Over 350 in Japan sickened by tainted frozen food

<div class="articlebody" id="abody">TOKYO - More than 350 people have been sickened across Japan after eating frozen food products that may have been tainted with a pesticide, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.<br /><br /><br /> <img alt="In this Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 photo, the notice of apology and recall is placed on the shelves of frozen food products at a supermarket in Fujisawa, near Tokyo. More than 350 people have been sickened across Japan after eating frozen food products that may have been tainted with a pesticide, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. Food maker Maruha Nichiro Holdings began recalling 6.4 million packages of various frozen foods on Dec. 29, saying it found some were tainted by high levels of pesticides. The company has received hundreds of thousands of calls about the problem. Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi, AP / AP" height="424" id="seattlepi-photo-5693427" src="http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/25/55/77/5693427/3/628x471.jpg" width="640" /><br /><br /><br />Food maker Maruha Nichiro Holdings began recalling 6.4 million packages of various frozen foods on Dec. 29, saying it found some were tainted by high levels of pesticides. The company has received hundreds of thousands of calls about the problem.<br /><br />It used full-page advertising space in Japan's major newspapers Wednesday to apologize and warn consumers not to eat any of the tainted frozen food, including pizza, croquettes and pancakes manufactured in one factory in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo.<br /><br />"The products will have a strong smell and eating them may cause vomiting and stomach pain," it said in the notice, which included 51 color photos of the problem products.<br /><br />NHK said information from local governments showed 356 people suffered vomiting, diarrhea and other problems after eating items subject to the recall. But it was not clear if consumption of the tainted products was directly responsible for the illnesses, NHK said.<br /><br />Tokyo-based Maruha Nichiro says it has retrieved about 1.1 million packages subject to the recall so far. Last week, it issued a formal apology and appealed to consumers not to eat any of the affected products. Police are investigating how the items were contaminated with the pesticide malathion, reportedly by up to 2.6 million times the allowable limit.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuEZgZ8wv5L_eAqPXNFe7089-AmgtDBfPh3tMujiKHSTTtgKn7F9-BKDgFhyphenhyphenIt04LO-9Tpm8z3rf9N13gfg8RDu-cnC_gcvhEyRQPxVqjIHejUSjgvp01xAclMa1RWzfdheQCsZXcTqY/s1600/518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuEZgZ8wv5L_eAqPXNFe7089-AmgtDBfPh3tMujiKHSTTtgKn7F9-BKDgFhyphenhyphenIt04LO-9Tpm8z3rf9N13gfg8RDu-cnC_gcvhEyRQPxVqjIHejUSjgvp01xAclMa1RWzfdheQCsZXcTqY/s1600/518.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Malathion is a pesticide used in farming and gardening and also to kill fleas on animals and people. At high enough concentrations, it can cause death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQwlUBFuqWi3N4Lxp6-NzHWgk__ljTf2Htf0Qim5oQX6kzXus0ge5is4bus198HPvJnhBQ2pbh4XcrA95-c5_-0nvC-JBHrXNVwAWoj2sAQR93ckjf1YcqqVY5fxtsqoNaJiS28lS2no/s1600/noimgs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQwlUBFuqWi3N4Lxp6-NzHWgk__ljTf2Htf0Qim5oQX6kzXus0ge5is4bus198HPvJnhBQ2pbh4XcrA95-c5_-0nvC-JBHrXNVwAWoj2sAQR93ckjf1YcqqVY5fxtsqoNaJiS28lS2no/s1600/noimgs.jpg" /></a>There have been no reports of life-threatening illnesses from Maruha's products, but the contamination has further shaken public confidence undermined by various food quality scandals.<br /><br />Late last year a slew of top-notch hotels and department stores apologized after it was found that some of the items they were selling were actually cheaper substitutes.<br /><br /><br /><br /> <img alt="A woman shops at a supermarket in Tokyo, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. More than 350 people have been sickened across Japan after eating frozen food products that may have been tainted with a pesticide, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. Food maker Maruha Nichiro Holdings began recalling 6.4 million packages of various frozen foods on Dec. 29, saying it found some were tainted by high levels of pesticides. The company has received hundreds of thousands of calls about the problem. Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi, AP / AP" height="419" id="seattlepi-photo-5693428" src="http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/25/55/77/5693428/3/628x471.jpg" width="640" /></div>

Over 350 in Japan sickened by tainted frozen food

TOKYO - More than 350 people have been sickened across Japan after eating frozen food products that may have been tainted with a pesticide...

Japan to pay $3.1bn to remove U.S. troops from Okinawa-"will host spy drones"

