Japan earthquake

Stories 81 - 100 | << Prev   Next >>

What Really Happened When Quake Hit Fukushima

Nuclear crisis was more desperate than the world realized

(Newser) - The first 24 hours of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi were more chaotic and dangerous than the outside world ever dreamed. When the tsunami hit and knocked out the plant’s backup generators, workers turned into scavengers, searching nearby homes for flashlights and ripping the batteries out of...

Japan to Aging Nuke Plant: Shut Down

Hamaoka plant in earthquake-prone region closer to Tokyo than Fukushima Dai-ichi

(Newser) - Nearly two months after an earthquake-tsunami one-two sent Fukushima Dai-ichi into a nuclear crisis that will haunt it for decades, Japan is telling another aging nuclear plant to close its doors until it can muster stronger defenses against Mother Nature. The decision might seem like it took an eternity to...

Workers Venture Back Into Exploded Reactor

They're attempting to use ventilation system to clear radioactive air

(Newser) - Workers entered one of the damaged reactor buildings at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant today for the first time since it was rocked by an explosion in the days after a devastating earthquake, the country's nuclear safety agency said. They'll attempt to connect ventilation equipment in Unit...

Japan's Auto Sales Plummet 51%

Quake-prompted parts shortage leads to largest plunge in history

(Newser) - Japan saw auto sales drop 51% in April compared to sales a year earlier, the biggest plunge since record-keeping began in 1968. The earthquake- and tsunami-prompted parts shortage squeezed production and dealers’ supplies; just 108,824 vehicles sold last month. Toyota was the hardest-hit, with sales sinking 68.7% to...

S&amp;P Downgrades Japan, Too
 S&P Downgrades Japan, Too 
Apr 27, 2011 8:24 AM CDT

S&P Downgrades Japan, Too

Rating agency fears cost of rebuilding will damage country's finances

(Newser) - Looks like the US has some company: Standard & Poor’s has downgraded Japan’s credit outlook to negative, much as it did for the US last week. In Japan’s case the culprit is, of course, the earthquake and tsunami, which S&P believes could cost the government as...

Japan Launching Massive Recovery Mission

Soldiers aim to retrieve bodies from land and sea

(Newser) - Japan will begin an extensive recovery mission tomorrow, sending almost 25,000 soldiers into the disaster zone to look for the bodies of last month’s earthquake and tsunami victims. About 14,300 people are confirmed dead, but another 12,000 are still missing and presumed killed, the AP reports....

Quake Could Knock Toyota From No. 1 Auto Spot

Automaker won't be back up to full production until November

(Newser) - Toyota's global car production, disrupted by parts shortages from Japan's earthquake and tsunami, won't return to normal until November or December—imperiling its spot as the world's top-selling automaker. "To all the customers who made the decision to buy a vehicle made by us, I...

Pope Talks Japan, Iraq in Rare TV Chat

First time Benedict has used television to speak directly with public

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI marked Good Friday by holding his first-ever televised question-and-answer session. “In His Image” aimed to update the Catholic Church’s image as the pope offered prerecorded responses to questions from around the world. Among the seven questioners was a 7-year-old in Japan, who asked why her...

Japan Bans Entering Evacuation Zone

Residents barred from returning amidst radiation fears

(Newser) - The 12.5 miles surrounding the foundering Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant are now officially off limits, the Japanese government announced yesterday. Until now, the government had merely advised people that entering the evacuation zone was a bad idea, but many residents ignored that advice, venturing in to retrieve their possessions...

Town Washed Away in New Tsunami Video

Residents flee rushing waters

(Newser) - An entire town is washed away in minutes. Panicked residents try to escape as the waters rush toward them. It sounds like something out of a disaster movie, but it’s horribly, terrifyingly real. Mashable points to the new footage of the Japan tsunami, posted on YouTube last week, and...

