families to a house in the few safe districts to escape weeks of sniper, mortar and rocket fire. There are severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies and hospitals are overflowing. Residents used boats to flee to the eastern city of Benghazi on Saturday. "There is not a word in the dictionary to describe this. 'Disaster' is not enough," Ali Spak, the captain of one of the ships, said. Click here for more of our special coverage "There is very bad destruction. This man [Gaddafi] is killing his own people. There's shelling everywhere, even on the people trying to leave. People need help," one man on the boat said. Doctors said last week that 200 people had been killed in Misurata since fighting broke out there in late February. The Red Cross on Saturday ferried emergency medical supplies and five staff for 300 people wounded in the city. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, the commander of the alliance's operations in Libya, accused Gaddafi's forces of using civilians as human shields, adding to similar charges made by other Western commanders. "We have observed horrific examples of regime forces deliberately placing their weapons systems close to civilians, their homes and even their places of worship," Bouchard said in a statement. "Troops have also been observed hiding behind women and children. This type of behaviour violates the principles of international law and will not be tolerated." As his troops engaged rebels in new fighting, Gaddafi made his first television appearance in five days. He was last seen on April 4. Gaddafi smiled and pumped his fists in the air as he received an ecstatic welcome at a school in Tripoli, where women ululated and pupils chanted anti-western slogans. ?

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Graffiti claims Alexandria's walls

Photographed by other

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In recent weeks, Alexandria’s corniche has been the site of a remarkable artistic phenomenon. Young activists have used graffiti to turn walls facing the sea into a long, decorated banner that assesses a new Egypt. The drawings, paintings and writing depict political demands that show Egypt’s revolution is not yet finished.

“It’s not art for art’s sake. It’s politics. We are telling people that the revolution is continuing and our demands still haven’t been met,” said Ranwa Youssef, a graduate student of fine arts who collaborated with her colleagues to translate political messages into art.

Egypt’s second largest city was a cornerstone to the massive protests that led to the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak. Following his departure, Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) took charge of the country after hailing the people’s revolt. But for the artists, this praise hasn't translated into a political commitment to abstain from despotic practices of the former regime. SCAF is accused of engaging in torture and arresting political activists.

On a wall near the famous Bibliotheca Alexandria, slogans read "Release all the political prisoners," "End state of emergency," and "The revolution is continuing."

Youssef said that after the 25 January revolution, Alexandria's artists became more organized.

"During the revolution, people used to hide in order to scribble graffiti because they were afraid of the pro-Mubarak thugs and the secret police. Now it's different. We engage in public discussions with ordinary people," she said.

People wrote on walls during the revolution to deliver political messages and call for continued protesting. Some slogans, for instance, mocked Mubarak for his wealth.

"Lied, is lying, will lie," was one slogan following a speech given by Mubarak. Written in black, with style, the slogan appeared on the wall of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alexandria, only meters away from Qaed Ibrahim mosque, the site of the anti-Mubarak protests in the coastal city.

Some historians trace graffiti back to the Ancient Egyptians, whose drawings on walls and rocks are considered to be among the world's oldest graffiti. Egyptologist Alexander Peden wrote about the practice in his extensive book on graffiti of Pharaonic Egypt.

But in modern times, ruling authorities viewed graffiti as more pollution than art. In 2006, the European Parliament stated, “More attention should be paid to preventing and removing dirt, litter, (and) graffiti.”

In modern Egypt, graffiti has not been used as a political tool until recently. The former regime systematically arrested young activists who failed to hide while making graffiti.

Safwan Mohamed, a 29-year-old political activist who was arrested while trying to write on walls in Alexandria, said that creating graffiti had serious consequences. In 2010, Mohamed launched a graffiti campaign called "Ana" (Me), aimed at combating the presumed ascension of Gamal Mubarak to his father's office.

"It was really dangerous for anyone who thought about writing anything on the wall. Just start writing and then you are arrested and the accusation is ready -- destabilizing the regime and destroying public property," Mohamed said.

"We were using writing on the wall as a tool to tell the people that they should be aware of the inheritance project. We wrote slogans such as 'No to inheritance' and 'No to monopoly.' Now I can tell that the impact was really positive," he said.

Activists also used graffiti to call people to strike on 6 April 2008, which Facebook groups had chosen as a national day for civil disobedience against the Mubarak regime.

Both Youssef and Mohamed agree that the case of Khaled Saeed gave momentum to graffiti art in Alexandria. Saeed was allegedly beaten to death after being illegally arrested on 6 June last year by two police officers in Alexandria.

The case became a landmark in the campaign against police brutality. It also brought to life the Facebook group "We are all Khaled Saeed," which was believed to be a major player in organizing the mass anti-government protests that led to the ouster of Mubarak on 11 February.

"We used to write on the walls and asphalt political messages which indicate that we will not forget the killers of Khaled Saeed, and we will not tolerate torture," Youssef said.

"It was a success since the people were sympathizing with the case of Saeed. During the various sessions of the trial, people helped us to deliver our messages through writing on the walls," said Mohamed.

The main dilemma, he said, was that the authorities would remove the graffiti quickly, but Youssef disagreed.

"Now we are not afraid of the police and people don't see us as aliens. They perceive us as revolutionaries," she said.

However, the post-Mubarak graffiti is still in contention, Youssef said.

