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☆ Japan to release Fukushima water into ocean starting this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Fisherman Haruo Ono stands on one of his fishing boats at Tsurushihama Fishing Port, Shinchi-machi of Fukushima Prefecture, some 60 kms north of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on August 21, 2023, ahead of a government's plan to begin releasing treated water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. Philip Fong | Afp | Getty ImagesJapan said on Tuesday it will start releasing more than 1 million metric tonnes of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Aug. 24, putting into motion a plan that has drawn strong criticism from China. Japan has said that the water release is safe. Still, some neighboring countries have expressed skepticism over the safety of the plan, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in July that Japan had shown selfishness and arrogance, and had not fully consulted the international community about the water release.

Persons: Ono, Philip Fong, Fumio Kishida, Wang Wenbin Organizations: Afp, Getty, Japan, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Nuclear, Authority, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: Shinchi, Fukushima Prefecture, China, Japan, Beijing

☆ South Korea sees no scientific problem with Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - South Korea said on Tuesday it sees no problem with the scientific or technical aspects of Japan's plan to release water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant but it does not necessarily support the plan. "We have assessed that there are no scientific or technical problems with the plan to release the contaminated water," it said. "But we want to make clear that our government does not necessarily agree with or support the plan to release contaminated water," the statement said. The country's opposition Democratic Party, however, said on Tuesday that its "battle" to stop the release would continue, calling Japan's plan "selfish and irresponsible."

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Jack Kim, Hyonhee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South, Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul

[1/3] Supermarket owner Takashi Nakajima, 67, prepares sashimi, or raw fish, to sell at his store, near the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, August 9, 2023. It's been a long battle to get radiation-wary customers back to the seafood from waters near the Fukushima nuclear power plant that was wrecked in the 2011 tsunami, Nakajima says. Now, with the imminent release of treated radioactive water from the plant into the Pacific, he fears a return to square one. "This can't be happening," the 67-year-old said in the backyard kitchen of his supermarket in Soma city, just 45 km (28 miles) north of the stricken power plant. The problem is, this water release will go on for at least 30 years."

Persons: Takashi Nakajima, Akiko Okamoto, It's, Nakajima, Yasutaka Shishido, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Tokyo Electric Power, Thomson Locations: Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China

☆ Japan to release Fukushima water into ocean starting Aug 24
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Japan has said that the water release is safe. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in July that Japan had shown selfishness and arrogance, and had not fully consulted the international community about the water release. China bans seafood imports from 10 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima and the capital, Tokyo. Japan says the water will be filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Wang Wenbin, Sitiveni Rabuka, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, Kirsty Needham, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Nuclear, Authority, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Seafood, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China, Beijing, Fukushima, Tokyo, South, Seoul, United States, France, Pacific, Sydney

☆ Explainer: The Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Water containing tritium is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world, and regulatory authorities support dealing with the Fukushima water in this way. When ingested at levels above those in the released water it can raise cancer risks, a Scientific American article said in 2014. SAFETYJapan and scientific organisations say the released water is safe, but environmental activists argue that all the possible impacts have not been studied. The latest import restrictions were imposed in July after the IAEA approved Japan's plans to discharge the treated water.

Persons: Masanobu Sakamoto, Katya Golubkova Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tanks, Electric Power Company, Tepco, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Greenpeace, World Health Organization, South, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Fukushima, China

☆ Japan PM to meet fishing industry leaders over Fukushima water
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 20, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will on Monday meet fishing industry representatives in a bid to convince them of the safety of treated radioactive water due to be released from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. The water has been treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, a hydrogen isotope that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter. Despite such assurances, the prospect of more than a million tons of water being pumped into the Pacific from the nuclear plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company (9501.T) has raised alarm. Japanese Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is due to meet the same fishing industry leaders before the Kishida meeting.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Muralikumar Organizations: Japan's, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Citizens, Japanese Industry, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Tokyo, China, South Korea

☆ Japan's Kishida to meet fishermen on Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 20, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will meet fishermen as soon as Monday to seek their understanding of the government's plan to release radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific. He said his government would make every effort to ensure the safety of the water release and counter reputational damage. Releasing the water is a key step in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant and revitalising Fukushima, he added. The prime minister declined to say when it would begin.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Tom Bateman, Yuka Obayashi, William Mallard Organizations: Japan's, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tokyo Electric Power, Tepco, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, South Korea, China

