Japan on Friday proposed an aggressive plan to spend 13 trillion yen ($167 billion) over five years in hopes of bringing about a swift recovery after its recent natural and nuclear disasters.

A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning has been issued.

In Avudaiyarkoil and Manamelkudi PU limits

Japan's government said on Tuesday it was on track with efforts to take control of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant but cautioned that a final clean-up of the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl would take many years.

The update on progress to shut down six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant comes four months after a massive earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems at the

The first phase of work to bring the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant under control has been completed as scheduled, a Japanese minister said.

Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Wednesday the country must gradually reduce its reliance on atomic power with the eventual goal of becoming nuclear-free. Four months after the March 11 quake and tsunami triggered the Fukushima nuclear accident, the world's worst since Chernobyl 25 years ago, Mr.

A strong earthquake jolted on Sunday the same area of northeastern Japan that was hit by a massive quake in March, but there was no sign of further damage along the coast or to the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, officials said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted a tsunami alert for the region before noon after initially urging residents in the disaster area to stay clear of the coa

Small tsunami waves reached the Pacific coast of northern Japan on Sunday after a major quake hit the region heavily damaged by the March earthquake and tsunami, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The port towns of Soma and Of unato saw 10-cm tsunami waves triggered by the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck off the main island of Honshu at 9:57 a.m.

Facing immense political pressure over continuing civil nuclear crisis, the Naoto Kan government on Wednesday ordered a new form of