Japan

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Fukushima Radiation Found in California Kelp

'It's not a good thing,' says researcher

(Newser) - A major fallout from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster has hit the coast of California, according to scientists. Radioactive iodine was found in giant kelp beds off Laguna Beach to Santa Cruz within a month of the meltdown, reports the Los Angeles Times . The radiation "represents a significant...

Tsunami Ghost Ship to Rest in Watery Grave

US Coast Guard to stud vessel's hull with holes this morning

(Newser) - The ghostly Japanese squid-fishing boat that has been drifting its way across the Pacific in the wake of the March 2011 tsunami has been given a fate: It will be sunk. The US Coast Guard plans to use a 25-millimeter cannon to stud the unmanned ship's hull with holes...

Next Japanese Tsunami: More Than Twice as High

A 9.0 earthquake could trigger 112-foot tsunami

(Newser) - Much of Japan's Pacific coast could be inundated by a tsunami more than 115 feet high if a powerful earthquake hits offshore, according to revised estimates by a government panel. The panel of experts says any tsunami unleashed by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake in the Nankai trough, which runs...

Japan Court to Google: Switch Off AutoComplete

Man complained that results ruined his life

(Newser) - A Japanese court has ruled in favor of a man who blames Google's autocomplete search function for his failure to find a job. The court ordered the search engine to switch off the feature for the man's name after hearing that when it was typed in, results connecting...

Tsunami 'Ghost Ship' Spotted Off Coast

Canada monitors squid-fishing boat for marine pollution

(Newser) - Canadian air patrol has spotted an empty Japanese squid-fishing boat drifting across the Pacific and heading for land. Beat-up and likely worthless, the 150-foot ship is part of 20 million tons of tsunami debris floating toward US and Canadian shores—so Canadian authorities may just leave it alone, the Vancouver ...

2nd Quake Strikes Japan, Near Tokyo

Registered as magnitude 6.1

(Newser) - An earthquake has rattled the Tokyo area hours after a stronger tremor caused a small tsunami on the northern Japanese coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the second earthquake was magnitude 6.1, and took place just off the coast of Chiba, east of Tokyo, at a rather shallow 6...

6.8-Magnitude Quake Rattles Japan

Town of Otsuchi issued an evacuation order

(Newser) - A strong earthquake shook northern Japan last night, causing small tidal changes on its Pacific coastline; no damage or injury was reported. Several towns issued evacuation orders or advisories to residents nearest the coast. A swelling of 8 inches was observed in the port of Hachinohe in Aomori, northern Japan,...

Somber Japan Marks Year Since Quake

Country pauses to remember its dead

(Newser) - At 2:46pm local time today, people all across Japan stood in silence to remember the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami exactly one year ago that killed more than 19,000 people, destroyed 370,000 homes, and created the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, reports the AP...

Global Happiness Tops Pre-Recession Levels
 Global Happiness Tops 
 Pre-Recession Levels 
Ipsos Poll
Feb 26, 2012 7:54 AM CST

Global Happiness Tops Pre-Recession Levels

Happiness up most in developing world; rich Europe gloomier

(Newser) - People are happier today than they were before the worldwide recession hit, according to an Ipsos survey of 19,000 adults in 24 countries, reports the Economist . Those calling themselves "happy" numbered 77% in the poll, up from 74% in 2007, and those who labeled themselves "very happy"...

Japanese Firm Plans Space Elevator

Mammoth device would carry passengers more than 22K miles into the sky

(Newser) - Obayashi Corp. likes building tall towers—it's days from completing a 2,080-foot skyscraper in Tokyo— and now it's working on the granddaddy of them all: A "space elevator" that could carry people 22,370 miles into the air. On Monday, the company announced that it was...

Ex Olympus Execs Arrested Over Cover-Up

Ex-chairman, others implicated in $1.5B loss dating to '90s

(Newser) - Japanese prosecutors today arrested three former Olympus executives, including the company's ex-chairman, over their alleged roles in orchestrating a cover-up of massive losses at the camera and medical equipment maker. Former chair Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, along with executives Hideo Yamada and Hisashi Mori, were arrested on charges of violating securities...

Japan's Economy Shrinks More Than Expected

Rising yen, falling international demand, led to 2.3% contraction

(Newser) - Economists were expecting the Japanese economy to contract in the last quarter of 2011, but not this badly, reports the BBC . Japan's gross domestic product shrunk 2.3% in the last three months of the year, much worse than the 1.4% economists were predicting, due to the yen...

Japan's Emperor to Have Heart Bypass

Akihito has suffered from variety of health problems in recent years

(Newser) - Japanese Emperor Akihito will have heart bypass surgery later this month, his palace said today after the 78-year-old monarch was hospitalized for tests over the weekend. Akihito returned to the palace today after the tests and has scheduled the surgery for Feb. 18, the Imperial Household Agency said.

US Military Looking for Foothold in Philippines

But doesn't intend to reopen bases

(Newser) - The US military is seeking more access to the Philippines, sources tell Reuters , though not, they hasten to add, new full-blown bases there. The Philippines voted to remove gigantic US naval and air bases 20 years ago, but the country remains a US ally, and the US is hoping for...

Japan Kept Worst-Case Nuclear Fears Under Wraps

Fukushima report warned that all of Tokyo might need to be evacuated

(Newser) - Japanese officials were told that last year's nuclear disaster could have required the evacuation of tens of millions—but they didn't mention it, worried that the information might cause a panic. A 15-page report, given to the prime minister two weeks after the earthquake, was obtained by the...

Japan Reports 1st Trade Deficit in 30 Years

And that could mean trouble for its national debt

(Newser) - Japan reported its first trade deficit since 1980 today, a $32 billion shortfall caused in part by the tsunami that struck the country, and in part by the strengthening yen. And while the tsunami may have been a freak occurrence, experts tell the AP that the deficit isn't. "...

Japan PM: Act Now, or We'll End Up Like Europe

He wants to double the national sales tax

(Newser) - With Japan's public debt twice the size of its GDP, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the country needs to start making massive cuts to avoid the credit turmoil that has rocked Europe in recent months and caused credit downgrades across the eurozone yesterday , reports the AP . "Even France...

Activists Tangle With Japanese Whaler

Sea Shepherd up to its usual tricks; Japan not amused

(Newser) - It's whaling season in the Antarctic Ocean, which means the rotten-butter-wielding activists at Sea Shepherd were busy making life miserable for the Japanese whaler Yushin Maru No. 2 today. Activists hurled paint and butyric acid—found in the aforementioned rotten butter—at the ship, as well as ropes designed...

New Pain for Iran: Japan Jumps Aboard Embargo

Meanwhile, the US sends two new aircraft carriers to the Arabian Sea

(Newser) - It looks like things are about to get a little bit more uncomfortable for Iran: Japan today agreed to align itself with Washington and reduce the amount of oil it imports from Iran. Japan is extremely dependent on foreign fuel, and currently gets about 10% of its oil from Iran;...

Japan to Shut Nuke Plants at 40 Years

Public concerns force stiffening of safety regulations

(Newser) - Nuclear reactors in Japan will be retired after 40 years of use, as part of the government's efforts to step up nuclear safety in the aftermath of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant disaster last March, reports the AP . There are 54 reactors in Japan, 18 of which will be 40...

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