Fukushima
Japan nuclear: UN says tsunami risk was underestimated
The UN nuclear energy agency has said Japan underestimated the risk of a tsunami hitting a nuclear power plant. However, the response to the nuclear crisis that followed the 11 March quake and tsunami was "exemplary", it said. The International...
Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan 'unready for typhoon'
Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is not fully prepared for heavy rain and winds of a typhoon heading towards the country, officials admit. Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), which runs the plant, said some reactor buildings were uncovered, prompting...
Japan moves people beyond bigger Fukushima no-go zone
Residents have been moved further away from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant as the no-go zone is extended and repair works are halted. People left their homes in the two towns of Kawamata and Iitate to spend their first night in evacuation centres...
Twitter 'vital' link to patients, say doctors in Japan
In the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan, Twitter is proving "an excellent system" for communicating with chronically-ill patients, say doctors. In letters written to The Lancet, Japanese doctors say social networking sites have been vital...
Japan PM orders halt at Hamaoka nuclear plant
Japan's prime minister has told a power company to halt operations at another nuclear plant due to fears an earthquake could trigger a new crisis. Naoto Kan said three reactors at Hamaoka plant should be suspended until new safety measures were put in...
Fukushima workers enter nuclear reactor building
Workers at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant have entered one of its reactor buildings for the first time since it was hit by a powerful earthquake on 11 March, officials say. They are installing ventilation systems in the No 1 reactor to filter out radioactive...
Japan passes budget for emergency earthquake relief
Japan's parliament has passed a 4tn yen ($49bn, £30bn) emergency budget for reconstruction following the 11 March earthquake and tsunami. The bill, unveiled last month, passed the lower house on Saturday and was approved unanimously by the upper...
Japan: Huge troop search for quake and tsunami bodies
Japan has deployed nearly 25,000 troops to search for the bodies of those missing since the earthquake and tsunami that devastated north-eastern areas more than six weeks ago. The search is the third such large-scale effort since the disaster. Twelve...
Japan bans entry into Fukushima evacuation zone
Japan has made it illegal to enter a 20km (12-mile) evacuation zone around the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor. People were urged to leave the area shortly after the 11 March earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant, but the order was not enforced...
Japan uses robots to measure radiation at nuclear plant
Remote-controlled robots are being sent into the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant to measure radiation levels. The readings from two reactors showed a harsh environment for humans to work in, complicating efforts to stabilise the damaged reactors. ...
