The warning was issued after America formally backed a joint British and French initiative for a no-fly zone over Libya and other military action against Colonel Gaddafi's regime. Amid growing international concern at the deteriorating situation in the country, the first bombing raids, possibly by unmanned drones, could happen as early as today. There were reports last night that the first attacks would be unilateral actions by British and French air forces with logistical support from Arab states.

The United Nations was meeting to discuss the plan as Colonel Gaddafi's troops massed on the outskirts of Benghazi, the last stronghold of rebel fighters. Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said that a no-fly zone would involve bombing ground targets. "A no-fly zone requires certain actions taken to protect the planes and the pilots, including bombing targets like the Libyan defence systems," she said during a visit to Tunisia.

"Gaddafi must go," she added, calling him "a ruthless dictator that has no conscience and will destroy anyone or anything in his way." In a statement, the Libyan defence ministry warned of swift retaliation against foreign intervention. "Any foreign military act against Libya will expose all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea to danger and civilian and military [facilities] will become targets of Libya's counter-attack," it said.

Three reactors have had at least partial meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, where wisps of white steam rose from the stricken units Friday morning. But Japanese and US officials believe a greater danger exists in the pools used to store spent nuclear fuel: Fuel rods in one pool were believed to be at least partially exposed, if not dry, and others were in danger. Without water, the rods could heat up and spew radiation.

It could take days and "possibly weeks" to get the complex under control, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jazcko said. He defended the US decision to recommend a 50-mile evacuation zone for its citizens, a much stronger measure than Japan has taken.

A senior official with the UN's nuclear safety agency said there had been "no significant worsening" at the nuclear plant but that the situation remained "very serious." Graham Andrew told reporters in Vienna that nuclear fuel rods in two reactors were only about half covered with water, and in a third they were also not completely submerged.

The resolution, approved with the backing of the United States, France and Britain, imposed a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized force short of a ground offensive to protect its people from Gaddafi's forces. The UN action bans all flights in Libyan airspace in order to protect civilians. While it was unclear how the West might proceed, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said earlier in the day that a no-fly zone would require bombing targets inside Libya, including some of its defense systems.

Gaddafi, calling in to Libyan television on Thursday, said his forces would "rescue" the people of Benghazi, the Mediterranean port city that has become the capital and staging ground for the opposition. For those who resist, Gaddafi said, there would be "no mercy or compassion. This is your happy day, we will destroy your enemies," he said, warning the people of Benghazi not to stand alongside the opposition. "Prepare for this moment to get rid of the traitors. Tomorrow we will show the world, to see if the city is one of traitors or heroes."

His ground forces were still about 80 miles south of the city on Thursday evening Libya time, so it was unclear whether they would move on the city as quickly as he suggested. Speaking moments before in an interview with Portuguese television broadcast just before the vote at the UN, Gaddafi pledged to respond harshly to UN-sponsored attacks. "If the world is crazy," he said, "we will be crazy, too."

At the UN headquarters in New York, the vote was 10-0. The United States, France and Britain had all pushed for speedy approval. "We had said all along that Gaddafi must go," said British Foreign Secretary William Hague. "It is necessary to take these measures to avoid greater bloodshed." Five nations abstained, including Russia and China, which hold veto power on the council.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery settled up $3.44, or 3.5%, at $101.42 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, settling above $100 for the first time since Monday. May Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange recently rose $4.30 per barrel, or 3.9%, to settle at $114.90 a barrel.

Witnesses also said Hamas police cut electricity and communications for the square and surrounding area before the raid, and that a number of senior Hamas members, including members of the Legislative Council led by Yahya Moussa, were involved in encircling the protesters along with the security forces. During the crack-down Hamas used batons, rubber bullets, and tear gas, according to the official Palestine News & Information Agency.

The demonstration, staged a day after tens of thousands in Gaza and Judea and Samaria took to the streets to demand an end to the schism between Hamas and their Fatah archrivals, who dominate the Palestinian Authority, was organized by "Enough," a student group at Gaza's Al-Zahar University. In addition to the crack-down at Al-Katiba Square, Hamas police attacked students at Al-Zahar University who were departing to attend the Al-Katiba rally. At least ten students were taken to the hospital after being assaulted by security forces, with another 20 being taken into custody, after Hamas police forced their way into the University's administrative offices.

