a great earthquake has hit japan. magnitude 8.4 in northern japan.y has been warning of tsunami ever since the quake. tsunami has hit miyagi, sendai area as live helicopter camera crews are up covering and showing you exactly what is going on at this time. deputy chief cabinet secretary told reporters on friday that miyagi prefecture where the earthquake has hit hardest has asked the government to send self-defense force units to deal with the situation and aid the situation. defense ministry officials say self-defense force personnel are currently contacting local government and related agencies to assess the extent of the damage. earlier prime minister naoto kan and the cabinet have gathered at the prime minister's office, where an emergency task force has been set up to respond to the earthquake. the task force will gather information on damage and prepare for more possible tsunamis. japan's foreign minister matsumoto has ordered his officials to start preparing to accept foreign assistance. she has also told them to check on the safety of foreign

japan. the nikkei lost more than 10%. most european markets also fell. the question for investors is what to do now? is the stock market overreacting to the crisis in japan, or does it pose a major threat to global growth? market strategist alec young says the answer depends on the extent of the damage to japan's nuclear plants. >> unless we are really looking at a repeat of chernobyl, where we had a major nuclear meltdown and radiation spreads throughout tokyo, and it really takes their economy offline for a very long period of time, i think anything short of that has already been priced in. >> reporter: but there are also concerns about disruptions to global economic supply lines. japan is home to many of the world's biggest manufacturing and electronics companies. instead of selling those stocks, some strategists say "buy them." >> i think long-term investors would be rewarded, looking at the best of breed type of companies-- big export manufacturers in the auto space, in the electronics

>> japan is a critical ally. a critical ally next door in asia is north korea, is china and these are countries we've had our difficulty with. >> japan has stepped in to help with the united states on several issues. plus he says it's just the right thing to do. >>> still more amateur video is emerging from japan tonight showing the tsunami that swept away entire cities. this is video shot in mioko city. the moment the tsunami barrelled through the narrow bay and sent ships crashing into highway overpasses. the water carried houses, cars and debris up to ten miles inland. 9500 people in one northern town alone are missing which gives you a sense of why leaders are expecting the death toll to climb above 10,000. we'll have much more on the devastation in japan throughout this newscast. nbc news is airing a special edition of "dateline" live from japan. lester holt in is tokyo and ann curry is on her way to sendai. that's coming up at seven:00. we'll also check back with george kiriyama who's in japan later this ho

it's condition critical in all six reactors that japan's stricken nuclear power plant cooling systems failing and threats of a nuclear meltdown and rising to the highest level since the explosions at the facility began. signs of a growing distress among the people of japan as fears rice your authority is not telling the whole truth on the situations getting out of control that doesn't produce panic it just makes people all the more uncertain when believe they can't trust for the information they're being given. and the death toll from friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami climbs to nearly three thousand where the thousands more considered to still be missing. and the nuclear drama unfolding in japan problems experts worldwide to question schuman reliance rather and over reliance on technology that often proves more dangerous than helpful. very well welcome to you with r.t. arrived from moscow japanese officials confirmed that a radioactive materials have leaked into the atmosphere following a fire at reactor number four the fukushima power plant but fire a section of damaged an

on japan. the distrust between the japanese people and generations past with the nuclear agency, are you seeing that now with the events now? >> reporter: there's a lot of anxiety and concern, of course. those who remember the atomic bombings have first hand knowledge of what nuclear radiation is all about. you have many generations sense then that learned from na generation that experienced that devastation back in 1945. this is something they haven't seen since the end of world war ii. >> not just nbc but a lot of crews from cbs and abc and the bbc overseas are pulling their journalists from the site. are you disappointed with that or would you like to get closer to the nuclear reactors? >> we never had an opportunity to go up there, but we saw highway patrol it affected people in tokyo and we showed you those stories. we felt the aftershocks ourselves and fet elt a good dozen of them including a 6.2. so we got a good taste of what happened here, but definitely not the full picture we wanted

