Settlement reached over Mihama steam leak accident
January 14, 2006All victims and bereaved families of a lethal steam leak at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Mihama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture have reached out-of-court settlements with the utility, informed sources said Saturday. Five people died and six sustained injuries when superheated nonradioactive steam burst from a ruptured pipe at the No. 3 reactor of the plant on Aug. 9, 2004.
Avalanche warning issued through Sunday as mercury rises
January 14, 2006The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued warnings on Sunday for avalanches, flooding and landslides in the western, eastern and northeastern parts of the country, which have been hit by heavy snow, as the temperature is expected to rise and cause rain through Sunday. A low pressure system was approaching the southern coastal regions of Honshu Island from the south and bringing warm air on Saturday morning, the agency said.
Pakistan probing reports about al-Zawahiri's death
January 14, 2006Pakistan government officials said Saturday they are investigating reports that al-Qaida's No. 2 man Ayman al-Zawahiri might have been killed in the U.S. bombing of a Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan early Friday morning. ''We have heard the report. We are investigating and the situation should be clear in few hours,'' Information and Media Development Minister Rashid Ahmad told Kyodo News by telephone.