<br />Tokyo is to foot a $3.1 billion bill, which is part of the cost for relocating American troops from Okinawa. For the first time, it will also host US long-range surveillance drones, which would help to monitor disputed islands in the East China Sea.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6XxMWrko-nKvV4ruQafO4WDZhFhUZzIzmVWjGNiSvHhHjN6H40RdxiJevrnl7K8UwsDoGcby1FOYFe1bWbpsaDPSG_G-NPUu2xl_KQAuEUItHgPk2HNH9OrHtPNvTbdSwtM3cBc9Kek/s1600/japan-us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6XxMWrko-nKvV4ruQafO4WDZhFhUZzIzmVWjGNiSvHhHjN6H40RdxiJevrnl7K8UwsDoGcby1FOYFe1bWbpsaDPSG_G-NPUu2xl_KQAuEUItHgPk2HNH9OrHtPNvTbdSwtM3cBc9Kek/s1600/japan-us.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The cost-sharing agreement for the troop transfer and the future deployment of drones by next spring are both part of an effort aimed at updating the US-Japan military and diplomatic alliance.<br /><br />The pledge to modernize the alliance for the first time in 16 years was made in a joint declaration during the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who met their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera.<br /><br />Japan hosts some 50,000 American soldiers and officers, particularly in Okinawa. Their presence is a constant source of tension with local populations due to crimes committed by the servicemen, disruptions caused by military flights and land use by the US military.<br /><br />Last year the countries announced a plan to relocate about 9,000 US Marines from Okinawa to other locations. 5,000 of them will go to Guam while others will be stationed elsewhere. The estimated cost of the relocation is about $8.6 billion.<br /><br />Japan will cover $3.1 billion of that sum, the officials from the two countries announced on Thursday. The cost includes development of new facilities in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.<br /><br />As the foot soldiers leave, US Global Hawk unmanned aircraft will be arriving, marking the first time that American drones will be stationed on Japanese soil on a permanent basis. Two or three long-range spy drones will be placed at a US base to help monitor Japan’s territory.<br /><br />While the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea was not mentioned in the documents, the islands contested by Japan, China and Taiwan was a prevailing topic in public speeches after the signing.<br /><br />Hagel said the US reiterated that it recognizes Japan's administration of the islands and has responsibilities to protect Japanese territory under a mutual defense treaty.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0omIGpLjZy2sSKQuJ4Ww1L3OFVVyM_ysvZwEjXYCQSlSwgJ0zLrR0UG34soUiNPWHayyWjxXzpmcric-izMfw8MZS0fWniNEf52RV3mFCUSo0m2c9JGzpdNgCSAXxK8X-Wz6qouXJTDA/s1600/z-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0omIGpLjZy2sSKQuJ4Ww1L3OFVVyM_ysvZwEjXYCQSlSwgJ0zLrR0UG34soUiNPWHayyWjxXzpmcric-izMfw8MZS0fWniNEf52RV3mFCUSo0m2c9JGzpdNgCSAXxK8X-Wz6qouXJTDA/s1600/z-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A file picture taken on April 24, 2010 shows planes and helicopters stationed at the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma base in Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />"We strongly oppose any unilateral or coercive action that seeks to undermine Japan's administrative control," he said.<br /><br />The US will also deploy second X-band early warning radar in Japan. Officials were careful to stress that it will be directed against North Korea rather than China, and will help track down and probably intercept missiles coming from the defiant state. The plan to deploy radar was first announced by the then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about a year ago. The new system will be placed at Kyogamisaki air base in Kyoto prefecture in western Japan to complement already existing radar in the northern part of Japan.<br /><br />Beijing however may not be convinced by the assurances. It has criticized the installation of the inaugural military radar, saying it could disrupt the strategic military balance in the region and destabilize the situation.<br /><br />Other plans to boost US military presence in Japan include possible deployment of F-35 jet fighters around 2017, a top UN official told AP. There is also a plan to send Navy P-8 anti-submarine aircraft later this year - the first time the sub-killers deployment outside of US.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaRMcQJh2yaw-Z6sZbPNwwZpDXwoiNDjSrqbA8tDtYiOvWT-TN60SF_Sna5nYX-qRC-r1xqwzCd8oPUsT_9ywdN6-neoAP3VmziX5N_bS5a5B71NNYgfIqR6LEB4Jj7RWPAJzOFLJUk8/s1600/z-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaRMcQJh2yaw-Z6sZbPNwwZpDXwoiNDjSrqbA8tDtYiOvWT-TN60SF_Sna5nYX-qRC-r1xqwzCd8oPUsT_9ywdN6-neoAP3VmziX5N_bS5a5B71NNYgfIqR6LEB4Jj7RWPAJzOFLJUk8/s1600/z-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The upgrade also expands cooperation in areas like counter-terrorism and cyber warfare. The Internet threat is the one that Japan sometimes cannot defend itself against with the systems it currently has, Kazunori Kimura, the Defense Ministry's director of cyber-defense planning, told Reuters.<br /><br />

Japan to pay $3.1bn to remove U.S. troops from Okinawa-"will host spy drones"

Tokyo is to foot a $3.1 billion bill, which is part of the cost for relocating American troops from Okinawa. For the first time, it will als...

Japan government plans to offer more than $14 billion in corporate tax cuts: media

TOKYO - Japan's government will include more than $14.1 billion in corporate tax cuts in an economic stimulus package intended to offset the blow from planned sales tax hikes, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://preview.reuters.com/api/dev/items/523b9025964bfd079f831404/versions/1/sizes/310~16-10" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures as he delivers a speech at a seminar in Tokyo June 5, 2013. REUTERS/Toru Hanai" border="0" src="http://preview.reuters.com/api/dev/items/523b9025964bfd079f831404/versions/1/sizes/310~16-10" /></a>The tax breaks, which are worth 1.4 trillion yen, will be part of an economic stimulus in excess of 5 trillion yen, the Nikkei said, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepares to approve on October 1 an increase in the sales tax needed to pay for welfare spending.<br /><br />The sales tax hike is the biggest effort in years by the world's third-largest economy to contain public debt of more than $10 trillion, which at more than twice the value of gross domestic product is the largest burden among major economies.<br /><br />Some of Abe's senior ministers have openly cautioned that the tax hike could derail the escape from deflation. The corporate tax cuts are expected to buffer the economy from such risks and ensure Abe's cocktail of aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus puts growth on a sustainable footing over the long-term.<br /><br />The government will use reserves from last year's budget and extra tax revenue from the current fiscal year to fund the stimulus package, but if the size of the package increases it may be difficult to avoid issuing new debt, the Nikkei said.<br /><br />The government will end a temporary increase in the corporate tax from fiscal 2014, one year earlier than planned, which will save companies 900 billion yen, the Nikkei said without citing sources.<br /><br />These steps would lower the effective corporate tax rate to 35.6 percent next fiscal year from 38.0 percent currently, the Nikkei said.<br /><br />The government will also offer 500 billion yen in tax breaks on capital expenditure spending from the current fiscal year, the Nikkei said.<br /><br />The scheme also includes 1 trillion yen in public works spending for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, 300 billion yen in handouts to low-income earners and 400 billion yen in tax breaks for new home owners, the Nikkei said.<br /><br />($1 = 99.4750 Japanese yen)

