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Counting the cost of Japan’s disasters
With the scale of Japan’s destructive earthquake and tsunami becoming more apparent insurers have begun their calculations. Although many of the worst hit areas are barely accessible, the US giant, AIG, which is very exposed in Asia, has set aside nearly a billion dollars. Reinsurers, such as Swiss Re, have almost doubled that figure. Catasptrophe modeling companies believe the tragic events will result losses of between 12 and 35 billion euros. Meanwhile, Tepco, operators of the stricken Fukushima plant, say they will be paying farmers for losses caused by nuclear radiation leaking. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya summit threatens air strikes
The international community closed ranks against Colonel Gaddafi in Paris on Saturday. The USA, Europe and the Arab League joined hands in condemning his attacks on civilians, and promised to enforce the UN Security council’s resolution against Gaddafi. If he refuses to respect a ceasefire, his forces will be hit from the air. TO READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy “There is still time for Colonel Gaddafi to avoid the worst by respecting without delay and without conditions all the demands of the international community. The diplomatic door will reopen as soon as hostilities cease. France has decided to play its part, and assume its role in history,” said host and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Copyright © 2011 euronews

UN condemns Gaddafi regime’s violence
The UN Security Council has condemned the violent crackdown in Libya by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. After meeting in closed session, all 15 council members backed a statement read out by Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, President of the Council: “The members of the Security Council expressed grave concern at the situation in Libya. They condemned the violence and use of force against civilians, deplored the repression against peaceful demonstrators, and expressed deep regret at the death of hundreds of civilians”. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton earlier revealed the EU was taking practical steps and suspending a framework trade agreement it had been negotiating with Libya. “I want the authorities to listen to the aspirations and demands of their people. I’ve called a meeting of the EU ambassadors to discuss what measures can be taken now,” said Ashton. In Washington the message was the same. But so far there has not been overt support for the implementation of sanctions like some other countries. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: “The United States continues to watch the situation in Libya with alarm. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost and their loved ones and we join the international community in strongly condemning the violence as we received reports of hundreds killed and many more injured.” UN Council members also called for those responsible for attacks on civilians to be held to account. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Coalition launches further air strikes over Libya
?�Allied warplanes have launched further air strikes on Muammar Gaddafi’s forces for a fourth day, notably in western Libya. ?�The coalition?�has confirmed artillery and tanks besieging the rebel-held town of Misrata were targeted.?�?�Despite some condemnation of the West’s intervention, military chiefs have defended their role.?�?�?�Senior US military chief officer Peg Klein said: “Some of those cities still have tanks advancing on them to attack the Libyan people. We are authorised, and the President made the nexus between the Security Council resolution and what he considers our legal mandate to attack those tanks. And so that is the type of target that our strike aircraft will go after.”?�Many of the American air strikes are being launched from ships in the Mediterranean. ?�Despite that, Washington?�has made it clear it wants to take a back seat in the military mission and is calling on other members of the coalition to?�take?�operational command.?�?� Copyright © 2011 euronews

Surgery without a scalpel
Doctors in Liverpool have unveiled a new cancer scanner that removes the need for invasive brain?�surgery.?�The Novalis TX uses a system similar to a car’s satellite navigation,?�to locate and blast the tumour with a single very high radiotherapy dose.?�?�The machine, costing?�3,000 euros, can locate and treat some cancers in just 15 minutes. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Couples kiss during a mass wedding ceremony to mark Valentine’s Day in Taiwan
Around 25 couples tied the knot together on Monday with Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin as the witness for the ceremony. REUTERS/Nicky Loh Copyright © 2011 euronews

New imaging system may cut caesareans
Doctors worried about the rise in caesarean sections as a means of childbirth take heart from a new Italian 3D scanner, AMOLAB, that allows a more precise forecast for the outcome of a pregnancy. That is our subject in this edition of Hi-tech. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Bulgaria uncertain over new reactor