stocks sell off on worries about japan. the dow fell 51 points, the nasdaq lost 14 and the s&p 500 was down seven. trading volume started the week with 962 million shares moving on the big board and 1.8 billion on the nasdaq. fed chairman ben bernanke meets with his interest rate committee tomorrow. topping its agenda? whether to change its $600 billion bond-buying program that's set to expire june 30. some members fear the bond buys could spur inflation when combined with rising prices for food, fuel and other commodities. but former fed staffer vince reinhart thinks the fed will stay the course. >> they probably won't do anything to touch any of the characterizations of policy, because they don't want market participants to get confused or think they're going to be rushing for the exits anytime soon or, given the tension in the objective, adding to the overall amount of qe2. >> susie: and the nasdaq could be making a bid for its arch rival, the new york stock exchange. reports say the nasdaq omx group has lined up $5 bill

a state of emergency in japan tonight. officials are still trying to assess the scope of the damage and casualties from that massive earthquake. susie, the magnitude of the quake 8.9 is the strongest on record in japan. >> susie: tom, it's still not clear what the devastating earthquake will do to japan's fragile economy and the global markets. here in the u.s. despite the japan's stock index tumbled almost 180 points closing just minutes after the earthquake hit. >> tom: we spoke with our correspondent in tokyo. and began by asking lucy craft what's the initial assessment of damage to businesses and industry in japan. >> companies hit quite hard. sony, hond on, toyota, the major auto makers have a lot of factories up in northeastern japan. there's been a range of damage to these companies. so those factories will be kind of knocked out of operation for various amounts of time. fortunately, the northeastern area of japan is very sparsely populated. this is -- if you compare this to the kobe earthquake of 16 years ago, it a

japan estimate economists perspective, japan has lots of problems. and the economy has not been doing well for years. this crisis in the short run ads to that, but in the long run, it's largely a wash. some stimulus effect of the economy providing job opportunities to people that would go the other way. but i think we are still worried about japan and a longer-term sense, that the japanese economy has lost a lot of its energy. but that's nothing to do with much of this crisis. >> thanks, barry. richard, tell us about lyrical fallout in tokyo. and the foreign policy of the disasters. >> i'm a little bit more pessimistic about this situation than barry is, sort of on the economic side, because i do think it represents a serious challenge to the japanese political system. granted, everything that barry said i think we still have to be, have to recognize before last friday's earthquake the parameters governing japan's future trajectory were not great. it has a declining working age population and a growing elderly population. and so, they are the over th

it is friday afternoon in japan -- there. it is friday afternoon in japan. no one is reported injured at this time but reports are still coming in. the quake hit at 2:46 in the afternoon and it was followed by a 7.4 magnitude aftershock. there are no reports of injuries now as we said. kron 4's jacqueline bennett is here to tell us more about the tsunami dangers. >> the usgs is working to confirm the tsunami actually happened and i just got the information off the wire here. they say the tsunami has been generated and when no major waves occur for two hours the threat will have passed. there is a tsunami watch in effect right now for hawaii because with a quake this big those tsunamis can affect distant coastlines. magnitude 8.8, this is where it hit just off the coast, the dent 2.2 miles. you need a pretty good size earthquake to cause a tsunami. think of putting your hand in the bathtub. if you shove your water down, it sends the water out in waves. just the same with an earthquake. we saw it near the epicenter and it's spreading from there. now we're watc

reza good to have you with us here on r t our top story the race is on to restore electricity to japan's stricken fukushima nuclear plant so workers can get the reactor cooling systems back on line it's been a week since the country was rocked by its worst ever earthquake triggering a tsunami and a disaster about so that fastens of people dead or missing or he's alive or bennett has more from japan. right now they're still trying to reconnect power to the site so they can get those cooling systems up and running and bring the temperature down inside the reactor spots things like the only way they're now going to prevent or could be a real nuclear disaster there now focusing on reactor number two because this morning they actually saw smoke rising from the reactor they don't know what the cause was of that they don't think it was an explosion because that wasn't heard clearly the temperature inside is very hot or they've already managed to do was to lay a power cable from the main bridge a kilometer long cable to try and restore power but they haven't managed to connect that up yet the ra

it is saturday morning in japan. the sun is up and the extent of the catastrophe is becoming painfully clear. it's been nearly 24 hours since a powerful earthquake touched off a huge tsunami that swept across japan's east coast. the quake, a magnitude 8.9, was the fifth-largest in modern history. centered off japan's northeast coast, it was felt for 1,300 miles. very early reports say more than 400 people are dead. japan's kyoto news agency says the final number is expected to top 1,000. most of the victims drowned. nearly 1,000 are reported injured, more than 500 are missing. and four million homes and businesses lost power. the first estimate of the damage: $10 billion. that damage includes a nuclear reactor in northeastern japan. radiation levels are soaring and the area is being evacuated. most flights between the u.s. and japan have been canceled, and there were fears the tsunami would pound the u.s., but by the time the waves reached hawaii and the west coast this morning, they had lost most of their punch. pre

