To the Point
Japan Struggles to Avert Disaster
At 11am, Prime Minister Kan warned of "a very high risk" of further leaks from Fukushima's nuclear complex. By midnight, radiation levels were reportedly down.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenAt 11 this morning, Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned his people there was "a very high risk" of further radiation leakage from the damaged nuclear complex in Fukushima. By midnight, there were reports that radiation levels were down. We look at the consequences of Japan's ongoing disaster for nuclear power in the US and elsewhere. Also, an update from Sendai, the city closest to the earthquake's epicenter, and General David Petraeus says progress is "steady but fragile" in Afghanistan.
In this episode
3 storiesThe Scene in Sendai
Sendai is the major city closest to the epicenter of Friday's 8.9 earthquake , and it sustained heavy damage, especially from the tsunami. Just after midnight in Japan we talked with Peter Ford in Sendai. He's the Beijing Bureau chief for the Christian Science Monitor .
Read the story8 minJapan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear Power
The extent of the damage at Fukushima is still unclear, and nobody knows how much radiation has been released or how more will be. But the ongoing crisis has renewed debate about the safety of nuclear power.
Read the story36 minGeneral Petraeus Testifies on Afghanistan
President Obama's commanding general, David Petraeus, is in Washington to report on the state of the war in Afghanistan. Despite tactical gains, the intelligence community says the Taliban has not been fundamentally weakened. In the past, it's been standing room only when Petraeus has testified at Congressional hearings.
Read the story8 min