Europe’s atomic energy anxiety finds Bulgaria hesitating over plans to get a second nuclear plant, in Belene, in the north. The government is concerned about safety and costs. Russian reactor builders Rosatom have been visiting Sofia to move slow negotiations along. They said: “Safety is our first commitment. We need to make the plant work flawlessly for the next 60 years.” But a Greenpeace environmentalist in the country, Petko Kovachev, said: “Bulgaria should put an end to its nuclear ambitions in the immediate future and make commitments to green, alternative sources of energy. We have a written strategy showing Bulgaria could become entirely green by 2050.” Two Soviet-era nuclear reactors at the Kozloduy plant already supply about a third of Bulgaria??�s power needs. It closed four reactors here as a condition for joining the European Union in 2007. Copyright © 2011 euronews

World leaders pile more pressure on Gaddafi
The international community is accelerating efforts to help oust Colonel Gaddafi. Calls for tougher measures against his regime were made at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Read our news file Hillary Clinton accused the Libyan leader of using “mercenaries and thugs” to suppress the uprising. She warned the world would not stand for repressive violence. “It is time for Gaddafi to go. Now. Without further violence or delay,” she said. “The international community is speaking with one voice and our message is unmistakable. These violations of universal rights are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” The West continues to study military options, notably a no-fly zone over Libya, but for this, UN approval is crucial. The International Criminal Court says attacks against civilians in Libya could amount to crimes against humanity. And military commanders could be held accountable for the actions of their troops. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said: “I would like to put on notice everyone in Libya – anyone who decides to attack civilians could be investigated and prosecuted and the commanders have peculiar responsibilities because the commanders are in charge of the army and they know whatever the troops do, they could be responsible.” The court in the Hague hopes to complete a preliminary examination of the violence in Libya within days. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Fate of Iranian opposition leaders unclear
There is confusion as to the whereabouts of Iranian opposition leaders Mirhossein Moussavi and Medhi Karoubi. Their websites said on Monday they have been arrested by the authorities. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi dismissed those reports in an interview with euronews in Geneva. “Those two gentlemen…are in their homes, they are living their ordinary lives,” said Salehi. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast declined to comment. “Domestic issues, as we have mentioned many times, are completely internal affairs,” Mehmanparast told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday. “No country has or will have the right to interfere in our country’s domestic affairs. The reports will be looked into by judicial officials within the correct legal frameworks” Both Karoubi and Mousavi have been under house arrest since February 14th after calling on their supporters to protest against the government. They spearheaded the so-called ‘Green Movement’ rallies after the June 2009 presidential election, which they claim was rigged to keep President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Egypt’s tourist sector struggles after uprising
Egypt’s most famous tourist sites, the great pyramids, are back open for business. It follows protests and unrest during a popular uprising ousted former president Hosni Mubarak just over two weeks ago. But foreign tourists are staying away. Tourism is the lifeblood of Egypt’s economy, contributing 11 percent of its GDP. Two million Egyptians depend on this sector to feed their families. Ahmed,a tour guide, said the conditions were “really bad” at present. “I don’t even have enough money to feed my camels,” he said. Last year, 15 million foreign tourists visited Egypt. But now, the souvenir shops where they used to spend their money are empty. In the centre of Cairo on the banks of the Nile, it is much the same story. Hotels, restaurants and bars are all deserted and it’s hitting this country’s pockets hard. “We estimate our daily loss between 25 to 27 million dollars (18 to 20 million euros),” said Amr El- Ezaby, the chairman of the Egyptian Tourist Authority In the coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, hotels were at 75 percent capacity at the start of the anti-Mubarak protests. On the day of his ouster, they were just 11 percent full. For now, the only people at the pyramids are Egyptians. This country’s tourist industry will need the foreign charter flights to start taking off again before business can really get back to normal. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Foreign evacuation from Libya accelerates
