Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

Now with 54 Top Stories.

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Blasts, fire escalate Japan’s nuclear crisis

by Hiroshi Hiyama, AFP

54 mins ago

SENDAI, Japan (AFP) – Explosions and a fire at Japan’s quake-hit nuclear plant unleashed dangerous levels of radiation on Tuesday, sparking a collapse on the stock market and panic buying in supermarkets.

Tokyo stocks, punished Monday in a frantic sell-off that sent indexes around the world sliding, plummeted another 14 percent before paring some losses and ending 10.55 percent down. European and US stocks also fell sharply.

In towns and cities, fearful citizens stripped shelves of food and water, prompting the government to warn that panic buying could hurt its ability to provide aid to areas devastated by Friday’s massive quake and tsunami.

AFP

2 Japan scrambles as reactor container ‘damaged’

by Hiroshi Hiyama, AFP

Mon Mar 14, 7:21 pm ET

SENDAI, Japan (AFP) – The container around an overheating nuclear reactor appears to be damaged, Japan’s government said Tuesday, raising the chance that dangerous radiation could leak from the quake-hit plant.

The announcement came as engineers scrambled to keep the temperature of three reactors under control after they were hit by the tsunami that swept Japan following Friday’s massive earthquake.

Rescue teams searching through the shattered debris of whole villages swept away by the wall of water on Japan’s northeast coast found 2,000 bodies in the region of Miyagi.

3 Fukushima ‘unlikely’ to be new Chernobyl: IAEA

by Simon Morgan, AFP

Mon Mar 14, 7:23 pm ET

VIENNA (AFP) – The crisis at Japan’s earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant is “unlikely” to turn into a new Chernobyl, which was the world’s worst nuclear accident, the UN atomic watchdog said on Monday.

“Let me say that the possibility that the development of this accident into one like Chernobyl is very unlikely,” Yukiya Amano told a news conference at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

The current crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant was caused not by human error or a design fault, as in the case of Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986, but by a “huge natural catastrophe beyond imagination,” Amano said.

4 In tragedy, Japanese impress world

by Shaun Tandon, AFP

Mon Mar 14, 6:17 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Despite the horrific scenes of destruction, Japan may emerge from its quake-tsunami disaster with a stronger international brand-name as the nation’s resilience wins wide praise.

Television stations around the world have broadcast the footage of the seismic waves as they razed homes and carried away cars as if they were toys, stranding dazed survivors on the brutalized landscape.

But coverage has also shown another side — Japanese showing calm as they search for loved ones or wait for basic necessities. There is not a hint of looting or violence, even as residents line up at half-empty stores.

5 Hundreds shot in Bahrain as emergency declared

by Ali Khalil, AFP

53 mins ago

MANAMA (AFP) – At least 200 people were shot and wounded on Tuesday in a Shiite village south of the Bahraini capital, a medic said, and two people killed elsewhere, as the king imposed a state of emergency after bringing in foreign troops to help quell anti-regime protests.

As violence escalated, close ally the United States warned that there was “no military solution” to political upheaval in Bahrain and that any violence against peacefully expressed political demands “should be stopped.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Bahrainis must “take steps now” toward a political resolution of the crisis.

6 Emergency rule in Bahrain as Iran slams Gulf force

by Ali Khalil, AFP

Tue Mar 15, 1:34 pm ET

MANAMA (AFP) – Bahrain’s King Hamad declared a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday as two died in fresh violence and Iran condemned an intervention by Saudi-led Gulf troops to help put down Shiite-led protests.

After the Gulf Arab armed forces entered the country at the king’s invitation, the United States warned that there was “no military solution” to political upheaval there.

Thousands of protesters marched to the Saudi embassy chanting slogans against the king and vowing to defend the country from the “occupation” forces, as unrest in the tiny country became a regional diplomatic crisis.

7 Kadhafi forces outflank rebel town as no-fly zone hopes fade

by Dave Clark, AFP

1 hr 14 mins ago

AJDABIYA, Libya (AFP) – Libyan government forces assaulting the key rebel-held town of Ajdabiya cut the road to the insurgents’ capital of Benghazi Tuesday as hopes of foreign air protection for the revolt faded but were still on the table.

Rebel sources said forces loyal to Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi had outflanked them and cut the road north, amid scenes of chaos in the city.

An AFP reporter saw long lines at filling stations as civilians and some rebels tried to leave eastwards to Tobruk, while others erected barricades in the streets.

