EDITORIAL : THE DAILY NEWS EGYPT, EGYPT
12 years ago
Highlights............
Libya: Obama defends war, insists US role is limited
US President Barack Obama has defended the first war launched under his presidency, insisting US military involvement in Libya will be limited.
He told Americans US intervention as part of the coalition had saved "countless lives" threatened by the forces of the "tyrant" Muammar Gaddafi.
But having led the initial campaign, the US would hand over to Nato allies on Wednesday, he said.
Meanwhile, the rebel advance inside Libya has been slowed down near Sirte.
While Nato insists it is impartial in the conflict, Russia has renewed its expressions of concern, saying intervention in an internal civil war is not sanctioned by UN Security Council Resolution 1973.
Some 40 delegations - from the coalition, the UN, Nato, the African Union and Arab League - are preparing to meet in London on Tuesday to discuss the way forward for Libya.
'Regime change' ruled out
"Tonight, I can report that we have stopped Gaddafi's deadly advance," Mr Obama said, speaking from the National Defense University in Washington DC.
But having led the initial campaign, the US would hand over to Nato allies on Wednesday, he said.
Meanwhile, the rebel advance inside Libya has been slowed down near Sirte.
While Nato insists it is impartial in the conflict, Russia has renewed its expressions of concern, saying intervention in an internal civil war is not sanctioned by UN Security Council Resolution 1973.
Some 40 delegations - from the coalition, the UN, Nato, the African Union and Arab League - are preparing to meet in London on Tuesday to discuss the way forward for Libya.
'Regime change' ruled out
"Tonight, I can report that we have stopped Gaddafi's deadly advance," Mr Obama said, speaking from the National Defense University in Washington DC.
But the lead in enforcing the no-fly zone "and protecting civilians on the ground" would now move to US "allies and partners".
"Because of this transition to a broader, Nato-based coalition, the risk and cost of this operation - to our military, and to American taxpayers - will be reduced significantly," Mr Obama said.
"We must always measure our interests against the need for action," the president continued.
"But that cannot be an argument for never acting on behalf of what's right...
"We were faced with the prospect of violence on a horrific scale. We had a unique ability to stop that violence: an international mandate for action, a broad coalition prepared to join us, the support of Arab countries and a plea for help from the Libyan people themselves."
He said that to broaden the aims of the military mission in Libya to overthrowing Col Gadaffi would be a mistake. The US, he said, had gone down that road in Iraq and could not afford the cost in lives, time and money again
Earlier on Monday, Mr Obama spoke by video conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister David Cameron as part of his regular consultations with European allies.
The leaders agreed that Col Gaddafi "had lost any legitimacy to rule and should leave power, and that the Libyan people should have the political space to determine their own future", a White House statement said.
Advance slows
Anti-Gaddafi rebels have seized a number of coastal communities and important oil installations in recent days, including Ras Lanuf, Brega, Uqayla and Bin Jawad.
However, repeated attacks by government troops have prevented them reaching Sirte, a symbolic target for the rebels as the birthplace of Col Gaddafi.
Bombardments of the road between Bin Jawad and Nawfaliyah reportedly sent the rebels fleeing back towards Bin Jawad.
Nato has denied its air strikes are meant to provide cover for a rebel advance.
Sir Emyr Jones Parry, a former British ambassador to Nato and the UN, dismissed concerns voiced by Russia as "puritanical".
"Fundamentally, you're protecting civilians and to do that, you've got to get at the sources of the attack and make sure that they are negated," he told the BBC.
Barack Obama defends US military intervention in Libya
US president gives speech to nation claiming US action has saved 'countless lives' – but rules out targeting Gaddafi
Barack Obama has addressed the American people on TV and said that military intervention by America had prevented a massacre in Libya.
The US president also called on those people still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi to desert him, and said that the end of the Libyan leader's rule was inevitable.
"We will deny the regime arms, cut off its supply of cash, assist the opposition, and work with other nations to hasten the day when Gaddafi leaves power," Obama said.
"It may not happen overnight, as a badly weakened Gaddafi tries desperately to hang on to power. But it should be clear to those around Gadaffi, and to every Libyan, that history is not on his side."
Obama had previously said that he wanted Gaddafi to leave power, even though such a goal appears to exceed the mandate of the UN resolution authoring a no-fly zone and the protection of civilians.
But Obama did say that the coalition would not target Gaddafi, and that regime change by armed force – especially by American ground troops – was not an aim. "To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq. Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our troops and the determination of our diplomats, we are hopeful about Iraq's future.
"But regime change there took eight years, thousands of American and Iraqi lives, and nearly a trillion dollars. That is not something we can afford to repeat in Libya," he said.
Instead Obama sought to justify the military attacks on Gaddafi's army by saying there was no doubt that a massacre of opposition forces and civilians had been prevented.
Obama pulled no punches in detailing what he believed would have happened had the rebel stronghold of Benghazi fallen into loyalist hands.
"Gaddafi declared that he would show "no mercy" to his own people. He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. In the past, we had seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day. We knew that if we waited one more day Benghazi … could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world," Obama declared.
The powerful language of Obama's speech was used in part to explain to the American public why the US is now involved in a third conflict in a Muslim country. The setting of the address – the National Defence University in Washington – was also a clear part of Obama's communication strategy. Normally when American presidents speak to the nation they use the Oval Office.
Obama has come in for a barrage of criticism from Republicans and some Democrats for a perceived slowness to speak clearly and publicly about why American forces are involved in Libya. Critics have accused him of not setting out concrete objectives and failing to justify another military intervention in the Muslim world.
Obama's own administration has appeared somewhat divided on the issue.
While Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, has pushed for military action, others – like Pentagon chief Robert Gates – have seemed more reluctant.
On Sunday, Gates gave a television interview in which he said he did not think Libya was a "vital interest" to America. But during Obama's speech Gates was seated in the front row, perhaps as an attempt to show a unity of purpose.
Obama's speech sought to address the complexity of the changes sweeping through the Arab world. Some critics have wondered why military force has been used in Libya but not in other states, such as Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, where government crackdowns have cost scores of lives.
Obama said the US could not use its military in every situation, and would always seek to build and lead coalitions rather than act unilaterally. But, verbally at least, he signalled that his administration will embrace change across the region and those who espouse democratic ideals.
"The United States will not be able to dictate the pace and scope of this change. Only the people of the region can do that. But we can make a difference. I believe that this movement of change cannot be turned back, and that we must stand alongside those who believe in the same core principles that have guided us through many storms," he said.
The US president also called on those people still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi to desert him, and said that the end of the Libyan leader's rule was inevitable.
"We will deny the regime arms, cut off its supply of cash, assist the opposition, and work with other nations to hasten the day when Gaddafi leaves power," Obama said.
"It may not happen overnight, as a badly weakened Gaddafi tries desperately to hang on to power. But it should be clear to those around Gadaffi, and to every Libyan, that history is not on his side."
Obama had previously said that he wanted Gaddafi to leave power, even though such a goal appears to exceed the mandate of the UN resolution authoring a no-fly zone and the protection of civilians.
But Obama did say that the coalition would not target Gaddafi, and that regime change by armed force – especially by American ground troops – was not an aim. "To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq. Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our troops and the determination of our diplomats, we are hopeful about Iraq's future.
"But regime change there took eight years, thousands of American and Iraqi lives, and nearly a trillion dollars. That is not something we can afford to repeat in Libya," he said.
Instead Obama sought to justify the military attacks on Gaddafi's army by saying there was no doubt that a massacre of opposition forces and civilians had been prevented.
Obama pulled no punches in detailing what he believed would have happened had the rebel stronghold of Benghazi fallen into loyalist hands.
"Gaddafi declared that he would show "no mercy" to his own people. He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. In the past, we had seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day. We knew that if we waited one more day Benghazi … could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world," Obama declared.
The powerful language of Obama's speech was used in part to explain to the American public why the US is now involved in a third conflict in a Muslim country. The setting of the address – the National Defence University in Washington – was also a clear part of Obama's communication strategy. Normally when American presidents speak to the nation they use the Oval Office.
Obama has come in for a barrage of criticism from Republicans and some Democrats for a perceived slowness to speak clearly and publicly about why American forces are involved in Libya. Critics have accused him of not setting out concrete objectives and failing to justify another military intervention in the Muslim world.
Obama's own administration has appeared somewhat divided on the issue.
While Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, has pushed for military action, others – like Pentagon chief Robert Gates – have seemed more reluctant.
