2 Die in FedEx Plane Crash in Japan

(NEWSER) - A notoriously finicky airplane may have contributed to the Tokyo crash that killed two American FedEx pilots today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is believed to handle poorly in high winds, which were reported at the time of the crash. Though problems with the flight-control systems were addressed by the company nearly 10 years ago, they were blamed in a series of accidents. More»

But no injuries, damage reported

(AP) - A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck under the sea south of Japan today, shaking buildings in the capital but causing no apparent damage or tsunami. The quake struck near the uninhabited island of Torishima in the Pacific Ocean, about 370 miles south of Tokyo, and its epicenter was about 230 miles below the sea, the Meterological Agency said. Buildings in the Tokyo area shook, but no damage or injuries were reported, and no abnormalities were reported at power plants. More»

Tiny city would be a place for government to retreat in an emergency

(NEWSER) - The Japanese government wants to be prepared in case Tokyo gets hit with another natural disaster—so officials have devised a plan to build a miniature “backup” capital around an airport some 300 miles away. This little city would include all the buildings the parliament and ministry need to function—along with office buildings, resort facilities, parks, and casinos, Wired reports. It would also include a 2,140-foot skyscraper—which would currently be the second largest on earth. More»

Air traffic controller apparently just wanted to impress friends

(NEWSER) - An air traffic controller in Tokyo is in hot water after posting secret information on his blog, including the flight plan of Air Force One when President Obama visited last year. The controller apparently wasn't looking to cause trouble but to impress his friends with all the cool stuff he was privy to in his job at Haneda Airport. He also posted details on the flight plan of a US drone gathering data near the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, according to Japanese media reports rounded up by AP . More»

Massive rescue operation gets under way

(NEWSER) - Morning has brought a clearer sense of the devastation in Japan caused by the fifth-largest earthquake recorded since 1900. Japanese media reports say the death toll from the quake-tsunami combination will certainly exceed 1,000, but no firm totals could be had. More than 120 aftershocks were recorded, reports AP , most with a magnitude of at least 5.0. Click for related coverage. More»