Today's International News From Democracy Now!

Japan Races to Cool Reactors as Radiation Fears Grow

Japan’s nuclear crisis is intensifying. A second reactor unit at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may have ruptured and appears to be releasing radioactive steam. It is unclear how serious the breach might be, but the vessel that possibly ruptured is the last fully intact line of defense against large-scale releases of radioactive material. Several explosions have hit the plant since Friday’s devastating earthquake. The radiation levels around the plant are so high that Japanese authorities abandoned a plan to dump water from military helicopters in an attempt to cool the reactors. More workers are expected to return to the plant today after radiation levels forced their evacuation.

Quake, Tsunami Toll Tops 11,000

As Japan attempts to prevent nuclear catastrophe, the recovery effort from the earthquake and tsunami continues. The official toll of the dead and missing has now passed 11,000.

Bahraini Forces Attack Protesters in Manama

In Bahrain, state forces have launched what appears to be a vicious assault on protesters in the capital, Manama. Earlier today, troops backed by tanks and helicopters stormed the Pearl Roundabout, the epicenter of protests over the last month. At least two protesters were reportedly killed and hundreds wounded after Bahraini forces attacked them from all sides and fired tear gas into the crowds. Some witnesses reported firing from U.S.-supplied Apache helicopters. The attack comes one day after the Bahraini government declared a state of emergency. Well over a thousand Saudi and United Arab Emirate troops have entered Bahrain to support the ruling monarchy. It is unclear if any foreign soldiers were involved in today’s violence. Bahrain is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. On a visit to Egypt just hours before the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for restraint "on all sides."

Michigan

The Michigan State Assembly has given final approval to an emergency financial management bill decried by critics as an attack on workers and basic democracy. Under the bill, emergency financial managers would be allowed to break union contracts, dismiss elected officials and even disincorporate entire municipalities. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign the measure into law. Snyder is also attempting to push through a plan to tax the public and private pensions of senior citizens. Over a thousand people held a protest outside the State Capitol in Lansing Tuesday before attempting a sit-in inside. Protesters are vowing to return for another rally today.

Hundreds Protest Anti-Teacher Bill in Tennessee

In Tennessee, hundreds of people rallied at the Capitol in Nashville against a measure that would strip the collective bargaining rights of public school teachers. Seven people were arrested after disrupting a Senate hearing.

Uzbekistan Expels Human Rights Watch

Uzbekistan has expelled employees of Human Rights Watch after what the group calls years of government harassment. Human Rights Watch has recently criticized attempts by the United States and the European Union to repair relations with Uzbekistan, saying it should be held accountable for a human rights record that includes torture, the murder of unarmed civilians, and the arbitrary jailing of activists and journalists. Uzbekistan provides a key supply route for military shipments to Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Democracy Now! reached Steve Swerdlow, Human Rights Watch’s Uzbekistan Researcher.

Steve Swerdlow: "The government of Uzbekistan has expelled Human Rights Watch from the country. This is the first time that, in its 33-year history, Human Rights Watch has been forced to close any of its field offices, and this is a reflection of the increasingly dire human rights situation in Uzbekistan today. Uzbekistan has one of the worst human rights records in the world. It’s synonymous with torture in its criminal justice system. It’s known for forced child labor in the cotton sector. And it’s also known for the continued imprisonment of dozens of human rights activists, independent journalists and political figures. With our expulsion today, we’re extremely concerned about the impact our closure will have on the increasingly isolated and beleaguered civil society in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan, in the last several years, has played a much more increasingly strategic role with the United States in that it allows the U.S. to transit supplies to its troops, its NATO troops, to the south in Afghanistan. And for that reason, the United States, and also the E.U., have been turning a blind eye to a worsening human rights situation there. So, today, Human Rights Watch is calling on the United States and the European Union to publicly condemn the expulsion of Human Rights Watch and, more importantly, the crackdown on the remaining civil society activists."

Utah Enacts Anti-Immigrant Bill

In Utah, Republican Gov. Gary Herbert has signed into a law a new package of measures similar to last year’s anti-immigrant crackdown in Arizona. Utah’s Republican-controlled legislature approved the laws earlier this month. Immigrant rights activists are expected to challenge provisions that force law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of people stopped for violations.

Report: U.S. Deploys Drones in Mexico

The New York Times is reporting the U.S. government has begun sending drones into Mexican territory in an effort to monitor the drug trade. The secret program began with a formal agreement between President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón last month. Administration officials say drones helped capture suspects in the recent killing of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Mexico.