A spokesman for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza denied police had entered the university. "What happened at the university was a problem between students," Ihab al-Ghussein told the press. However, witnesses at the scene, including an AFP photographer, reported police were still blocking the gates, preventing anyone from leaving or entering university premises.

Hamas' strong response to dissent is not a surprise. Attempts by Arabs in areas administered by Fatah and Hamas have faced strong opposition to organizing protests in the wake of the political upheaval shaking the region.

Why has the country now put 68 journalists behind bars and why do Turkey's press associations describe an atmosphere that calls to mind the era of Joseph McCarthy's Communist witch-hunts? What crimes are these journalists actually being accused of by the government? In Sik and Sener's case, prosecutor Zekeriya Oz himself commented on the case. The journalists' arrests, according to Oz, had nothing to do with articles they wrote, but rather with findings in connection with the so-called Ergenekon case.

This case, which a court in Silivri, west of Istanbul, has been hearing for the past two and a half years, concerns a supposed group of conspirators accused of plotting a coup against Erdogan's government. The most spectacular criminal case in Turkey's recent history, it has seen the arrest of more than 200 suspects, including army officers, politicians and professors. Many of these alleged Ergenekon members are considered to be ultranationalists, said to have been waiting for a chance to strike in tandem with like-minded forces within the army, but then caught by the police in the nick of time.

The existence of this ominous secret society, though, remains unproven. All three indictments contain gaping holes. And "due to the need for confidentiality," says Oz, the chief prosecutor for the case, it isn't currently possible for him to make the evidence public. The pool of suspects seems to widen inexorably, casting serious doubts on the legitimacy of the Ergenekon case. Many in Turkey wonder if the prime minister might be misusing the investigations as a way to intimidate his opponents.

The AKP may have been especially upset about Sik's research into the Fethullah Gulen movement, an Islamic network he believes has penetrated the country's security apparatus, which in turn further strengthened the conviction on the part of the AKP's opponents that the party has remained truer to its Islamist roots than it pretends. "Journalists who dig too deep always have problems in Turkey," Kurkcu says.

While a country as rich as Japan was well able to bear the cost, it still represented a terrible loss of wealth. "Earthquakes not only curb effective demand, through consumption and capex, but also lower potential growth through damages to tangible fixed assets and human capital," said Kyohei Morita, at Barclays Capital, in a note to clients.

Compounding the pain, losses from the quake had been far outstripped by wealth wiped out in the stock market, with over $600 billion lost at one stage on Tuesday. Adding to concerns about the economic impact of the disaster, the yen shot to record highs on the US dollar early on Thursday, making Japan's exports less competitive when it had been counting on an export-led rebound.

Also unforeseen by analysts was the sheer uncertainty generated by the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant and the resulting loss of power to so many factories and homes. Millions of people have been told to stay at home because of the danger of radiation, while rolling blackouts are playing havoc with the usually super-reliable transport system. "As consumers become even more careful and increase precautionary saving for rainy days, that will sharply weigh on consumption," said Kato at Credit Agricole.

The King of Saudi Arabia and the other absolute monarchs of the Persian Gulf coast are united in wanting to crush the increasingly vociferous opposition to Bahraini King Hamad. Mostly inherited monarchies, they watch the violence in Bahrain with unease because they know what impact it could eventually have on their own positions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have duly sent troops to help crack down on the trouble.

In particular, the 7,000 Saudi princes who make up the House of Saud will not surrender their opulent lifestyles without a fight - and for them it is better to fight in Bahrain than back home in Riyadh. But their reasons are not simply solidarity among kings. There is another more pressing reason for neighbouring Gulf countries to step in and help crush the Bahraini popular opposition. For the island of Bahrain is right on the fault line that separates the two opposing branches of Islam: Sunni and Shia.