An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following a strong earthquake, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 17, 2022. Members of a group that tracks such levels in food and seawater, they fear Japan's plans to release treated radioactive water into the sea near the Fukushima nuclear plant could stir an anxiety among residents reminiscent of the 2011 disaster. "The people of Fukushima endured the risks for the last 12 years and have confirmed the radiation level has dropped," said Ai Kimura, director of non-profit group Mothers' Radiation Lab Fukushima, also known as Tarachine. Japan is preparing this summer to start discharging into the Pacific more than a million tons of water from the tsunami-crippled power plant, but has not yet revealed the date. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Akiko Okamoto and Tom Bateman; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ai Kimura, Kimura, what's, Kimura's, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Akiko Okamoto, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Kyodo, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Tokyo Electric Power, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, IWAKI, Fukushima, Iwaki, Pacific, China, Tarachine

☆ Typhoon Lan Knocks Out Power for Thousands in Western Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Hikari Hida | More About Hikari Hida | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Typhoon Lan pummeled western Japan on Tuesday, prompting local officials to issue evacuation warnings, knocking out power to thousands of homes, canceling hundreds of flights and disrupting summer traditions like a nationwide baseball tournament. Moving in from the Pacific Ocean, the tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 67 miles per hour, with gusts of 89 m.p.h. All commercial flights out of Kansai airport had been suspended for the day, with more than 800 canceled nationwide. Train and bus services in the region had also been suspended. Tornado warnings were issued for central Shizuoka Prefecture just before noon by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which warned of thunderstorms, wind gusts, and hail.

Persons: Lan Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency Locations: Japan, Shionomisaki, Wakayama Prefecture, Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, Kansai, Shizuoka Prefecture

Tokyo, Japan CNN —Evacuation warnings have been issued to more than 237,000 people across 11 prefectures in Japan as Typhoon Lan hit the west of the country on Tuesday, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. At least 26 people have been injured in five prefectures across western Japan, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, citing police and fire officials. In two towns in Tottori and Okayama prefectures, rainfall over a few hours on Tuesday exceeded the average for the entire month of August. A swollen river as Typhoon Lan makes landfall in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture on Tuesday. Typhoon Lan follows Typhoon Khanun, which lashed southwestern Japan with wind and rain earlier this month.

Persons: Typhoon Lan, Lan, Takumi Harada, Koji Ito, Khanun Organizations: Japan CNN, Disaster Management Agency, NHK, Japan Meteorological Agency, Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Tourism, CNN, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, ANA Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Shionomisaki, Japan’s Wakayama, Tottori, Okayama, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Kansai, Chubu, Nagoya

☆ Japan's economy grew 6% in the second quarter, far more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Japan's economy posted its third straight quarterly expansion, provisional government data showed Tuesday, as robust exports growth helped the world's third-largest economy expand 6% in the second quarter, handily beating market expectations. Economist surveyed by Reuters had expected the world's third-largest economy to post 3.1% growth in the April-June quarter. Quarter-on-quarter, the Japanese economy expanded 1.5%, topping expectations for 0.8% growth. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index extended gains to trade up nearly 1%, while the Japanese yen pared losses against the U.S. dollar.

Organizations: Mount, Reuters, Nikkei, U.S . Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture

☆ Typhoon Lan makes landfall in western Japan, threatens damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Approaching from the Pacific Ocean, Typhoon Lan made landfall at the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The typhoon, which followed closely on the heels of Typhoon Khanun during Japan's peak Obon holiday season, lashed wide swathes of central and western Japan with heavy rains and powerful winds. Anticipating the dangerous levels of winds and rains a day earlier, high-speed train operators had also planned suspensions of services affecting the area. Typhoon Lan had sustained winds of 150 kph (93 mph) and was moving northwest across the western part of the main island of Honshu as of 0000 GMT. It was forecast to reach the Sea of Japan by early Wednesday and continue north along the sea, according to Japan's weather agency.

Persons: Typhoon Lan, Khanun, Chang, Kim, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Toyota Motor Corp, NHK, Toyota Motor, Thomson Locations: Japan, Wakayama prefecture, Tokyo, Mie, Osaka, Tokai, Typhoon, Honshu

☆ Central Japan braces for Typhoon Lan arrival with air, rail cancellations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Heavy rain during Typhoon Lan as it passes over Chichijima Island in Ogasawara, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan August 11, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Instagram@Ghost_Ryohei/via REUTERS/File photoTOKYO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Japan braced for Typhoon Lan to make landfall, with airlines and railways cancelling services in central areas of the country's main island, where it is expected to strike on Tuesday. Japan Airlines (9201.T) and ANA Holdings (9202.T) cancelled many flights in the path of the storm. West Japan Railway (9021.T) announced the suspensions of Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train routes between Nagoya and Osaka all day on Tuesday, as well as the Sanyo Shinkansen between Osaka and Okayama. Typhoon Lan threatens to disrupt one of Japan's busiest travel seasons during the Obon summer holiday, when many people take vacations and return to their hometowns.