"During the revolution they [the Salafis] tried to remove all the graffiti that calls for a civil state. They also removed some of the paintings that portray the crescent with the cross together," she said. But in spite of the Salafi threat, residents have been enjoying the art, she said.

"By using various colors such as red, blue, black and yellow, we are trying to emphasize the artistic feature of graffiti. Why not deliver your political message in an artistic way, so people can enjoy it and interact with it?" asked Ranwa.

One mural on a wall close to the Bibliotheca Alexandria depicts a child voicing a revolutionary demand to "hold Wael Alkomy accountable." Alkomy is a notorious police officer who allegedly tortured citizens; he is also accused of killing protesters while trying to escape from a police station on 28 January, a date known as the "Day of Anger."

"We are interacting with people to tell them that we are the revolution and these drawings are part of it. These drawings tell the history of our struggle against Mubarak," Youssef said.

Military council to replace certain governors

Staff

Sun, 10/04/2011 - 12:58

Photographed by محمد كمال

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The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) said on Saturday that it will replace some governors who came to office during the rule of deposed president Hosni Mubarak.

Major General Ismail Etman said “New governors will be announced within days. Consultations and discussions about them are still ongoing.” In a press conference Etman said that replacing senior leaders takes place in accordance with the law.

The decision came a day after a mass protest in Tahrir Square, in which tens of thousands of protesters called for the trials of Mubarak and his regime's corrupt figures, as well as the sacking of governors.

Minister of Local Development Mohsen al-Noamani said governors will be replaced in hours. The Saudi Al-Arabiya satelite news channel quoted al-Noamani as saying “new governors will be appointed in coordination with the SCAF.”

Egyptian revolutionaries have called for the collective dismissal for all governors and heads of local councils. They said that such posts should be by election rather than appointment.

Under Mubarak’s regime, governors belonged to the National Democratic Party and were retired police officers.

The media has reported some governors' administrative and financial corruption, as well as incidents of selling of state lands at lower than market prices. Prosecution received reports accusing Minya governor Ahmed Diaa Eddin and Beni Suef governor Samir Seif al-Yazal of facilitating land seizure.

Protesters have been demanding, since Mubarak's ouster on 11 February, the removal of Ismailia, Cairo and Luxor governors.

Sunday's papers: Fears of sedition, the military's laxity, Mubarak's trial

Photographed by Fouad Elgarnousy

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“Threats of counterrevolution,” “The greatest sedition,” “The remnants of the old regime” are catchphrases that stand out on the front pages of most newspapers. Coverage of the bloody confrontation that took place between the army and protesters before dawn on Saturday, leaving at least one killed and dozens injured, takes the lion’s share of space. While most papers dismiss the weekend’s violence as an imminent threat to the revolution’s achievements, their insights into what the situation requires is quite nuanced.

Most state-owned news outlets are content to warn against attempts aimed at “driving a wedge” between the people and the military. Most of them put the blame for the unprecedented standoff -- in which live ammunition was reportedly fired -- on “the remnants” of ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

“The 25 January revolution stands on two feet: the people and the army. If they lose balance, the revolution will fall and counterrevolutionary forces consisting of the corrupt remnants of the old regime will obliterate it once and for all,” writes Yasser Rizk, editor in chief of Al-Akhbar daily.

Rizk’s column, which takes up half a page, elaborately defends the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). The writer holds that no SCAF members -- including its head Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi -- have personal ambitions for power.

“On the contrary, they [are] all concerned about people’s interests and the future of the country,” writes Risk.

Rizk confidently affirms that the military will hold trials for all corrupt leaders of the former regime including Mubarak himself. In recent weeks, SCAF has come under criticism due to its failure, up until now, to take action against Mubarak and his family despite reports about their illicit financial gains. The military also seems reluctant to try iconic figures of Mubarak’s regime, including former Shura Council Speaker Safwat al-Sherif, former People’s Assembly Speaker Fathi Sorour and Presidential Chief of Staff Zakaria Azmy. Azmy was arrested only last week.

On the other hand, the privately-owned daily Al-Shorouk offers a more sophisticated reading of the situation and refrains from taking the military’s side. In his column, managing editor Wael Qandil writes: “It was “the darkest night in Tahrir Square. What happened at dawn on Saturday lies as the most serious threat to the revolution... It shows that all parties have lost control and have become very volatile and things may explode at any time.” Qandil directs his outrage at the military, wondering why SCAF is not rushing to try stalwarts of Mubarak’s regime, dismantle the formerly ruling National Democratic Party, and abrogate the state of emergency. He goes on to reiterate an earlier demand voiced by many political forces -- that the military share power with a temporary civilian presidential council.

“What happened shows that there is a problem in the way the revolution is being managed. Therefore, SCAF should see no shame in calling upon heavy-weight politicians with strong expertise in crisis management to develop a national program that can ensure a safe transition,” says Qandil.

Addressing possible ways of moving forward, the liberal daily Wafd contends that Mubarak must stand trial. On the front page, Editor In Chief Osama Heikal sends a clear message to the military: “It is impossible to oust the president in 18 days and spend 60 days thinking of whether to try him. The situation cannot be handled with painkillers … The president’s wealth is a crucial issue that needs to be investigated and there is no way to do that without a fair trial... so why the slowness?”

Egypt's papers:

Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt

Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size

Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run

Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat

Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned

Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned

Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party

Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party

Youm7: Weekly, privately owned

Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned