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Libyan government and rebel forces still battle for the oil town of Brega, as a UN envoy goes to Tripoli seeking an end to the violence.
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Former presenter and journalist Bob Greaves, who fronted regional news programmes for more than 30 years, dies aged 76.
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As radiation levels near the plant rise, people are being checked for exposure A quake-stricken nuclear plant in Japan has been hit by a third explosion in four days, amid fears of a meltdown.
The blast occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which engineers had been trying to stabilise after two other reactors exploded.
The protective chamber around the radioactive core of reactor 2 has been damaged and radiation levels near the plant have risen, officials say.
The crisis was sparked by a 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami on Friday.
Thousands of people are believed to have died, and millions are spending a fourth night without water, food, electricity or gas. More than 500,000 people have been left homeless.
A fresh explosion rocked reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant – 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo – in the early hours of Tuesday.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the level of radiation at the plant had “considerably risen” and there was a high risk of radioactive material leaking out.
He added that the last remaining people within a 20km (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant had to leave, and that those living between 20km and 30km from the site should remain indoors.
Radiation levels around Fukushima for one hour’s exposure rose to eight times the legal limit for exposure in one year, said the plant’s operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco).
The radiation reading at 0831 local time (2331 GMT) climbed to 8,217 microsieverts an hour from 1,941 about 40 minutes earlier, Tepco said. The annual legal limit is 1,000 microsieverts.
However, officials say that a level of one million microsieverts would be needed to cause widespread radiation sickness.
Mr Kan also said a fire had broken out at the plant’s reactor 4, but urged people to remain calm.
On Monday, a hydrogen blast at reactor 3 injured 11 people and destroyed the building surrounding it. That explosion was felt 40km (25 miles) away and sent a huge column of smoke into the air.
It followed a blast at reactor 1 on Saturday.
All explosions have been preceded by cooling system breakdowns. Engineers are trying to prevent meltdowns by flooding the chambers of the nuclear reactors with sea water to cool them down.
After the third explosion, officials said there were fears that the containment vessel housing the reactor may have been damaged.
Higher radiation levels were recorded on Tuesday south of Fukushima, Kyodo news agency reported.
Nearly 185,000 people have been evacuated from a 20km (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant.
Meanwhile, four days after the tsunami triggered by the earthquake, the relief operation is continuing.
The latest official death toll stands at about 2,400 – but some estimates suggest 10,000 may have been killed.
People in Minamisanriku fled on Monday amid fears of another tsunami
One of the worst-hit towns, Minamisanriku, is now just a scene of complete devastation, says the BBC’s Rachel Harvey.
Everything was flattened by the force of the tsunami, with only the town’s hospital and a government building remaining, our correspondent says.
Thousands are still unaccounted for – including hundreds of tourists – while many remote towns and villages have not been reached.
“People are surviving on little food and water. Things are simply not coming”
Hajime Sato Iwate prefectural government
The government has deployed 100,000 troops to lead the aid effort.
They have been given 120,000 blankets, 120,000 bottles of water, tonnes of food, and 111,000 litres (29,000 gallons) of petrol to distribute.
But Hajime Sato, an official in Iwate prefecture, which also took the full force of the disaster, said it had received so far only 10% of the food and other supplies requested from the central government.
“People are surviving on little food and water. Things are simply not coming,” he told the Associated Press.
The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to warn against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and north-eastern Japan. British nationals and friends and relatives of those in Japan can contact the Foreign Office on +44(0) 20 7008 0000.
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AMs basic pay of £53,852 has been frozen until 2015 A four-year pay freeze for assembly members will not deter the most talented candidates from standing for the Welsh assembly, says a report.
It confirmed a basic salary of £53,800 for the next four years, putting AMs in the top 1.7% of earners in Wales, with those holding offices earning more.
Members’ pay has increased by 56% between 1999 and 2010.
However, they have agreed their pay should be fixed at the current level until the 2015 election.
The total cost of AMs’ pay, allowances and staffing costs will be about £12.7m next year, down 7.1% or £500,000.
The report is the first from the independent remuneration board – part of the assembly’s response to the MPs expenses scandal – which sets pay and expenses in Cardiff Bay.
Board chairman George Reid said assembly members must have what they need to do their jobs properly.
