DDMA Headline Animator

Saturday, April 2, 2011

UAE troops arrive in Bahrain

Sat Mar 19, 2011

Troops of the United Arab Emirates have arrived in Bahrain to join the Saudi Arabian troops which have been there since earlier this week.

On Friday, Bahrain TV showed footage of a convoy of troops from the UAE arriving in the capital Manama.

Earlier, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa announced that three or four Persian Gulf countries would be sending troops to help quell the anti-government demonstrations that have rocked the country.

He said that the foreign forces would remain for as long as it took to bring calm after demonstrations by anti-government protesters.

But on Thursday, Kuwait announced that it would not send troops to Bahrain and instead may try to mediate between the Bahraini government and the anti-government protesters.

Demonstrators have been demanding the ouster of the 230-year-old monarchy as well as constitutional reforms since February 14.

At least 12 people have been killed and about 1,000 injured during the anti-government protests in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom, where the United States Fifth Fleet is based.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations have strongly condemned the military intervention and have called the action illegal.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/170650.html.

Turks slam Bahrain brutal crackdown

Sat Mar 19, 2011

Hundreds of Turkish people have taken to the streets in Istanbul after the Friday prayers to condemn the Saudi-backed Bahraini crackdown on anti-regime protesters in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.

Gathering outside a well-known mosque in Istanbul's densely-populated Shia neighborhood, Turkish protesters shouted; “The King of Saudi Arabia is the servant of America,” a Press TV correspondent reported.

More than 12 people have been killed and about 1,000 injured during the anti-government protests since February 14 in Bahrain, where Demonstrators have been demanding the ouster of the 230-year-old Sunni-led al-Khalifa monarchy.

Bahrain is home to the US Fifth Fleet major military base.

The Turkish demonstrators on Friday called on the Bahrain government to stop the use of force against peaceful protesters who are calling for more rights in the Persian Gulf State.

The protesters hold the US and its regional ally Israel responsible for the chaos in Bahrain. They asked why the US supported the Egyptian revolution, but have left the Bahrain people to die. They believe that this is part of a plot to sow the seeds of conflict in the Muslim world.

“We arrange this protest to tell the people that the Saudi Arabian king is doing his best to start the conflict between Shia and Sunni. We are here to condemn this dishonest behavior,” a protester told Press TV.

“I think the government that is trying to torture its own people with the help of western countries is not legitimate any more. I am here to raise my voice on this issue,” another protester said.

The demonstrators also chanted slogans against the Bahraini and Saudi monarchies, and in support of Bahrain's right to develop a form of governance that represents the people.

Earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that no one should intervene in regional countries and the NATO member Turkey has been against military intervention in crisis-hit Libya.

Although Turkey's Shia leader Selahattin Akgunuduz agrees with this principal, he told Press TV that when human rights are at stake perhaps some sort of intervention should be considered.

"Those dictators cannot make any progress by killing their own people,” Akgunuduz said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/170667.html.

Abducted Bahrainis sent to Saudi

Sat Mar 19, 2011

An eye witness to the abduction of Bahraini opposition leaders says that Saudi forces attacked the homes of the leaders, while others say they were taken to Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, Bahraini activist Ahmed Tork said in an interview with IRNA that Saudi forces had arrested the leaders from their homes in the middle of the night, and that all the leaders except for Sheikh Ali Salman, had been taken.

Tork further added that demonstrations against Saudi intervention had been held after the Friday prayers in most regions, especially the capital Manama.

The activist went on to say that the streets were extremely unsafe and that innocent passersby have been targeted by the armed forces, while hospitals are not properly prepared to help the injured.

Demonstrators in the country have been demanding the ouster of the 230-year-old monarchy as well as constitutional reforms, with hundreds camping out peacefully in the capital's Pearl Square since February 14th.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations have strongly condemned the military intervention and have called the action illegal.

More than 12 people have been killed and about 1,000 injured during the anti-government protests in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/170696.html.

Syria braced for protests despite al-Assad's promises of reform

Fri, 25 Mar 2011

Cairo/Damascus - Mass protests were expected in Syria on Friday as activists called for "Day of Dignity" rallies in the country, despite promises by President Bashar al-Assad to meet "the demands of the Syrian people."

"Every inch in Syria will rise today for our freedom, for the blood of our brothers, for the dignity of the detained women, for years of pain, fear, repression, corruption and favoritism," one activist wrote on his Facebook page.

Many protesters have been using social networking websites such as Facebook, which have been recently unblocked in Syria, to spread news about their action.

Friday's planned protests were to take place after al-Assad promised to "study" ending the country's emergency rule, which has been enforced since 1963.

Al-Assad also issued a decree increasing salaries for all employees in the public sector and reducing taxes.