san jose's japan town. we have seen generations of people, people who were born in japan and have been here for many, many years. also, children who are four or five generations removed but all trying to make sense of the disaster that they have been watchinging for days. our first stop, a preschool where the children are trying to make sense. she's a volunteer helper at lotus preschool as she helps the children glue and write, she's also thinking about her family in japan. >> my niece is in tokyo but she said not much damage. the houses -- she says three story house, almost fall down but still okay. >> reporter: her niece is okay. her teenage children couldn't make it home the night of the quake. the rest of her family lives far enough that they are unaffected. one thing she told me truly put the disaster in perspective. >> reporter: more scared. >> reporter: generations removed from japan, they know that that is their cultural heritage. >> in japan, the earth rumbled and several people got hurt. >> keepin

>> mitchell: tonight, disaster in japan. in the aftermath of the massive earthquake, wide areas of japan's northeast coast lie in ruins without power or transportation. as officials say the death toll could well be over 1,000. i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, nuclear concerns. an explosion rocks a nuclear power plant but leaves the nuclear core intact. now questions are being raised about nuclear safety both in japan and here at home. season at risk-- why the breakdown of nfl labor talks could mean no action on the nation's gridirons this fall. and quake questions-- this town prepared in the u.s. for an earthquake as strong as the one that hit japan. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. it is already sunday morning in japan, and another major aftershock has just hit the country which is still digging out after friday's disastrous 8.9-magnitude earthquake. here's the latest-- an explosion at a nuclear power plant forced 170,000 people to evacuate while a

he made jokes about the disaster in japan.evable news and disturbing news about a member of the charlie's angels cast. charlie sheen couldn't stay out of "the skinny" long. Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ ÑÑ ♪ skinny so skinny >>> well, this was a big talker on facebook with our facebook fans yesterday. this gilbert gottfried comments, he made tasteless jokes about the tsunami in japan. some kind of joke he tweeted about, you know, a just broke up with my girlfriend but as the japanese say, another one will float by. really tasteless -- >> in japan, the beach comes to you, you don't go to the beach. >> he was the voice of aflac duck and they stepped in and said, not funny and canned him. he apologized saying, i sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in japan. i meant no disrespect and my thoughts are with victims and their families. on top of that, some folks have rushed to his side saying, wait a minute, this isn't right, including joan rivers and howard stern. howard says here is a guy as long as

on edge. >> good afternoon from japan. there are new pictures showing the human drama after this horrible, horrible earthquake. for the first time in way we've never seen before, we're getting a look at the death, the destruction and the lack of basic supplies in the quake zone like food, water and gasoline. japan is about 10% simultaneoussimultaneous , 10% smaller than california. >> the destruction extends as far as the eye can see and almost incomprehensible landscape. emergency workers aided by 100,000 japanese troops, pulling out more bodies today. there are a few survivors left to find. japan hasn't seen anything like this since world war ii. friday's tsunami inundated communities, shattered minutes before by the most powerful earthquake japan has ever seen. for the living, a nightmare. million are without without water, and electricity. the trauma on people's faces is plain to see. hospital and shelters are completely overwhelmed. many roads are impassable. train service in many parts of the country is nonexistent.

but japan has been sluggish for a long time. and meanwhile the rest of the world this is all happening at a time when the rest of the world is actually getting a lot stronger. so it does, it does make me feel as though there is continued upside potential in the market. we haven't changed our strategy at the jpmorgan private bank. but i do think that investors who are sitting on the sidelines with a lot of cash are being presented with an opportunity to buy stocks when they're on sale. >> susie: so what is the opportunity? you said american companies. what types of american companies. i know you can't name names but what types of companies should investors be looking for? >> well, susie, this has been an extraordinary recession and now recovery with corporate balance sheets so strong and companies held back there capital spending in the earliest stages of the recovery. but now companies are increasing their capital spending materially and i think that presents an opportunity for investors in industrial shares as an example. i als