Japan government plans to offer more than $14 billion in corporate tax cuts: media

TOKYO - Japan's government will include more than $14.1 billion in corporate tax cuts in an economic stimulus package intended to offset...

Obama to meet with Japan's Abe in Russia

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFVME7TFrPDq3K_r4lK8Asz3IpoNpR7Udcjvo_fHC08TYHm_w7EJy3uQIoBO375DDf3RiT-5QMqJq7BncJWgfBzDH28dq0WqAKlIqw7uGv2qF-pKgAsxi4ZAx1G_Dcd6LWhzciQ-x9tw/s1600/Obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFVME7TFrPDq3K_r4lK8Asz3IpoNpR7Udcjvo_fHC08TYHm_w7EJy3uQIoBO375DDf3RiT-5QMqJq7BncJWgfBzDH28dq0WqAKlIqw7uGv2qF-pKgAsxi4ZAx1G_Dcd6LWhzciQ-x9tw/s1600/Obama.jpg" width="320" /></a>STOCKHOLM (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh ah-bay) this week in Russia.<br /><br /><br />The two leaders plan to meet Thursday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in St. Petersburg.<br /><br />The meeting comes as the U.S. is pressing Japan to open its markets to imports — especially autos, which have been one of the thorniest issues in U.S.-Japan trade relations. Earlier this year, the U.S. approved Japan's entry into talks on a major trade pact being negotiated between the U.S. and Asia-Pacific nations.<br /><br />Obama and Abe also share deep concerns about North Korea's nuclear program.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0St_Fm4Z7MOm4MpdQCTxhajO6RSxjMveXGX6U2VC_rw8coREvUCiYhsf4HVk7AMLwj9aNwPjMQx35hPMyQjh5iMeCfWqNTbhsMC9R9kxMDk2dH6YVTH5G6LxEFU0HNI92ozz48p9NjU/s1600/obama-g20-sweden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0St_Fm4Z7MOm4MpdQCTxhajO6RSxjMveXGX6U2VC_rw8coREvUCiYhsf4HVk7AMLwj9aNwPjMQx35hPMyQjh5iMeCfWqNTbhsMC9R9kxMDk2dH6YVTH5G6LxEFU0HNI92ozz48p9NjU/s1600/obama-g20-sweden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />While in St. Petersburg, Obama will also meet Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) and French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH' oh-LAWND').

Obama to meet with Japan's Abe in Russia

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh ah-bay) this week i...

Japan launches H-2B rocket to send supplies for space station

OSAKA, Aug. 4 - Japan successfully launched a H-2B rocket early Sunday to send supplies to the International Space Station, local press reported.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGSan3DpsCDBSfhwVuiIN7eenmnXSz_kQzHNgpImrxJHSxSISTopMrnNB5MiED2viUlMPn_vmc4KbRBqxhfQYj_1WHVy2aAHIrJqbS0EZKvpvxtmMozWiRGs_6mEgO3IPh4q1lSjTbcI/s1600/space-launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGSan3DpsCDBSfhwVuiIN7eenmnXSz_kQzHNgpImrxJHSxSISTopMrnNB5MiED2viUlMPn_vmc4KbRBqxhfQYj_1WHVy2aAHIrJqbS0EZKvpvxtmMozWiRGs_6mEgO3IPh4q1lSjTbcI/s1600/space-launch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The rocket blasted off from the southern island of Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture at 04:48 a.m. local time.<br /><br />The rocket sent the unmanned Kounotori 4 cargo vehicle filled with drinking water, food, clothing and other supplies for the International Space Station into orbit about 15 minutes later, the report said.<br /><br />This is the fourth time in a row the H-2B has been vaulted into orbit carrying the Kounotori cargo vehicle since 2009.<br /><br />The previous launches were carried out by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), but the latest launch was conducted by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the rocket's manufacturer.<br /><div><br /></div>

Japan launches H-2B rocket to send supplies for space station

OSAKA, Aug. 4 - Japan successfully launched a H-2B rocket early Sunday to send supplies to the International Space Station, local press repo...