Persons: Lan, Khanun, Typhoon Lan, Rocky Swift, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Japan Airlines, ANA Holdings, West Japan Railway, Sanyo, Universal Studios Japan, Thomson Locations: Chichijima, Ogasawara , Tokyo Prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, Wakayama prefecture, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Okayama, South Korea, China, Russian, Typhoon

☆ Asia markets set for mixed open as investors look ahead to Japan data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tokyo Skytree (R) and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Asia-Pacific markets are set to start mixed on Monday as investors look toward key data from Japan and China later in the week. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 18,857, pointing to a weaker open compared to compared to the HSI's close of 19.075.19. This would be the first time in almost a month that the HSI went lower than the 19,000 mark. In Australia, futures for the S&P/ASX 200 also point to a lower open, at 7,251 compared to the last close of 7,340.1

Persons: HSI Organizations: Mount, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Chicago, Osaka, 19.075.19, Australia

☆ Migrant boat crossing Channel from France capsizes, at least six dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Pascal Rossignol | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] "Notre Dame du Risban", an SNSM lifeboat, enters the port of Calais following a rescue operation after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized, in Calais, France, August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolCALAIS, France, Aug 12 (Reuters) - At least six people died and more than 50 were rescued after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized early on Saturday, local authorities said. "There were too many of them on the (migrant) boat," she told Reuters by phone as she returned to the shore. Thorel, who shared a picture of migrants on the rescue boat, wrapped in survival blankets, said no one died on the boat she was involved with rescuing. UK government figures show that the number of migrant Channel crossings since the start of 2018 exceeded 100,000 this week.

Persons: du Risban, Pascal Rossignol, Franck Dhersin, Sangatte, Anne Thorel, Elisabeth Borne, Herve Berville, Rishi Sunak's, Suella Braverman, Ingrid Melander, Tangi Salaun, Christian Hartmann, David Miliken, Helen Popper, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Local, Reuters, Maritime Affairs, Britain's coastguard, coastguard, Border Force, British coastguard, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Calais, France, Britain, Thorel, Dover, Paris, London

☆ Exclusive: China's Nanfang to open major copper smelter ahead of expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Julian Luk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 400,000 metric ton-per-year smelter, located in Chongzuo city of Guangxi prefecture, will start processing copper concentrates within three months - compared with market expectations for the first half of 2024. "It came as a surprise," one major copper concentrates supplier said, adding that Nanfang had been buying more raw copper materials on the spot market over the past two weeks. Purchasing copper concentrates requires access to liquidity and cash, particularly given relatively high copper prices around $8,400 a metric ton. "It is easier to finance copper projects, credit lines are sufficient to kick-start the second smelting line. Rising domestic copper smelting capacity in China will mean growing demand for copper concentrates and less appetite for buying refined copper from foreign companies.

Persons: Nanfang Nonferrous, Nanfang, COVID, Tongling, Julian Luk, Pratima Desai, Veronica Brown, David Evans Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Chongzuo, Guangxi prefecture

☆ San’in: Japan’s least-populated region is home to some of its finest treasures
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Claire Hannum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Matsue, Japan CNN —San’in isn’t the Japan most travelers picture on their first visit to the country. Japan’s famous high-speed rail system does not pass through San’in, which leaves it off many travelers’ radars altogether. The San’in region consists of Japan’s two least populous prefectures, Shimane and Tottori, which sit between the Sea of Japan and the northern side of the country’s Chukogu mountains. “The Kojiki,” an important eighth-century Shinto text, depicts the San’in region as an annual gathering place for the gods. The region is also the backdrop to Japan’s only desert, a 10-mile cluster of rolling sand beside the Sea of Japan known as the Tottori Dunes.