>>> disaster in japan. the crisis from friday's catastrophic earthquake and the tsunami that followed gets worse and worse. the death toll is surging. engineers are battling an expanding nuclear crisis that has forced the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. the japanese armed forces are aiding in the search for thousands of missing. millions are without power or heat. and food and water are in short heat. and food and water are in short supply. captioning funded by cbs >>> good morning, everyone, on a very busy monday. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen. three days after the fact the earthquake disaster in japan continues to snowball. the death toll from the nuclear and humanitarian crisis all growing this morning. here's the latest. it's now estimated that at least 10,000 people were killed by friday's massive quake and the tsunami that followed. tens of thousands are missing. early this morning, there was another explosion at a nuclear plant 150 miles north of tokyo. and a third reactor is in jeopardy

reports to know what the people of japan are experiencing now. it was a strange sense of vertigo ceilings were caving in the first thing i did a rush to my daughters i grabbed the older one while my wife took our newborn rushed into the street thank god we're live on the first floor. you re too was lucky to back here quickly but dozens of their friends were buried alive thanks. to the incentive to go several locals were in a car with us we arrived and there was nothing attorneys no longer women start hauling in their fists and can say a word or used to be streets with houses have been turned into just awful if you will then have to go risk earthquake was russia's most destructive in a hundred years over two thousand people die at the town was never a built but the sea snake station was real it was shut down shortly after the collapse of the soviet union and yuri was left without charge but the earthquake changed all that not only was the station reinstated dozens of new ones had been built these time small school calls you read several times a da

here now a look at the images in japan. in the hardest hit corner of japan, survival. in the middle of so much destruction and loss, hope. a group of kindergartners rescued, stranded aboard a boat. now back on land. treating their injuries on the spot. today, growing worries about those who hadn't been found. lists of evacuees were posted at local shelters. >> my husband hasn't come here yet. he left home a little later than me. our house was swept away. >> on the roof of one hospital the staff used towels and sheets to spell out a simple desperate plea. 300 people help. and elsewhere, a young woman says she's glad to be alive. >> we are all right. i'm relieved that my baby was not harmed. >> and that is nbc "nbc nightly news" for this saturday night. i'm lester holt reporting from tokyo japan. i will see you back here tomorrow, on "today". thank you for watching everyone. and good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> good evening. i'm diane dwyer. we begin with more fallout from the magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami in japan. tonight another reactor has

joining us well we go straight to our developing a story a major tsunami has struck a northeastern japan a sending a four meter of wall of water inland which is causing widespread devastation now this tsunami was this which is currently under way was caused by eight point nine magnitude earthquake that struck about one hundred thirty kilometers off the pacific coast aftershocks have been felt within the last few minutes and so far five people are confirmed dead but that number is expected to rise as officials are having a bit of a hard time getting exact numbers of casualties now you can see on your screen that's a huge wall of water just eating up anything in its past that's the latest pictures we're getting from of japan and it's also been reported that the first waves have reached russia's crude. real islands to the north and it's reportedly about a metre high well in japan itself two hundred people have reportedly been washed away with several others missing on japan sendai island that is on the eastern coast it closest to where the earthquake had hit the damage was also felt in toky

or russia has been pledging help and support in stricken japan sending crews of emergency workers and eight episodes the first earthquake triggered blast assays company that is out of the house more moscow's involvement. russia has sent a number of emergency ministry personnel to japan and they're working in any number of locations we know that a lot of other them have already arrived in japan and have basically brought every kind of gear with them to be completely utmost independent or at least two weeks that everything it. says is basically necessary to help with that i believe that assistance or so look for survivors that may still sound under the rubble at the sun all the time has left moscow yesterday that's monday heading that warship that was agent and that was a person out deal specifically with the radiation affected areas so all in all the agency this seat is expected to have at least a hundred people working in japan doing everything necessary everything in their power to give assistance where it may be needed as mr russia knows firsthand experience how difficult it is and

when the last earthquake hit in japan.ommunity center raised about $600,000 in food, clothing, and money to send to japan. as soon as we heard word of the current earthquake and tsunami, we opened a fund. because it happened over the weekend, we haven't been able to gather as a group to decide what we're going to do in the future. tomorrow, we'll get together and discuss the plans we're going to have. >> that's going to include some of the business owners in the area. community members, and anyone who wants to be a part of it? >> soom of the community members will get together first, and we'll let the community know. >> reporter: have some people come to the community center trying to locate family members, or asking for help looking for family members? is the consulate involved in that as well? >> the consulate is very heavily involved. the center was immediately inundated with hundreds of calls, asking how they can help and find relatives and friends in japan. >> reporter: thank you for stepping aside, and talking to us

