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Japanese military helicopters have begun to drop water on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in an effort to cool reactors. The operation began at 0948 local time (0048 UTC) today, after similar efforts were ended early yesterday due to radiation. Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters dropped four loads of water on reactors three and four, with officials planning up to twelve more drops before crews are forced to leave the area due to radiation. The water drops are intended to both cool the reactors and add water to pools that hold fuel rod

The United Nations Security Council has approved the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya after a vote on Thursday evening. A meeting in New York City resulted in the approval of a resolution that would mark the beginning of "all necessary measures short of an occupation force to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas" in Libya. The vote on the measure passed with ten of the fifteen members of the Security Council in support and Russia, China, India, Germany and Brazil absenting. The resolution had been proposed by the United

The Darkness, a musical group of the hard rock genre based in England, has made the decision to reunite. They have been separated since 2006. The group are reportedly to perform at the upcoming Download Festival, which is due to occur in June of this year. The four members are anticipated to proceed recording a new album during the months of April and May 2011. Speaking on Twitter, Justin Hawkins, a singer in the group, expressed his "[t]hanks for all the lovely messages of support" from supporters. "I'm gobsmacked and overwhelmed by all the

Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Edwin Buss announced on Monday that Florida's prisons will become tobacco-free within six months in order to cut health-care costs and make prisons safer. Buss stated that the cost to Florida taxpayers for treating inmates for tobacco-related illnesses such as cancer and emphysema neared US$9 million last year alone. Inmates will be offered help in quitting smoking, possibly including the use of nicotine patches. Gretl Plessinger, Department of Corrections spokeswoman, said that the department is

A state of emergency was declared in Bahrain on Tuesday by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as protests in the country escalated further, leaving at least two dead. The declaration was announced on state television, and "authorized the commander of Bahrain's defense forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens." The state of emergency will last for three months. Further protests took place Tuesday in both the capitol of Manama and the nearby city of Sitra. Two people were reported to have died, one

A wildfire affected eighteen hectares of scrubland, grassland and eucalyptus in the Ranguilí area of Lolol, Chile. Due to strong winds and climatic conditions in the area, as well as the imminent risk of it spreading to homes, the National Emergencies Office of the Ministry of the Interior (ONEMI) declared a red alert for the commune on Sunday. It was then decreased to yellow alert, until it was finally lifted on Tuesday, after the wildfire was extinguished. Both Chile's National Early Warning Centre, and the O'Higgins Region ONEMI monitored

Israeli military forces today seized a ship claimed to be carrying weapons bound for the Gaza Strip. The ship, a German-owned and Liberian-flagged freighter named Victoria, had departed from a port in Syria before travelling to Turkey, from where it departed for Alexandria, Egypt. A French company had chartered the vessel, which was intercepted and boarded by Israeli commandos about 200 miles from shore while in international waters. Victoria was reportedly boarded without incident, and is being taken to Ashdod, a port city in Israel. Three c

Government security forces and Saudi Arabian troops have killed at least six protesters and injured around a thousand others in Bahrain. Protesters have expressed their objection to any foreign intervention within Bahrain. One protester said that security forces "fired tear gas and then opened fire. ... We lifted our arms and started saying ‘Peaceful, peaceful.’ Then we had to run away." Live ammunition was fired by soldiers both on the ground and in helicopters, who attacked people in at least five villages. According to a medical source spe

Akihito, the emperor of Japan, has made a live appearance on national television saying he was "deeply worried" after the earthquake and tsunami that hit last Friday. The emperor made his announcement shortly after technicians working to stabilise a nuclear plant temporarily abandoned it as radiation started to surge. The emperor's appearance caused television stations to interrupt scheduled programming. During his appearance he said "I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and

Dr Freddy Patel, a former British Home Office pathologist, has been criticised by a panel at the General Medical Council (GMC), Britain's regulatory body for doctors. Dr Patel had concluded that the death of Sally White in 2002, the first victim of Anthony Hardy (the so-called "Camden Ripper"), could have been from natural causes. The report produced by Dr Patel concluded that Sally White had been having consensual sex in her apartment when she died of a heart attack, in spite of blood stains on her clothing, blood at the scene, damage to Ms W

The official death toll from the devastating Japanese earthquake that hit on Friday is now nearing 1,900, while police officials say that it is all but certain the final toll will be at least 10,000 people dead. Bodies are still being recovered—2,000 thus far in the Miyagi Prefecture alone. The official count of those missing has now reached 2,300, though in one town alone, an estimated half of the 17,000 person population is still unaccounted for. Approximately 350,000 people have been left without homes; shelters are providing housing for

Troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have arrived in Bahrain at the government's request after major protests on Sunday. An estimated 1,000 Saudi Arabian troops entered the country early Monday, followed by around 500 troops from the UAE. The troops entered as part of a broader deployment by the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), a regional group of six countries. It is unclear what purpose the troops are serving, though speculation is that they will guard major infrastructure facilities. Al Wefaq,