On Sunday, Gates gave a television interview in which he said he did not think Libya was a "vital interest" to America. But during Obama's speech Gates was seated in the front row, perhaps as an attempt to show a unity of purpose.
Obama's speech sought to address the complexity of the changes sweeping through the Arab world. Some critics have wondered why military force has been used in Libya but not in other states, such as Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, where government crackdowns have cost scores of lives.
Obama said the US could not use its military in every situation, and would always seek to build and lead coalitions rather than act unilaterally. But, verbally at least, he signalled that his administration will embrace change across the region and those who espouse democratic ideals.
"The United States will not be able to dictate the pace and scope of this change. Only the people of the region can do that. But we can make a difference. I believe that this movement of change cannot be turned back, and that we must stand alongside those who believe in the same core principles that have guided us through many storms," he said.
Mother of Libyan woman who alleged rape says daughter still in custody
(CNN) -- The mother of a woman who burst into a Tripoli hotel to tell journalists that she had been beaten and raped by troops loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Monday that her daughter is still being held.
Her claim contradicts an earlier statement from the government, which has said that Eman al-Obeidy was released and is at home with her family.
"Yesterday, late at night at 3 a.m., they called me from Bab al Aziziya," Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli, al-Obeidy's mother told Al-Jazeera television Monday. "And they told me: Make your daughter Eman change her statement ... and we will release her immediately and whatever you ask for you will get, whether money, or a new apartment, or guaranteeing financial security for you and your children. But just tell Eman to change her statement."
A government spokesman said Sunday that al-Obeidy had been released and was with her family.
Spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said then that al-Obeidy and her family were asked if they wanted to be interviewed by "one or two, preferably female, reporters to verify that she's fine, she's healthy, she's free with her family." He refused to take further questions on the issue, repeatedly stating that Libyan society is "very conservative."
A group of lawyers and human rights activists tried to approach Al-Obeidy's sister's house Monday, but were blocked by security forces. The sister's mobile phone has apparently been turned off, a source with the opposition in Tripoli told CNN, and no one has seen her since the incident at the hotel.The family of al-Obeidy said she is a lawyer -- and not a prostitute or mentally ill as Libyan government officials initially said after the incident. The government has since changed its story, saying she is sane and pursuing a criminal case.
Al-Obeidy's father told Al-Jazeera that his daughter "has her full mental capabilities and she is a graduate of law school and a lawyer and she is pursuing higher education in Tripoli. And she was kidnapped by Gadhafi's tyrannical forces."
"I am not ashamed of my daughter," al-Obeidy's mother, who spoke from an undisclosed location in Libya, told the network. "I am proud of her because she has broken the barrier. She broke the barrier that no man can break. And those dogs there with him, Moammar, (are) the criminals!"
She urged the youth of Libya to take action.
Al-Obeidy burst into a Tripoli hotel as international journalists were having breakfast Saturday morning. Her face was bruised, as were her legs. She showed reporters blood on her right inner thigh.
Speaking in English, she said she was from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and had been held against her will for two days and raped by 15 men.
Though her injuries appeared consistent with what she said, CNN could not independently verify al-Obeidy's story.
"Look at what Gadhafi's brigades did to me," she said. "My honor was violated by them." Al-Obeidy displayed what appeared to be visible rope burns on her wrists and ankles.
Government officials tried to stifle her, but she persisted. Security forces moved to subdue her, and even a member of the hotel's kitchen staff drew a knife. "Traitor!" he shouted. Another staffer tried to throw a dark tablecloth over her head.
One government official, who was there to facilitate access for journalists, pulled a pistol from his belt. Others scuffled with reporters and wrestled them to the ground in an attempt to take away their equipment. Some journalists were beaten and kicked. CNN's camera was confiscated and deliberately smashed beyond repair.
As security forces subdued the screaming woman and dragged her away, al-Obeidy warned, "If you don't see me tomorrow, then that's it."
Libyan rebels advance on Gadhafi's hometown
Government stronghold expected to put up fierce defence
Libyan rebel forces pushed closer Monday to Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, a key government stronghold that lies between the rebel-held city of Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya's capital.The lightning rebel advance of the past few days, backed by international coalition airstrikes, has restored to the opposition all the territory lost over the past week and brought rebel forces to within 100 kilometres of Sirte, the bastion of Gadhafi's power in the centre of the country.
The rebel advance came to a stop, however, after encountering government fire along the exposed highway and the heavily mined approach to Sirte.
"Gadhafi is not going to give up Sirte easily because straightaway after Sirte is Misrata, and after that it's straight to Gadhafi's house [in Tripoli]," said Gamal Mughrabi, a 46-year-old rebel fighter. "So Sirte is the last line of defence."
Soldiers from a brigade led by Gadhafi's son al-Saadi and allied militiamen moved to defensive positions on the city's outskirts, and Sirte was hit by airstrikes Sunday night and Monday morning, witnesses said.
NATO says its airstrikes are designed to protect civilians and not to aid rebel ground operations, but it's apparent the outgunned opposition is benefiting from the air attacks to advance on the ground.
"Clearly [the rebels are] achieving a benefit from the actions that we're taking," U.S. Vice-Admiral William Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday in Washington, D.C.
Gortney said that over the weekend U.S. air force A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft, designed to provide battlefield support to friendly ground forces, flew attack missions for the first time in the conflict. Also joining the battle, he said, were air force AC-130 gunships, a low-flying aircraft armed with a 105mm howitzer and a 40mm cannon.
The airstrikes may have helped the rebels, Gortney said, but "the opposition is not well organized, and it's not a very robust organization, that's obvious. So any gain that they make is tenuous based on that."
U.S. President Barack Obamais scheduled to give an update on the situation in Libya on Monday evening in a televised speech.
The latest push comes a day after NATO said it would take command of all military operations in Libya.
The UN Security Council authorized countries to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya, but some critics have said the military campaign goes beyond what was authorized.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the international air campaign breached the UN resolution and amounted to international interference in what he called Libya's civil war.
However, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the BBC that NATO was "impartial" and sought only to protect civilians.
"We are there to protect civilians within the framework of the UN mandate — no more, no less," he said.
The commander of the NATO mission,Lt.-Gen. Charles Bouchard, told a press conference Monday that the military alliance was in the process of taking over command from the U.S.-led operation after NATO's 28 members agreed to the transition Sunday
Asked where NATO drew the line between protecting the civilians and aiding rebels, the Canadian commander said his mission was clear: "Our goal is to protect and help the civilians and population centres under the threat of attack," he said.
Rasmussen said that he hoped to see a ceasefire and a "political and peaceful solution" as soon as possible, but would not comment on how long that process might take.
Rebels push west
There were conflicting reports about how close the rebels were to Sirte, but Gen. Hamdi Hassi, a rebel commander in the small town of Bin Jawwad, said fighting was occurring just outside the small hamlet of Nawfaliyah, 100 kilometres from Gadhafi's birthplace."Sirte will not be easy to take," Hassi said. "Now, because of NATO strikes on [the government's] heavy weapons, we're almost fighting with the same weapons, only we have Grad rockets now and they don't."
Hassi added that the current rebel strategy was to combine military assault with an attempt to win over some of the local tribes loyal to Gadhafi overto theirside.
"There's Gadhafi and then there's circles around him of supporters; each circle is slowly peeling off and disappearing," Hassi said. "If they rise up, it would make our job easier."
In a joint statement Monday, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Gadhafi loyalists should abandon their leader and side with the rebel cause.
"We call on all his followers to leave him before it is too late," the leaders said. "We call on all Libyans who believe that Gadhafi is leading Libya into a disaster to take the initiative now to organize a transition process."
Cameron and Sarkozy repeated their call on Gadhafi to step down and said the opposition's Interim National Transitional Council should help begin a transition to democracy.
Call for ceasefire in Misrata: reports
The Libyan state news agency reported there had been airstrikes against the southern town of Sabha, which remains strongly loyal to Gadhafi and is a major transit point for ethnic Tuareg fighters from Mali and Niger fighting for the government.There were also reports that Libyan officials had made a unilateral call for a ceasefire in the embattled city of Misrata, the only place in rebel hands in the country's west, CBC'sNahlah Ayed said.
"We have heard these calls for a ceasefire before," Ayed said from the eastern city of Benghazi, noting that previous calls for ceasefires have been ignored.
Libyan soldiers loyal to Moammar Gadhafi are seen in the city of Misrata, 200 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli, Monday, where gunfire exchanges with rebels could be heard. Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters
On Monday, Libyan officials took foreign journalists on a tour of Misrata's outskirts but not into the centre, indicating government control did not extend far. Explosions and gunfire echoed through empty streets lined with burned out tanks and bullet-scarred buildings.