8 Kadhafi forces in new attacks, powers hold talks

by Karim Talbi, AFP

Mon Mar 14, 5:58 pm ET

AJDABIYA, Libya (AFP) – Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi launched attacks Monday on a key town which rebels have vowed to defend, as major powers remained split on measures to ground his warplanes.

The UN Security Council wrangled over Arab calls for a Libya no-fly zone, with Russia insisting “fundamental questions” remain.

European and Arab envoys emphasized the need for urgent UN action as Kadhafi’s forces advance. But because of the split between world powers, the Security Council would need several days to agree measures, diplomats said.

9 Libyan forces launch new raid on rebel-held town

by Dave Clark, AFP

Tue Mar 15, 9:07 am ET

AJDABIYA, Libya (AFP) – Rebels defending the key Libyan town of Ajdabiya came under new attack from the forces of strongman Moamer Kadhafi Tuesday with little prospect of foreign air protection soon.

An airstrike killed one fighter and wounded another, witnesses and medics said after explosions and anti-aircraft fire rocked the western edge of Ajdabiya.

Rebel fighters were still reportedly holding out in Brega, 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the west, but Ajdabiya residents said otherwise the last checkpoint was just six kilometres from their town.

10 Fresh violence in Abidjan, four gunned down at roadblock

by Christophe Koffi, AFP

47 mins ago

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Four people were gunned down in a chic suburb of Abidjan Tuesday in a fresh burst of violence in the economic capital of Ivory Coast, the stage of fierce post-election violence in recent days.

The attack comes as the west African cocoa giant is wracked by conflict in the wake of a disputed presidential election on November 28, which the UN says has left some 400 dead in a bloody tug-of-war for the country’s top job.

Strongman Laurent Gbagbo who has ruled for 10 years is refusing to yield power despite being widely recognised as having lost the vote to rival Alassane Ouattara.

11 Gbagbo forces beat back rivals in Abidjan battle

by Christophe Koffi, AFP

Tue Mar 15, 11:33 am ET

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Troops loyal to Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo retained key positions in Abidjan Tuesday after beating back fighters of his presidential rival in a key battle for control of the economic capital.

Pro-Gbagbo forces were in control of a strategic military barracks in the northern suburb of Adjame after the heaviest day of fighting since the disputed November 28 presidential poll plunged the west African country into violence.

Forces backing internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara tried to move south towards central Abidjan from their stronghold in the northern suburbs but met fierce resistance from Gbagbo loyalists, witnesses said.

12 Fed sticks to stimulus amid global crises

by Andrew Beatty, AFP

22 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Federal Reserve policymakers kept ultra-low interest rates and stimulus spending in place Tuesday, amid high but falling unemployment at home and crises in the Middle East and Japan.

The Fed held rates at historic lows and stuck to a $600 billion stimulus plan in an effort to spur growth, as it pondered events in the Arab world that have pushed up oil prices and a developing nuclear crisis in quake-hit Japan.

The Fed kept the crisis stimulus in place despite a “firmer” economic recovery at home — where unemployment eased, consumer spending picked up and businesses grew more optimistic.

13 Ashamed French out to redeem themselves: Palisson

by Simon Valmary, AFP

Tue Mar 15, 1:46 pm ET

MARCOUSSIS, France (AFP) – The French team are determined to set aside the historic defeat by Italy last Saturday and beat Wales in their final Six Nations match at the Stade de France this weekend, wing Alexis Palisson warned Tuesday.

The 23-year-old was not part of the side humiliated first by Italy and then by their coach Marc Lievremont, who accused them of being cowards and betraying their country in the manner they had performed in the 22-21 defeat in Rome.

Palisson – who will win his 14th cap on Saturday after being named in the starting XV as one of five changes to the previous line-up – admitted that he had seen some pretty downhearted players when he joined up with them on Monday.

14 South Africa reach Cricket World Cup quarters

by Dave James, AFP

Tue Mar 15, 12:38 pm ET

NEW DELHI (AFP) – South Africa became the fifth team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, comprehensively ending Ireland’s hopes and ramping up the survival pressure on illness-hit England.

JP Duminy agonisingly missed a century by just one run as the Proteas recovered from a poor start to make 272 for 7 in Kolkata before Ireland were dismissed for 141 to lose by 131 runs.

“We wanted to qualify. We’ve got one round robin game left against Bangladesh and hopefully three good games in the knockout phase. We’ve done the first part of it now,” said South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

15 Race starts for London 2012 Olympic tickets

by Guy Jackson, AFP

Tue Mar 15, 10:24 am ET

LONDON (AFP) – Tickets for the 2012 London Olympics went on sale Tuesday with organisers promising that the website will not crash under the expected huge demand.

