Monday, March 28, 2011

Highly radioactive water found in tunnel outside nuclear plant

NGOs critical of Japan's quake responseSTORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Water in a tunnel connected to a No. 2 unit building emits 1,000 millisieverts per hourNEW: That is 100,00 times normal levels for coolants inside a nuclear reactor NEW: Airborne radiation readings near that tunnel are also high, officials sayNEW: Officials are trying to determine whether the water overflowed and went into the Pacific Tokyo (CNN) -- Water found in a tunnel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has alarmingly high radiation readings, officials said Monday, adding that it is unclear how or why the tainted water got out of the building.

The water at the plant is emitting more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour of radioactivity -- a level the plant's owner had said is at least 100,000 times normal levels for coolants inside a nuclear reactor.

It was in a tunnel that contains electrical cables and is connected to the No. 2 reactor's turbine building, an official with the Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. The measurements were taken Monday afternoon.

Earlier, officials had announced that 1,000 millisieverts per hour of radiation was emanating from water pooling inside the No. 2 unit turbine building's basement.

The officials said they don't know how or why the contaminated water got out of the building and into the tunnel, or if it might have spilled out and seeped into the Pacific Ocean.

The measurement is more than 330 times the dose an average person in a developed country receives per year, and four times the top dose Japan's health ministry has set for emergency workers struggling to control the further emission of radioactive material from the damaged plant.

"Is the water overflowing or not?" Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency, said Monday evening. "Right now, it is not known."



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Mass graves replace elaborate funerals in northern Japan

Mass funerals bring Japan new heartacheSTORY HIGHLIGHTSBuddhist funerals typically are highly ritualizedThe town of Kamaishi lacks the resources to cremate the deadThe bodies must be buried in mass graves to prevent a disease outbreakOfficials say the mass burials are temporary Kamaishi, Japan (CNN) -- Ikuo Fujiwara stops in front of the wreckage of the Buddhist temple, brings his hands together and prays.

The monk bursts into tears, an involuntary act, as he asks heaven what he can do to comfort his destroyed hometown and begin to rebuild his house of worship.

Fujiwara needs heaven to speak to him, for he must preside over Kamaishi's first mass burials in memory. Behind his temple, the sound of heavy machinery digging giant ditches for unmarked coffins echoes through the shattered remains of the 300-year-old building.

"We don't have enough places to cremate the bodies," says Fujiwara. "So temporarily, we're burying the bodies here."

The ditches sit within 50 meters of the Buddhist burial plots, where cremated remains lie underneath grey headstones. This is a sacred practice that every Japanese person expects at death, explains Fujiwara. A Japanese funeral is elaborate, formal, and ritualized in the Buddhist faith.

So the wide ditches and the coffins, which will eventually lie in them side by side, are an unbearable insult in the minds of ordinary Japanese citizens.



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NATO: Libya mission will be to protect, not arm

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen: "We are there to protect civilians ... and that will be our focus." STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: NATO is expected to control no-fly zone by end of the day MondayNATO's secretary general says NATO's goal is to protect civilians"We are not in Libya to arm people, but to protect people," he saidNATO is taking the lead in enforcing the U.N. resolution Tune in to CNN tonight at 7 ET for live coverage of President Obama's speech on Libya . Then at 8 and 9 p.m., get expert analysis on "In the Arena" and "Piers Morgan Tonight" -- only on CNN.

Brussels, Belgium (CNN) -- NATO's secretary general ruled out arming Libyan rebels Monday as the alliance continued to take over command and control of the entire Libyan mission.

The first NATO sorties to maintain the no-fly zone over Libya flew on Sunday, NATO officials said. The alliance is expected to be in complete command of the no-fly zone by the end of the day Monday.

The mission of protecting civilians is expected to be under full NATO control by the end of the week, they said.

By taking control of the full mission, NATO will allow the United States to step out of its lead role and more into a supporting one as requested by the Obama administration.

In an interview with CNN here at NATO headquarters, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, "The U.N. mandate authorizes the enforcement of an arms embargo," and that NATO has decided to participate. "We are not in Libya to arm people, but to protect people," he said.



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Djokovic storms to 20th consecutive win

Novak Djokovic has become only the third player to reach 20 matches unbeaten from the start of the season. STORY HIGHLIGHTSNovak Djokovic wins his 20th consecutive match to reach last 16 of the Miami MastersDjokovic beats James Blake 6-2 6-0 to become only third player to reach that markJuan Martin del Potro maintains recovery with win over fourth seed Robin SoderlingKim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva through to last 16 in women's section (CNN) -- Novak Djokovic is through to the last 16 of the Sony Ericsson Masters in Miami, thrashing James Blake in straight sets to win his 20th consecutive ATP Tour match.

The second-seeded Serb continued his remarkable form this season by thrashing his American opponent 6-2 6-0 in 52 minutes.

Djokovic, who has won all three tournaments he has played in this season, told the official ATP Tour website: "To be honest, I'm taking it one match at a time.

"I am trying to win against the opponent that I have today and not thinking about what happened or what can happen.

"I have been working really hard on my serve in the last 10 months, and now it's coming back to me. I have been really trying to use that serve and trying to get some free points out of it, and tonight it was working really great," Djokovic added.

The victory means Djokovic becomes only the third player in the last 30 years to go 20 matches unbeaten from the start of the season.

Only John McEnroe (39) in 1984 and Ivan Lendl (25) in 1986 have longer unbeaten starts to the season.

I have been working really hard on my serve in the last 10 months, and now it's coming back to me
--Novak Djokovic RELATED TOPICSNovak DjokovicKim ClijstersWTA Tour Inc.ATP World TourIn other matches, 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro produced his best performance since returning to action from injury, rolling over fourth seed Robin Soderling 6-3 6-2.

Soderling, who like Djokovic has won three titles this season, proved no match for the Argentine, who has now beaten the Swede in their last three encounters and is up to 51st in the world despite missing eight months after wrist surgery.

Del Potro now faces Mardy Fish for a quarterfinal place, after the 14th seed kept alive American hopes of victory by beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets.

Fish is the highest-ranked home player remaining following the elimination of defending champion Andy Roddick, and he never looked in danger of following his compatriot out of the tournament, winning 6-4 6-3 in 91 minutes.

In other matches, Spanish sixth seed David Ferrer cruised to a comfortable 6-4 6-2 win over India's Somdev Devvarman while 30th seed John Isner saw off Alex Bogomolov 6-2 7-6.

Meanwhile, there were no surprises in the women's section, with all the big seeds reaching the last 16, although second seed Kim Clijsters was given a scare by Spanish left-hander Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

The Belgian struggled to a 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory and she told the official WTA Tour website: "A couple of times my footwork wasn't right and I wasn't playing how I should have been, but I'm happy I was able to move through."

The victory was the 500th of Clijsters' career and she next faces former world number one Ana Ivanovic, who advanced after Virgine Razzano of France was forced to retire through injury.

Third seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia beat Australian Jarmila Groth 7-6 6-2 while fifth-seeded French Open champion Francesca Schiavone beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 6-4 7-6.

Ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska is also through, after winning a tricky last 32 clash with Russian 24th seed Maria Kirilenko 7-6 6-3, while Indian Wells semifinalist Marion Bartoli, seeded 15th, crushed Ekaterina Makarova 6-0 6-2.



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