Turkey has confirmed that it has been talking with the government and the opposition, even as rebel forces advanced on Sirte.
"We are one of the very few countries that are speaking to both sides," Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said, without confirming whether Turkey had offered to act as mediator.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters his country will take over the running of the airport in Benghazi to facilitate the transport of humanitarian aid to Libya, but did not say when.
Meanwhile, the tiny Persian Gulf state of Qatar has formally recognized the rebels as the legitimate representatives of the country and promised to help them sell their crude oil on the international market.
Qatar has been well ahead of other Arab countries in embracing the rebels and is also participating in the UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya.
On Monday, Libyan officials took foreign journalists on a tour of Misrata's outskirts but not into the centre, indicating government control did not extend far. Explosions and gunfire echoed through empty streets lined with burned out tanks and bullet-scarred buildings.
Turkey has confirmed that it has been talking with the government and the opposition, even as rebel forces advanced on Sirte.
"We are one of the very few countries that are speaking to both sides," Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said, without confirming whether Turkey had offered to act as mediator.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters his country will take over the running of the airport in Benghazi to facilitate the transport of humanitarian aid to Libya, but did not say when.
Meanwhile, the tiny Persian Gulf state of Qatar has formally recognized the rebels as the legitimate representatives of the country and promised to help them sell their crude oil on the international market.
Qatar has been well ahead of other Arab countries in embracing the rebels and is also participating in the UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya.
Japan finds plutonium at stricken nuclear plant
(Reuters) - Plutonium found in soil at the crippled Fukushima nuclear complex heightened alarm on Tuesday over Japan's protracted battle to contain the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said the radioactive material -- a by-product of atomic reactions and also used in nuclear bombs -- had been found in soil in five places at the plant, hit by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
The drama at the six-reactor facility has compounded Japan's agony after the twin disaster left more than 28,000 people dead or missing in the devastated northeast.
"I apologize for making people worried," Sakae Muto, vice-president of under-pressure TEPCO, said at a briefing around midnight in Tokyo. Yet he stressed the traces of plutonium-238, 239 and 240 were not dangerous and work would not be stopped.
"It's not at the level that's harmful to human health."
Muto said the readings were similar to those found in the past in other parts of Japan due to particles in the atmosphere from nuclear testing abroad.
TEPCO said it was unclear where the plutonium was from, though it appeared two of the five finds were related to damage from the plant rather than from the atmosphere.
Experts believe that at least some of the plutonium may have come from spent fuel rods at Fukushima or damage to reactor No. 3, the only one to use plutonium in its fuel mix.
The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the find was expected due to known fuel degradation.
CONTAINMENT BREACHED
Japan's own nuclear safety agency was concerned at the plutonium samples, whose levels of radioactive decay ranged from 0.18 to 0.54 becquerels per kg.
"While it's not the level harmful to human health, I am not optimistic. This means the containment mechanism is being breached so I think the situation is worrisome," agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama was quoted as saying by Jiji news agency.
The plutonium discovery, from samples taken a week ago, was the latest bad news from the Fukushima plant, where engineers are resigned to a struggle of weeks or possibly months to re-establish cooling systems vital to control of the reactors.
On Monday, TEPCO said highly radioactive water had been found in concrete tunnels that extend beyond one reactor.
Fires, blasts and leaks have forced engineers to stop work at times, including at the weekend when radiation spiked to 100,000 times above normal in water inside reactor No. 2.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said the radioactive material -- a by-product of atomic reactions and also used in nuclear bombs -- had been found in soil in five places at the plant, hit by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
The drama at the six-reactor facility has compounded Japan's agony after the twin disaster left more than 28,000 people dead or missing in the devastated northeast.
"I apologize for making people worried," Sakae Muto, vice-president of under-pressure TEPCO, said at a briefing around midnight in Tokyo. Yet he stressed the traces of plutonium-238, 239 and 240 were not dangerous and work would not be stopped.
"It's not at the level that's harmful to human health."
Muto said the readings were similar to those found in the past in other parts of Japan due to particles in the atmosphere from nuclear testing abroad.
TEPCO said it was unclear where the plutonium was from, though it appeared two of the five finds were related to damage from the plant rather than from the atmosphere.
Experts believe that at least some of the plutonium may have come from spent fuel rods at Fukushima or damage to reactor No. 3, the only one to use plutonium in its fuel mix.
The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the find was expected due to known fuel degradation.
CONTAINMENT BREACHED
Japan's own nuclear safety agency was concerned at the plutonium samples, whose levels of radioactive decay ranged from 0.18 to 0.54 becquerels per kg.
"While it's not the level harmful to human health, I am not optimistic. This means the containment mechanism is being breached so I think the situation is worrisome," agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama was quoted as saying by Jiji news agency.
The plutonium discovery, from samples taken a week ago, was the latest bad news from the Fukushima plant, where engineers are resigned to a struggle of weeks or possibly months to re-establish cooling systems vital to control of the reactors.
On Monday, TEPCO said highly radioactive water had been found in concrete tunnels that extend beyond one reactor.
Fires, blasts and leaks have forced engineers to stop work at times, including at the weekend when radiation spiked to 100,000 times above normal in water inside reactor No. 2.
Fukushima's partial meltdown increases fears of contaminated seawater and soil
Japanese nuclear plant's operator makes new apology as Greenpeace says evacuation zone should be wider
High levels of radioactivity in water leaking from a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant resulted from a partial meltdown of fuel rods, Japanese officials have said, amid growing fears that radiation may also have seeped into seawater and soil.
Contamination in a pool of water in the turbine building of the No 2 reactor was found to be 100,000 times normal levels, the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), said.
On Sunday the firm said the figure was 10m times higher, a mistake the government's chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said was "absolutely unforgivable".
Tepco was forced into another embarrassing apology after it admitted it had twice named the wrong isotope in its corrections about the levels of radiation.
"On one hand, I do think the workers at the site are getting quite tired," Edano told reporters.
"But these radiation tests are being used for making various decisions on safety … they are absolutely unforgivable."
In addition, radiation above 1,000 millisieverts per hour was found in surface water in trenches outside the No 2 reactor, Tepco said. It added that the trenches did not lead to the sea, but conceded it could not rule out that radioactive water had seeped into the ground.
Greenpeace, meanwhile, said that it had recorded radiation levels of up to 10 microsieverts per hour in Iitate, a village 25 miles from the plant, and urged authorities to expand the evacuation zone from its current 12-mile radius.
"It is clearly not safe for people to remain in Iitate, especially children and pregnant women, when it could mean receiving the maximum-allowed dose of radiation in only a few days," said Jan van de Putte, the group's radiation safety expert. "When further contamination from possible ingestion or inhalation of radioactive particles is factored in, the risks are even higher."
In a sign that Tepco is struggling to regain control of the reactors, it has reportedly asked the French nuclear sector for assistance. Tepco has sought help from Electricité de France, Areva and the Nuclear Energy Agency, a research body, Eric Besson, France's industry and energy minister, said.
Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency (Nisa) said radioactive iodine-131 of 1,150 times the maximum allowable level had been detected in seawater near drainage outlets serving four of Fukushima's reactors.
Nisa spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said he suspected radioactive water from the plant was leaking into the sea. On Sunday he had denied any connection between the two.
Edano said that partial meltdown had probably occurred when the plant was hit by the 11 March tsunami, adding that there was no evidence of subsequent meltdown.
Four of the facility's six reactors are yet to be made safe, while efforts are continuing to pump in fresh water to prevent a far more dangerous full meltdown.
"The radiation seems to have come from fuel rods that were partially melted down and came into contact with the water used to cool the reactor," Edano said. "Steam may have condensed … carrying water from within the containment vessel."
Airborne radiation has been confined to the reactor buildings , and work to remove contaminated water from the structures continued on Monday.
Recent setbacks to attempts to cool the reactors, and the realisation the crisis is far from over, have added to the plight of tens of thousands of people living nearby.
Sakae Muto, vice-president of Tepco, said: "Regrettably, we don't have a concrete schedule at the moment to enable us to say how many months, or years it will take [to make the plant safe]."
About 70,000 people within a 12-mile radius of the Fukushima plant were evacuated soon after the disaster, while a further 130,000 people living in a 12-20-mile radius have been told to stay indoors.