Nearly one hundred EU nationals have arrived safely in Rome after being rescued by the Italian military from Libya. The escalating crisis in the north African state has prompted several countries to accelerate the evacuation of foreign citizens. ‘‘There’s a lot of checkpoints throughout the country, mainly down the south, with, you know, police and army at checkpoints. No one really knows who is pro and who is anti, there are a lot of kids out there with AK47’s,’‘ one passenger arriving in Rome said. A major maritime operation was also underway on Thursday. Many of those fleeing spoke about the intensity of the violence and their fear it would spread. ‘‘It’s a disaster, a real disaster, a human disaster. He (Gaddafi) is not a human being. He’s a machine,’‘ one Libyan woman arriving on the Greek island of Crete said. ‘‘I wanted to get out of there – I wasn’t afraid – because it might escalate you know. I think it’s going to get worse in Tripoli and filter down to Benghazi, I think so,’‘ said a South African man. The British frigate, HMS Cumberland, also left the Libyan port of Benghazi on Thursday with 200 people. Prime Minister David Cameron, however, has apologised for the UK government’s handling of the evacuation, following criticism it was slow to react to the crisis. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Regional election in Germany
In Germany regional elections are underway and polls show that Angela Merkel’s Conservative party is in danger of losing control of a regional stronghold. The Saxony-Anhalt state, with a voting population of 2 million, is one of the poorest in Germany and was once part of East Germany. The Left Party, which is mainly ex-communists, led by Wulf Gallert, are likely to make a strong showing here according to polls. If the Social Democrats, currently in coalition with the Conservative party, decide to throw their lot in with the Left Party, this could mean Angela Merkel’s coalition losing seats in the upper chamber of parliament in Berlin. In the face of nuclear worries sparked by the Japanese disaster, she has recently shut down seven of Germany’s oldest nuclear power plants for safety tests – a move which some commentators have dismissed as mere electioneering. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Tripoli eyewitnesses: green flags, gunfire and shortages
There have been more emotional reunions as foreigners arrive home from Libya where many have witnessed the uprising and its aftermath at first hand. Many western countries are trying to organise flights. Those landing in Frankfurt included workers who had seen evidence of the damage in Tripoli. “I did go the day before yesterday into the centre to work and we got sent straight back,” said John Dowley, from London. “We saw a few burned-out cars. The congress building, which is on one of the main roundabouts, had smoke coming out of it and that’s really it, that’s all we saw. Today in the airport it was absolute chaos, many people from North Africa trying to leave and get home… thousands.” At least one person among a group of about 100 Bulgarians arriving home in Sofia suggested Gaddafi still had significant support – at least in the capital. “When we drove from the embassy across Tripoli we saw Gaddafi supporters everywhere, shouting euphorically ‘Gaddafi, Gaddafi’, waving green flags. And yesterday there was non-stop shooting,” said construction worker Zheko Gyurov. Snezhana Dyakova, a medic, said: “I saw people running towards the main street armed with clubs. There was continuous shooting, from automatic weapons and big guns.” “There never used to be a bread shortage in Libya, but now the bakery was selling only limited amounts,” said Lachezar Mateev, also a medic. “There was a huge queue of about 60 people, which was incredible. And there was no petrol, which for Libyans is what water and air are for us. It’s usually plentiful.” Many countries are making their own arrangements to try to get their nationals out . Britain has sent a charter plane and despatched a Royal Navy frigate to help Britons. Libya has an estimated one and a half million foreigners from all over the world – many trying to leave by land or air. The International Organisation for Migration says many have joined thousands of Tunisians trying to escape by land over Libya’s western border. Copyright © 2011 euronews

European markets at close: 22.02.11
A roundup of the days markets data from euronews.net, brought to you as video on demand. Copyright © 2011 euronews

G20 seeks indicator deal in Paris
At the G20 meeting in Paris, finance ministers and central bank governors will focus on which indicators should be used to measure global economic imbalances. As France holds the rotating presidency of the group of 20 major developed and emerging economies, President Nicolas Sarkozy gave the welcome speech. He said he had no wish to exert pressure, and then added: “I wouldn’t like your debates to get bogged down interminably over these indicators. There is a great temptation to place national interests first, but that would be the death of the G20.” The European Union’s economic affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn, said the right indicators to tackle global imbalances included the current account, the real effective exchange rate and currency reserves as well as public and private debt. It is a two-day meeting. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Fianna Fail look set to be routed in historic Irish vote
