Sunday, March 13, 2011

DTN News - LIBYA UPRISING: Gaddafi Troops Force Rebels Out Of Brega

Defense News: DTN News - LIBYA UPRISING: Gaddafi Troops Force Rebels Out Of Brega
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 13, 2011:

Libyan forces supporting Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have advanced on rebel-held strongholds, reportedly recapturing the eastern town of Brega.


Dozens of rebel fighters pulled out of the area amid heavy shelling.

"Brega has been cleansed of armed gangs," a military source told Libyan state television.

Libyan rebel forces have been losing ground for days, including the key oil port of Ras Lanuf on Saturday.

In other regional developments:

  • In Bahrain, riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-government protesters blocking the main road into the capital's business district, and encircled the protesters' main camp, eyewitnesses said
  • In Yemen, dozens of people are wounded in clashes between Yemeni police, firing live bullets and tear gas, and anti-government protesters at the main opposition sit-in in the capital, witnesses said

Benghazi defiant

Rebels left on trucks equipped with anti-aircraft guns retreating from Brega along the coastal road towards Ajdabiya - the gateway to the main rebel-held cities of Benghazi and Tobruk.

They said Col Gaddafi's forces had carried out air strikes, as well as shelling Brega.

Rebels told the BBC they were heading towards Ajdabiya, 150km (93 miles) south of Benghazi.

Col Gaddafi's forces were on the chase, some 60km away from Ajdabiya.

In Benghazi itself the mood remains defiant, says the BBC's Pascale Harter, with many wounded fighters returning but other residents heading for the front line.

Meanwhile reports from the last major rebel base in western Libya, Misrata, say that Col Gaddafi's troops are on the outskirts of the city and tank fire can be heard.

Map

International diplomatic pressure is growing for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Libya.

International diplomatic pressure is growing for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Libya.

The policy would be aimed at preventing Col Gaddafi's forces using warplanes to attack rebel positions, although no clear position has emerged on exactly how this would be achieved.

On Saturday, the Arab League agreed to ask the UN Security Council to enforce such a zone.

The UK and France have pushed for the idea, but have failed so far to win firm backing from the EU or Nato.

Nato has previously cited regional and international support for the idea as a key condition before it could possibly go ahead.

Russia and China, which wield vetos on the UN Security Council, have expressed serious reservations on the issue.

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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

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DTN News - JAPAN EARTHQUAKE: The Map Of Japan - March 11, 2011

Defense News: DTN News - JAPAN EARTHQUAKE: The Map Of Japan - March 11, 2011
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 13, 2011:

This map of Japan, based on one posted by Kim Horne, should help explain where you are in relation to the earthquakes and tsunami.

Earthquake: Map of Japan to explain where you are

Teaching-English-in-Japan-Education-Map-of-Japan"This map of Japan, based on one posted by Kim Horne, should help explain where you are in relation to the earthquakes and tsunami.

The earthquake struck close to the yellow region (4), Miyagi, containing the city of Sendai, which is about 300 km north of Tokyo. The green areas of Kanto were also badly shaken and contain Tokyo (13) and Yokohama (14), as were part of the light blue areas, however, the serious damage is concentrated in the yellow areas closest to the coast on the right.

The two nuclear power stations that are having serious problems are in Fukushima, on the coast.

See our Earthquake Summary for more information.

Wikipedia also has a strong section on the earthquake.




Earthquake summary for teachers in Japan

Teaching-English-in-Japan-Education-Eigo-Noto"---------------------------------------------

Update: Tokyo Electric Power Co. is warning of potential power outages today in the 9 prefectures it supplies and is asking customers to reduce electricity consumption. Best to ensure you have torches, batteries and ability to keep warm. The following areas are supplied by TEPCO:

Tokyo • Kanagawa • Tochigi • Chiba • Saitama • Gunma • Ibaraki • Yamanashi • Shizuoka

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A huge 8.9 earthquake, thousands of times more powerful than the one that hit Christchurch, struck Japan yesterday creating devastating 30ft tsunamis. The earthquake seriously rocked Tokyo and left millions stranded without a way home, but has caused most damage in northern Japan in the Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima area where the death toll is now feared to be in the thousands with more suffering injuries. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed.

The quake happened at 2.46pm local time (5.46am GMT), about six miles below sea level and 78 miles off the east coast of Japan. The shock was felt as far away as Beijing.

UPDATE: A state of emergency has been declared at 2 nuclear power plants in Fukushima after the earthquake and tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated amid fears of radioactive leaks.

UPDATE: There are reports that one of the reactors has gone into meltdown. See this Wikipedia article for a description of what this means.

Many teachers from the area have checked in using Facebook to say they are alright but it has been difficult to contact many in the worst-affected areas.

See Also:
• Donation information from Charity Navigator

Excellent and accessible live feed in English from Al-Jazeera English for those without access to English-language TV.

• NHK goes live (in Japanese) on Ustream.

• Daily Telegraph live updates:

• Google Person Finder for this earthquake.

• Contact List of Embassies in Japan

• Good information about shelters and emergency numbers and updates from Time Out's Japan correspondent

• Another good source of updates about the earthquake -- gakuranman.com

• Tokyo JR train information - seems to be experiencing server problems.

• What to do in an earthquake? Tokyo International Communication Committee

• General advice from FEMA
During an earthquake
After an earthquake


*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

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