The government said that it had no plans to widen the evacuation zone.
Fukushima prefecture authorities do not have any exact figures on how many people remain in the 12.7-18.6 miles rradius. Many have left voluntarily after days of living without essential supplies and services.
Media reports say that many truck drivers are refusing to enter the zone, fearing radiation exposure.
The government created confusion last week when it advised people within a 20-mile radius to consider leaving the area. It insisted the advice was given due to concern for their quality of life, not exposure to harmful levels of radiation.
According to the public broadcaster NHK, self-defence force personnel in the evacuation zone said 30 people had yet to leave the 12-mile evacuation zone, and 10 had indicated they wanted to remain in their homes.
Evacuees have been urged not to return to the area to collect belongings while the Fukushima plant remains unstable. Residents who return, even temporarily, would expose themselves to "great risk of radiation contamination", Edano said.
"It is very likely that the 20km area is contaminated and there is a significant risk to health," he added. Local authorities reported, however, that some people had already returned.
Others forced out of their homes are coming to terms with the possibility that they may never be able to return.
Even if they do, the many residents who depended on Tepco for employment accept that with the plant ruined, their chances of finding work in the area are close to nil.
A large number of evacuees have already moved twice since the nuclear crisis began, and could be forced to move on again if the situation worsens and the evacuation zone is expanded.
"We're assuming that in a worse-case scenario we might also be subject to evacuation," Norio Hattori, a disaster official in Nihonmatsu, said, adding that he had sent his own daughter to Tokyo.
Some of the refugees are already beginning to accept that a vast area surrounding the Fukushima plant could be condemned as a nuclear wasteland.
"If it had been an earthquake or a tsunami, we could have gone home again, but because it's radiation, we can't," said Tokuko Sujimoto.
Her home, in the village of Namie, was so close to the plant she heard the first reactor explosion on 12 March.
She said that her husband had watched from the roof of their house as a cloud of smoke rose from the reactor, before the couple decided to flee.
Yoshimoto Nogi, who had a job at the Fukushima plant until he retired last summer, said he had no hopes of going home this year.
"It's going to take a year or two. It is not a question of months," said Nogi. "Even if the nuclear plant is stabilised tomorrow, I don't think the government is going to tell us it is safe to go back any time soon."
Contamination in a pool of water in the turbine building of the No 2 reactor was found to be 100,000 times normal levels, the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), said.
On Sunday the firm said the figure was 10m times higher, a mistake the government's chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said was "absolutely unforgivable".
Tepco was forced into another embarrassing apology after it admitted it had twice named the wrong isotope in its corrections about the levels of radiation.
"On one hand, I do think the workers at the site are getting quite tired," Edano told reporters.
"But these radiation tests are being used for making various decisions on safety … they are absolutely unforgivable."
In addition, radiation above 1,000 millisieverts per hour was found in surface water in trenches outside the No 2 reactor, Tepco said. It added that the trenches did not lead to the sea, but conceded it could not rule out that radioactive water had seeped into the ground.
Greenpeace, meanwhile, said that it had recorded radiation levels of up to 10 microsieverts per hour in Iitate, a village 25 miles from the plant, and urged authorities to expand the evacuation zone from its current 12-mile radius.
"It is clearly not safe for people to remain in Iitate, especially children and pregnant women, when it could mean receiving the maximum-allowed dose of radiation in only a few days," said Jan van de Putte, the group's radiation safety expert. "When further contamination from possible ingestion or inhalation of radioactive particles is factored in, the risks are even higher."
In a sign that Tepco is struggling to regain control of the reactors, it has reportedly asked the French nuclear sector for assistance. Tepco has sought help from Electricité de France, Areva and the Nuclear Energy Agency, a research body, Eric Besson, France's industry and energy minister, said.
Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency (Nisa) said radioactive iodine-131 of 1,150 times the maximum allowable level had been detected in seawater near drainage outlets serving four of Fukushima's reactors.
Nisa spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said he suspected radioactive water from the plant was leaking into the sea. On Sunday he had denied any connection between the two.
Edano said that partial meltdown had probably occurred when the plant was hit by the 11 March tsunami, adding that there was no evidence of subsequent meltdown.
Four of the facility's six reactors are yet to be made safe, while efforts are continuing to pump in fresh water to prevent a far more dangerous full meltdown.
"The radiation seems to have come from fuel rods that were partially melted down and came into contact with the water used to cool the reactor," Edano said. "Steam may have condensed … carrying water from within the containment vessel."
Airborne radiation has been confined to the reactor buildings , and work to remove contaminated water from the structures continued on Monday.
Recent setbacks to attempts to cool the reactors, and the realisation the crisis is far from over, have added to the plight of tens of thousands of people living nearby.
Sakae Muto, vice-president of Tepco, said: "Regrettably, we don't have a concrete schedule at the moment to enable us to say how many months, or years it will take [to make the plant safe]."
About 70,000 people within a 12-mile radius of the Fukushima plant were evacuated soon after the disaster, while a further 130,000 people living in a 12-20-mile radius have been told to stay indoors.
The government said that it had no plans to widen the evacuation zone.
Fukushima prefecture authorities do not have any exact figures on how many people remain in the 12.7-18.6 miles rradius. Many have left voluntarily after days of living without essential supplies and services.
Media reports say that many truck drivers are refusing to enter the zone, fearing radiation exposure.
The government created confusion last week when it advised people within a 20-mile radius to consider leaving the area. It insisted the advice was given due to concern for their quality of life, not exposure to harmful levels of radiation.
According to the public broadcaster NHK, self-defence force personnel in the evacuation zone said 30 people had yet to leave the 12-mile evacuation zone, and 10 had indicated they wanted to remain in their homes.
Evacuees have been urged not to return to the area to collect belongings while the Fukushima plant remains unstable. Residents who return, even temporarily, would expose themselves to "great risk of radiation contamination", Edano said.
"It is very likely that the 20km area is contaminated and there is a significant risk to health," he added. Local authorities reported, however, that some people had already returned.
Others forced out of their homes are coming to terms with the possibility that they may never be able to return.
Even if they do, the many residents who depended on Tepco for employment accept that with the plant ruined, their chances of finding work in the area are close to nil.
A large number of evacuees have already moved twice since the nuclear crisis began, and could be forced to move on again if the situation worsens and the evacuation zone is expanded.
"We're assuming that in a worse-case scenario we might also be subject to evacuation," Norio Hattori, a disaster official in Nihonmatsu, said, adding that he had sent his own daughter to Tokyo.
Some of the refugees are already beginning to accept that a vast area surrounding the Fukushima plant could be condemned as a nuclear wasteland.
"If it had been an earthquake or a tsunami, we could have gone home again, but because it's radiation, we can't," said Tokuko Sujimoto.
Her home, in the village of Namie, was so close to the plant she heard the first reactor explosion on 12 March.
She said that her husband had watched from the roof of their house as a cloud of smoke rose from the reactor, before the couple decided to flee.
Yoshimoto Nogi, who had a job at the Fukushima plant until he retired last summer, said he had no hopes of going home this year.
"It's going to take a year or two. It is not a question of months," said Nogi. "Even if the nuclear plant is stabilised tomorrow, I don't think the government is going to tell us it is safe to go back any time soon."
Highlights.................
Radiation injuries slow work at Japan's nuclear plant
(Reuters) - Radiation injuries to three workers complicated the battle to control Japan's crippled nuclear plant on Friday and heightened global anxiety over the worst atomic crisis in 25 years.
Hailed by Japanese as anonymous heroes braving unknown dangers, about 300 engineers have been working around the clock to stabilize the six-reactor Fukushima complex since an earthquake and tsunami struck two weeks ago.
But they had to pull out of some parts of the complex, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, when three workers replacing a cable near reactor No. 3 were exposed to high contamination by standing in radioactive water on Thursday, officials said.
Two were taken to hospital with possible radiation burns after the water seeped over their boots.
"We should try to avoid delays as much as possible, but we also need to ensure that the people working there are safe," said Japanese nuclear agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama.
Safety fears at the plant and beyond -- radiation particles have been found as far away as Iceland -- are compounding Japan's worst crisis since World War Two.
As well as causing the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986, the March 11 quake and ensuing tsunami left about 27,400 people dead or missing across the northeast.
Despite increased radiation reports, fears of a catastrophic meltdown at the Fukushima plant are receding.
Two of the reactors are now regarded as safe in what is called a cold shutdown. Four remain volatile, emitting steam and smoke periodically, but work is advancing to restart water pumps needed to cool fuel rods inside those reactors.