Applicants were urged to approach the start of the ballot for 6.6 million tickets — coinciding with 500 days to go until the Games begin — as a marathon not a sprint, with applications possible for the next six weeks.

Allocation of tickets is not on a first-come-first-served basis, meaning every request made until April 26 stands an equal chance of success.

Reuters

16 Japan braces for potential radiation catastrophe

By Shinichi Saoshiro and Chisa Fujioka, Reuters

35 mins ago

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan raced to avert a catastrophe on Wednesday after an explosion at a quake-crippled nuclear power plant sent radiation wafting into Tokyo, prompting some people to flee the capital and others to stock up on essential supplies.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said two workers at the Daiichi plant in Fukushima were missing after two more blasts at the facility on Tuesday blew a hole in a building housing a reactor and cooling pool for spent fuel rods.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people within 30 km (18 miles) of the facility — a population of 140,000 — to remain indoors, as Japan grappled with the world’s most serious nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986.

17 Japanese leaders try to calm panicky markets over nuclear crisis

By Leika Kihara and Rie Ishiguro, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 4:23 am ET

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese leaders tried to calm panicky financial markets on Tuesday as a deepening nuclear power crisis looked certain to increase the toll on an economy already convulsing from a massive earthquake and tsunami.

Tokyo’s stock market plunged more than 14 percent at one point after the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant was hit by two explosions and a grim-faced Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned the nation that radioactivity levels had become “significantly” higher.

Even before Tuesday’s dramatic events, economists had estimated that recovery and reconstruction costs would reach at least $180 billion, or 3 percent of the economic output of the world’s third-biggest economy. Others suggested the cost could amount to 5 percent of output.

18 Worries mount, food runs short for Japanese victims

By Yoko Kubota, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 12:31 pm ET

RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan (Reuters) – A widening cloud of radiation on Tuesday added to the misery of millions of people in Japan’s devastated northeast, already short of water and food and trying to keep warm in near-freezing temperatures.

As bodies washed up on the coast from Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, injured survivors, children and elderly crammed into makeshift shelters, often without medicine. By Monday, 550,000 people had been evacuated after the cataclysmic events that killed at least 10,000.

Panic swept Tokyo after a rise in radioactive levels around an earthquake-hit nuclear power plant north of the city, causing some to leave the capital and others to stock up on food and supplies.

19 Radiation fears spark panic buying, evacuations in Tokyo

By Terril Yue Jones, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 4:52 am ET

TOKYO (Reuters) – Panic swept Tokyo on Tuesday after a rise in radioactive levels around an earthquake-hit nuclear power plant north of the city, causing some to leave the capital or stock up on food and supplies.

Embassies advised staff to leave affected areas, tourists cut short vacations and some multinational companies told staff to move from Tokyo out after low levels of radiation were detected in one of the world’s biggest and most densely populated cities.

In one sign of the panic, Don Quixote, a multistory, 24-hour general store in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, was sold out of radios, flashlights, candles, fuel cans and sleeping bags on Tuesday as a Reuters reported visited the shop.

20 BOJ pumps more funds, market intervention unlikely now

By Leika Kihara and Rie Ishiguro, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 3:31 am ET

TOKYO (Reuters) – The Bank of Japan on Tuesday continued to flood the money market with cash while top policymakers sought to contain a sharp sell-off in Tokyo stocks with reminders they kept a close watch over market moves and assurances about the economy’s overall health.

Japanese shares plunged 10.55 percent, the largest fall since October 2008, as more explosions rocked a quake-stricken nuclear plant, triggering a rise in radiation and prompting investors to dump riskier assets across Asia.

The yen rose on Tuesday, sparking market speculation that the authorities might intervene to prevent the currency’s strength from further damaging an economy reeling from a triple blow of Friday’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake, a tsunami and an escalating nuclear crisis.

21 Japan nuclear crisis sparks selling from equities to commodities

By Jungyoun Park and David Chance, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 3:19 am ET

SEOUL (Reuters) – Shares and other risky assets from the Australian dollar to commodities such as copper and oil slumped on Tuesday while safe-haven assets like U.S. Treasuries rallied as Japan’s nuclear crisis worsened.

Rising radiation levels at an earthquake-hit nuclear plant in northeastern Japan triggered a huge selloff in Japanese shares and panic hoarding of food and other supplies in Tokyo.

At one stage, Nikkei futures were down 16 percent before paring losses to 10 percent, while the benchmark Tokyo stock index ended down almost 11 percent, its biggest one-day percentage loss since October 2008.