The concessions come after a week of violent crackdowns on anti-government protesters that have left dozens killed. Security forces have reportedly opened fire on protesters in the city of Daraa, the focal point of this week's protests.

Meanwhile, Mazen Darwish, a journalist and activist, was released Thursday evening, one day after he was arrested in Damascus. His release comes after al-Assad ordered the release of all those detained during the protests in Daraa.

For more than a week, Syrian protesters have taken to the streets to demand an end to emergency law, greater freedoms, and - in some cases - the ouster of al-Assad.

Syria has been ruled by the Baath party since 1963. Political freedoms in the country are severely restricted.

The government crackdown has led to harsh criticism from several Western powers.

Amnesty International on Thursday urged the government to halt the use of excessive force against protesters.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/373304,protests-al-assads-promises-reform.html.

Tehran says appointment of UN human rights envoy 'unjustifiable'

Fri, 25 Mar 2011

Tehran/Geneva - Tehran said Friday that the appointment of a United Nations special human rights envoy to Iran was "unjustifiable," ISNA news agency reported.

"The resolution and appointment of the special envoy were purely politically motivated and therefore unjustifiable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

The UN appointed a special human rights envoy to Iran on Thursday due to concerns over alleged abuses in the Islamic republic.

The UN voted with 22 members in favor, mostly Western nations. Seven countries were opposed, including China, Cuba, Russia and Pakistan.

The resolution to appoint the rapporteur was presented to the 47-member council by Sweden with the backing of the United States.

"Those who voted in favor of the resolution were pressured by the US," the spokesman said.

The spokesman did not clarify whether Iran would allow the new UN envoy to visit.

Tehran's diplomat at the council, Mohammed Reza Sajjadi, lashed out at the US over the resolution, alleging that Washington was hampering the work of the human rights body and condemned its support for Israel.

US Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said Washington was concerned by what it saw as grave violations of human rights in Iran, and a deteriorating situation.

Appointing country-specific special envoys is controversial at the UN, but such rapporteurs also exist for several nations regularly cited as human rights abusers, such as North Korea and Myanmar, or failed states, like Somalia.

It remained unclear whether the person who takes the newly created job would be able to enter Iran and carry out the work. North Korea, for example, prevents the official assigned to the country from setting foot on its territory.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/373306,human-rights-envoy-unjustifiable.html.

UN: Fighting has displaced up to 1 million in Ivory Coast

Fri, 25 Mar 2011

Geneva - Up to 1 million people have been displaced by heavy fighting in the Ivory Coast, the United Nations said Friday.

"The massive displacement in Abidjan and elsewhere is being fueled by fears of an all out war," Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

At least 462 civilians have lost their lives in Abidjan, the main city in the western African nation, since a crisis was prompted by President Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to leave power after November elections that the UN say his rival Alassane Ouattara won.

The UN's Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights said some 5,000 youths had responded to the call for civilians to join Gbagbo's forces.

UN offices in Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producer, were also attacked by militants this week.

While Gbagbo's forces have largely been blamed for the majority of human rights abuses since the crisis began, UN officials indicated Ouattara's loyalists were also committing violations.

China halts food imports from radiation-hit Japanese prefectures

Fri, 25 Mar 2011

Beijing - China on Friday joined other nations in suspending food and agricultural imports from five Japanese prefectures affected by radiation from an earthquake- and tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant.

The temporary ban applies to dairy products, fruit, vegetables, other agricultural products and aquatic products from the five areas, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.

China joined the United States, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong in suspending the imports from Japan's Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigiken, Gunma and Chiba prefectures.

The Chinese government ordered quarantine inspectors at ports to monitor radiation levels in all shipments from Japan from March 16.

In a separate notice on Friday, the quality watchdog said two Japanese air passengers were found with radiation levels "seriously exceeding limits" as they arrived in the south-eastern city of Wuxi Wednesday.

It also said a cargo ship from Japan showed "abnormal" radiation levels in the south-eastern port of Xiamen Tuesday.

The notice did not specify the levels of radiation found, but it said the two air passengers were not considered a risk to other people.

The nuclear plant in Fukushima, 250 kilometers north-east of Tokyo, has released radioactive materials and has been hit by explosions and fires since the March 11 quake and tsunami, which caused the cooling systems its six reactors to fail.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/373320,imports-radiation-hit-japanese-prefectures.html.

Cleric urges Yemeni protesters to defy state of emergency

Fri, 25 Mar 2011

Sana'a - An influential Yemeni cleric urged protesters on Friday to defy the current state of emergency, as thousands gathered in the center of the capital Sana'a for protests dubbed the Friday of Departure.