"It's much more hopeful," said Tony Roulstone, a nuclear energy expert at Cambridge University. "The most difficult thing is keeping the (spent-fuel) ponds cool, where they are using fire hoses."
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said the three injured workers were carrying radiation meters but ignored an alarm when it rang. Engineers would be briefed again on safety.
"They are working in a harsh environment," TEPCO official Akira Suzui said during an overnight briefing.
The crisis has raised apprehension about nuclear power both in Japan and beyond, and the government of the world's third-largest economy plans to review the industry.
"Public confidence in nuclear power plants has greatly changed," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, who has been the government's public face during the crisis, told Reuters.
"In light of that, we must first end this situation and then study (it) from a zero base."
But they had to pull out of some parts of the complex, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, when three workers replacing a cable near reactor No. 3 were exposed to high contamination by standing in radioactive water on Thursday, officials said.
Two were taken to hospital with possible radiation burns after the water seeped over their boots.
"We should try to avoid delays as much as possible, but we also need to ensure that the people working there are safe," said Japanese nuclear agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama.
Safety fears at the plant and beyond -- radiation particles have been found as far away as Iceland -- are compounding Japan's worst crisis since World War Two.
As well as causing the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986, the March 11 quake and ensuing tsunami left about 27,400 people dead or missing across the northeast.
Despite increased radiation reports, fears of a catastrophic meltdown at the Fukushima plant are receding.
Two of the reactors are now regarded as safe in what is called a cold shutdown. Four remain volatile, emitting steam and smoke periodically, but work is advancing to restart water pumps needed to cool fuel rods inside those reactors.
"It's much more hopeful," said Tony Roulstone, a nuclear energy expert at Cambridge University. "The most difficult thing is keeping the (spent-fuel) ponds cool, where they are using fire hoses."
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said the three injured workers were carrying radiation meters but ignored an alarm when it rang. Engineers would be briefed again on safety.
"They are working in a harsh environment," TEPCO official Akira Suzui said during an overnight briefing.
The crisis has raised apprehension about nuclear power both in Japan and beyond, and the government of the world's third-largest economy plans to review the industry.
"Public confidence in nuclear power plants has greatly changed," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, who has been the government's public face during the crisis, told Reuters.
"In light of that, we must first end this situation and then study (it) from a zero base."
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Ukraine Ex-President Charged
KIEV, Ukraine—Prosecutors charged former President Leonid Kuchma on Thursday in the murder of an investigative journalist 10-½ years ago, but he could avoid jail time even if convicted of involvement in post-Soviet Ukraine's most notorious crime.
Mr. Kuchma, who led the country from 1994 to 2005, was accused of "exceeding his authority, which led to the murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze." Yuri Boichenko, a spokesman for the general prosecutor's office, said further charges could be brought as the pre-trial investigation continues.
The headless body of Mr. Gongadze, a fierce critic of Mr. Kuchma's presidency, was found in woods near Kiev shortly after he disappeared in September 2000.
Critics of Mr. Kuchma had been calling for him to be investigated since the end of 2000, when an opposition politician made public tapes in which a voice that sounds like Mr. Kuchma's gave orders to "deal with" Mr. Gongadze. The tapes have never been conclusively authenticated, but prosecutors said this week they would be considered as evidence.
The charge against Mr. Kuchma is subject to a 10-year statute of limitations. Under Ukrainian law, he can be tried. But if he's convicted, it would be up to the court whether to apply the statute or send him to prison for up to 12 years.
Three police officers are serving prison sentences for the murder. The deputy general prosecutor said Tuesday that Mr. Kuchma was being investigated on suspicion of having given orders to senior Interior Ministry officials that led to the slaying. Mr. Kuchma denies the charges against him.
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Kenyan forces 'cross Somali border to fight al-Shabab'
Kenyan forces have crossed into Somali territory to fight al-Shabab militants, an official source has told the BBC.
However, the reports were denied by a police spokesman.
Twelve militants were killed in the raid near the border town of Liboi, Kenya's Standard newspaper reports.
Kenya supports the Somali government and has helped trained its forces but if confirmed, this would be the first time Kenyan officers have crossed the border.
The raid was carried out by the police General Service Unit in the wake of recent militant attacks on the Kenyan side of the border, the Standard says.
Al-Shabab has previously threatened to stage attacks in Kenya but none have been carried out.
Last year, al-Shabab said it was behind a double attack on the Ugandan capital, Kampala, which killed at least 76 people, in revenge for Uganda sending troops to help the Somali government.
Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, controls much of southern and central Somalia.
The government, backed by some 9,000 African Union troops from Uganda and Burundi, has this year gained some ground in the capital, Mogadishu.
Somalia has been wracked by constant war for more than 20 years - its last functioning national government was toppled in 1991.
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Nontraditional goodbyes in Japan
HIGASHI-MATSUSHIMA, Japan -- It was neither the place nor the time for a proper goodbye: not here, on a homely hilltop that used to house the city garbage incinerator. And not now, fully 12 days after a tsunami erased this town's seacoast and forever sundered hundreds of families and friendships.
Yet on this raw, wind-whipped Wednesday afternoon, Fujimi and Ekuko Kimura watched as a procession of soldiers unloaded the coffin of Taishi Kimura, husband and son, from the back of an army transport truck, and laid it with 35 others in a narrow trench, partitioned into graves with pieces of plywood.
It was the rudest of funerals for a family already shouldering unbearable grief. It fell to the Kimuras - later, after the soldiers left - to turn a mass burial into a poignant and graceful farewell.
Libya: Nato to control no-fly zone after France gives way to Turkey
Western allies and Turkey have secured a deal to put the entire military campaign against Muammar Gaddafi under Nato command by next week, UK and French sources have told the Guardian.
The US, Britain, France and Turkey agreed to put the three-pronged offensive – a no-fly zone, an arms embargo, and air strikes – under a Nato command umbrella, in a climbdown by France that accommodates strong Turkish complaints about the scope and control of the campaign.
The deal appeared to end days of infighting among western allies, but needed to be blessed by all 28 Nato member states. At the end of a four-day meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary general, said Nato had agreed to take command of the no-fly zone from the Americans. Disputes have raged at Nato HQ every day this week. Rasmussen contradicted leading western officials by announcing that Nato's authority was limited to commanding the no-fly zone, but he signalled there was more negotiation to come.
"At this moment, there will still be a coalition operation and a Nato operation," he said. This meant Nato would command the no-fly zone and police the arms embargo. But on the most contentious part, air strikes and ground attacks against Gaddafi, consensus remained elusive.
The agreement emerged from phone calls between William Hague, the foreign secretary, Alain Juppé, the French foreign minister, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, following rancorous attacks from the Turkish leadership on French ambitions to lead the anti-Gaddafi war effort.
The agreement also gives political oversight of the military action to a committee of the international coalition in the campaign. Since the no-fly zone and air attacks on Libya began last Saturday by France, Washington has been in charge of operations, but is eager to surrender the role.
Under the scheme agreed, the transfer to Nato will take place by the latest in London on Tuesday, when the parties to the coalition against Gaddafi gather in London for a special "contact group" conference. French sources said the Benghazi-based Libyan rebel leadership would be in London to attend. The conference will consist of two meetings: a war council made up of the main governments taking part in the military action, as well as a broader assembly including Arab and African countries devoted to Libya's future.
Hillary Clinton welcomed the Nato decision to take command of the Libyan operations and police the no-fly zone, and she expected that it would eventually take over responsibility for protecting civilians, enforcing an arms embargo and supporting the humanitarian mission. "We are taking the next step. We have agreed along with our Nato allies to transition command and control for the no-fly zone over Libya to Nato. All 28 allies have also now authorised military authorities to develop an operations plan for Nato to take on the broader civilian protection mission," she said.
She said the United Arab Emirates was to join Qatar in sending planes to enforce the no-fly zone.
Barack Obama, who returned to Washington on Wednesday, is reluctant to make a televised address to the nation about Libya because he is keen to try to keep it low-key. Administration officials, as part of this strategy, pointedly refuse to call it a war.
Republicans have been calling on him to explain the mission. The president has also faced criticism from his own Democratic party.
"I think he needs to face the nation and tell the nation, and tell Congress, what the end game is and how this going to play out," Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, said on MSNBC.President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had tried to diminish the role of Nato, conceded, in the face of Turkish opposition, that a two-tier structure would run the operation: Nato "assets" will co-ordinate all aspects, including enforcement of the no-fly zone, protecting civilians through air strikes, and enforcing a UN arms embargo. Juppé agreed that Nato would be in control of the entire operation.