22 Hedge funds lead worst 2-day stock rout since ’87

By Chikafumi Hodo and Antoni Slodkowski, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 3:04 am ET

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese stocks plunged 10.6 percent on Tuesday, posting the worst two-day losing streak since 1987, on reports of rising radiation near Tokyo, suggesting any deterioration at a quake-hit nuclear plant could trigger more panic selling led by hedge funds.

The yen tripped on talk of intervention and bond yields rose as investors sold debt to offset losses in the stock market. The scale and speed of the equity selloff, on record volume for a second day running, forced fund managers to sit on the sidelines.

“Even if we wanted to sell today there was very little we could do,” said a fund manager at a Japanese fund, asking not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

23 Special report: Big California quake likely to devastate state

By Peter Henderson, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 9:47 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – California will experience unthinkable damage when the next powerful quake strikes, probably within 30 years, even though the state prides itself on being on the leading edge of earthquake science.

Modern skyscrapers built to the state’s now-rigorous building codes might ride out the big jolt that experts say is all but inevitable, but the surviving buildings will tower over a carpet of rubble from older structures that have collapsed.

Hot desert winds could fan fires that quakes inevitably cause, overwhelming fire departments, even as ancient water pipelines burst, engineers and architects say.

24 Japan quake strains supply chain from chips to ships

By Noel Randewich and Miyoung Kim, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 8:21 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO/SEOUL (Reuters) – Automakers, shipbuilders and technology companies worldwide scrambled for supplies after the disaster in Japan shut down factories there and disrupted the global manufacturing chain.

Technology companies were particularly hit since Japan accounts for one-fifth of the world’s semiconductor production, including about 40 percent of flash memory chips used in everything from smartphones, tablets to computers.

Multinationals that buy parts from Japan or have plants located there were grappling with power blackouts, factory closures and transportation problems after roads, railways and ports in north east Japan were destroyed by Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

25 Japan nuclear crisis unlike Chernobyl: U.N. atom chief

By Fredrik Dahl and Michael Shields, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 5:18 pm ET

VIENNA (Reuters) – Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami shook and flooded nuclear power plants but left reactor vessels intact and radiation release was limited, the U.N. atomic watchdog chief said on Monday.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed confidence Japanese authorities were doing all they could to restore safety at the sites and said a Chernobyl-style disaster was “very unlikely.”

He spoke as Japan scrambled to avert a meltdown at a stricken nuclear complex after a hydrogen explosion at one reactor and exposure of fuel rods at another, just days after the devastation that killed thousands.

26 Analysis: Japan disaster costs seen at least $180 billion

By Natsuko Waki, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 4:39 pm ET

LONDON (Reuters) – Quake-hit Japan faces a recovery and reconstruction bill of at least $180 billion, or 3 percent of its annual economic output, or more than 50 percent higher than the total cost of 1995’s earthquake in Kobe.

Even though some extreme projections of the longer-term costs project figures closer to $1 trillion over several years, standard tallies akin to those used after the Kobe quake hover around this level.

The world’s third-largest economy, already saddled with public debt double the size of its $5 trillion output, must rebuild its infrastructure — from roads and rail to power and ports — on a scale not seen since World War Two.

27 Europe split over nuclear safety amid Japan crisis

By Pete Harrison and Marine Hass, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 4:20 pm ET

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Austria on Monday called for European nuclear power plants to face stress tests to reassure people worried by the crisis in Japan while Britain and France urged calm.

Nuclear power has been poised for a revival as Europe strives to cut climate-warming carbon emissions and gas imports, but public mistrust still runs high, with the Chernobyl accident in 1986 still strong in many Europeans’ minds.

Public confidence in the industry looked set to fall as Japan scrambled on Monday to avert a meltdown at a stricken nuclear plant, days after an earthquake and tsunami.

28 Steady Fed sees firmer economy, watchful on oil

By Pedro da Costa and Mark Felsenthal, Reuters

28 mins ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve said on Tuesday the U.S. recovery is gaining traction and inflation pressure from soaring energy costs should be short-lived, allowing it to maintain its heavy support for the economy.

The U.S. central bank decided unanimously to forge ahead with its $600 billion bond-buying plan despite a considerably more upbeat assessment of the economy and the job market

It made no mention of Japan, which is grappling with the aftermath of the country’s worst earthquake on record — and struggling desperately to avert a nuclear disaster.