Persons: Japan CNN — San’in, Mount Daisen, Daisen, Masako Ishida, San’in, Mitoku, it’s, “ It’s, ”, Baye Cooper, ” Cooper, “ Organizations: Japan CNN, UNESCO, Getty, Adachi Museum of Art, Journal, Alamy, Hong Kong Airlines, Air Seoul, San’in Tourism Organization Locations: Matsue, Japan, Honshu, Japan’s, San’in, Shimane, Tottori, Nara, Hyogo, Inasa, amana, Inasa Beach, Uradome, Mount, Chugoku, Kaike Onsen, Tokyo, Kyoto, Yamaguchi prefecture, One, Osaka, Shimane prefecture, Okayama, Hiroshima, Izumo, Hong Kong, Hong, Seoul, Air

☆ Factbox: Impact of floods in China after Typhoon Doksuri
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of damaged cardboard boxes at Baixiang packaging products factory after the rains and floods brought by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/file photoBEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Extreme rain battered northern China after Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in southern Fujian province on July 28, flooding cities including Beijing, killing at least 60 people and causing extensive damage to homes, crops, livestock and infrastructure. Following is a tally of the damage, as reported by state media:BEIJINGAs of 12 a.m. (-1day 1600 GMT) Aug. 9* 33 deaths, 18 still missing* 59,000 homes collapsed, 147,000 homes damaged* 225,000 mu (15,000 hectares) of crops strickenBAODING PREFECTURE IN HEBEIAs of 12 p.m. (0400 GMT) Aug. 5* 10 dead, 18 missing* 4,448 homes collapsed, 7,286 homes damaged* 79,000 hectares of crops affected* 284 bridges and over 550 kilometres of rural roads ruined* 17 billion yuan ($2.36 billion) in direct economic lossesSHULAN CITY IN JILIN PROVINCEAs of 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) Aug. 6* 14 deaths, 1 missingDANDONG CITY IN LIAONING PROVINCEAs of Aug. 1* Four deadHEILONGJIANGAs of 12 p.m. (0400 GMT) Aug. 9* 3.87 million mu (258,000 hectares) of crops stricken* 23,708 homes collapsed or damaged* 149 bridges ruined, 352 culverts, 242,000 metres of roadbed and 1,300 greenhouses destroyedFUJIAN PROVINCEAs of 2 p.m. (0600 GMT) July 28* 262.3 hectares of crops damaged* 52.27 million yuan ($7.25 million) in direct economic losses($1 = 7.2068 Chinese yuan)Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Miral Fahmy and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Miral Fahmy, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, CITY, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China, BEIJING, Fujian, Beijing, BAODING PREFECTURE, HEBEI, JILIN PROVINCE, LIAONING, HEILONGJIANG, FUJIAN PROVINCE

Paris CNN —At least nine people were killed and two are missing after a fire broke out at a vacation home in eastern France early Wednesday morning, authorities said. Christophe Marot, a senior official in Haut Rhin, told CNN affiliate BFMTV that those inside the building could not escape from the blaze. “It’s very tragic.”The 500 square-meter (5,400 square-foot) house had been hosting people with disabilities during the summer holidays. Authorities do not have any leads on what caused the blaze, but an investigation has been opened, Hauwiller said. Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty ImagesOne official said that those inside the building could not escape from the blaze.

Persons: Firefighters, Philippe Hauwiller, Hauwiller, hadn’t, Christophe Marot, ” Marot, “, Leroy, Sebastien Bozon, Gerald Darmanin, Emmanuel Macron, Elisabeth Borne, ” Organizations: Paris CNN —, Authorities, CNN, BFMTV, Getty, Getty Images, Solidarity Locations: France, Wintzenheim, Paris, Haut Rhin, Nancy, AFP

☆ Japan braces for Typhoon Khanun's winds and heavy rainfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

City skyline and harbour are seen at sunrise in Tokyo, Japan July 24, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A swath of Japanese regions, including central areas, are bracing for Typhoon Khanun to approach near southwestern Japan on Tuesday, as the country's meteorological agency warns of damage from strong winds and heavy rainfall. The storm was hovering about 160 kilometres (99 miles) east-northeast of the city of Amami in southwestern Japan and moving slowly north as of 9 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Khanun has gradually lost its strength but still packs winds of 108 kph (67 mph), with gusts of up to 144 kph. "Due to the slow movement of the typhoon and its prolonged impact, total rainfall may greatly exceed the normal monthly rainfall for August in the Pacific Ocean side of Kyushu and western Japan, and in the Tokai region," the JMA said.