Political oversight will be in the hands of a committee of a smaller number of countries involved in the military campaign.
There had been bitter attacks from the Turkish government on Sarkozy's leadership of the campaign, accusing the French of lacking a conscience in their conduct of operations, with criticism from the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president, Abdullah Gül.
France had insisted on Tuesday that the operations would be "non-Nato". Turkey was emphatically behind sole Nato control of the operations. In Istanbul, Erdogan said: "I wish that those who only see oil, gold mines and underground treasures when they look in [Libya's] direction, would see the region through glasses of conscience from now on."
This week, Claude Guéant, the French interior minister who was previously Sarkozy's chief adviser, angered the Muslim world by stating that the French president was "leading a crusade" to stop Gaddafi massacring Libyans. Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin also used the word in reference to air strikes on Libya. And George Bush had notoriously used the word after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US that led to the Iraq war.
Erdogan said: "Those who use such hair-raising, frightening terms that fuel clashes of civilisations, or those who even think of them, need to immediately evaluate their own conscience."
The Turks are incensed at repeated snubs by Sarkozy. The French failed to invite Turkey to last Saturday's summit in Paris, which preceded the air strikes. French fighters taking off from Corsica struck the first blows. The Turkish government accused Sarkozy of launching not only the no-fly zone, but his presidential re-election campaign.
The dispute over Libya appears highly personal. Sarkozy went to Turkey last month for the first time in four years as president, but the visit was repeatedly delayed and then downgraded from a state presidential event. He stayed in Turkey for five hours. "Relations between Turkey and France deserve more than this," complained Erdogan. "I will speak with frankness. We wish to host him as president of France. But he is coming as president of the G20, not as that of France."
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High BMI? What it means for your child, and what you can do about it
In an exclusive post published on Shine today, First Lady Michelle Obama offers some advice, drawn from her own experience, about the Affordable Care Act and how parents can get the most out of visits to the pediatrician. One of her suggestions: Learn about your child's BMI.
The First Lady was surprised to learn that her daughters' BMI numbers were "creeping upwards." "I didn’t really know what BMI was," she writes. "And I certainly didn’t know that even a small increase in BMI can have serious consequences for a child’s health. But as Dr. Susan J. Woolford explains, despite the medical jargon, BMI (Body Mass Index) is actually a very easy way to answer a very difficult question: Is my child overweight?
"We're concerned about obesity because of the complications of obesity," Woolford says. "Increased risk for developing problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease—all the things that can happen as a result of having a high BMI."
The medical director of the Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center at the University of Michigan, Woolford says that it's not practical to directly measure each and every child's body fat. "So the BMI is a good way of getting a sense of that, because we compare weight to height and it gives us a sense of whether a person's weight is too much for their height."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy for Pediatrics recommend that pediatricians start screening children around age 2. Because boys and girls have different amounts of body fat, and because the amount of fat on a healthy kid changes as they age, there are different charts for evaluating BMI results based on age and gender. According to the CDC, if a child's BMI falls in the 85th to 94th percentile for his or her age and weight—meaning that the child's BMI is higher than 85 to 94 percent of other children in the same age and weight categories—the child is considered overweight. Anything in the 95th percentile or above is considered obese. A healthy BMI is one that's between the 5th and 84th percentiles; less than 5th percentile means that the child is underweight.
Some states have asked school districts to measure students' BMIs, causing an uproar among parents who are concerned that the focus on weight could lead to eating disorders or other problems for kids with body-image issues. (If you have recent height and weight measurements for your child or teenager, you can figure out his or her BMI using this calculator.)
Body Mass Index doesn't directly measure body fat—it's a screening tool, not a diagnostic tool, Woolford points out. And BMI isn't always accurate; since muscle weighs more than fat, most athletes, even as children, may be considered overweight or even obese when looking at their BMI numbers alone. "But for the majority of Americans, that's not what we find," Woolford points out. "For the vast majority of Americans, when weight is too high for height it's because we're dealing with adiposity," or an overabundance of fatty tissue.
If a parent learns, as the Obamas did, that their child's BMI is getting too high, the best thing to do is to speak with the child's primary care physician to determine how at-risk the child is for obesity and obesity-related complications. If the parent and pediatrician decide that there is something to be concerned about, there are plenty of simple ways parents can address the problem.
"One of the most important things that can be done is to model a healthy lifestyle for the chid," says Woolford. "I don't think it works terribly well to just identify that this child has a problem and identify changes we'll make in the child's diet alone or their exercise habits alone. It's much more successful if the entire family makes the changes, and if the parents model healthy lifestyle practices."
Those practices should include increasing exercise, decreasing sedentary activities like watching TV and playing video games, and changing eating habits.
P.K. Newby, a nutrition scientist who is an associate professor and research scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Department of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health says that cutting back on sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and juice-like drinks is a good place to start. "It's really a source of empty calories and sugars," she points out. Water is a better alternative, she suggests.
Parents should also be careful about portion sizes, something that's easier to do at home than in a restaurant or cafeteria. "If you're eating a lot outside of the home where you're not as able to control the portion sizes, that's going to lead to excess caloric intake," she says.
Newby, who has done extensive research into dietary patterns, plant-based diets, and obesity, says, "The more plant-based the diet is, the better, for kids as well as the environment."
"Having plant foods and whole foods being the center of the plate, rather than the meat, is really the best way to go here," Newby says. "That means vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and minimally processed foods." Whole foods (think fruits and vegetables) have a greater nutritional benefit than foods that have been highly refined. "Whole foods are higher in fiber, higher in water, lower in total fat, and lower in calories," she explains. "Shifting your plate toward those types of foods will help kids and adults maintain healthy weight."
Snack time is an excellent time to offer fruits and vegetables as opposed to typical snack foods, which tend to be highly processed. "Another good piece of advice, I think, is to not keep your high-sugar, high-fat, processed snacks in the house," she says. "Keep them as treats, otherwise they may be too tempting."
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China to ban smoking in public places
China is set to introduce a smoking ban in most public places.
According to the Health Ministry, the new regulation will come into effect on 1 May in public places including buses, restaurants and bars.
But an allowance has been made - smoking will still be permitted in workplaces.
Almost a quarter of China's population smoke and more than one million people die every year from smoking-related illnesses.
That accounts for one fifth of people world-wide who die from smoking, according to the World Health Organisation.
With more than 300m smokers, China has long been a place where it is easy to light up.
The new regulations have been welcomed by health activists.
Some believe that the government here has not moved quickly enough to reduce smoking in the country.
Previously, the Ministry of Health had only banned it in hospitals.
The new regulations also include a ban on cigarette vending machines in public areas and a call for programmes to warn about the dangers of smoking.
But the authorities have yet to announce how they will enforce the measures and whether there will be penalties for businesses or individuals breaking the rules.
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Thousands chant "freedom" despite Assad reform offer
(Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public pledge to look into granting Syrians greater freedom on Thursday as anger mounted following attacks by security forces on protesters that left at least 37 dead.
Despite the promise and the offer of large public pay rises, thousands of Syrians turned out to chant "freedom, revolution" in the center of the southern city of Deraa, the focal point of protests against 48 years of Baath Party rule.
"The Syrian people do not bow," they also chanted around the main Omari mosque, shortly after security forces evacuated the building which they stormed on Wednesday.
Syrian opposition figures said the promises did not meet the aspirations of the people and were similar to those repeated at regular Baath Party conferences, where committees would be formed to study reforms that then never saw the light of day.
"The leadership is trying to absorb the rage of the streets. We want to see reform on the ground," said a Deraa protester.
A hospital official said at least 37 people had been killed in Deraa on Wednesday when security forces opened fire on demonstrators inspired by uprisings across the Arab world that have shaken authoritarian leaders.
While an aide said Assad would study a possible end to 48 years of emergency rule, a human rights group said a leading pro-democracy activist, Mazen Darwish, had been arrested.
Announcing promises for reform in a manner that would have seemed almost unimaginable three months ago in Syria, Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told a news conference the president had not himself ordered his forces to fire on protesters:
"I was a witness to the instructions of His Excellency that live ammunition should not be fired, even if the police, security forces or officers of the state were being killed."
On Jan 31 Assad had said there was no chance political upheavals then shaking Tunisia and Egypt would spread to Syria.
After Thursday's announcement, Syrian television showed a large procession of cars in Deraa driving in support of Assad with pictures of the president plastered on the vehicles.