Japan scrambles jets as China plane flies near islands

Japan scrambled fighter jets in response to a Chinese military aircraft's flight near disputed uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.<br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="x" class="image" height="359" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/df/3c5236148e83aa45c7c5b7d497313/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japan scrambled fighter jets</td></tr></tbody></table>TOKYO — Japan scrambled fighter jets Wednesday after a Chinese military aircraft flew for the first time through international airspace near its southern islands out over the Pacific, in a move seen by Japan as underlining China's maritime expansion.<br /><br />Ties between China and Japan have been strained by a territorial dispute over uninhabited East China Sea islets and hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a decisive victory in upper house elections on Sunday.<br /><br />Japan's Defense Ministry said a Chinese Y-8 airborne early warning plane flew through airspace between Okinawa prefecture's main island and the smaller Miyako island in southern Japan out over the Pacific at around noon and later took the same route back over the East China Sea.<br /><br />"I believe this indicates China's move toward further maritime expansion," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters, in comments carried on public broadcaster NHK.<br /><br /><br />Chinese government spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.<br /><br />The waters around the disputed islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, and which are to the west of Okinawa's main island, are rich fishing grounds and the sea floor around them could hold big oil and gas reserves.<br /><br />Tension between China and Japan escalated last September when Japan bought three of the disputed islands from a private Japanese owner.<br /><br />Since then, patrol ships and aircraft from both countries have been shadowing each other in the sea and skies around the islets.<br /><br />That has raised fears of an unintended collision leading to a broader clash.<br /><br />Abe has pledged to take a firm stance in the territorial dispute, but said in his news conference following the upper house election win that Japan's door was open to dialogue.<br /><div><br /></div>

Japan scrambles jets as China plane flies near islands

Japan scrambled fighter jets in response to a Chinese military aircraft's flight near disputed uninhabited islands in the East China Sea...

Nissan to recall 841,000 vehicles due to steering wheel glitch

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14-F34lI_Fijsv9oJKsZRBx-_bbpFJundYOzuQiMZm-3pCyBD1QvAif2VdR_AHSrgSDO5dpPZPQknWnWgtBiZpMOQseufu4070o17Qgw_h_hnKJpV-P2mNU1kcvC6IqulL1lb-pS2DD_y/s1600/NISSAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14-F34lI_Fijsv9oJKsZRBx-_bbpFJundYOzuQiMZm-3pCyBD1QvAif2VdR_AHSrgSDO5dpPZPQknWnWgtBiZpMOQseufu4070o17Qgw_h_hnKJpV-P2mNU1kcvC6IqulL1lb-pS2DD_y/s1600/NISSAN.jpg" width="320" /></a>TOKYO  - Nissan Motor Co Ltd will recall about 841,000 vehicles worldwide including the Micra compact car, also known as the March, as a result of a steering wheel glitch, Japan's No.2 automaker said on Thursday.<br /><br />Nissan is recalling certain models of the Micra compact car produced in Britain and Japan between 2002 and 2006, as well as the Cube, produced in Japan around the same period.<br /><br />It is pulling back vehicles in Japan, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.<br /><br />The bolt used in the steering wheel of these cars may not have been properly tightened and at worst the steering wheel may not function, Nissan said in a statement filed to the Japanese transport ministry.<br /><br />No accidents, injuries or deaths have been reported, Nissan spokeswoman Noriko Yoneyama said.<br /><br />Nissan will fix the glitch by either tightening the bolts or replacing the steering wheel with a new one.<br /><br />The repair will take about 40 minutes, Yoneyama said. She declined to say how much the recall will cost Nissan.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>

Nissan to recall 841,000 vehicles due to steering wheel glitch

TOKYO  - Nissan Motor Co Ltd will recall about 841,000 vehicles worldwide including the Micra compact car, also known as the March, as a res...

U.S. envoy on DPRK to visit ROK, China, Japan

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlN3T-hyxXa_LTk3z2eiOIk_k1liDZOxPc0voF3vrzoOXz2Yc5ydVtl-_8WAGgCnlxJMaEDY3AQBkiDhGfdfpfN1Nqpn_NHVMKqgIyj6pfLNg0EZ3bvHjZbecSalaNOWqCH1sj3lS15r0/s1600/publimetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlN3T-hyxXa_LTk3z2eiOIk_k1liDZOxPc0voF3vrzoOXz2Yc5ydVtl-_8WAGgCnlxJMaEDY3AQBkiDhGfdfpfN1Nqpn_NHVMKqgIyj6pfLNg0EZ3bvHjZbecSalaNOWqCH1sj3lS15r0/s1600/publimetro.gif" /></a>WASHINGTON,- The Obama administration is sending its special representative on Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) policy to the Republic of Korea (ROK), China and Japan next week, the State Department said Thursday.<br /><br />In his one-week visit to the three Asian countries starting Sunday, Glyn Davies will meet with senior government officials including his counterparts in the three governments, the department said in a statement.<br /><br />The visit comes after tensions have cooled down on the Korean Peninsula in recent weeks. Tensions used to build up as the DPRK scrapped a 1953 Korean War armistice and threatened nuclear strikes on the U.S. and the ROK in response to a UN Security Council resolution condemning its third nuclear test and the military drills between Washington and Seoul.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>

U.S. envoy on DPRK to visit ROK, China, Japan

WASHINGTON,- The Obama administration is sending its special representative on Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) policy to th...