"We heard about the state of emergency in Egypt before, and the people there defeated the state of emergency," Abdel-Raqib Abad said during a Friday sermon, addressing tens of thousands praying in Taghyeer, or Change Square, near Sana'a University.

Yemen's parliament voted on Wednesday in support of imposing emergency law for 30 days, a motion requested by President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the midst of ongoing anti-government protests.

"People of Yemen, you have set a respectable image to the world. you gave up your weapons and united for change," Abad said.

Abad said that the law meant "further confiscation of freedoms."

The law suspends the country's constitution, bans protests, and allows for arbitrary arrests and censorship.

After 32 years in power, Saleh has faced over a month of widespread protests calling for his ouster. Violent crackdowns by security forces have left dozens of protesters dead.

A number of army generals have defected and pledged their support to the protesters.

Earlier on Friday, Saleh proposed an amnesty for the soldiers who had defected to the opposition.

"We are concerned about the integrity and tenacity of the military institution and, therefore, we announce a public pardon for those who committed this mistake," Saleh said.

He also suggested anti-government protesters form their own political party.

Large numbers of pro-government tribesmen flocked to the capital to support Saleh. The development might change the protesters' plans to march to the president's palace to avoid clashes with government loyalists.

Speaking with interior and defense leaders Thursday, Saleh blamed the opposition for price hikes and the scarcity of fuel after an attack on a power plant in Marib province and sieges at branches of the Central Bank of Yemen in Marib, Saada and Amran provinces.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/373322,protesters-defy-state-emergency.html.

Israel ready to act with 'full force' to stop missiles: Netanyahu

Fri, 25 Mar 2011

Jerusalem - Israel is ready to act with its full force to stop missile attacks launched from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday.

"No country could accept such attacks," Netanyahu told reporters as he met US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the coastal town of Caesaria.

Netanyahu made the remarks at the end of the week in which Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired around 85 projectiles, including Russian Grad missiles, at Israel, hitting towns and villages close to the salient, but also the cities of Beersheba and Ashdod, located 45 and 25 kilometers respectively from the enclave.

The Israeli military carried out nine land and air attacks on targets in the coastal strip, in the worst week of violence between the sides since the winter of 2008-09, when Israel launched a massive offensive in the wake of concerted missile fire.

By midday Friday, however, no projectiles had been launched toward Israel since the previous evening, and there were no Israeli air or ground attacks.

At least 10 Palestinians, including four civilians, were killed in the Israeli attacks, while a British woman was killed and 38 other people injured in a bombing in Jerusalem Wednesday believed to have been carried out by Palestinian militants.

Netanyahau promised a "tough reaction" to the bombing attack, but said, however, that Israel would act "responsibly and wisely."

Taher al-Nounou, the spokesman of the de facto Hamas government in Gaza, has said de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniya was "seeking to calm the situation on the ground" so as not to give Israel an "excuse" to launch a larger scale offensive in the strip.

And despite Netanyahu's statement Friday, the Israeli Ha'aretz daily quoted "sources close to the prime minister" as saying he was "not eager" to launch a comprehensive operation in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/373323,force-stop-missiles-netanyahu.html.

Germany to offer 300 airmen to Afghanistan mission, sources say

Tue, 22 Mar 2011

Berlin - Germany's offer to top up its military contingent in Afghanistan will comprise up to 300 air force personnel, political sources in Berlin said Tuesday, a day before Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet was due to adopt the plan.

Germany abstained in last week's UN Security Council vote to create a no-fly zone over Libya, but has said it will indirectly support the operation by helping more in Afghanistan, thus freeing up allied forces there to move to the Mediterranean.

The extra airmen will serve on NATO airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, which monitor Afghan airspace.

The German parliamentary was due to authorize their deployment on Friday. The Bundestag last authorized up to 5,350 German personnel, mainly army soldiers, to serve in Afghanistan.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372843,afghanistan-mission-sources-say.html.

UN Security Council extends its mission's mandate in Afghanistan

Tue, 22 Mar 2011

New York - The UN Security Council on Tuesday extended for another 12 months its mission's mandate in Afghanistan, adopting unanimously a resolution which was drafted by Germany.

The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), with over 1,000 personnel based in Kabul, will remain until March 23, 2012 to support the government of President Hamid Karzai's transition to full security responsibility.

The council said UNAMA is also tasked with providing Kabul assistance on governance, justice, and social and economic issues.

The UN mission is to strengthen the cooperation with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and NATO, which has well over 100,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Germany has deployed 4,500 troops in ISAF and is the third largest foreign troops contributor.

Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, told the Security Council at a review session last week that the coming year is crucial for Kabul because it is preparing to assume greater responsibilities, particularly in the area of security and military operations.