The Baath Party, which has ruled for half a century, will draft laws to provide for media freedoms, and will look at allowing other political movements. The party will also seek to lift living standards and consider ending the rule of emergency law.
Authorities released all those arrested in the Deraa region since the protests erupted, an official statement said but it did not give a figure. The statement also said Assad ordered a 20 to 30 percent salary rise for public employees across Syria.
DERAA KILLINGS
"When you first hear it you think they're making major concessions, but when you look at it you realize there's not a lot there besides the salary boost," said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at Oklahoma University in the U.S.. "You understand the regime is in a very difficult spot and they're flustered."
"The Syrian people do not bow," they also chanted around the main Omari mosque, shortly after security forces evacuated the building which they stormed on Wednesday.
Syrian opposition figures said the promises did not meet the aspirations of the people and were similar to those repeated at regular Baath Party conferences, where committees would be formed to study reforms that then never saw the light of day.
"The leadership is trying to absorb the rage of the streets. We want to see reform on the ground," said a Deraa protester.
A hospital official said at least 37 people had been killed in Deraa on Wednesday when security forces opened fire on demonstrators inspired by uprisings across the Arab world that have shaken authoritarian leaders.
While an aide said Assad would study a possible end to 48 years of emergency rule, a human rights group said a leading pro-democracy activist, Mazen Darwish, had been arrested.
Announcing promises for reform in a manner that would have seemed almost unimaginable three months ago in Syria, Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told a news conference the president had not himself ordered his forces to fire on protesters:
"I was a witness to the instructions of His Excellency that live ammunition should not be fired, even if the police, security forces or officers of the state were being killed."
On Jan 31 Assad had said there was no chance political upheavals then shaking Tunisia and Egypt would spread to Syria.
After Thursday's announcement, Syrian television showed a large procession of cars in Deraa driving in support of Assad with pictures of the president plastered on the vehicles.
The Baath Party, which has ruled for half a century, will draft laws to provide for media freedoms, and will look at allowing other political movements. The party will also seek to lift living standards and consider ending the rule of emergency law.
Authorities released all those arrested in the Deraa region since the protests erupted, an official statement said but it did not give a figure. The statement also said Assad ordered a 20 to 30 percent salary rise for public employees across Syria.
DERAA KILLINGS
"When you first hear it you think they're making major concessions, but when you look at it you realize there's not a lot there besides the salary boost," said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at Oklahoma University in the U.S.. "You understand the regime is in a very difficult spot and they're flustered."
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4 suspected Islamic militants set to go on trial in Spain
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Four suspected Islamic militants are due to go on trial Thursday afternoon in Madrid for allegedly aiding fugitives from the Madrid train bombings of 2004, a National Court spokesman told CNN.
Prosecutor Miguel Angel Carballo, at Spain's National Court, seeks sentences of eight to 13 years in prison against the four male suspects, who include a Moroccan, an Algerian, a Tunisian, and a fourth man whose nationality was not immediately disclosed, said the spokesman, who by custom is not identified.
The prosecutor alleges the suspects provided clandestine lodging in Madrid and in a Barcelona suburb, as well as other aid to various fugitives who "were directly implicated" in the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800, the spokesman said.
Spanish courts already have convicted 14 Islamic militants for their roles in the train bombings, along with four Spaniards, the latter for trafficking in explosives used in the attacks.
Additionally, seven other prime Islamic suspects in the attacks blew themselves up three weeks after the train bombings as police closed in on their hideout in a Madrid suburb. That explosion also killed a police officer and wounded various others.
The seventh anniversary of the train bombings was two weeks ago on March 11.
Last February, Spain's Supreme Court overturned a lower court's conviction of five other men for Islamic terrorist activities that included aiding fugitives from the Madrid train bombings and planning other attacks, according to the court order made public March 2.
The National Court in January 2010 had convicted the five other men --- three Moroccans, an Algerian and a Turk --- for collaborating or belonging to an Islamic terrorist group and sentenced them to prison terms from five to nine years.
But the Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that telephone wiretaps used to gain crucial evidence against those five suspects lacked the proper protections under Spain's constitution, and there was "insufficient evidence, beyond all reasonable doubt," to prove the crimes that prosecutors alleged.
Those five men were in a group based in a Barcelona suburb, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, before police made arrests in June 2005. Some of the suspects to go on trial Thursday also allegedly operated their network to aid fugitives from the same Barcelona suburb.
The trial is expected to last several days.
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Suicide attack kills 5 and injures 36 in northwest Pakistan
(CNN) -- A suicide bomber killed five people and injured 36 in Pakistan's northwest on Thursday, police said.
Four civilians and a policeman died in the attack, Abdul Rasheed Khan, police chief of the Hangu district in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said. Among the injured were eleven policemen.
The explosion occurred when a suicide bomber in a car detonated explosives at a barrier next to a police station in the village of Doaba, according to Khan. Eight houses near the police station were damaged by the blast, he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borders Afghanistan and was formerly known as the North West Frontier Province. It has long been a hot-bed of activity by the Pakistani Taliban. The province was the site of several attacks on NATO supply convoys during 2010.
Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in bombings in the province in the past six months.
While police stations are a frequent target for violence, mosques have also been attacked. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is also home to a population of Ahmadis, who consider themselves Muslims but are seen as heretics by Sunnis and Shiites.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was devastated last summer by monsoon rains, which triggered the worst flooding Pakistan had endured since its founding.
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European Union under cyber attack as major summit begins
London (CNN) -- The European Union is under cyber attack, a spokesman said Thursday, as a major international summit begins.
The attack is targeting the EU Commission -- its executive arm -- and the external action service, said Antony Gravali, a spokesman for the EU administration in Brussels, Belgium.
"I was alerted to this on Tuesday and we are taking urgent measures to protect the institutions," he said.
"All users have had to change their passwords, and we have suspended access to e-mail and the internal intranet from home as a precaution, but at the institutions our systems continue to work as normal," he said.
The attack was launched only days before the start of the EU summit, but Gravali said he had not seen any evidence that the attack was connected to the gathering.
"We frequently come under cyber attack, but it is not like we normally see a surge in attacks ahead of the EU summits," he told CNN.
An inquiry has been launched into the attack, but Gravali said it is "extraordinarily difficult" to find out the origins of cyber attacks.
Gravali would not specify what parts of the Information Technology infrastructure that had been attacked or who they suspected was behind it.
The attack was still going on Thursday morning, but employees at the institutions were still able to work "as normal" Gravali said.
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UK, Germany withdraw embassy staff from Yemen over unrest
(CNN) -- Germany and the United Kingdom are pulling nonessential embassy staff out of Yemen, they said Thursday, with the British citing "the rapid deterioration in the security situation."
Both nations are keeping small core staffs in place in Sanaa, they said.
Yemen, a key U.S. ally and a central battleground against al Qaeda, has been wracked by protests since the beginning of the year. Support for President Ali Abdullah Saleh appears to be slipping away.
Saleh has accepted opposition demands for constitutional reforms and holding parliamentary elections by the end of the year, according to a statement issued by his office.
The statement said Saleh was "committed to undertaking all possible initiatives to reach a settlement" with the opposition JMP bloc and "prevent any future bloodshed of the Yemeni people."
According to the statement, Saleh "has accepted the five points submitted by the JMP, including formation of a government of national unity and a national committee to draft a new constitution, drafting a new electoral law, and holding a constitutional referendum, parliamentary elections and a presidential vote by the end of the year.
Saleh's aim would be to "end the current state of political turmoil facing the nation and paving the way for a smooth, peaceful and democratic transition," the statement said.
There was no immediate reaction from the opposition, which previously has demanded Saleh's immediate resignation.
On Tuesday, a JMP spokesman rejected a report that Saleh was offering to step down by early 2012.
"Any offer that does not include the president's immediate resignation is rejected," JMP spokesman Mohammed Qahtan said.
Saleh's statement came on the same day that Yemen's parliament approved a 30-day extension of emergency powers he declared last week in response to the protests. The emergency law expands the government's powers of arrest, detention, and censorship.
The president's standing has weakened after some government officials and military officers declared their support for the opposition Monday in the wake of a crackdown on protesters that left 52 people dead last week.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Wednesday for full political dialogue in Yemen involving all players to find a peaceful solution.
"The people of Yemen have the same rights as people anywhere, and we support dialogue as a path to a peaceful solution," Clinton said in Washington. Asked about putting any pressure on Saleh, Clinton said: "We are certainly making our views known on both a regular and consistent basis, both publicly and privately."