japan's disaster is serving as a wakeup call. >> this earthquake in japan will help the pacific northwestand what they will need eventually to get ready for. >> reporter: in washington, brian moore, nbc bay area news. >>> watching japan's disaster to unfold is hard for anyone to watch, particularly here in the bay area. activity observed along japan's fault lines before the quake is very similar to what we're seeing here in california. that the same pressure building be neath the surface in japan is evidence in the faults here. >> most of the faults through most of the depth are actually locked. when they're locked, they're not slipping, that means they're not relieving the stress. the stress is building up, and we can measure that distortion with our networks, and that's how -- one of the reasons we're so confident that the earthquakes will be coming in the future. >> the american red cross is hoping the devastation half a world away will inspire people to get prepared, and reach out so japan can rebuild. donating through the red cross is mple. give money online or by phone. just go to a

in southern japan on saturday morning. the meteorological agency has a says aftershocks could follow. e scale of the death and hour.ction in japan is getting at least 573 people have died and more than 740 others are missing. miyagi was a tsunami pounded sendai city washing inland ten kilometers. police say 200 to 300 tiods have been found. in other parts of miyagi prefecture, 62 people have been confirmed ad rescue and identification s bng slowed because much of the area is under water. a fire has engulfed much of the bay area. thfi dasr management agency says the flames may have been sparked after oil leaked in nghring fukushima a uni. prefecture, 91 people have been confirmed dead and more than 480 are missing. tna hhe than 7.3 meters hit a port in the prefecture. wide stretches of the coastline iwata prefecture, at least 191 people have been confirmed dead. more than 200 others are reported missing following a tsunami. in tokyo and neighboring prefectures, 29 people have died, some after being hit by falling deis thumr

so for now this is next with a recap of what's going on in japan. review the latest in science technology from the realms. we've got the future.

bmw has some 800 employees in japan. the company says the 40 germans and their families have returned safely home to germany. bmw plans to assist the japanese employees to move to the relative safety of the southwest of the country. >> of the unfolding disaster in japan said the global stocks tumbling on tuesday with european stocks closing at three and half month lows. the tokyo stock exchange took the worst beating, ending 10.5% down with all of its listed stocks settling in negative territory. it was one of the worst performances for the nikkei on record. tokyo electric power lost 24% on tuesday. the maximum allowable in one session. all 30 stocks on germany's blue- chip dax fell as well, pressured by the growing nuclear crisis in japan. >> the market has been stepped between a crash and a major stop -- major sell-off this tuesday. major concerns about a probable nuclear disaster in japan, it went up -- what down up to 5.5%. share prices recovered slightly but ended up in negative territory by 3%. shares of lufthansa

disaster in japan. a massive military relief and recovery operation is under way in japan this morning, after that 8.9 magnitude earthquake that devastated the island. >>> an explosion at a nuclear power plant has raised fears of a meltdown. hundreds are dead, and that number will most certainly rise. we have full coverage "early" this saturday morning, march we have full coverage "early" this saturday morning, march 12th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs >>> video from less than 30 hours ago in japan, devastating earthquake, 8.9 magnitude. at this hour the official death toll almost 600. and there are other big problems looming this morning. welcome to "the early show" on this saturday morning, i'm russ mitchell. >> and i'm rebecca jarvis. we will continue to follow this story as it develops throughout the morning. >> let's get right to the earthquake in japan, of course. the quake is the fifth largest in recorded history. it was followed by a 23-foot high tsunami. the official death count is 574 dead. t

next peter lavelle's gas discuss the impact of japan's or of the japan earthquake disaster on the global economic recovery and if it can trigger a double dip recession cross-talk coming. hungry for the full story we've got. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers on the. wealthy british science. markets why not scandal. find out what's really happening to the global economy in the kinds of reports on our t.v. . keep. flowing and welcome across town dying peter lavelle japan's agony in the world's x. globalization we are told is a process that can benefit all that's when times are good but when a disaster hits or major economic and trading power the forces of globalization punish the entire international system where does japan go from here. we can. discuss the impact of japan's multiple tragedies i'm joined by patrick young in vienna he is the executive director of devi advisors and dallas we have lloyd dumas he's a professor of political economy economics and public policy at the university of texas at dallas and author of the book the technology trap and

