Chernobyl to be covered in steel

The authorities in Ukraine have approved a giant
steel cover for the radioactive site of the world's worst nuclear
disaster - Chernobyl.

Ukraine has hired a French firm to build the structure
to replace the crumbling concrete casing put over the reactor after the
1986 accident.

The casing project is expected to cost $1.4bn (£700m).

It will take five years to complete and the authorities say they will then be able to start dismantling the reactor.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko hailed the project:

"Today is probably the first time that we can openly
look into the eyes of the national and international community and say
that a solution to the problem that has long been called the Chernobyl
problem was formally found," he said.