The great fear of the Sunni regional powers and the West in general is that Iran will manipulate the unrest to increase its regional influence. The protesters in Bahrain are demanding democracy and the creation of a republic. Reasonable enough, you might think, after decades of absolute rule under the fundamentalist royal family. But what should terrify the West is that the Shiite model for a democratic republic is the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Should Shiite unrest in Bahrain tip over into Saudi Arabia, the West's oil supply could become seriously threatened. There is talk of oil prices doubling from the current record highs to $200 a barrel and beyond. Bahrain is also the Middle Eastern base for America's Naval 5th Fleet, made up of 3,000 military personnel who oversee 30 naval ships, along with 30,000 sailors who patrol the Persian Gulf and Arabian and Red Seas.

The fleet is vital in ensuring that the region's Straits of Hormuz remain open, for the simple reason that 40 per cent of the world's oil traffic pass through them. Bahrain's proximity to Iran also makes it a crucial area from which the Americans can watch Iran. Should Washington attempt to derail Iran's nuclear ambitions - as it may have to at some stage - Bahrain would be the base for any strikes.

If the wave of revolution continues across the Gulf, the worst case scenario is that fundamentalist Iran could step in to try to gain control of the region

The charges were dropped in a bid to calm tensions after political unrest began last month, but the latest sweeps suggest authorities have abandoned efforts at dialogue and are trying to silence the opposition leaders. The group said the others detained include Shiite activists Abdul Wahad Hussein and Hassan Hadad and Sunni liberal leader Ibrahim Sharif, who had joined with Bahrain's majority Shiites to demand the Sunni monarchy loosen its grip on power.

"I saw men in black pointing a machine gun at my husband saying just one thing: 'We are from the state security,'" said Sahrif's wife Farida Guhlam. A senior opposition leader Abdul Jalil Khalil said Abdul Hadi al-Mokhdar of Wafa movement was also among those detained before dawn on Thursday. "This is alarming and our priority is stop the bleeding of the country," Khalil said, adding that opposition is expecting more arrests of leaders.

Bahrain has imposed a three-month emergency rule that gives the military wide powers to battle the pro-democracy uprising that began in mid-February in the strategic nation, which hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet. Increasingly, the struggle appears to be framed along sectarian lines: the Sunni monarchy and its backers using everything at their disposal to retain power, and Shiites hoping their overwhelming population advantage will be their most potent weapon to disrupt the country and bring the leadership to its knees.

Sunni authorities in the region also see Bahrain as an important stand against possible expansion of influence by Shiite power Iran. About 1,500 troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are in Bahrain as part of a Gulf task force to help the Sunni rulers. The move, however, has brought sharp criticism from close ally Washington. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told CBS News that the introduction of Gulf forces was "the wrong track."

The governor of northeastern Fukushima prefecture, the site of a badly damaged nuclear power plant, fumed over what he saw as poor government communication and coordination. "The anxiety and anger being felt by people in Fukushima have reached a boiling point," Governor Yuhei Sato told broadcaster NHK. He said shelters do not even have enough hot meals and basic necessities for those living near the plant who have already been relocated.

In a rare address to the nation, Japan's Emperor Akihito called the nuclear crisis "unprecedented in scale" and urged the country to pull together in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. "Nobody knows how many people will die," the 77-year-old emperor said, "but I fervently hope that we can save as many survivors as possible."

Prime Minister Naoto Kan also appeared on television, ordering officials to take radiation level readings and relay them to the public. The official death toll from the disaster has reached nearly 3,700, but authorities expect that figure to climb to more than 10,000 because so many are still listed as missing. A blanket of snow in parts of the devastated northeast added to the misery for millions of people faced with a sixth night with little food, water or heat. Police said more than 452,000 people were staying in temporary shelters.

If Congress were to cut $6 billion every three weeks for the next 36 weeks, it would manage to save between now and late November as much money as the Treasury added to the nation's net debt during just the business hours of Tuesday, March 15.

At the close of business on Monday, according to the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Public Debt, the total national debt stood at $14.166 trillion ($14,166,030,787,779.80). At the close of business Tuesday, the debt stood at $14.237 trillion ($14,237,952,276,898.69), an increase of $71.9 billion ($71,921,489,118.89).