Persons: Maxim, Khanun, Satoshi Sugiyama, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Mazda Motor Corp, West Japan Railway Co, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Amami, Japan's Nagasaki, Khanun, South Korea, Shikoku, Kyushu, Western Japan, Tokai, Hakata, Osaka, Nagasaki

☆ Japan current account in the black for 5th month as trade balance swings to surplus
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Japan's current account balance logged the fifth straight month of surplus in June as the trade balance swung to a surplus, government data showed on Tuesday, easing some concerns about any decline in purchasing power of the world's third largest economy. The current account surplus stood at 1.51 trillion yen, or $10.6 billion, in June, Ministry of Finance data showed. That marked an expansion of about 1 trillion yen from the same month a year earlier and compared with economists' median forecast for a surplus of 1.4 trillion yen in a Reuters poll.

Organizations: Mount, of Finance Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture

People ride a boat through a flooded road after the rains and floods brought by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China August 3, 2023. The vast Hai River basin covers an area the size of Poland that includes Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin. On his visit to flood storage areas in Baoding, Ni added that it was necessary to reduce the pressure on Beijing's flood control and create a "moat" for the Chinese capital. "I'd like to know, among all the people living in flood storage areas across the country, how many of them know they are living in such areas?" As of 8:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Friday, Hebei had relocated more than 1.54 million people, including 961,200 from flood storage areas, state media reported on Saturday.

Persons: Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Xi Jinping, Secretary Ni Yuefeng, netizens, netizen, David Kirton, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Beijing, Hebei's Communist, Secretary, Reuters, China Water Resources, Ministry of Water Resources, Thomson Locations: Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China, BEIJING, China's, Hebei, Poland, Beijing, Tianjin, Baoding prefecture, Baoding, Xiongan, Ni, Weibo, Bazhou, Shanghai

☆ Japan to start Fukushima water release as early as late August, Asahi Shimbun reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ventilation stacks and cranes at the disabled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are seen from a beach in Namie, about 7 km away from the power plant, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Japan plans to start releasing treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean as early as late August, Japan's Asahi Shimbun daily reported on Monday, citing unnamed government sources. Japan's nuclear regulator last month granted approval for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (9501.T) to start releasing the water - which Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency say is safe but nearby countries fear it may contaminate food. Bottom trawling fishing is scheduled to start off Fukushima, northeast of Tokyo, in September, and the government aims to start the water discharge before the fishing season gets underway, the newspaper said. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Asahi Shimbun, U.S, South, Tokyo Electric Power, International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, United States, Fukushima, Tokyo

☆ Meandering Typhoon Khanun targets Japan again amid record heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of a damaged car and a fallen tree after the heavy rain and strong winds brought by Typhoon Khanun in Chatan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan August 2, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Highlighting increased abnormal weather blamed on climate change, temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the city of Date in Fukushima prefecture, the highest this year in Japan. Khanun, which has killed three people and injured more than 70 in Okinawa prefecture, was about 100 km (60 miles) west of Kagoshima prefecture Tokuno Island at 5 p.m. (0800 GMT). Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed a dozens of cars submerged and houses flooded in Naha, Okinawa's capital. Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Typhoon Khanun, Khanun, Tetsushi Kajimoto, William Mallard Organizations: Meteorological Agency, JMA, Authorities, NHK, Thomson Locations: Chatan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Okinawa, Date, Fukushima prefecture, Okinawa prefecture, Kagoshima, Tokuno, Shikoku, Amami, Kyushu, Naha, Okinawa's, Kinki, Tokai

☆ Typhoon Khanun eases off Japan's Okinawa, but islands brace for return
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A screengrab from a handout video shows an aftermath of a typhoon along a street in Nakagami, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan August 3, 2023. TOKYO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Typhoon Khanun barely moved on Friday in the East China Sea, with predictions that it will approach Japan's Okinawa islands again, raising fears of sustained damage in areas already battered by heavy rain and strong winds over the past two days. In northern Taiwan, land warnings were lifted on Friday and businesses and schools that were shut on Thursday due to the typhoon reopened. In the capital Taipei, more than 200 trees and street signs were downed, but no major damage was reported. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khanun, Satoshi Sugiyama, Yimou Lee, Sonali Paul Organizations: Yuma Nagahama, REUTERS, TOKYO, Japan Meteorological Agency, Okinawa Electric, Naha Airport, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Nakagami, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Yuma, Handout, East China, Okinawa, Okinawa's Miyako, Japan's, Naha, Taiwan, Taipei, Tokyo

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