"This is a year of sovereignty and we can't operate just as if it is business as usual," de Mistura said. "We should constantly adjust our profile and activities on the basis of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned priorities."

Earlier Tuesday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced a list of four provincial cities and three provinces where Afghan forces will take over security responsibility in a process to begin in July.

NATO-led international troops and US soldiers are scheduled to hand over responsibility for security to the Afghan police and military gradually, with completion of transfer set for 2014.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372902,extends-missions-mandate-afghanistan.html.

Spain to propose alternative energy plan for Europe

Mon, 21 Mar 2011

Brussels - Spanish Minister of Industry Miguel Sebastian said Monday that he would present European Union ministers with a "concrete plan for Europe to respond to the (nuclear) crisis."

His proposals included a focus on developing energy efficiencies and renewable energies, revising carbon policies, a greater degree of interconnection between European energy networks and support for electric cars.

Sebastian made the remarks as he arrived in Brussels for Monday's emergency meeting to discuss nuclear safety, in the wake of the leaks at the Fukushima plant in Japan.

The minister also promised an "urgent revision" of the eastern Spanish nuclear reactor of Cofrentes, as this is a boiling water reactor similar to Japan's Fukushima plant, and is situated in a flood-prone coastal region.

"In reality the reactor is situated at a sufficiently high altitude to not be affected (by flooding), but this is the advice of nuclear security experts," Sebastian said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372685,alternative-energy-plan-europe.html.

Guard kills two NATO soldiers in Afghanistan

Sat, 19 Mar 2011

Kabul - A security guard in Afghanistan killed two foreign soldiers working with NATO-led troops, the alliance military said Saturday.

"Two international security assistance forces service members died in southern Afghanistan following a shooting incident with a security guard," the coalition forces said in a statement, without giving more details.

The statement did not state whether the security guard was an Afghan or foreign national, and if the incident took place on a NATO base.

NATO officials declined to comment, saying the alliance needs to inform the family members of the deceased before giving out details.

The incident is currently under investigations, the NATO official said.

Troops from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada are stationed in southern Afghanistan. More than 140,000 international troops are currently fighting Taliban insurgents who have been waging a bloody war since 2001.

Around 90 foreign soldiers have been killed so far this year, according to iCausalities, an independent website that tracks military fatalities in Afghanistan.

Separately, a NATO airstrike killed one and injured two others in the eastern province of Nangarhar, the provincial governor's spokesman said.

The operation took place on Friday night in Khogyani, a district in Nangarhar.

"We are investigating to identify if those killed and injured were civilians or insurgents," Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the spokesman said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372460,kills-nato-soldiers-afghanistan.html.

Tensions high as Egyptians vote in first post-Mubarak referendum

Sat, 19 Mar 2011

Cairo - Tensions were high Saturday as Egyptians voted - for the first time since president Hosny Mubarak was ousted - on a constitutional reform referendum that many believe will decide the fate of the revolution.

Polling stations in most of the country opened at 8 am (0600 GMT) and were expected to close at 7 pm (1700 GMT).

Some 40 million Egyptians are eligible to vote either yes or no on a bulk of constitutional amendments.

The amendments would ease restrictions on who can run for president, make it more arduous for a president to continue the current state of emergency, and set term limits on the presidency.

But rights groups and legal experts have blasted the changes, saying they were hastily written and do not ensure an end to the era where presidential powers often trumped constitutional parameters.

The amendments were drafted by a team of 10 legal experts who were chosen by the country's military council, which has been in control since Mubarak was toppled five weeks ago.

A fierce debate has brewed for weeks in Egypt about whether the country is in need of an entirely new constitution - rather than an amended one - before legislative elections can take place.

Activists, many of whom led the revolution, have been campaigning for a no vote, saying new political parties need more time to organize under an entirely new constitution.

Proponents of the amendments mostly include those in Mubarak's former National Democratic Party and, oddly, their strongest rivals, the Muslim Brotherhood. Both have said voting in favor of the amendments will ensure a quick transition of power to civilian rule and stability.

The referendum is expected to be monitored by thousands of judges and civil society groups, which had been largely curtailed under Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372443,egyptians-vote-post-mubarak-referendum.html.

Nearly 600 evacuated as Indonesian volcano erupts

Sat, 19 Mar 2011

Jakarta - Nearly 600 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters a day after Indonesian authorities issued a red alert for the Mount Karangetang volcano, a volcanologist said Saturday.

The volcano, located on Siau island off the coast of Sulawesi island, began spewing jets of hot clouds and lava Friday, prompting authorities to order the evacuations of three villages on its slopes.

Indonesia's chief volcanologist, Surono, said eruptions were continuing Saturday but there were no reports of casualties.