The board found an assembly member’s basic salary was in the top 1.7% in Wales and in the top 4.8% for managers and senior officials.
Those who hold offices can earn more, with the first minister qualifying for a total £134,722.
“It’s good deal, it’s a fair deal and it most certainly should not deter people from standing for the fourth assembly”
George Reid Remuneration board chairman
The report also confirms a cut in the number of AMs who will be able to claim expenses for accommodation in Cardiff – from 51 to 25. They will only be able to claim rent of up to £700 a month, not mortgages.
AMs’ budget for staff will rise from £80,000 to £89,000, but the recruitment process will be changed.
From the beginning of the fourth assembly all vacancies must be advertised externally on the assembly’s website. A standard contract with common terms and conditions has been introduced.
The report reveals variations in the amount of annual leave support staff were entitled to – some were eligible for 20 days a year, while others received 35.
Under new rules, AMs may continue to be employ relatives, but their role in the recruitment process will be reduced. Final interviews and assessments will be conducted by the assembly’s human resources team.
Board chairman George Reid said it was vital AMs had the support they needed to do their jobs following the Yes vote in this month’s law-making referendum.
He said the board’s first determination on pay was made “against a backdrop of exceptional economic circumstances” and could be met by a smaller budget.
“This is a clear and transparent system of remuneration,” he said.
“It’s rooted in Wales because we have looked at comparators and what Welsh people get in their pocket.
“It’s good deal, it’s a fair deal and it most certainly should not deter people from standing for the fourth assembly.”
Assembly Commissioner William Graham, who is responsible for AMs’ salaries and allowances, backed the board’s move.
“It is an experienced and well respected remuneration board,” said the South Wales East AM.
“Hopefully the public will note… we no longer take our own decisions on these issues”
Peter Black Assembly Commission
“They have taken reasoned evidence and their conclusion will be supported by the overwhelming majority in the present financial climate.”
Mr Graham said he did not think the move would limit the flow of talent into the assembly.
“We are amongst the 1.4% of higher people in Wales,” he said. “And in order to do our job they have taken into account the allowances for support staff.”
Peter Black, also a member of the Assembly Commission – which ensures property, staff and services are provided for the assembly – said he hoped the public would consider it a sensible package.
“Hopefully the public will note that, firstly, we no longer take our own decisions on these issues – we have given it to an independent commission,” he said.
“Secondly, we’re very much reducing the amount we spend on expenses and support for members and keeping a tight rein on that.”
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Japanese shares have fallen for a second day as investors worry about the impact of the earthquake and tsunami.
The main Nikkei 225 index was down 6% in Tuesday trading. On Monday it finished 7% lower, the biggest one-day drop since 2008.
The broader Topix index was also lower on Tuesday, declining 7.3%.
Investors are worried the disaster may have an impact on domestic and global growth at a time when nations are recovering from the financial crisis.
Japan is the world’s third-largest economy and one of its main exporters and consumers.
According to some estimates, the devastation caused by Friday’s deadly earthquake and subsequent tsunami is expected to cost Japan $180bn (£111bn) in reconstruction and recovery.
That is 50% higher than the cost of rebuilding after the 1995 earthquake in Kobe.
There are concerns that the increasing cost of rebuilding will add further to Japan’s debt levels.
Japan has the highest public-debt levels in the industrialised world.
Last month the country’s debt rating was downgraded on concerns that it was not doing enough to address the issue.
“In the situation where the crisis appears to be worsening, foreign investors, domestic fund operators, are pulling out from Japanese shares”
Hideyuki Ishiguro Okasan Securities
At the same time, analysts have forecast that the quake could knock off as much as one percentage point from Japan’s gross domestic product.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan was hit by another explosion on Tuesday morning.
This is the third blast in four days, amid fears of a meltdown.
Nuclear power is the biggest source of electricity in Japan, accounting for 29% of national supply.
There are concerns that the problems with the nuclear reactor may cause further disruption in the country’s power supply.
Analysts say that is driving investors away from Japan.
“All focus is on the nuclear crisis,” said Hideyuki Ishiguro of Okasan Securities in Tokyo.
“In the situation where the crisis appears to be worsening, foreign investors, domestic fund operators, are pulling out from Japanese shares,” he added.
The impact of the problems in the nuclear reactor are already being felt in the stock markets.