29 Fed comments rescue Wall Street from deeper Japan selloff

By Ryan Vlastelica, Reuters

1 hr 30 mins ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks fell 1 percent but ended far from session lows on Tuesday on the Federal Reserve’s more upbeat economic view and growing sentiment that Japan’s nuclear crisis would only temporarily depress shares.

In a second straight day of losses tied to Japan, the S&P 500 fell to within four points of support at 1,257, its 2010 close. The benchmark index fell more than 2 percent in early trading and the Nasdaq briefly turned negative for the year.

Equities nearly halved their losses after the Fed stuck with its ultra-loose monetary policy and said the economy was gaining traction.

30 Gaddafi forces seize key town, G8 stalls on no-fly

By Mohammed Abbas, Reuters

2 hrs 57 mins ago

AJDABIYAH, Libya (Reuters) – Muammar Gaddafi’s forces seized a strategic town in eastern Libya on Tuesday, opening the way to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi while world powers failed to agree to push for a no-fly zone.

The small town of Ajdabiyah was all that stood between the relentless eastward advance of Libyan government troops and the second city of Benghazi and lies on a road junction from where Gaddafi’s forces could attempt to encircle the rebel stronghold.

“The town of Ajdabiyah has been cleansed of mercenaries and terrorists linked to the al Qaeda organization,” state television said, referring to the rebels fighting to end Gaddafi’s 41 years of absolute power.

31 France fails to get G8 accord on Libya no-fly zone

By John Irish and Tim Hepher, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 1:21 pm ET

PARIS (Reuters) – The G8 powers failed on Tuesday to agree on a no-fly zone over Libya, a setback to the chances of swift action to halt Muammar Gaddafi’s advance against rebel forces that leaves the ball with the U.N. Security Council.

In a blow to France’s efforts to use the crisis in Libya to reassert its leadership in international diplomacy, a G8 meeting resisted French pressure to come out in support of a no-fly zone and made no mention of the issue in its final communique.

The Libyan crisis dominated the first meeting of France’s Group of Eight presidency, but Germany and Russia blocked flight restrictions sought also by Britain, leaving the group with a position that contained strong words but little substance.

32 No consensus after U.N. talks on Libya no-fly zone

By Louis Charbonneau, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 4:29 pm ET

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A divided U.N. Security Council on Monday discussed the idea of authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya, but no consensus emerged among its 15 members and Russia said it had questions about the proposal.

France, which along with Britain has led calls for an enforced ban on military flights across the North African oil-producing state, said it hoped the Arab League decision to ask the council to impose a no-fly zone would persuade reluctant members to support it.

“Now that there is this Arab League statement, we do hope that it’s a game changer for the other members of the council,” French U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud said before the closed-door council meeting.

33 Iran objects to foreign troops in Bahrain

By Mitra Amiri, Reuters

2 hrs 28 mins ago

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran warned Saudi Arabia and its ally Washington on Tuesday the deployment of foreign troops in Bahrain to help quell an uprising could pitch the region toward a crisis with “dangerous consequences.”

In an escalating war of words, Bahrain condemned the comments and withdrew its ambassador to Iran for consultations.

About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain on Monday as part of an effort by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to help the island’s Sunni Muslim elite cope with protests by members of the island’s Shi’ite majority.

34 Rajaratnam defense attacks star U.S. trial witness

By Grant McCool and Basil Katz, Reuters

1 hr 15 mins ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A lawyer for accused hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam attacked a star government trial witness on Tuesday, saying he cut a plea deal to avoid criminal charges of money laundering and tax dodging.

“When you got caught you pinned it all on Raj, didn’t you?” Rajaratnam’s main lawyer, John Dowd, tersely asked Anil Kumar in cross-examination at the Manhattan federal court trial.

“No,” Kumar replied. Dowd said: “You did what you could to get out of jail.” “Wrong,” Kumar shot back.

35 House vote will paper over splits on funding

By Richard Cowan, Reuters

Tue Mar 15, 3:37 am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives is likely to pass yet another in a series of stopgap spending bills on Tuesday to keep the government running, as both Republicans and Democrats try to move on to address longer-term fiscal problems.

“We hope this will be the last time we have to engage in any stopgap measures,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told reporters on Monday. “We would like to see this resolved.”

Similarly, second-ranking House Democrat Steny Hoyer has warned that the upcoming vote would be the “last time” he would support a stopgap spending bill for this year.

36 Renault says sorry to execs over false spy claims

By Helen Massy-Beresford and Thierry Leveque, Reuters

Mon Mar 14, 4:24 pm ET

PARIS (Reuters) – French carmaker Renault made a public apology to three executives accused of industrial espionage after the Paris prosecutor said the trio had no case to answer.

Bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, alleged to have belonged to the executives and seen as key to the case over Renault’s electric car technology, did not exist, prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin told a news conference on Monday.

The response of authorities in those countries has enabled the prosecutor “to dismiss a certain number of theories, notably that which was put forward in the initial complaint by the company Renault,” Marin said.

AP

37 1st fire at Japan nuclear reactor not extinguished

Associated Press

1 min ago

TOKYO – The operator of Japan’s stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant says fire broke out again at its No. 4 reactor unit because the initial blaze was not completely extinguished.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. says the new blaze flared early Wednesday in the outer housing of the reactor’s containment vessel. Fire fighters are trying to put out the flames.

On Tuesday, a fire broke out in the reactor’s fuel storage pond – an area where used nuclear fuel is kept cool – causing radioactivity to be released into the atmosphere.

38 Japan disaster another worry for global economy

By ERIKA KINETZ, AP Business Writer

1 min ago

Japan’s earthquake and nuclear crisis have put pressure on the already fragile global economy, squeezed supplies of goods from computer chips to auto parts and raised fears of higher interest rates.

The disaster frightened financial markets in Tokyo and on Wall Street on Tuesday. Japan’s Nikkei average lost 10 percent, and the Dow Jones industrials fell so quickly after the opening bell that the stock exchange invoked a special rule to reduce volatility.

Yet the damage to the U.S. and world economies is expected to be relatively moderate and short-lived. Oil prices are falling, helping drivers around the world. And the reconstruction expected along Japan’s northeastern coast could even provide a jolt of economic growth.

39 Japan crisis spikes demand for radiation pills

Associated Press

39 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Japan’s nuclear crisis is spiking demand in the U.S. and a few other places for a cheap drug that can protect against one type of radiation damage – even though the risk is only in Japan.

Health agencies in California and western Canada warned Tuesday that there’s no reason for people an ocean away to suddenly stock up on potassium iodide. Some key suppliers say they’re back-ordered and are getting panicked calls from potential customers.

“Tell them, `Stop, don’t do it,'” said Kathryn Higley, director of radiation health physics at Oregon State University.

40 Quake response showcases Japan’s resilient spirit

By JAY ALABASTER and KELLY OLSEN, Associated Press

Tue Mar 15, 3:45 pm ET

TAGAJO, Japan – Close to the epicenter of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, workers at a warehouse hauled out cans of coffee and soda this week to offer to passers-by for free.

“Help yourself! Take what you need!” they yelled as they put box after box on the sidewalk. Their boss Kazuyoshi Chiba said the phone lines are down, so he can’t reach company headquarters, but “I think this is the right thing to do.”

With the same mixture of resilience and resignation that has lifted Japan out of previous disasters, many survivors of last Friday’s calamity are calmly pitching in to help themselves and others, taking life one day at a time. Four days on, there is little of the public anger and frustration that so often bursts forth in other countries.

41 Libya bombards rebels, gets closer to stronghold

By RYAN LUCAS and DIAA HADID, Associated Press

5 mins ago

TOBRUK, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi’s forces overwhelmed rebels in the strategic eastern city of Ajdabiya, hammering them with airstrikes, missiles, tanks and artillery Tuesday in an assault that sent residents fleeing and appeared to open the way for an all-out government offensive on the opposition’s main stronghold in the east, Benghazi.

In desperation, rebels sent up two antiquated warplanes that struck a government ship bombarding Ajdabiya from the Mediterranean. But as tanks rolled into the city from two directions and rockets relentlessly pounded houses and shops, the ragtag opposition fighters’ defenses appeared to break down.

Only 10 days ago, the rebellion was poised to march on Tripoli, the capital, and had appeared capable of sweeping Gadhafi out after 41 years in power, but the regime’s better armed and organized military has reversed the tide. Efforts led by France and Britain to create a no-fly zone to protect the rebels have gone nowhere, and some rebels lashed out at the West for failing to come to their aid.

42 Bahrain king clamps down; 3 dead as unrest spreads

By BARBARA SURK and REEM KHALIFA, Associated Press

2 hrs 27 mins ago

MANAMA, Bahrain – Bahrain’s king declared a three-month state of emergency Tuesday to quell a Shiite uprising, as clashes spread through the capital and surrounding villages in a showdown that drew in the region’s major powers and splintered along its main sectarian faultlines. At least two Bahrainis and a Saudi soldier died, and hundreds of protesters were injured by shotgun blasts and clubs.