Surono's office on Friday raised the alert level for the volcano two notches to the highest level after a series of eruptions.

"We have no choice but to order an evacuation because people were at risk of being affected by the hot clouds," said Surono, who like many Indonesians uses one name.

He said 582 people had been moved to temporary shelters provided by the government.

Karangetang is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. Four people were killed during the volcano's eruptions in August last year.

Indonesia sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, an area known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

More than 300 people were killed in a series of eruptions at the Merapi volcano on Java island between October and November last year.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372451,evacuated-indonesian-volcano-erupts.html.

Protests continue after state of emergency declared in Yemen

Sat, 19 Mar 2011

Sana'a - Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators continued to gather in Taghyeer Square in Sana'a Saturday, a day after President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced a nationwide state of emergency.

Saleh declared a state of emergency for 30 days across the country after around 50 protesters were killed amid reports that police opened fire upon them after Friday prayers.

The state of emergency also includes a ban on weapons possession by civilians.

Yemeni legal experts, however, say that a state of emergency is not constitutional because there is no emergency law in the country.

The Ministry of the Interior said a curfew and other measures to ease the tension were still being discussed.

Yemeni Tourism Minister Nabil al-Faqih resigned from his post and quit the ruling party Friday to protest the use of violence against protesters. Al-Faqih is the first cabinet member to defect since protests began, the Yemen Post news website reported.

Eyewitnesses said security agents in civilian clothes fired live bullets at protesters from rooftops on Friday, aiming at the head and chest. However, Saleh denied that police fired at protesters and said thugs had infiltrated protesters camping near the Sana'a University.

The president also formed a nonpartisan committee to investigate violence that took place among protests taking place in Sana'a, Taiz and Hudeidah provinces, expressing sorrow for the killings and promised to compensate families of the victims.

The demonstrations, demanding the ouster of Saleh, started in Yemen on February 11, following popular uprisings against long-time rulers in Tunisia and Egypt.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372453,state-emergency-declared-yemen.html.

Hezbollah denounces violence against protesters in Yemen

Sat, 19 Mar 2011

Beirut - The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah denounced Saturday what it described as "the ugly massacre" Friday against protesters in Yemen.

"Hezbollah announces its strong condemnation of the barbaric aggression against the citizens who were calling for their legitimate rights," a statement by the group read.

"This is a massacre to be added to the long list of other massacres committed by the Yemeni regime against their free people," it added.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared a state of emergency to last 30 days after around 50 protesters were killed on Friday. According to witnesses, the protesters were fired upon by police.

In a related development, some 100 Lebanese gathered Saturday near the Yemeni embassy in Beirut to protest the violence against the protesters in Sana'a.

"We denounce the killing of innocent people just because they were calling for their freedom," read one banner.

The Yemeni demonstrations, demanding the ouster of Saleh, started on February 11, following popular uprisings against long-time rulers in Tunisia and Egypt.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/372459,denounces-violence-protesters-yemen.html.

Japanese nuclear threat causes anti-nuclear backlash in Europe

Mon, 14 Mar 2011

Berlin - The threat of meltdown at Japanese nuclear plants has prompted a backlash across Europe against government plans to reinvest in nuclear energy, over fears that reactors could unleash environmental disasters.

In Germany, where a majority opposes nuclear energy, there has been a new public outcry over a decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel's government last year to extend nuclear power generation well beyond the year 2030.

Merkel responded quickly to the public mood, ahead of looming state elections in which the nuclear issue could swing the tide against her center-right coalition.

"What happened in Japan is a turning point for the world," Merkel said on Saturday, hours after the initial earthquake-related blast at the Fukushima reactor in north-eastern Japan.

By Monday it looked likely that Merkel would announce the suspension of plans to extend the life-spans of nuclear power stations by an average 12 years, in order to run safety tests first on the country's 17 power stations.

Nuclear experts estimate that the cost of upgrading security features, such as reinforcing the concrete walls of reactors, would cost too much for it to be financially viable to keep plants running.

In the next two weeks, Merkel's center-right coalition faces elections in three German states, including the populous state of Baden-Wuettemberg where the anti-nuclear Green Party is a key challenger.

Over the border in France - a country that gets 80 per cent of its electricity from nuclear - events in Japan have given many people food for thought.

France has 58 nuclear plants - three more than Japan - with an average age of 25 years.

In both France and Germany, the fact that Japan is operating with advanced technology - as opposed to the 1986 disaster at the Soviet reactor in Chernobyl - has prompted questions about the safety of their own reactors.

While Europe faces lower seismic threats than Japan, at least six French plants, including the oldest facility in use since 1977, are located in areas of "moderate seismicity," according to Liberation newspaper.