what happens beyond japan.all the countries in the neighboring region that are on tsunami watch tonight and into tomorrow including the united states. hawaiian island. are at risk. >> right. we can for a moment let's seeó[ if anything criticl being said we can dip that the sound. we understand the broadcast is in english. let's listen to what he or she has to say. >> he rack waiting from the coast line in case of tsunami warning and stay away from the coast line. look at that what we see. look at the p.m. tsunami engulfing such a large part of the area. homes being flooded along with farms and p.m. the city. major earthquake hitting japan friday afternoon. the quake measured at magnitude 8.4 one of the largest to ever hit japan. agency issues tsunami warning due to situation like this as you see are helicopter covering lie in northern japan in the area where obviously tsunami has engulfed a large and swept away a large part of the city. in other areas including this area tsunami wave over 4 meters observed soo

events or unfolding in japan is really starting to remind them of what i was a movie. whore to begin examining the scale of the devastation caused by this. earthquake and the tsunami and now with the reports of the explosion at that nuclear power plant who knows what consequences this could bring at the moment russia's emergencies ministry has prepared six jets which are really to deliver doctors medical equipment rescuers and mobile hospital to japan to help japan is actually russia's neighbor in that region northern pacific region and all of this was ordered personally by russia's president dmitry medvedev on a friday these jets have been on standby on friday a rate after that order. was also ordered all the local emergency services and afterwards to be on high alert in the entire. region in russia's far east because the crew islands which are right there in the neighborhood in japan have also been hit by a smaller tsunami wave eleven thousand people have been evacuated and once again after this explosion out of that nuclear power plant in japan they have to be ready

that needs japan's agreement. today they were still negotiating over the size and scope of the operation. >> if our number's called, we're ready to assist in any way possible. >> what kind of stuff could you bring in? >> a variety of stuff, all the way from search and rescue to food and supplies. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes along japan's devastated northeast coast. japanese officials have told us they face a critical shortage of water, blankets and medicine. the u.s. has already conducted helicopter missions along the battered coastline, finding isolated communities of survivors. >> we found essentially hundreds of people. they'd say 100 at this place, 200 at this place, 300 at this place. it's just a matter of getting them out. >> reporter: the message from the u.s. side is that they are ready to go, to bring in a massive amount of assistance, just as soon as they get the green light from japan. a key role will be played by the aircraft carrier uss ronald reagan.

our special coverage of the situation in japan continues after a short break. >> the explosions at japan'sfukushima nuclear power plant have prompted many european countries to review their own safety. here in germany, chancellor angela merkel has announced that her country will suspend an agreement to extend the life of its nuclear power stations. chancellor merkel called the disaster in japan a watershed moment for germany, too. she ruled out a return to everyday business. safety at every german nuclear plant is now under review. >> we will suspend the decision to extend the life-span of germany's nuclear plants. this is a moratorium, and the moratorium will be valid for three months. >> that move could mean temporarily shutting down some of the country's oldest nuclear plants, such as the reactors in two locations. those plants have already reached the end of their life-spans. merkel said the moratorium would not require any new legislation. at the same time, the government is pushing for the development of renewable energies, but it says it has to be an u.-wide effort. >> we can't just

on the eastern coast of japan. go to a google map. the "a" right here where is on the coast of eastern japan. and north of tokyo. and you can just tell this is -- this is something very, very strong for them and they've been in japan for many, many years. guys. >> george, let you continue to communicate with your friends there, so we new information you're going to get out of there. let's go back to bill ellsworth from the usgs. he's with us on the phone right now. bill, you've heard some these reports, we're also hearing on cnn, some people saying that this earthquake may have lasted even a few minutes. what can you tell us about that. >> caller: well, of this quake of magnitude we would expect this to happen. the largest earthquake that has hit japan for at least a century. so it is a very major event. and unfortunately it has affected a very significant part of the industrialized coastline. your reporter mentioned sendi city which is one of the major cities in northern japan. there will be major damage ands. >>