Power companies were the biggest losers in early trading, with shares of Kansai Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, which both own nuclear plants, down 13%.
Shares of Toshiba were untraded on Tuesday as there were no buyers for the stock.
Toshiba provided several of the reactors at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima plants.
Shares of Toshiba plunged by more than 16% on Monday.
The series of explosions and radioactive leaks have spread concern that the company’s nuclear industry sales are likely to fall well short of expectations in the next few years.
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Frail and elderly patients are being failed by a culture of neglect within Welsh hospitals, a watchdog says after complaints soar.
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England captain Andrew Strauss and spin bowler Graeme Swann miss practice on Tuesday because of stomach upsets.
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Focus on Japan’s nuclear emergency
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Fears over the impact of a stronger yen are prompting BOJ action The Bank of Japan has pumped an extra five trillion yen ($61bn; £38bn) into the country’s banking system as it looks to shore up investor sentiment following the earthquake and tsunami.
The move comes a day after the bank injected 15tn yen into the banking system.
It has said it will take every possible measure to ensure the stability of Japan’s financial markets.
On Tuesday, the Nikkei 225 stock index dropped for a second day, sliding 6%.
The yen weakened on the news, which is what the central bank wanted.
It is concerned that a strong currency will hamper exports and make it harder for companies to make profits.
The bank also said it would double its asset buying fund to 10tn yen to support businesses.
Monday’s injection of 15tn yen was the largest ever single operation by the Japanese central bank.
Analysts have said that it will probably cost Japan hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild after the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country.
It is dealing with a massive clean-up operation, the threat of nuclear meltdown, power shortages and significant economic disruption.
On Monday, the BOJ’s nine-member policy board decided to keep its key interest rate at virtually zero.
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The minister for employment and learning is launching two consultation papers on university issues – tuition fees and the proposed merger of Stranmillis College and Queen’s University Belfast.
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A 48-year-old man is to appear in court later charged with the murder of Marion Millican who was shot dead in the launderette in Portstewart where she worked.
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A further UK search and rescue team flies to Japan to provide help, after a huge earthquake and tsunami that has also sparked a nuclear emergency.
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North Korea says it is now ready to discuss its nuclear enrichment plans North Korea has told Russia’s deputy foreign minister Alexei Borodavkin that it is ready to discuss its nuclear enrichment plans at six-party talks.
The issue is one of several that have blocked the resumption of disarmament talks. South Korea also wants an apology for the North’s “aggression”.
Separately, a South Korean envoy is on his way to Russia to pursue talks.
The new flurry of diplomacy comes just over a month after talks between North and South Korea broke up in acrimony.
North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA, reported comments from Pyongyang’s foreign ministry after a four-day visit by Mr Borodavkin.
“The DPRK (North Korea) is willing to come to the six-party talks unconditionally,” Pyongyang’s foreign ministry said.
KCNA quoted a ministry spokesman as saying that the North did “not object to the issue of uranium enrichment programme being discussed at the talks”.
Mr Borodavkin held meetings with the North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-Chun and other North Korean officials, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea’s deputy envoy to the six-party disarmament talks, Cho Hyun-Dong, has left Seoul on his way to Russia where he plans to meet Mr Borodavkin and other officials.
The existence of an apparently functioning nuclear enrichment plant in the North was only revealed to the US last November.
Pyongyang says it is part of a peaceful energy programme, but the US and others have expressed fears it could be part of what they believe is the North’s nuclear weapons programme.
The six-party disarmament talks – involving North and South Korea, China, Japan, the United States and Russia – have been stalled for two years.
North Korea left the talks in April 2009 and staged a second nuclear test in May that year.
Calls by South Korea and Russia for the United Nations Security Council to debate the North’s nuclear programme have so far been rebuffed by China.
South Korea has been seeking an apology from the North for its shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, and for the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, in March last year, which resulted in the loss of 46 South Korean lives.
North Korea denies sinking the ship and says the shelling was provoked by South Korean military exercises.
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A clock in Trafalgar Square is counting down the days to the London Games Tickets for the London 2012 Olympics have gone on sale, 500 days ahead of the event.
Some 6.6 million tickets are available to buy over a six-week period, in which every application will be treated equally, say the organisers.
Prices range from £20 to £2012 and oversubscribed events will be decided by a ballot.
