A local governor in Japan has given final approval to restart a nuclear power plant in the south of the country, the first to resume operations under new safety rules.

A strong earthquake struck today off the coast of north-eastern Japan in the same region that was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami last year.

Japan’s coast guard said 13 crew members are missing on a 22-man fishing vessel after it collided with a much larger cargo ship off north east Japan.

Flights to the Japanese coastal city of Sendai resumed today, just more than a month after a 32ft (10m) tsunami swamped the runways of its airport.

Sirens wailed and people bowed their heads and wept along Japan’s devastated north-east coast today as they marked a month since the devastating tsunami which killed up to 25,000 people and unleashed a nuclear crisis.

Nearly a million homes suffered blackouts in Japan’s north east today after a strong aftershock that killed two people and piled more misery on a region buried under the rubble of last month’s devastating tsunami.

A strong aftershock ripped through north eastern Japan, killing two, injuring dozens and piling misery on a region still buried under the rubble of last month’s devastating tsunami.

The tsunami warning in Japan has been lifted 90 minutes after the latest tremor.

Japan has been rattled by a strong aftershock and tsunami warning nearly a month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami flattened the north-eastern coast.

Shops across Tokyo began rationing goods including milk, toilet paper, rice and water today as a run on bottled water coupled with delivery disruptions left shelves bare, nearly two weeks after the earthquake and tsunami.

Tokyo is at risk from a powerful earthquake because the recent monster shock that hit the country put more stress on a nearby geological fault line, scientists warned today.

TWO units at Japan’s stricken nuclear plant safely cooled down yesterday, though pressure unexpectedly rose in a third unit’s reactor and traces of radiation were found in more foods, further shaking an already uneasy public.

VICTIMS of the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and snow blizzard are still being found by humanitarian groups and are receiving food, water and medical attention.

IT took just minutes for the earthquake and tsunami to devastate Japan’s northeast. Rebuilding will take years — if it can be afforded.

Within the dark and fetid wards of Japan’s Senen General Hospital, some 120 patients lie in their beds or slumped in wheelchairs, moaning incoherently.

Rescue workers used chain saws and pickaxes today to dig out bodies in Japan’s devastated coastal towns, as Asia’s richest nation faced a mounting humanitarian, nuclear and economic crisis in the aftermath of a massive earthquake and tsunami that likely killed thousands.

An explosion shattered a building housing a nuclear reactor today amid fears of a meltdown, while across wide swaths of north-eastern Japan officials searched for thousands of people missing more than a day after a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Another powerful earthquake has hit the same area where a nuclear power plant has already leaked some radiation.

Miles from the ocean’s edge, weary, mud-spattered survivors wandered streets strewn with fallen trees, crumpled cars, even small planes. Relics of lives now destroyed were everywhere – half a piano, a textbook, a soiled red sleeping bag.

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

Miles from the ocean’s edge, weary, mud-spattered survivors wandered streets strewn with fallen trees, crumpled cars, even small airplanes.

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.

For more than two terrifying, seemingly endless minutes, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan shook apart homes and buildings, cracked open roads and unnerved even those who have learned to live with swaying skyscrapers.

A FEROCIOUS tsunami unleashed by Japan’s biggest recorded earthquake slammed into its eastern coast yesterday, killing hundreds of people as it carried away ships, trains, cars and homes, and triggered widespread fires that burned out of control.

TWO Japanese students studying English here were trying desperately to contact their loved ones last night.

SCHOOL friends of a 19-year-old Japanese boy who grew up in Killarney but who now lives in one of the worst-affected areas of Japan have expressed their concern and are desperately trying to contact him.

AS Japan awoke today to count the potential thousands of people killed by an apocalyptic earthquake and tsunami, engineers were fighting against time to prevent a Chernobyl-type nuclear disaster.

Hundreds of people have died after a tsunami triggered by one of the largest earthquakes on record smashed into Japan's eastern coast.

Two to three hundred bodies have been found in a north-eastern coastal area of Japan after a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami.

A massive tsunami triggered by the largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history slammed into the eastern coast today sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people.

One of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded has triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific ocean.

Japan has been hit by at least 19 aftershocks, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0, after a huge earthquake ripped across the country today bringing devastation to a wide area and prompting fears of a massive death toll.

An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale rocked Japan’s eastern coast today, unleashing a 33ft (10m) tsunami which swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland.

An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale rocked Japan’s north-eastern coast today, unleashing a 33ft (10m) tsunami which swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland.

Japan was struck by a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off its north-eastern coast today, triggering a 13-foot tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicentre.

A powerful magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck north-eastern Japan today, injuring 27 people, triggering small tsunamis and shaking skyscrapers as far away as Tokyo, 190 miles to the south.

A POWERFUL earthquake rocked northeastern Japan yesterday, knocking out power, causing a landslide and disrupting road and rail traffic. Buildings swayed in Tokyo, hundreds of miles away.

A strong earthquake shook north-eastern Japan today, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE is hoping his thigh injury clears up in time to ensure he misses only one game of France’s bid to retain the World Cup.