Irish voters appear set to deliver a humiliating verdict on the ruling Fianna Fail party in the country’s general election tomorrow. Opinion polls suggest the centre-right Fine Gael party is still building on its lead and could even be on course to win 80 of the 166 seats in the Dail, raising the prospect of a minority government with the support of independents. The latest survey shows Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to be one of the few beneficiaries of Ireland’s spectacular banking collapse over the past three years. An equally strong, if not stronger possibility according to the polls is a coalition with the Labour Party – and that has raised the prospect of some tough negotiating with Brussels over the terms of Ireland’s EU financial rescue package. Fianna Fail has dominated Irish politics for the best part of 90 years. But they were at the helm when the boom times of Ireland’s ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy collapsed, forcing them to go cap in hand for financial help. Tomorrow they will likely pay the price. The nationalist. left-wing Sinn Fein party looks set to remain very much in the minority, having promised to walk away from the EU-IMF bailout completely. But many of its sentiments are shared by the front runners. “We want to stop the madness which is about putting the state further into debt and burdening working people, increasing unemployment and increasing emigration” said Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. “What’s needed is for people to come out on Friday and make a stand.” The question many pollsters are asking about the outgoing Fianna Fail is not if it will be a record low result, but by how many seats. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Ireland awaits result of historic poll
Ireland is bracing itself for one of its biggest political shake-ups since independence after polls in the country’s general election closed. Ruling Fianna Fail looks almost certain to be reduced to a rump amid voter anger over the economy. The centre-right opposition Fine Gael, led by Enda Kenny, appears set to be the big winners, although whether the party can achieve an outright majority still remains too close to call. Kenny has promised to renegotiate the terms of a massive multi-billion euro bailout from the EU and IMF. But, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams, who is contesting in the Irish Republic for the first time, has called for a referendum on the rescue deal. Voter turnout yesterday was estimated at around 70 percent and the first results are expected to filter through later today. Reckless property lending by Irish banks and the subsequent crisis following the global credit crunch has seen Ireland go from economic pin-up to eurozone struggler. So much so, many people are returning to farming. While most other sectors of Ireland’s economy are seeing job cuts, agriculture is reported to be booming. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Tension rises in Yemeni capital after killings
Protests continue in the Yemeni capital Sana’a the day after 42 people were killed by security forces as they called for the end of President Saleh’s regime. Two prominent members of Saleh’s party resigned today in protest against the killings, which led to Saleh declaring a 30-day state of emergency. However the opposition is defying the crackdown and says it will continue to push for change. “The crime that happened yesterday leaves us with one absolute understanding; that this regime only chooses violence as an approach,” said the chairman of the joint parties Yasin Said Numan. Yemen is the second country in the region to declare a state of emergency this week, following Bahrain. Many people say yesterday’s bloodshed has only stiffened their resolve, and they are ready to make further sacrifices to end Saleh’s 32 years in power. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Japan considers burying crippled nuclear plant
Japanese nuclear engineers are now considering using concrete to cover the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. The move, seen as a last resort to avert a catastrophic radiation release, was also used to seal huge leakages from Chernobyl. It comes after authorities raised the alert level to five, just two shy of the maximum. After meeting the head of the UN’s atomic energy agency, Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan admitted he is not optimistic at all about the situation but urged the nation to unite in the face of its “worst crisis.” Nonetheless, the clean-up operation is continuing along with efforts to restart water pumps needed to cool overheating nuclear fuel rods. Workers are also still spraying water on the No. 3 reactor, the most critical of the plant’s six. Japan has been criticised for underplaying the severity of the nuclear threat. But it now appears to have been completely overwhelmed by the crisis. Copyright © 2011 euronews