Faced with calls for a review of the country's dependence on nuclear, prime minister Francois Fillon called in his defense, ecology, interior, economy, health, industry and foreign ministers, as well as nuclear industry stakeholders, on Sunday.

The government later assured that France "has always favored the maximum level of security in the construction and operation of its installations," but said in a statement that the country would "draw useful lessons from the Japanese events".

Unlike Germany or the United States, nuclear energy has been remarkably controversy-free in France, where many pride themselves on their "high-tech" power and their independence from fossil fuels. But that could change if the fallout from the two nuclear blasts in Japan worsens.

In nuclear-free Italy, events in Japan have already stirred up opposition to government plans to introduce nuclear power, after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster prevented the country from launching a nuclear program.

A referendum had already been scheduled for June, in an attempt to block proposals by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's conservative government to begin constructing nuclear power stations by 2013.

Italy is prone to violent seismic shifts and more than 300 people were killed in an earthquake in the central region of Abruzzo in 2009.

Ermete Realacci, of the main center-left opposition party, called for the Italian government to "suspend a provision currently being examined by Parliament on where to situate nuclear facilities."

But the government argued that Italy, estimated as the world's seventh largest economy, can ill-afford to continue relying on imports - mostly from Russia and Algeria - to meet its energy requirements.

"I am against emotive choices," said Justice Minister Angelino Alfano. "There's a need (for Italy) to be free from dependency on (foreign) energy."

Spanish Economy Minister Elena Salgado echoed the call, stressing in reference to events in Japan, "We should not take decisions based only on concrete circumstances."

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero initially pledged to gradually phase out nuclear plants, but has since softened his anti-nuclear stance.

In Britain, which has embarked on an ambitious program to replace the country's outdated nuclear reactors, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said regulators would be studying the crisis in Japan to "learn any lessons."

In 2008, the previous Labor government in Britain gave the go-ahead for the construction of a "new generation" of nuclear power plants, aimed at replacing the country's 19 outdated nuclear power stations by 2035.

Britain derives around 20 per cent of its energy needs from nuclear power.

In Finland and Sweden, where the governments are overseeing the construction of new nuclear reactors, they acknowledged the need to learn from events in Japan but ruled out hasty decisions to retreat from nuclear projects.

Polish premier Donald Tusk also said that Japan's nuclear danger would not influence Warsaw's plans to build two nuclear power plants, the first of which will be built from 2016.

"(The facility) will be designed for extreme security. But we cannot exaggerate - Poland does not lay in the sphere of earthquakes, broadcaster TVN 24 quotes Tusk as saying.

Russia also showed no signs of backing away from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's plans to construct 26 plants by the year 2030, aimed at doubling the nuclear share of energy to about a third.

Russian state-owned Rosatom is also applying for nuclear construction projects in China, India and Iran.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371647,causes-anti-nuclear-backlash-europe.html.

Algerian police stifle small pro-democracy demonstration

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Algiers - Police in Algeria's capital Algiers on Saturday swarmed a small pro-democracy demonstration, forcing the protesters to disperse in a by-now weekly show of force against people rooting for democratic reforms.

Hundreds of police surrounded a small group of around 200 demonstrators from the National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), who assembled in the city's May 1 square to call for greater civic freedoms and institutional reform.

The CNCD is a grouping of opposition parties, trade unions and human rights groups formed in the aftermath of anti-government riots in January that left at least five dead and hundreds injured.

Since February 12, it has staged weekly demonstrations, which usually fail to muster more than a few hundred people but are systematically thwarted by police.

Meanwhile, a group of young Algerians have launched a call through Facebook for a large demonstration in Algiers on March 19.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371414,stifle-small-pro-democracy-demonstration.html.

Japan hit by strong aftershocks

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Washington - A series of strong aftershocks continued to shake Japan Saturday morning, the US Geological Survey in Washington said.

Earthquakes measuring as high as 6.8 on the Richter scale were recorded off the east coast of Honshu, according to the US service that monitors earthquakes worldwide.

At least five aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.5 were recorded within an hour around midday (0300 GMT).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a widespread tsunami warning remained in place for Japan, Russia, Mexico, French Polynesia, Pitcairn, Antarctica, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

The full extent of the damage in earthquake-ravaged Japan was revealed Saturday morning, after an 8.9-magnitude quake and devastating tsunami rocked the north-eastern part of the country, killing well over 1,000 people, the government said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371358,japan-hit-strong-aftershocks.html.

Japan quake caused by 20-meter slip in fault line

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Tokyo - A displacement as large as 20 meters in a fault line around 500 kilometers long probably caused the deadly earthquake which rocked north-east Japan, an expert said Saturday.