A force of more than 1,000 Saudi-led troops expanded to defend the Sunni monarchy; Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah denounced the presence of foreign soldiers; and Washington feared for its main naval base in the Gulf. Any compromise appeared distant at best, with the latest order from Bahrain’s king and protesters’ demands for the royal family to be toppled altogether.

Doctors were overwhelmed by onslaught of patients at Manama’s Salmaniya hospital, rushing the wounded into a packed emergency room, forcing many to wait in the halls. Nurses held back tears when attending to injured young men, and doctors could barely contain their anger.

43 Bahrain strife adds to US worries in Mideast

Associated Press

35 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Alarmed by the threat of Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife as unrest spreads in the Mideast, the Obama administration on Tuesday urged Saudi Arabia not to hold back political reform in neighboring Bahrain, a longtime U.S. friend that is also caught between old loyalties to both majority-Sunni Saudi Arabia and majority-Shiite Iran.

Washington urged the ruling family in Bahrain, home to the Navy’s 5th Fleet, to talk to protesters about political reform as reports came in of hundreds of Bahraini demonstrators injured by shotgun blasts and clubs. A Saudi soldier from a large contingent of Gulf troops imported to Bahrain was shot to death by a protester.

Urging restraint, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed alarm over “provocative acts and sectarian violence,” and said she telephoned Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud to stress the need for the foreign forces to promote dialogue.

44 House votes 3-week stopgap federal spending bill

Associated Press

46 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The House Tuesday passed a measure blending $6 billion in budget cuts with enough money to keep the government running for an additional three weeks.

The measure would buy additional time for talks between Capitol Hill Republicans and the Obama administration on a bill to fund the day-to-day operations of the government through the end of September. Those negotiations haven’t gotten very far yet and House GOP leaders haven’t shown much flexibility.

The measure passed by a 271-158 vote despite opposition from some tea party-backed conservatives who said it “kicks the can down the road” instead of imposing steep and immediate spending cuts. The $6 billion cut by the measure includes many items that the Obama administration and Democrats agree can be axed. Fifty-four Republicans opposed the bill, which meant that Democratic support was required to pass it – a prospect that GOP leaders must avoid to keep control of the debate in future rounds.

45 Gingrich sends $150K to Iowa through aide’s group

Associated Press

47 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Potential presidential candidate Newt Gingrich quietly lined up $150,000 to help defeat Iowa justices who threw out a ban on same-sex marriage, routing the money to conservative groups through an aide’s political committee.

Gingrich, the former U.S. House speaker who has aggressively courted the conservatives who dominate Iowa’s lead-off presidential caucuses, raised the money for the political arm of Restoring American Leadership, also known as ReAL.

That group then passed $125,000 to American Family Association Action and an additional $25,000 to the Iowa Christian Alliance – two of the groups that spent millions before last November’s elections that removed three of the state’s seven state Supreme Court justices. The court had unanimously decided a state law restricting marriage to a man and a woman violated Iowa’s constitution.

46 Prosecutors: Berlusconi had sex with teen 13 times

By COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press

2 hrs 34 mins ago

MILAN – Premier Silvio Berlusconi paid for sex with an under-age Moroccan teen 13 times at his villa near Milan, prosecutors said in a document filed Tuesday seeking indictments against three aides for allegedly soliciting prostitutes for the Italian leader.

The seven-page document, obtained by The Associated Press, alleges that the sex-fueled parties started with dinner, progressed to erotic dancing involving the premier and culminated with Berlusconi’s choice of a sex partner, or partners.

Prosecutors have formally closed the investigation and are seeking indictments against the three aides, whom they accuse of identifying possible sex partners for Berlusconi and informing them of payment and other compensation “that they would have received for their sexual availability.”

47 How the NCAA tournament favorites stack up

By JOHN MARSHALL, AP Basketball Writer

2 hrs 9 mins ago

Every year when the NCAA tournament bracket comes out, there’s a team, maybe a couple that stand out as the ones to beat. Last year, to a certain extent, it was Duke. Kansas, with those five future pros, was the bracket behemoth in 2008 and Florida was the no-brainer the year before.

This year, there doesn’t seem to be that one team that’ll be at the top of everyone’s bracket. It’s probably closer to a dozen. Heck, there are five or six teams just in the Big East that could be considered legitimate title contenders.

Certainly, going with one of the top four seeds is a pretty safe route, but each one in this year’s field of 68 has enough flaws that it’s going to be difficult to feel certain about the final pick at the middle of the bracket.