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visits Shanghai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Caohejing Hi-tech Park in east China's Shanghai, May 6, 2013. Netanyahu arrived in Shanghai for a visit on Monday.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1S_tfgTmsim3C3uI3w-JT03XdAUQlJYaZZ0asbNGVURtTWQ-IPt9dHMSWSUhRcZykst2c6Fcst3rg0ozh-a8gTcGDv9kzw1ZhlcuvJFfTx7DJup1C43JAmfuUt_D6wsuaDVjVmyyFAV-/s1600/Netanyahu+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1S_tfgTmsim3C3uI3w-JT03XdAUQlJYaZZ0asbNGVURtTWQ-IPt9dHMSWSUhRcZykst2c6Fcst3rg0ozh-a8gTcGDv9kzw1ZhlcuvJFfTx7DJup1C43JAmfuUt_D6wsuaDVjVmyyFAV-/s1600/Netanyahu+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpb81aBrCeqRJaNhWty1OIpKmL8uH6guEuIJOcYOek85fNMiPTKb7NjXB__id73hLaasrLGc2aT5-DWjaZIjkzJuWSIidNSB6Jxdl8TPW64HnX8arONEHv6b0liHJ93IlbxZrLUlHvknJ/s1600/Netanyahu+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpb81aBrCeqRJaNhWty1OIpKmL8uH6guEuIJOcYOek85fNMiPTKb7NjXB__id73hLaasrLGc2aT5-DWjaZIjkzJuWSIidNSB6Jxdl8TPW64HnX8arONEHv6b0liHJ93IlbxZrLUlHvknJ/s1600/Netanyahu+2.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV74rhtKQ-LS4Xk66HKzTL8aG4-nhZeaXc1p3eLqnZFo3sJuZQoFDERPzGQ32BJ0sYNIMauSvRJw17fJfva_W2kowW8MlniWCTXU_XRsE3xSmLDGxO0-o-_jUNhuKs-8tAogi-6Um5QPA/s1600/Netanyahu+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV74rhtKQ-LS4Xk66HKzTL8aG4-nhZeaXc1p3eLqnZFo3sJuZQoFDERPzGQ32BJ0sYNIMauSvRJw17fJfva_W2kowW8MlniWCTXU_XRsE3xSmLDGxO0-o-_jUNhuKs-8tAogi-6Um5QPA/s1600/Netanyahu+4.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatsJomXJZVtKESMKvIPx76dJ-Qh298i2eTlQor9UQrPYDkBr9PI5WbCo9Cd-DrW9Teg1_Lzu2HSzNOoIOoIZHDM07xDWU8fPsclrFlNzRvF4QNlvi0Od_rzs5eaaFpOLEBtaiR0pwkm9i/s1600/Netanyahu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatsJomXJZVtKESMKvIPx76dJ-Qh298i2eTlQor9UQrPYDkBr9PI5WbCo9Cd-DrW9Teg1_Lzu2HSzNOoIOoIZHDM07xDWU8fPsclrFlNzRvF4QNlvi0Od_rzs5eaaFpOLEBtaiR0pwkm9i/s1600/Netanyahu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visits Shanghai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Caohejing Hi-tech Park in east China's Shanghai, May 6, 2013. Netanyahu arrived in ...

Japanese FM meets with Panama's counterpart

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (L) shakes hands with his Panama's counterpart Fernando Nunez Fabrega at the Simon Bolivar Palace, in Panama City, capital of Panama, on May 2, 2013.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2gpBhk4GrgWnFnGfyHuWxlRRpdiiQunD289x5Ch-HL-5VzMbGpoUdxiqLcgyml1mU5KIDoczGdFHmtyt9-BHNzLcgtoyZcdgdCEL-xk3XH5zkWtSUrdAPkGNoGzErN6Qndvfqvkpm0Wo/s1600/11n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2gpBhk4GrgWnFnGfyHuWxlRRpdiiQunD289x5Ch-HL-5VzMbGpoUdxiqLcgyml1mU5KIDoczGdFHmtyt9-BHNzLcgtoyZcdgdCEL-xk3XH5zkWtSUrdAPkGNoGzErN6Qndvfqvkpm0Wo/s1600/11n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />

Japanese FM meets with Panama's counterpart

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (L) shakes hands with his Panama's counterpart Fernando Nunez Fabrega at the Simon Bolivar Palac...

Japanese Air Force intercepts 2 Russian aircraft

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE-rJiLBeC0VjXROJqNr8W-jEN9jBA4ELO7dFBrZK3qcZRI1Xn6lvEhXF0im57Gj_0y99kBu-YuHVAVCEapmb-lx6bVlN-Bq7McPSUWKlk_4XJ_pZ2LJd2bh_9Cu5vNXivlYvh8HD5K4M/s1600/@publimetrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE-rJiLBeC0VjXROJqNr8W-jEN9jBA4ELO7dFBrZK3qcZRI1Xn6lvEhXF0im57Gj_0y99kBu-YuHVAVCEapmb-lx6bVlN-Bq7McPSUWKlk_4XJ_pZ2LJd2bh_9Cu5vNXivlYvh8HD5K4M/s1600/@publimetrow.jpg" /></a>Japanese fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian military aircraft identified as Tupolev Tu-142s, a reconnaissance and anti-sub version of the Tu-95 strategic bomber.<br /><br />The two Tu-142s were first detected in the Sea of Japan near the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.<br /><br />They then moved southwards until they reached Tsushima Island of Nagasaki province, where they turned around.<br /><br />The Russian aircraft did not violated Japanese airspace, Tokyo stressed.<br /><br />The incident happened the same day Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went to Moscow for the first time in 10 years.

Japanese Air Force intercepts 2 Russian aircraft

Japanese fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian military aircraft identified as Tupolev Tu-142s, a reconnaissance and anti-sub...

Japanese PM to make first visit to Russia in a decade

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlN3T-hyxXa_LTk3z2eiOIk_k1liDZOxPc0voF3vrzoOXz2Yc5ydVtl-_8WAGgCnlxJMaEDY3AQBkiDhGfdfpfN1Nqpn_NHVMKqgIyj6pfLNg0EZ3bvHjZbecSalaNOWqCH1sj3lS15r0/s1600/publimetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlN3T-hyxXa_LTk3z2eiOIk_k1liDZOxPc0voF3vrzoOXz2Yc5ydVtl-_8WAGgCnlxJMaEDY3AQBkiDhGfdfpfN1Nqpn_NHVMKqgIyj6pfLNg0EZ3bvHjZbecSalaNOWqCH1sj3lS15r0/s1600/publimetro.gif" /></a>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Moscow at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a visit ending May 30.<br /><br />Among the pressing issues Abe will discuss is the possibility of signing a peace treaty that Russia and Japan currently lack, despite it being 70 years since the end of World War II.<br /><br />Economic cooperation is also expected to dominate the talks, as the Japanese delegation consists of 120 high-ranking officials and executives.