The boundary between tectonic plates several hundred kilometers off Japan went through a significant realignment in Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake, Yuji Yagi, an associate professor of seismology at the University of Tsukuba, was quoted by Kyodo News agency as saying.

"Many earthquake researchers did not expect such a quake to happen," Yagi said.

The professor also said that he had estimated its magnitude to have reached 9.0 magnitude. The Japanese Meteorological Agency put the quake at 8.8 on the Richter scale, and the US Geological Survey has said it reached a magnitude of 8.9.

Yagi told Kyodo that the northern part of the fault shifted first, and the southern part started moving 70 seconds later. The cracking in the fault continued for some 150 seconds.

The death toll from the devastating quake, the nation's biggest on record, would be well over 1,000, the government said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371361,20-metre-slip-fault-line.html.

One person killed in violent crackdown on Yemeni protesters

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Sana'a/Cairo - At least one person was killed when police used force to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters in the Yemeni capital before dawn on Saturday, according to the broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Police used tear gas and batons as they stormed a camp set up by the protesters in Sana'a, Al Jazeera reported.

Hundreds of people were injured in the crackdown, and the city remains tense.

In the south-western city of Taiz, at least three people were injured when police opened fire on protesters.

The crackdowns came a day after hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in several Yemeni cities to demand the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power for over 30 years.

In the port city of Aden, at least three protesters were injured by gunfire when police used live ammunition and teargas to disperse Friday protests, according to Al Jazeera.

Last week, Saleh pledged to create a new constitution which would transfer powers from the presidency to an elected parliament.

But protesters say the offer is not enough and that they will continue to demonstrate until Saleh resigns.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371380,violent-crackdown-yemeni-protesters.html.

1,600 feared dead, missing; possible radiation leaks - Summary

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Tokyo - The number of people feared dead or after Japan was hit by an earthquake and tsunami could top 1,600, news reports said Saturday, as concern rose over damaged nuclear reactors.

Japan was assessing the devastation a day after the 8.9-magnitude quake and devastating tsunami rocked the north-eastern part of the country on Friday

The death toll would probably be well over 1,000, said Yukio Edano, the chief cabinet secretary.

"This is the largest earthquake since the Meiji Era, and it is believed that more than 1,000 people have lost their lives," he said.

Authorities had recovered hundreds of bodies, with more than 1,000 people still missing and many injured, news reports said, the authorities warned of further tsunamis and aftershocks.

A police death toll was at 564, Kyodo News reported, but up to 500 additional bodies were reported from around Japan and about 600 remain unaccounted for.

Some 210,000 people were evacuated from the region around two nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture, about 250 kilometers north-east of Tokyo, where an explosion occurred earlier in the day after the reactor's cooling system started failing.

Radioactive material had been detected nearby, and radiation inside the plant had been measured at 1,000 times the normal levels, the government's nuclear safety commission said.

The Meteorological Agency said more than 100 aftershocks had occurred, many of them over 6 on the Richter scale.

The government had mobilized 50,000 military and other rescue workers, and sent 190 aircraft and 25 vessels to areas affected by the quake and tsunami, airlifting some victims to safety and evacuating others by lifeboat.

International assistance was on its way, as the United States dispatched more than 140 personnel on Friday, and New Zealand said Saturday it would send a 48-member search-and-rescue team.

About 900 Japanese troops and 250 vehicles were being transported by ships belonging to US forces stationed in the country.

Thousands of houses were destroyed, several bridges collapsed, bus and train services were shut down and many roads were closed. Mobile phone networks and land-line services were affected.

Television footage showed flattened fishing villages and shattered cities with piles of rubble on the streets as the tsunami surged 5 kilometers inland in some areas. Many people were forced to spend the night on the roofs of schools, hospitals or government buildings, as temperatures dropped to freezing.

In Rikuzen Takata, a coastal town of 23,000 people that was one of the worst-hit areas, about 5,000 of the estimated of the 8,000 homes were destroyed, news reports said.

Around 1,800 houses in Minami Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, were destroyed. Flooding and tsunami warnings were preventing relief efforts to reach survivors by road or boat.

The government ordered the extension of the evacuation zones around the Fukushima plants to 20 kilometers.

The whole country was also facing the risk of blackouts due to damage to the power grid in the affect area, the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) warned.

TEPCO urged businesses and residents across Japan to use electricity sparingly, as the energy supply capacity was reduced.

The company sought support from other energy operators, Kyodo news agency reported.

Officials feared the death toll could reach thousands, as the damage was reportedly more widespread that in 1995, when 6,400 people died after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Kobe in western Japan.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371382,radiation-leaks-summary.html.