On Monday a giant clock counting down the days until the start of the Games was unveiled in Trafalgar Square.
BBC sports editor David Bond said the ticket sale launch would be the first real test of public appetite for the event.
Organisers said they were confident they had done everything they could to avoid the website crashing as people log on for the first time to buy tickets.
The main factor is the establishment of a 42-day sales process which means each application between now and 26 April will be treated in exactly the same way.
Sport, news and more 2012 informationBBC London 2012
People can also apply for tickets using a paper form, which is included in the official ticketing guide.
Ticketing guides are available at branches of Lloyds TSB in England and Wales, or Bank of Scotland in Scotland and libraries in Northern Ireland between 15 March and 25 April 2011.
Popular events like the ceremonies, big swimming and athletics finals and the track cycling are likely to be oversubscribed and decided by a random ballot.
London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said he was confident the Games would be a sell out.
Half a billion pounds is forecast to be raised from ticket sales.
Ticketing websites often struggle to cope with the first rush on a major event, and sometimes crash.
“Why don’t they plan for this?” is the usual cry. In most cases they could, but it all comes down to money.
If companies designed their systems to comfortably cope with occasional massive spikes in traffic, they would be over-specified for the rest of the time.
Imagine a department store that invested in 20m-wide doors just to cope with the January sales.
However, new technology could help deal with the busy periods, without causing costs to skyrocket.
Cloud computing allows companies to hire ‘virtual’ server capacity from specialist data centres.
There is clearly a lot of prestige associated with an event like the Olympics, and getting it right would be a feather in the cap for Ticketmaster.
One thing buyers should be wary of is turning elsewhere if the main website does go down.
There will be plenty of bogus retailers out there, waiting to get hold of their credit card details.
Several events will be free, such as the marathon, and 2.5 million tickets will be available for £20 and under. Others start at between £30 and £50.
Children under 17 will be able to “pay-your-age” to see some of the early heats, while the over-60s can watch for £16.
In total, there are 8.8 million tickets but some 1.2 million are reserved for various government bodies, the London mayor, sponsors and athletes.
Games organisers have faced calls from the London Assembly for a record of all tickets reserved for officials, politicians and VIPs to be published.
A further two million tickets for the Paralympic Games go on sale on 9 September.
There has been some criticism of the ticket-buying process as all online tickets can be only paid for with a Visa card.
Olympics organisers Locog say this is in recognition of Visa’s sponsorship of the Games, but critics say that is unfair.
Visa Europe has said people who do not have a Visa debit or credit card and do not wish to get one can obtain a Visa prepaid card to purchase Olympic tickets.
Concerns have also been raised about payments made on Visa debit cards.
Locog says payment will be taken between 10 May and 10 June and people will be told by 24 June which events they have tickets for.
This could mean money going out of bank accounts before the buyer knows which tickets they are getting.
• Ticket application process opens in the early hours of 15 March
• System is not first-come-first-served. A ballot will operate for over-subscribed events
• Applications close on 26 April
• People can apply online or using a paper form from Lloyds TSB, the Bank of Scotland in Scotland and libraries in NI
• Tickets for 649 sport sessions go on sale across 39 Olympic disciplines
• Prices for many sports start at £20
• Some seats at the coveted 100m final cost £725
• Events like the marathon and cycling road race are free along most of the route
Efforts are being stepped up to curb ticket touting, with the government planning to raise the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000.
Earlier, a 6.5m (21ft) clock started counting down at 1930 GMT on Monday, in the square that was the scene of great celebrations in 2005 when London won the bid to host the Games.
Champion rowers Pete Reed and Andy Hodge and sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson pulled the covers off the clock, as 2012 chairman Seb Coe, London Mayor Boris Johnson and world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis looked on.
Clad in brushed stainless steel panelling, it is two-sided with one side counting down to the Olympics and the other to the Paralympics.
Ennis, who is aiming for her first Olympic gold at London 2012, said: “We all know that having a home Olympics is unique but the countdown clock is just bringing it all to light. It is all so exciting.”
Lord Coe, winner of two Olympic golds, added: “Athletes’ careers are based on timing and I hope that this milestone moment excites and inspires them to compete at the highest level in 2012.”
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The Japanese authorities say levels of radiation after a third explosion at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant are now high enough to affect human health.
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