Radiation levels rise outside Japan plant

New readings show radiation levels continue to rise in the ocean outside a leaking nuclear plant in Japan's north east, officials said today, as they debated whether to broaden the evacuation zone around the tsunami-damaged facility.

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (Nisa) said it was looking into a report from the United Nations atomic agency about high levels of radiation in the village of Iitate, 25 miles from the plant in Fukushima prefecture.