in japan at this moment.workers at the stricken fukushima nuclear plant are scrambling to prevent a meltdown. operators say a partial meltdown probably occurred in at least one reactor. fears are growing that the radioactive molten mass could penetrate the steel hull and potentially lead into the environment. the japanese emperor said he was deeply worried by the crisis in japan during a rare address to the nation. hundreds of thousands of people are still facing food and water shortages, and now snow and ice are hampering rescue efforts. >> stay tuned. after a short break, i will have more international news for you. >> welcome back. the son of gaddafi says government forces have all but retaken the main rebel base of benghazi. he said military operations were over and that the city would fall within 48 hours. forces loyal to gaddafi have retaken a string of coastal towns in the last 11 days, reversing gains made by the rebel army. >> with his forces advancing across the country, libyan leader gaddafi celebr

routes one hundred kilometers north of japan. emergences officials for this region have in turn supplied checks but radiation levels here in the civilian region that would talk to representatives of the ministry some time ago they showed us a car which they quit with professional guide our meters which would measure radiation levels at different places around the city the crowd will be raising the city of usual supply lines so very much is his ministry here assures that as of tuesday morning there is no increase in radiation levels and there is no cause for the residents to panic. in the worst case scenario locals can make. home there's no threat to the health of the people radiation readings are at a normal level. meanwhile russia's defense ministry says that it is ready to sends out its personnel from the poor islands any time soon this is the closest policy of this region to not japan and also sales of i already and have rocketed in pharmacies across the city obviously people want to make sure that they are well prepared in ca

japan is a critical ally.ical ally next door in asia is north korea, is china, and these are countries we've had our difficulties with, so you have to look t it that way. japan has also been there for the united states on issues ranging from nuclear proliferation, global warming, all kinds of stuff. it's not to say we agree on everything. we don't agree on whaling. we don't agree on fishing terms, things like that. but for the most part we would be hard-pressed to find an ally more loyal to the united states than japan. so even when affluent nations like japan has difficulties like this incredible series of events that we've seen, the earthquakes, the tsunami, the aftershocks, that's a time when even an affluent nation like the united states helps a friend. >> does this actually fit into the current budget? he laughs. >> this is where, you know -- this is where we kind of, like, take theory and try to plug it into reality because there are a lot of people out there who know we're trying to deal with this defic

still, japan will rebuild, even if it takes many years. the devastation is likely to tip japan into another recession in the near term. but economist nariman behravesh predicts reconstruction will ultimately give the economy a nice boost. >> at the end of this year and through next year, it could add as much as half to maybe even a full percentage point to growth of the japanese economy. so, it's actually going to be good news starting in about the third quarter. >> reporter: what will japan need to rebuild? in a word, "everything." japan does not produce any raw materials, and it will have to buy everything from iron ore to large scale machinery. urban planner and professor rae zimmerman says rebuilding japan will be one of the most difficult tasks the world has ever faced. >> one of the main challenges is rebuilding our infrastructure and housing and actually getting people to come back to an area that may be contaminated with radiation. this is going to be very unique to this situation. >> reporter: the rebuilding is expected to cost at

four people have been injured following an explosion at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant in japan the roof of the reactor collapse of the extent of the damages on no but they're on fears of a possible meltdown if only as friday's record eight point nine magnitude quake and resulting tsunami difference the number of deaths in japan stands at more than seven hundred reports claiming thousands on the set. of our welcome to you this is aussie live from moscow well first it was one of the world's strongest earthquake then a devastating tsunami now japan faces a nuclear catastrophe an explosion at the fukushima power plant means it's now facing complete meltdown he's either bennett has the latest from take a. here here now is the spread of radiation in the atmosphere and. these concerns is that why not one nuclear reactor but to now be evacuation area area around a second nuclear reactor number two has been extended to ten kilometers that reactor has been under a state of emergency for the last few hours because since the cooling system was knocked out after the earthquake the last lect

since second explosion of japan's fukushima nuclear power plant already crippled by last week's devastating earthquake and the tsunami eleven people have been injured in the blast but the reactors core reportedly remains intact. japanese officials say some two thousand bodies have been found in the miyagi district following friday's massive earthquake and tsunami the findings will significantly increase the number of dead which currently stands at eighteen hundred. and emergency officials are on high alert in russia's foreign eastern southern region that's close to japan's border concerned about the threat of nuclear contamination. coming to you live from our studios in moscow you're watching r t thanks for joining us now to our developing story japanese officials are reassuring locals that radiation levels be a focal sheen one number one power plant are within the legal limits lock to one hundred sixty people could have been exposed to radiation following two explosions up the facility in northeastern or japan along monday morning a second explosion there injured eleven people within a twe

