The Japanese government’s worst-case scenario at the height of the nuclear crisis last year warned that tens of millions of people, including Tokyo residents, might need to leave their homes, according to a leaked report.

Glasgow’s Celtic Connections draws performers from all over the world for 18 days of 24-hour music, says Nicki ffrench Davis

THEY’RE forbidden words — unless you’re an official sponsor, of course.

Japan’s ruling party has elected Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its new chief, meaning he will almost certainly become the next prime minister and inherit the challenge of rebuilding from the country’s disasters.

A close race was emerging for Japan’s ruling party to select a new leader to replace prime minister Naoto Kan, with five men declaring their candidacy today to compete in the weekend campaign.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is to resign after almost 15 months in office.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Japan's credit rating, citing the country's weak growth prospects, massive government debt and constant political turmoil.

Japan will have a new prime minister by early next week, a Cabinet minister said today.

Japan’s new disaster reconstruction minister resigned today after his widely criticised behaviour during a visit to the quake-devastated north east coast, where he refused to shake a governor’s hand, scolded the official and threatened to withhold aid.

A senior member of Japan’s ruling party says the prime minister could resign before August.

Protesters in Tokyo are staging mass demonstrations against the use of nuclear power, as Japan marks the three-month anniversary of the powerful earthquake and tsunami that killed tens of thousands and triggered one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters.

Japan’s unpopular Prime Minister Naoto Kan refused to resign today as opposition politicians criticising his disaster management prepared to file a no-confidence motion in parliament.

Japan is scrapping plans to generate half its energy needs from nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

Japan’s prime minister has ordered three reactors to be shut down in central Japan because of safety concerns in the event of a major earthquake.

Japan declared a 12-mile area evacuated around its radiation-spewing nuclear power plant a no-go zone today, urging residents to abide by the order for their own safety or possibly face fines or detention.

A PAIR of thin robots on treads sent to explore buildings inside Japan’s crippled nuclear reactor came back with disheartening news: radiation levels are far too high for repair crews to go inside.

Japan's prime minister has made a public appeal for calm after raising the severity level of the nuclear plant crisis to the highest rating - on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

JAPAN has widened the evacuation zone around a stricken nuclear plant a month on from a huge natural disaster as another 7.1 magnitude quake and tsunami alert strained nerves anew.

PRIME Minister Naoto Kan promised yesterday he would “never abandon” survivors of Japan’s tsunami as he tried to focus attention on the future, despite a high-stakes battle at a nuclear plant.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan paid another visit to Japan’s tsunami-devastated coast today, promising officials in a fishing-dependent city that his government will do whatever it can to help.

Japan’s tsunami-stricken nuclear power plant is leaking highly radioactive water into the sea, nuclear safety officials said.

JAPANESE Prime Minister Naoto Kan said yesterday he was ready for a long fight to bring a quake- hit nuclear plant under control but was convinced Japan would overcome the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.

Japan’s prime minister has promised to win the battle against an overheating nuclear plant even as atomic safety officials questioned the accuracy of radiation measurements at the complex.

Japan has promised to overhaul nuclear safety standards once it regains control of the wrecked Fukushima complex, admitting its current safeguards were not enough.

Japan was on “maximum alert” to bring its nuclear crisis under control, the prime minister insisted today.

THEY are known as the Fukushima 50, the workers who stayed behind at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in order to prevent a meltdown in Japan.

DANGEROUS levels of radiation leaking from a crippled nuclear plant forced Japan to order 140,000 people to seal themselves indoors yesterday after an explosion and a fire escalated the crisis spawned by a deadly tsunami.

THE catastrophe that has engulfed Japan could also make or break its prime minister, Naoto Kan.

An air of panic swept parts of Japan today as scientists continued to battle radiation leaks from earthquake-damaged reactors made worse by an explosion and fire.

Dangerous levels of radiation leaking from a crippled nuclear plant forced Japan to order 140,000 people to seal themselves indoors today after an explosion and fire dramatically escalated the crisis spawned by the earthquake and tsunami four days ago.

Radiation is leaking from a crippled nuclear power plant in tsunami-ravaged Japan, forcing the government to tell people nearby to stay indoors to avoid exposure.

JAPAN battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant yesterday, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast where more than 10,000 were feared dead.

DAYS after the 9.0 Richter scale earthquake that sent a devastating tsunami crashing through the coastal regions of northern Japan, the images of communities, shipping, rows of buildings, cars and trucks being swept along like leaves in an angry autumn river are probably even more socking than they were when first seen.

Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan has appealed to all citizens to unite in overcoming what he says is the country’s worst crisis since the Second World War.

Yaroslov Shtrombakh, a Russian nuclear expert, has said that a Chernobyl-style meltdown is "unlikely" at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.

An explosion at a nuclear power station tore down the walls of one building today as smoke poured out and Japanese officials said they feared the reactor could melt down following the failure of its cooling system in a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Japan’s foreign minister has suddenly quit after breaking the law by accepting a political donation from a foreigner.

Moody’s Investors Service today downgraded its outlook for Japan’s credit rating for the first time in almost nine years because of concerns over its massive national debt.

Japan’s prime minister pushed to reform tax and social security systems today, including raising the sales tax, as the country faces looming problems with its ageing population and bulging national debt.

The Chinese and Japanese prime ministers held an impromptu meeting in a hallway at a conference in Europe, in the highest-level contact between the countries since a bitter territorial dispute erupted a month ago, both governments confirmed Tuesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has survived a challenge to his leadership after being re-elected as president of the ruling Democratic Party.

Tokyo: Japan’s prime minister Naoto Kan said he will take firm measures on currencies when needed and will meet the Bank of Japan governor, increasing the possibility the central bank will ease policy as it confronts a surging yen.

ASIA paused yesterday to remember Japan’s surrender to the Allied forces which ended World War II 65 years ago, as the Japanese prime minister apologised for wreaking suffering on the region and the South Korean president said Tokyo’s remorse was a step in the right direction.