48 FACT CHECK: Are 82 percent of schools ‘failing’?

By The Associated Press

53 mins ago

President Barack Obama declared this week that four of five public schools could be labeled as “failing” this year under the No Child Left Behind Act if Congress does not take action to rewrite the law.

“That’s an astonishing number,” he said Monday at a Virginia middle school. “We know that four out of five schools in this country aren’t failing.”

Obama’s terminology wasn’t quite right, though. There is no “failing” label in the No Child Left Behind Act. And schools that do not meet growth targets – aimed at getting 100 percent of students proficient in math, reading and science by 2014 – for one year are not subject to any intervention.

49 Ohio governor’s budget plan includes union limits

Associated Press

Tue Mar 15, 3:43 pm ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In another move that would limit the influence of organized labor in the state, Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday proposed exempting universities from a requirement that they pay union-level wages on construction projects.

The plan is part of the governor’s two-year budget proposal that seeks to plug an $8 billion shortfall while retaining an $800 million, two-year income tax cut that went into effect in January and adding an additional $34 million in tax incentives designed to create jobs.

The budget announcement came as Kasich has voiced his support for a much contested bill that would restrict the collective bargaining rights of state employees. Hearings on the bill, which has passed the Senate and is now before the House, have drawn thousands of protesters to the Statehouse in recent weeks.

50 Petraeus: Afghan war gains enable US troop cuts

Associated Press

16 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Amid signs of deepening war weariness among Americans, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday he will soon recommend a plan for beginning troop reductions, while embracing President Barack Obama’s goal of pursuing a long-term military partnership with the Afghan government.

In a four-hour Senate hearing that was his first since taking command in Kabul last summer, Army Gen. David Petraeus said the tide is turning in the war despite persistent questions about the durability of the Afghan government led by Hamid Karzai and the commitment of neighboring Pakistan to keep militants at bay.

Several Republicans said they worry that the Obama administration is sending mixed signals about when the U.S. will leave Afghanistan. Several cited a new Washington Post-ABC poll that said nearly two-thirds of Americans consider the war no longer worth fighting.

51 Japan feeds more money to banks as stocks slump

By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA, Associated Press

Tue Mar 15, 7:42 am ET

TOKYO – Japan’s central bank pumped billions more into the financial system Tuesday to quell fears that the country’s banks could be overwhelmed by the impact of the massive earthquake and tsunami. Stocks slumped for a second day as a nuclear crisis escalated.

Two cash injections totaling 8 trillion yen ($98 billion) came a day after the Bank of Japan fed a record 15 trillion yen ($184 billion) into money markets and eased monetary policy to support the economy in the aftermath of Friday’s 9.0 magnitude quake that has killed thousands.

The injections have helped stabilize currency markets. But stock markets dived for a second day as investors unloaded assets amid escalating worries of a nuclear crisis.

52 Obama’s team seeks new ways to fire up his base

By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press

Tue Mar 15, 6:33 am ET

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama rode a wave of voter passion in 2008 fed largely by intense dislike of President George W. Bush and the Iraq war, plus excitement among young and minority voters at the notion of electing the nation’s first black president.

Now, as Obama cranks up his re-election campaign, all those factors are absent.

The president has many tools, of course, for inspiring and exciting potential voters. But he faces a different landscape, one in which key supporters are disappointed by concessions he has made to Republicans, and discouraged by huge Democratic losses last fall.

53 New consumer agency under fire from GOP, banks

Associated Press

44 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Four months before formally opening its doors, the new federal watchdog for policing mortgages, credit cards and other financial products is under attack from Republicans and banks.

Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard law professor who championed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and is now in charge of setting it up, faces the hostile fire directly on Wednesday. Republicans running the House Financial Services Committee will press her to answer their concerns – shared by banks and other business interests – that the agency and its director will have unfettered power over financial products used by millions of people and might abuse it.

“You have no guarantee what kind of hobby horses that person may ride, how out of control they might be,” said Wayne Abernathy, an executive vice president of the American Bankers Association.

54 UCLA police eye threats over anti-Asian video

Associated Press

26 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – She prefaced her YouTube video by saying, “I’m not the most politically correct person.”

UCLA student Alexandra Wallace quickly proved that, launching into a three-minute tirade that ridiculed Asian students for talking loudly in the library, packing her neighborhood with annoying relatives, and repeatedly calling home to Japan in a funny sounding foreign language to check on loved ones after the deadly tsunami.

The junior political science major says now she doesn’t know why she did it. But figuring that out would seem to be the least of her worries.

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