all of japan's major ports were closed as well. and exports of electronic components will likely be delayed. however, analysts estimate the main area affected by the quake accounts for only two percent of japan's economy. >>> on wall street the prospect of decreased demand for oil in japan sent the price of crude lower. that in turn sent the stocks higher. dow picked up 59 points while the nasdaq was up 14. >>> before the tsunami reached california, it sent a furry of water into kona, hawaii. sure wasn't an average day as the ocean rolled right up to buildings and homes. some beachfront hotels got more than a foot of water in their lobbies. so much water flooded inland that fish were actually found inside some buildings. kona is on the western side of the big island. >>> over on maui, a resident took these photos of the damage there. the streets are littered with mud, trees and other debris. waves of up to six feet be pushed rocks up on the door steps of houses. the tsunami hit at 3:00 in the morning in hawaii and took less than an

during fighting talks for japan's prime minister but i can. bring that as a have more from the capital. we know that people in moscow have been flooding to the japanese embassy bringing flowers lighting candles showing their support for the people of japan as they struggle this is a very difficult time various russian dignitaries on the bushels also expressed condolences and pledged support and help to the japanese government and people who know that the russian foreign minister visited the japanese embassy today signing the condolence book and also pledging support to the people of japan in this very difficult time scipio loved wolf said that russia will do everything you can to help the japanese people this is this is the russian rescue is together with rescue teams from other countries searching for those who may still be alive among the country and they're assisting with recovery efforts i very much hope that the joint efforts of the and so my international community will be able to help the people of japan and the japanese government need

halting assembly lines in japan because of the crisis in japan.utting down stores in tokyo. stocks rye rising partly on optimism workers might be able to contain radiation and investors watching g-7 meeting. agreeing that a big conference last night to intervene together in the currency markets for the first time in more than a decade to help stabilize the japanese yen. >>> now, a follow-up to the story we mentioned a few weeks ago on stanford, possibly extend go to the east coast. stanford is proposing to build a engineering campus on roosevelt island just east of manhattan. the complex could cost a billion dollars, house up to 2200 students and offer full graduate degrees. new york mayor asked leading institutions to submit ideas hoping to attract more tech firms. stanford's proposal would be stanford fortunate of new york city. >>> very good news for the future of true san francisco institution. the bay to breakers race has found new sponsors. dazzle has agreed to sponsor the race for the next two years. race organizers had warned the race coul

we begin with the latest from japan. >> even as further earthquakes shake japan, the initial cleanup has begun. the sheer size of the catastrophe poses equally enormous challenges. rubble has to be removed and fires need to be brought under control. this is the oil refinery that will likely continue to burn for days. rebuilding infrastructure will be a top priority. transportation has collapsed in cities hit by the earthquake. some subway lines in tokyo are reportedly up and running again. but millions of commuters remained stranded. >> i was on the train, so it was very strong and quite scary. >> those who cannot make it home spend the night in emergency shelters, like here in me augie -- in miyagi. >> the road show and heaved. it was terrible. >> i do not know how to get home. >> power outages are widespread, and the government has asked supermarkets to provide emergency supplies to those who need it. >> police in japan are now saying they expected the death toll to reach 1000. the kyoto news agencies reported that 1800 homes have been destroyed. we had this report on when the eart

stop guying peter lavelle japan's agony in the world's x. globalization we are told is a process that can benefit all that's when times are good but when a disaster hits a major economic controlling power the forces of globalization punish the entire international system where does japan go from here. to. discuss the impact of japan's multiple tragedies i'm joined by patrick young in vienna he is the executive director of d.d. advisors and dallas we have lloyd dumas he's a professor of political economy economics and public policy at the university of texas at dallas and author of the book the technology trap and in chicopee we cross a michael lynch he is president of strategic energy and economic research and another member of our cross talking yelena hunger all right gentlemen this is crosstalk that means you can jump in anytime you want michael i'd like to go to you first the first question a lot of people are asking looking at these horrific tragedies being played out in japan is what about the global recovery the fragile global recovery