Since the beginning of fiscal year 2011 - which began on October 1, 2010 - the national debt has climbed from $13.5616 trillion ($13,561,623,030,891.79) to $14.2379 trillion ($14,237,952,276,898.69) an increase of $676.3 billion ($676,329,246,006.90).

Congress would need to cut spending by $6 billion every three weeks for approximately the next six and a half years (338 weeks) just to equal the $676.3 billion the debt has increased thus far this fiscal year.

Health and nuclear experts emphasize that radiation in the plume will be diluted as it travels and, at worst, would have extremely minor health consequences in the United States, even if hints of it are ultimately detectable. In a similar way, radiation from the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 spread around the globe and reached the West Coast of the United States in 10 days, its levels measurable but minuscule.

The projection, by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, an arm of the United Nations in Vienna, gives no information about actual radiation levels but only shows how a radioactive plume would probably move and disperse. The forecast, calculated Tuesday, is based on patterns of Pacific winds at that time and the predicted path is likely to change as weather patterns shift.

On Sunday, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it expected that no "harmful levels of radioactivity" would travel from Japan to the United States "given the thousands of miles between the two countries." The test ban treaty group routinely does radiation projections in an effort to understand which of its global stations to activate for monitoring the worldwide ban on nuclear arms testing. It has more than 60 stations that sniff the air for radiation spikes and uses weather forecasts and powerful computers to model the transport of radiation on the winds

For most Japanese, the rolling outages instituted in the wake of the twin disasters translate to inconvenience, sacrifice and economic loss. But for tens of thousands who are now homeless and huddled in evacuation centers in the hard-hit northeast, the stakes are much higher.

"In known evacuation centers, people who reached actual evacuation centers, you have a half million Japanese displaced. They don't have water, they don't have electricity, they don't have oil," said Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Japan Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. "And the temperatures are... dipping below freezing because it's snowing in most of those regions. So there's an acute humanitarian crisis today in Japan."

And for the aid organizations who seek to help the displaced, the lack of power in the quake zone and freezing temperatures are one more reason to rush, and one more challenge to face. The disaster that struck Japan on Friday knocked out about one-fifth of the country's 55 nuclear reactors, which normally provide nearly 30 percent of the total power in the country. It also clobbered many thermal plants and knocked out an unknown portion of Japan's electricity transmission system.

In the northern part of the country, in addition to powerless evacuation centers, the Japanese government said Monday that some 1.25 million homes were without heat, and nearly 3.2 million people were facing reduced gas supplies in the coming days. Other estimates put the number of homes already without power two to three times higher. Replacing lost generating capacity suffered in the quake is a long-term problem - especially in the nuclear sector, where seriously damaged plants are unlikely to be repaired or restarted.

Outside of food and energy costs, the core index ticked up 0.2 percent, less than January's 0.5 percent rise. Food prices soared 3.9 percent last month, the biggest gain since November 1974. Most of that increase was due to a sharp rise in vegetable costs, which increased nearly 50 percent. That was the most in almost a year. Meat and dairy products also rose. Energy prices rose 3.3 percent last month, led by a 3.7 percent increase in gasoline costs.

There was little sign of inflationary pressures outside of food and energy. Core prices have increased 1.8 percent in the past 12 months. Still consumers are paying more for the basic necessities. Food costs, meanwhile, are rising. Bad weather in the past year has damaged crops in Australia, Russia, and South America. Demand for corn for ethanol use has also contributed to the increase.

The emperor spoke after technicians were forced to temporarily abandon a quake-crippled nuclear plant. The 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami has killed thousands of people. TV stations interrupted programming to show the sombre-looking emperor describing the natural disaster as "unprecedented in scale".

The 77-year-old said: "I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times." Akihito said he prayed that every victim of the quake and tsunami could be saved. Thousands are missing and at least 10,000 feared dead after the disaster, which flattened swathes of the country's north-east coast.

Engineers are meanwhile racing to avert a nuclear catastrophe at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power plant. On Wednesday morning, yet another fire broke out in one of the reactors, while smoke or steam billowed from another part of the plant. The authorities have been using a helicopter to try to douse the facility. The plant - 220km (140 miles) north of Tokyo - was rocked by the first in a series of explosions on Saturday.