Japanese PM to make first visit to Russia in a decade

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Moscow at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a visit ending May 30. Among the...

Japan PM in 5-car collision, escapes injury

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJPllRX3kEcFmLYsr9XH1VtAQ1Oenr2WnIEl9tqNJcAvo0Ld9Y5hQ0yIEA_rLeM3xgoD6fGv7uWZmNocpsKMvHS4_gqx0Do9LybttZrF92fM7sHS4GMSzmepPAci9exKvQneGaPGVFjwR/s1600/%2540publimetrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJPllRX3kEcFmLYsr9XH1VtAQ1Oenr2WnIEl9tqNJcAvo0Ld9Y5hQ0yIEA_rLeM3xgoD6fGv7uWZmNocpsKMvHS4_gqx0Do9LybttZrF92fM7sHS4GMSzmepPAci9exKvQneGaPGVFjwR/s1600/%2540publimetrow.jpg" /></a>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was caught in a five-car pile-up at a toll gate in Tokyo on Saturday, but managed to escape the crash without injury. <br /><br />The incident involved Abe’s limousine, three police cars, and a sedan carrying reporters. <br /><br />Two guards sustained facial injuries. <br /><br />The motorcade was en route to a park in central Tokyo for a rally demanding that North Korea return Japanese nationals still in the country who were kidnapped during the Cold War.

Japan PM in 5-car collision, escapes injury

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was caught in a five-car pile-up at a toll gate in Tokyo on Saturday, but managed to escape the crash wit...

Japan prices fall in March as deflation drags on

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOv6qg1KVQGUAfNAyKsM6R8oOGuC4-_qJEjmQrx9lM9tthCqUBCal0kqflcy_sUhqfCUKcH73WarC84avlMmjZKQOMAkD2UesJKfSXfU4OsIoDXTbRI3Mb2AoRN_aea4PcbXWYsvX_BoDw/s1600/enews.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOv6qg1KVQGUAfNAyKsM6R8oOGuC4-_qJEjmQrx9lM9tthCqUBCal0kqflcy_sUhqfCUKcH73WarC84avlMmjZKQOMAkD2UesJKfSXfU4OsIoDXTbRI3Mb2AoRN_aea4PcbXWYsvX_BoDw/s1600/enews.png" width="200" /></a>TOKYO — Japan's consumer price index fell 0.9 percent in March from a year earlier, underlining the challenge of ending a long spell of debilitating deflation despite an onslaught of monetary easing and stimulus spending. <br /><br />Citing expectations that the policies will soon turn take hold, the central bank raised its inflation forecast for the coming two years. The Bank of Japan, whose policy board met Friday but left monetary policy unchanged, said it expects inflation to hit a 2 percent target within that time despite uncertainties in both the domestic and global economies.<br /><br />In its revised outlook, the central bank said the economy was likely to grow at a "pace above its potential" and return to a moderate recovery by mid-2013. <br /><br />Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in December vowing to vanquish deflation, or falling prices, that tend to discourage business investment and weaken growth.<br /><br />Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, appointed in late March, has thrown his support behind that effort, committing to reaching the inflation target within two years by stepping up monetary easing so as to double the monetary base — the amount of cash circulating in the economy and held as bank reserves.<br /><br />So far there has been scant sign of any shift, though the economy did emerge from recession, barely, in the last quarter of 2012.<br /><br />The 0.9 percent decline in prices in March compared with a 0.7 percent drop in February, though the inflation benchmark rose 0.2 percent from the month before. Core consumer prices excluding food fell 0.5 percent year-on-year.<br /><br />The central bank's forecast on Friday noted a slew of uncertainties that could skew trends in either direction, saying its outlook was based on an assumption that global financial markets will remain stable and that a weakening of the yen would help boost Japan's exports.<br /><br />It also is assuming a tightening in the labor market that would push wages higher, and increased investment by businesses.<br /><br />"Given these assumptions, in fiscal 2013 a virtuous cycle among production, income and spending is expected to start working, triggered by increases in public investment and exports," its report said.<br /><br />Inflation may be boosted by rising costs for imported energy and other commodities due to the weakening of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar and other currencies, the BOJ said.<br /><br />The inflation forecast includes the impact from anticipated increases in the sales tax, by 3 percentage points in 2014 and another 2 points in 2015. The BOJ said it also took into account expectations that consumers would increase spending so as to make purchases before the tax hikes take effect, as well as the expected ensuing decline in demand.<br /><br />The weakening of the yen due to Japan's effort to reflate its economy and get growth back on track has raised concerns over possible competitive devaluations by other countries. The Group of 20 leading economies and organizations such as the International Monetary Fund have backed Tokyo's approach but warned it must act to reduce its public debt, which is the highest among major industrial economies.<br /><br />Despite the upbeat revision in the BOJ's outlook, the fragility of the economic recovery so far is raising doubts over whether Abe's government will fulfill a commitment by the previous administration to raise the sales tax to help balance public finances.<br /><br />Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Friday that the government still intends to undertake "fiscal rehabilitation."<br /><br />But he said the government may need to reassess how quickly it can reduce its deficit spending.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>

Japan prices fall in March as deflation drags on

TOKYO — Japan's consumer price index fell 0.9 percent in March from a year earlier, underlining the challenge of ending a long spell of ...