Tepco: Fukushima Crisis Over in 6-9 Months

Plant operator outlines plans to shut down reactors

(Newser) - Tepco today laid out a plan to have the nuclear crisis at Fukushima Dai-ichi contained within six to nine months. "We sincerely apologize for causing troubles," said Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata in unveiling the plan. "We are doing our utmost to prevent the crisis from further worsening."...

Radioactivity Spikes Again in Sea Near Fukushima Plant

It could be a sign of more leaks

(Newser) - Radioactivity has been rising in the seawater around the Fukushima nuclear plant in recent days, which could mean that the plant has new leaks, reports AP . Japanese authorities today reported increased levels of iodine-131, cesium-134, and cesium-137. "We want to determine the origin and contain the leak, but I...

Japan: Here, Eat Some Veggies
 Japan: Here, Eat Some Veggies 
Apr 16, 2011 6:20 AM CDT

Japan: Here, Eat Some Veggies

They're good for you, not oozing radiation

(Newser) - Japan has become the latest ardent convert of the locavore movement, reports the Washington Post, launching a public relations blitz intent on convincing its citizenry that produce fresh from the nuclear-contaminated Fukushima prefecture is safe, even yummy. The government even opened a restaurant yesterday, making a show of high-ranking politicians...

TEPCO Must Pay Fukushima Evacuees

Families will receive about $12K each as compensation

(Newser) - Tokyo Electric Power Co. has been ordered to pay evacuees a little something for their troubles—"little" being the operative word, complain many. Starting April 28, each family will receive about $12,000; individuals will get about $9,000, the AP reports. While some say it's a good...

Japanese Suffering 'Earthquake Sickness'

Aftershocks expected to continue for up to 10 years

(Newser) - As aftershocks from the devastating March 11 earthquake continue to rock Japan, doctors say they been treating large numbers of people suffering from "earthquake sickness." Sufferers sometimes think the ground is shaking even when it isn't; other symptoms include dizziness and anxiety. Doctors liken the feeling of "...

Tsunami Victim's Body Washes Ashore in Oregon

Californian Dustin Weber was swept into ocean 380 miles away

(Newser) - The body of the sole West Coast victim of last month's tsunami washed ashore on an Oregon beach 383 miles away from where he was swept away in California. The body of Dustin Weber, 25, was discovered earlier this month—22 days after the tsunami triggered by Japan's massive earthquake—...

What Does Fukushima's Level 7 Mean?

It sounds really, really bad. Is it?

(Newser) - Japan has made the decision to raise the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster severity level from 5 to 7. That obviously means "worse." But what else does it mean?
  • Japan finally has an estimate on how much radiation has been released: The level is an indication of the total
...

Japan Nuke Crisis Raised to Chernobyl Level

Fukushima Dai-ichi may have spilled more radiation than thought

(Newser) - Japan has decided to raise the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster from 5 to 7, according to government sources, a severity level only previously seen in Chernobyl, reports Kyodo News. The country's Nuclear Safety Commission today found that at times after the breach, the plant was emitting some 10,000 terabecquerels...

Money-Packed Safes Wash Up in Japan

Problem acute in a nation where many elderly do not use banks

(Newser) - Last month's devastating earthquake in Japan has created an unexpected problem—there's cash everywhere. Many people in Japan, especially the elderly, stash their money at home, and hundreds, if not thousands, of safes filled with valuables that were washed away in the massive tsunami are turning up. But identifying the...

Japan Earthquake Sends 'Island' of Debris to Hawaii, US West Coast
 'Island' of Earthquake 
 Debris Headed for US 
in case you missed it
Apr 10, 2011 6:09 AM CDT

'Island' of Earthquake Debris Headed for US

Tires, cars, and human remains to wash up in Hawaii, west coast

(Newser) - If oceanographers are right, a veritable island of cars, houses, human remains, and other debris from Japan’s earthquake will soon wash ashore in Hawaii, and from there travel to the west coast of the US. Using computer models developed by tracking buoys across the ocean, researchers at the University...

Stories 81 - 100 | << Prev   Next >>