20110525

UN opens probe into Japan's crippled nuke plant

AP

A major international mission to investigate Japan's flooded, radiation-leaking nuclear complex began as new information suggested that nuclear fuel had mostly melted in two more reactors in the early days after the March 11 tsunami. That would mean that all three troubled reactors at the plant have had their cores mostly melted down. The team of U.N. nuclear experts met with Japanese officials Tuesday and planned to visit the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in coming days to investigate the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986 and assess efforts to stabilize the complex by Tokyo's self-declared deadline of early next year. (AP)

Japan suffers April trade deficit

AFP

Japan fell into a trade deficit in April as exports tumbled at the fastest pace in 18 months on supply chain disruptions after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, official data showed Wednesday. It is the first time in 31 years that the world's third largest economy has suffered a trade deficit for the month of April, according to the finance ministry. Japan logged a deficit of 463.7 billion yen ($5.6 billion) last month, reversing a year-before surplus of 729.2 billion yen. Exports fell 12.5 percent, the fastest pace of decline since October 2009, with shipments of cars diving 67.0 percent and electronics parts such as microchips dropping 19.0 percent. (AFP)