Korean Air plane makes emergency landing in Tokyo - Japanese media

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9U5z70DmZzsb0NQRUxgtpOJrZm3EW6pConPEEh1SEq5xZkWJOxoyAA-gRnFEI0UkSmwfpDgyOdkQ4st0TMMG2PxQEfc4gVP1j6FIzUxK4VtZARzlwG9ALda0Su-w2za14u8QHu7KA2CI/s1600/icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9U5z70DmZzsb0NQRUxgtpOJrZm3EW6pConPEEh1SEq5xZkWJOxoyAA-gRnFEI0UkSmwfpDgyOdkQ4st0TMMG2PxQEfc4gVP1j6FIzUxK4VtZARzlwG9ALda0Su-w2za14u8QHu7KA2CI/s1600/icon.png" /></a>A Korean Air flight from Seoul to Los Angeles made an emergency landing at Tokyo's Narita airport after smoke filled the cockpit, according to Japanese media. <br /><br />No injuries were reported. <br /><br />The captain contacted Japanese airport authorities to report smoke in the cockpit when the aircraft was about 175 kilometres northeast of Narita, NHK television said. <br /><br />According to preliminary information a burning smell was noticed near a refrigerator on the plane. <br /><br />The passengers are to spend the night in Japan.

Korean Air plane makes emergency landing in Tokyo - Japanese media

A Korean Air flight from Seoul to Los Angeles made an emergency landing at Tokyo's Narita airport after smoke filled the cockpit, accord...

Kerry in Japan amidst Korean peninsula tensions

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB1aXehU9d61VyHP6rVLKv9SwHnS6It0rXhb4b-tFcB_xJ__pTEi0HTJ3psz2qon2Y4Nh_MwGvUZKOpE81aFWiwhwbdi7735tzV303XVvTQLPIQjkD8ve8qy38jvXbnz8JmGeB98SxEWl/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB1aXehU9d61VyHP6rVLKv9SwHnS6It0rXhb4b-tFcB_xJ__pTEi0HTJ3psz2qon2Y4Nh_MwGvUZKOpE81aFWiwhwbdi7735tzV303XVvTQLPIQjkD8ve8qy38jvXbnz8JmGeB98SxEWl/s1600/p1.jpg" /></a>US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Japan to hold talks regarding nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula after ensuring Chinese support to help bring resolution to the ongoing crisis. <br /><br />Japan, which has deployed Patriot missile batteries around Tokyo to defend against a potential North Korean nuclear strike, says it will coordinate with the US to send a strong signal urging Pyongyang to listen to the international community and give up its “nuclear and missile programs.” <br /><br />Kerry is set to meet with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and will wrap up his four-day diplomatic tour in East Asia on Monday.

Kerry in Japan amidst Korean peninsula tensions

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Japan to hold talks regarding nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula after ensuring Chinese su...

Japan issues false N. Korea missile alarm instead of quake alert

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB1aXehU9d61VyHP6rVLKv9SwHnS6It0rXhb4b-tFcB_xJ__pTEi0HTJ3psz2qon2Y4Nh_MwGvUZKOpE81aFWiwhwbdi7735tzV303XVvTQLPIQjkD8ve8qy38jvXbnz8JmGeB98SxEWl/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB1aXehU9d61VyHP6rVLKv9SwHnS6It0rXhb4b-tFcB_xJ__pTEi0HTJ3psz2qon2Y4Nh_MwGvUZKOpE81aFWiwhwbdi7735tzV303XVvTQLPIQjkD8ve8qy38jvXbnz8JmGeB98SxEWl/s1600/p1.jpg" /></a>A Japanese official mistakenly issued a pre-prepared alert announcing the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile instead of sending a message concerning a recent earthquake in western Japan.<br /><br />A reported 87 airport offices in Japan received emails on Saturday saying that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile. <br /><br />The messages were sent by mistake, the country’s transportation ministry later explained.<br /><br /> An official at the Osaka aviation bureau was going to send out a letter asking if any of the region's airports had been damaged by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that earlier hit the western part of the country, injuring dozens. <br /><br /> Instead, the official mistakenly dispatched a pre-prepared alert about a North Korean missile launch.<br /><br /> At least one domestic flight was delayed due to the false alarm, though the mistaken email was retracted six minutes after it was sent, AFP reported.<br /><br /> This wasn't the first time Japan has raised a false alarm about a North Korean missile launch: On Wednesday, the Japanese city of Yokohama sent a message to its Twitter account's 40,000 followers saying that North Korea had launched a missile.<br /><br /> The tweet had a blank space where the exact time of the launch should have been pasted in, indicating that the message was posted prematurely. The message was visible for 20 minutes before the city retracted it.<br /><br /> Japan has lately been on high alert, with Patriot missiles stationed in Tokyo to protect its people from an expected mid-range missile test launch by North Korea.<br /><br /> On Friday, Pyongyang warned that Tokyo would be its primary target if war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, blaming Japan for its “hostile posture.<br /><br />” It also threatened a nuclear strike against the island nation if it intercepts any North Korean test missiles.<br /><h4>All nerves: Japan issues false N. Korea missile alarm instead of quake alert</h4><h4><img alt="A soldier (R) of Japan's Ground Self Defence Force looks on as Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (unseen in this picture) inspected Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile launchers at the Defence Ministry headquarters in Tokyo on April 13, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yoshikazu Tsuno)" src="http://rt.com/files/news/1e/b7/00/00/japan-nkorea-false-alarm.si.jpg" style="float: none;" title="" /></h4><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div>

Japan issues false N. Korea missile alarm instead of quake alert

A Japanese official mistakenly issued a pre-prepared alert announcing the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile instead of sending a me...