Thousands of Thais mark anniversary of Bangkok protest

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Bangkok - Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters massed in Bangkok Saturday to mark the anniversary of last year's demonstration the left about 90 people dead and up to 2,000 injured.

About 30,000 so-called "red shirts" gathered at Democracy Monument in the old part of the capital to commemorate last year's 69-day protest that started on March 12, police estimated.

The protest, led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), began peacefully last year but took a violent turn on April 10, when troops were sent in to disperse demonstrators who were demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and call a new election.

By the end of the demonstration, parts of Bangkok had been turned in to a war zone, buildings were on fire and at least 91 were dead, including 11 police and military officers.

Most the UDD leadership surrendered on May 19. Seven of the top protest leaders, who face terrorism and other charges, were released late last month.

"We are happy to be out," said Weng Pochilakarn, one of the UDD leaders.

He commended Abhisit for announcing Friday that he expected to dissolve parliament in the first week of May, and hold elections as early as June.

But Weng warned the military not to interfere in the electoral process again.

"If there is another coup, not only the red shirts but all Thai people will stand up to oppose it," Weng said.

Thailand has experienced 18 coup in the past 79 years, the most recent of which was in September 19, 2006, which toppled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Although he has been in self-exile since 2008 to avoid a two-year prison sentence for abuse of power, Thaksin - a former billionaire telecommunications tycoon - remains the de facto leader of the UDD and the Puea Thai opposition party.

The party is expected to capture at least half of the seats in the next election, partly because of growing dissatisfaction with the economy.

"This government is shameless," said Sorasak Chapalat, a 67-year-old farmer from Ubon Ratchasima province.

"They say the economy is doing well but that's a lie. Go look at Ubon. Business is terrible and prices are going up every day."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371381,mark-anniversary-bangkok-protest.html.

Voting begins in second round of Niger presidential elections

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Nairobi/Niamey - The second round of a presidential poll intended to restore democracy to Niger after a year of military rule was underway Saturday in the West African country.

Voters in the mineral-rich country were choosing between opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou and former prime minister Seini Oumarou.

Issoufou, who won 36 per cent in the first round of voting in February, is considered the favorite going into the run-off, especially since other opposition candidates who did not make the cut in the first poll have urged their followers to throw their support behind Issoufou.

Issoufou's campaign has focused on the theme that it is time for change in Niger.

Oumarou, who got 23 per cent in the first round of voting, has long been a member of the party of Mamadou Tandja, who was removed from power in a military coup in early 2010.

Niger's military overthrew Tandja after he attempted to dissolve parliament and the constitutional court in an effort to force through constitutional changes that would have allowed him a third term.

Coup leaders said from the start that they wanted to limit the duration of military rule and supported a return to democracy.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371384,voting-niger-presidential-elections.html.

Indonesian Red Cross to send aid workers to quake-hit Japan

Sat, 12 Mar 2011

Jakarta - The Indonesian Red Cross was to send a nine-member team to help with the relief efforts after the devastating earthquake in Japan, a spokesman said Saturday.

The team, consisting of seven rescuers workers and two surgeons, would leave for Japan on Monday, Red Cross spokeswoman Aulia Arriani said.

"They will be involved in finding the victims and caring for survivors," she said, adding that the team would be in Japan for two weeks.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency said a government rescue team was ready to be sent to Japan if needed.

"We have to discuss first with the government of Japan about what they need," said agency spokesman Hartje Robert. "If they say OK, we will go."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371385,aid-workers-quake-hit-japan.html.

Kabul, UNESCO agree not to reconstruct Bamiyan Buddha statues

Thu, 10 Mar 2011

New York - The Afghan government and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization have agreed that the Buddha figures in Bamiyan blown up by Taliban 10 years ago this month will not be reconstructed, a UNESCO official said Thursday.

The two 1500-year-old statues, which measured 38 and 55 meters and were carved into a solid rock cliff face in the Bamiyan province, were reduced on March 12, 2001, to dust, and the small fragments that would make it impossible to reconstruct, Francesco Bandarin said in New York.

Bandarin, UNESCO's assistant director-general for culture, said little was left of the two statues after they were blown up with tons of explosives.

"Only 7 per cent of the larger statue remained and the rest was reduced to dust and rocks," Bandarin said. "The reconstruction is not possible. We are not doing it."

He said the decision not to reconstruct the statues was taken last week in Paris, where UNESCO maintains its world headquarters, by his organization and representatives of the Kabul government after a study was carried out at the Bamiyan site.

Archeologists and rock experts have been doing work to protect and preserve the site, Bandarin said. The two solid rock niches that housed the statues are still standing, but they are empty.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371153,reconstruct-bamiyan-buddha-statues.html.