Japan Minister Quits Over Nuke Joke

Japan still isn't laughing about the devastating nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Dai-ichi, but its newest ex-minister of the nuclear industry apparently thinks it's quite amusing. After returning from a trip to Fukushima on Thursday, Yoshio Hachiro reportedly rubbed against a journalist, joking, "I'll give you radiation." Hachiro resigned over the flap yesterday, just eight days after the government took office, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Yoshihiko Noda, Japan's sixth prime minister in five years, apologized quickly and tried to distance himself from Hachiro, as many of those previous, short-lived governments were undermined by similar gaffes. But Noda is expected to come under harsh questioning in the new parliament this week. "There was already great mistrust of his personnel appointments," said one analyst. (More Japan stories.)