At least 23 injured after magnitude 6.3 earthquake jolts Japan

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB1aXehU9d61VyHP6rVLKv9SwHnS6It0rXhb4b-tFcB_xJ__pTEi0HTJ3psz2qon2Y4Nh_MwGvUZKOpE81aFWiwhwbdi7735tzV303XVvTQLPIQjkD8ve8qy38jvXbnz8JmGeB98SxEWl/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB1aXehU9d61VyHP6rVLKv9SwHnS6It0rXhb4b-tFcB_xJ__pTEi0HTJ3psz2qon2Y4Nh_MwGvUZKOpE81aFWiwhwbdi7735tzV303XVvTQLPIQjkD8ve8qy38jvXbnz8JmGeB98SxEWl/s1600/p1.jpg" /></a>A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook western Japan, injuring at least 23 people – seven of them seriously – and damaging several houses.<br /><br />The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the quake hit early on Saturday morning near Awaji Island, just south of Kobe, at a depth of 15 kilometers.<br /> The quake was initially measured at 6.0 on the JMA seismic intensity scale, though the agency later upgraded its magnitude to 6.3. The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at 6.0 on the Richter scale, saying it struck at a more shallow depth of five kilometers.<br /><br /> No tsunami warning was issued, and the country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said it has received no reports of problems at nuclear facilities.<br /><br /> Many of those who received more serious injuries were elderly people who tripped while attempting to flee, police said.<br /><br /> An 82-year-old woman in Fukui prefecture broke her leg after falling to the ground, and a 74-year-old woman Hyogo prefecture suffered a broken hip bone, AFP reported.<br /><br />Japanese TV news footage showed houses with broken rooftop tiles and cracked walls, while some areas of the island underwent soil liquefaction – a common side-effect of strong tremors.<br /><br />The earthquake was centered in the same region as the 1995 'Kobe earthquake,' a magnitude 7.2 tremor which killed 6,434 people and caused more than $100 billion in damage.<br /><br />"I was scared to death. I thought a big quake hit again," AFP quoted Hikaru Doi, a 36-year-old employee at a taxi company on Awaji Island, as telling Jiji Press.<br /><br /> In March 2011, a massive 9.0 quake struck northeastern Japan, sparking a tsunami which killed nearly 19,000 people and set off the world’s worst nuclear disaster in a generation.<br /><br /> Japan, which is located near a triple fault line, is considered one of the most quake-prone countries in the world.<br /><br /><img alt="A concrete wall has collapsed in Sumoto, on Awaji island, Hyogo prefecture, western Japan on April 13, 2013 after a strong earthquake attacked (AFP Photo / Jiji Press)" src="http://rt.com/files/news/1e/b6/b0/00/02.jpg" style="float: none; margin: 0px;" />

At least 23 injured after magnitude 6.3 earthquake jolts Japan

A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook western Japan, injuring at least 23 people – seven of them seriously – and damaging several houses...

6.3 quake shakes Japan

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6YlvrlYO_5FWbkwCDfnJ8xQbIPH9_AQLI_Exqu-D0C8tDv_G-n0daJThsrmu5nXI5mACJW9pPb75rUXhH9xRfQCdzMlees84zTgQQShB2QrmnUd7wBnLWZNSL_xdix-tLJNxPt1rlAIe/s1600/%2540publimetro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6YlvrlYO_5FWbkwCDfnJ8xQbIPH9_AQLI_Exqu-D0C8tDv_G-n0daJThsrmu5nXI5mACJW9pPb75rUXhH9xRfQCdzMlees84zTgQQShB2QrmnUd7wBnLWZNSL_xdix-tLJNxPt1rlAIe/s1600/%2540publimetro.jpg" /></a>A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit western Japan  on Saturday, the US Geological Survey reported. Officials told reporters that the quake was near the coast of western Honshu and occurred at a depth of 3.3 miles. <br /><br />There are no immediate reports of casualties or damages. No tsunami warning has been issued.

6.3 quake shakes Japan

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit western Japan  on Saturday, the US Geological Survey reported. Officials told reporters that the quake wa...

Russia's Kamchatka hit by magnitude 6.9 quake; no damage reported

<div class="abs">The arc formed by the peninsula and the Kurile Islands, which stretch from Russia to Japan, is one of the most seismically active areas in the world.</div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://col.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/f3/d9736e14aab7b9cf14ac98fdfd6cd7_h366_w650_m6_lfalse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://col.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/f3/d9736e14aab7b9cf14ac98fdfd6cd7_h366_w650_m6_lfalse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>LONDON — A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, at a depth of around 33 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Thursday.<br />The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami, based on historical earthquake and tsunami data.<br />Britain's BBC quoted Russia's Emergencies Ministry as saying there were no reports of casualties or damage, and that no tsunami warning had been issued.<br />The arc formed by the peninsula and the Kurile Islands stretching from Russia to Japan is one of the most seismically active areas in the world.<br />USGS's first report had put the quake at magnitude 7.0, at a depth of 18 miles.</section>

Russia's Kamchatka hit by magnitude 6.9 quake; no damage reported

The arc formed by the peninsula and the Kurile Islands, which stretch from Russia to Japan, is one of the most seismically active areas in t...