Yemen's army repelled an attack Tuesday on a military position by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, killing 12 militants and wounding five, a Yemeni official told CNN, citing sources at the Interior Ministry in Sanaa.
The official, who spoke on condition of not being named because he is not authorized to talk to the media, said the attack occurred east of the city of Lawdar, in Abyan province in southwest Yemen.
The violence against opposition demonstrators last week drew international condemnation.
Rupert Colville of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said Tuesday that the agency deplored the reported killings of protesters, including allegations of snipers shooting from rooftops.
"All such violations of human rights must indeed be investigated by independent and impartial mechanisms," Colville said in Geneva, Switzerland.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday the United States was "obviously concerned about the instability in Yemen. We consider al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is largely located in Yemen, to be perhaps the most dangerous of all the franchises of al Qaeda right now."
Radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki is believed to be hiding in the country.
The cleric has been linked to terror plots including the attempt to bomb a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day 2009, and he corresponded separately with a British Airways employee about trying to smuggle explosives onto planes.
Top American officials, including U.S. President Barack Obama's counter-terrorism chief, have traveled to Yemen to meet with Saleh. Leaked diplomatic cables suggest Saleh's government helped disguise strikes by U.S. unmanned drones on terror targets in Yemen by calling them Yemeni actions.
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Yemeni opposition says No to Saleh's new offer
(Reuters) - Yemen's opposition stepped up efforts to remove President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday, dismissing his offer to stand down after a presidential election at the end of the year.
Tensions ratcheted higher a day ahead of a planned rally that protesters have dubbed "Friday of Departure," and presidential guards loyal to Saleh clashed with army units backing opposition groups demanding his ouster.
But a top general who has thrown his weight behind the protesters said he had no desire to take power, as fears grew of a major confrontation between rival military units in the capital Sanaa or elsewhere.
Yassin Noman, head of Yemen's opposition coalition, dismissed Saleh's offer as "empty words" and a spokesman said the umbrella coalition would not respond.
"No dialogue and no initiatives for this dead regime," opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabry said.
General Ali Mohsen, who sent troops to protect pro-democracy protesters in Sanaa, said the options before Saleh were now few, and criticized what he described as his "stubbornness," but said the armed forces were committed to protecting protesters.
He said military rule in Arab countries was outdated and that the people would decide who would govern them in the framework of a modern, civilian state. "Ali Mohsen as an individual has served for 55 years and has no desire for any power or position," he told Reuters. "I have no more ambition left except to spend the remainder of my life in tranquility, peace and relaxation far from the problems of politics and the demands of the job."
POST-SALEH CONCERN
Mohsen, commander of the northwest military zone and Saleh's kinsman from the al-Ahmar clan, is the most senior military officer to back the protests, and his move on Monday triggered a stream of defections in the military and government.
Saleh offered amnesty to defecting troops in a meeting with senior commanders, calling their decisions foolish acts taken in reaction to violence in Sanaa last Friday, when 52 protesters were shot dead.
Yemen lies on key shipping routes and borders the world's leading oil exporter Saudi Arabia. Al Qaeda has used Yemen as a base to plot attacks in both Saudi Arabia and the United States, and both countries have bet on Saleh to contain the group.
Washington and Riyadh, Yemen's main financial backer, have long seen Saleh as a bulwark against a resurgent Yemen-based al Qaeda network, which has entrenched itself in the mountainous state. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington had not planned for an era without Saleh.
Western countries and Saudi Arabia are worried about a power vacuum if Saleh goes that could embolden al Qaeda.
Mohsen, an Islamist seen as close to the Islamist opposition, said the army would work with the international community against terrorism.
With no clear successor and conflicts gripping northern and southern Yemen, the country of 23 million faces fears of a breakup, in addition to poverty, a water shortage, dwindling oil reserves and lack of central government control.
But a top general who has thrown his weight behind the protesters said he had no desire to take power, as fears grew of a major confrontation between rival military units in the capital Sanaa or elsewhere.
Yassin Noman, head of Yemen's opposition coalition, dismissed Saleh's offer as "empty words" and a spokesman said the umbrella coalition would not respond.
"No dialogue and no initiatives for this dead regime," opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabry said.
General Ali Mohsen, who sent troops to protect pro-democracy protesters in Sanaa, said the options before Saleh were now few, and criticized what he described as his "stubbornness," but said the armed forces were committed to protecting protesters.
He said military rule in Arab countries was outdated and that the people would decide who would govern them in the framework of a modern, civilian state. "Ali Mohsen as an individual has served for 55 years and has no desire for any power or position," he told Reuters. "I have no more ambition left except to spend the remainder of my life in tranquility, peace and relaxation far from the problems of politics and the demands of the job."
POST-SALEH CONCERN
Mohsen, commander of the northwest military zone and Saleh's kinsman from the al-Ahmar clan, is the most senior military officer to back the protests, and his move on Monday triggered a stream of defections in the military and government.
Saleh offered amnesty to defecting troops in a meeting with senior commanders, calling their decisions foolish acts taken in reaction to violence in Sanaa last Friday, when 52 protesters were shot dead.
Yemen lies on key shipping routes and borders the world's leading oil exporter Saudi Arabia. Al Qaeda has used Yemen as a base to plot attacks in both Saudi Arabia and the United States, and both countries have bet on Saleh to contain the group.
Washington and Riyadh, Yemen's main financial backer, have long seen Saleh as a bulwark against a resurgent Yemen-based al Qaeda network, which has entrenched itself in the mountainous state. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington had not planned for an era without Saleh.
Western countries and Saudi Arabia are worried about a power vacuum if Saleh goes that could embolden al Qaeda.
Mohsen, an Islamist seen as close to the Islamist opposition, said the army would work with the international community against terrorism.
With no clear successor and conflicts gripping northern and southern Yemen, the country of 23 million faces fears of a breakup, in addition to poverty, a water shortage, dwindling oil reserves and lack of central government control.
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String of rocket attacks follows fatal Jerusalem bombing
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Eleven rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza on Thursday, a day after a fatal terrorist bombing in Jerusalem killed a woman and wounded more than 50 other people, the Israel Defense Forces said.
"The question is why," Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser said in a phone call Thursday, speaking about the increase in attacks, which the IDF said caused no injuries.
Israel's ambassador to the United States said Thursday the rocket attacks appear "unrelated" to Wednesday's bombing in Jerusalem.
Michael Oren said the rocket attacks probably have to do with infighting in the Hamas-controlled territory of Gaza. However, he said, there has also been an escalation in violence against his country.
"Israel has been under attack on several fronts," Oren said, also citing the recent murder of an Israeli family in the West Bank.
One of the rockets fired Thursday hit near the southern Israeli town of Ashdod, and another landed in the southern town of Sderot, causing damage to an industrial area of the town, according to Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
In response to the rocket attacks, the Israeli military launched airstrikes in Gaza on Thursday night. Two were in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza and two were in Gaza City, according to journalist Ibrahim Dahman.
A Hamas building and a Hamas training camp were hit, he reported.
Kuperwasser said Thursday night's strikes were aimed at trying to prevent more attacks on Israel.
"Right now there is no one in Gaza to stop this, so it's up to us to try to stop it," he said.
"It seems no one speaks for the Palestinians," he added. "Hamas is not in charge."
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Jerusalem attack, which was caused by a medium-sized device in a bag that had been left near Jerusalem's central bus station as the evening rush hour began.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs named the woman who died as Mary Jane Gardner, a 59-year-old British national who was studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Israeli officials were continuing their investigation into Wednesday's attack, Kuperwasser said, without giving details.
U.S. President Barack Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to express his condolences over the Jerusalem bombing and his concern about the attacks against Israel from Gaza, the White House said in a statement.
Obama "reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to Israel's security," it said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also paid a visit to Israel on Thursday. He met with his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Barak, who said Israel will not "tolerate" terrorist attacks.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague also spoke out against the attack, calling it "a callous and disgusting act of terrorism directed against innocent civilians which I condemn unreservedly."
The Palestinian Authority also condemned the attack, but Oren, the Israeli ambassador, criticized their comments.
They "say one thing" and "do another thing," he said.
He said prominent members of the Palestinian government recently attended a ceremony at a central square near Ramallah that was named after a "Palestinian terrorist who killed dozens of Israelis, including about 13 children."
"The message gets out that killing Israelis is a good thing," Oren said. "We need to see not just words, but deeds."
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