Members of Ruch Palikota Party wear masks during a vote of no confidence for Health Minister Bartosz Arlukowicz in Poland's parliament in Warsaw January 26, 2012 More European parliaments are refusing to ratify the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, claiming it violates human rights. Now, some are asking: “why it was signed in the first place?” It looks like some of the countries who signed... 

Water leaks from 14 points at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant’s facilities have been found, leading the operator to suspend the cooling of the spent fuel pool at its No. 4 reactor for two hours, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) was quoted by local media as reporting on Monday. The leakage is believed to have been caused by the freezing cold weather, and the leaked water included... 

Iranian historical city of Isfahan and Japan’s Kyoto have been named sister cities on the sidelines of the meeting held at the Japanese cultural week in Isfahan. While Iran and Japan have many common beliefs in culture such as hospitality, patience, respecting family and friendly manner, the decision was made to boost the two nations’ cultural ties, expressed Japan’s ambassador to... 

Radiation readings from the EnviroReporter have revealed high levels of HOT particles in Michigan, possibly from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Radiation levels after a storm in the area read 561% over normal background levels. Then, after a second storm, the levels were even higher, 6.5 times higher than normal accepted levels to be exact. Michael Collins, the founder of EnviroReporter recently... 

Russia’s Transaero and Aeroflot airlines took the 15th and the 35th positions respectively on the list of world’s 60 safest airlines, Ayda.ru website said. The research to analyze the security level took account of all incidents that took place to jetliners during the recent decade. At the same time, Russia became the most dangerous state for those who like to travel by air. The low level... 

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak (L) igreets Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Both countries have expressed their intentions to disregard US-led sanctions on Iranian oil. Japan has become the latest country to hint at its intention to ignore US-led oil sanctions on Iran, after South Korea’s recent dismissal of Washington’s bid to boycott the Iranian crude. “We are not considering... 

The Japanese electronics company, Sony has introduced a paper-powered battery that generates electricity by turning paper into sugar, using it as fuel. The company has announced that the bio-battery is environmentally friendly, as no harmful chemicals have been used in the product. The power generating process uses the enzyme cellulose to decompose paper into glucose sugar. The produced sugar is then... 

The Government of Japan on December 27 made a significant step toward the abolition of voluntary restrictions on arms exports that had been in effect since 1967. The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that the decision was taken by the government’s Security Council, based on national needs in developing their own military-industrial complex and intent to ensure adequate supplies of “military... 

A peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Health Services estimates 14,000 excess deaths in the United States are linked to the radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear reactors. The article by Joseph Mangano and Janette Sherman is the first published in a medical journal. “This study of Fukushima health hazards is the first to be published in a scientific journal. It... 

Police officers investigate wrecked luxury cars at the site of a traffic accident on the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki. Altogether 14 cars, among them eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and two Mercedes Benz, have collided in Japan’s most expensive car crash ever. ­Sports Nippon newspaper estimates the value of the vehicles to be about $4 million. Unfortunately some of the owners will have to part... 

Yaeba-tastic: Child-like, crooked smiles are a hot trend in Japan, where the looked is known as 'yaeba' Perfect teeth – white, straight and evenly aligned – may be the ideal in America, but that aesthetic is not for everyone. Japanese women are going gaga for a crowded, crooked-toothed smile with accentuated canine teeth, known as the ‘yaeba’ look. Popular at dentists... 

Strontium 90 was measured in Yokohama, Kouhokuku. In the simplest put, it’s over. The amount was 195 Bq/kg, detected by a university staff teaching engineering, so the measurement is trustworthy. It has nothing to do with the historical world-wide nuclear test, because it was measured on the roof of and apartment, which was built only 5 years ago. Now the test result was sent to Yokohama city government. Yokohama... 

WallStreet Journal reports that Sony Corp. is on its way to finish off the deal with Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson, which would make Sony the sole and primary shareholder of the Sony Ericsson joint venture. Created back in 2001, the Sony Ericsson 50-50 joint venture is one of the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturers (the 6th, actually) and has attracted many brand-loyal users through the years. Sony’s... 

Yoichi Shimatsu, former editor of the Japan Times Sixteen tons and what you get is a nuclear catastrophe. The explosions that rocked the Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant were more powerful than the combustion of hydrogen gas, as claimed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. The actual cause of the blasts, according to intelligence sources in Washington, was nuclear fission of. warhead cores illegally taken... 

Gamers at the Tokyo Game Show use Xbox 360's motion sensor to 'dance' in a game - but a spokesman said new titles could 'project' game worlds into the living room. The latest 3D televisions let images ‘leap out’ of the screen – provided you’re wearing a pair of geeky glasses. But new ‘holographic’ technology might project images right into your...