Japan

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave the final go-ahead at a meeting of Cabinet ministers involved in the plan and instructed the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, to be ready to start the coastal release Thursday if weather and sea conditions permit.

The water release begins nearly 12 and half years after the March 2011 nuclear meltdowns caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami.

Kishida said at the meeting that the release of the water is essential for the progress of the plant decommissioning and Fukushima's recovery.

The Barramundis closed in at 4/92 (15.1 Overs) with Japan 8/87 (20 Overs).

Bowling first, the Barramundis were on fire in the field and with ball in hand. The wickets were shared around with 5 bowlers claiming a wicket each alongside two run outs and some fantastic outfield catching.

The Amini Park pitch is proving to be difficult to score on and is keeping low and slow, meaning the chase of 87 was never fully comfortable. After the loss of two early wickets, skipper Assad Vala steadied with CJ Amini to see PNG over the line.

Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd (KPHL) PNG Barramundis and Japan registered two wins each against fellow counterparts, Philippines and Vanuatu, who have yet to win a match. Both teams will be up to grab a win against each other.

With their chances of leading the race into second round of matches of the tournament, PNG and Japan will prove their credentials on the pitch today, to see who is worthy of representing the East Asia Pacific region in the T20 World Cup this October in India.

Marape said he had faith in former prime minister, Yoshihide Suga and current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as both leaders have given their assurance that Japan was doing everything in its power to maximise the safety of the wastewater and would not allow its release until safety has been confirmed based on scientific evidence. 

Ling-Stuckey met with Masato Kanda on the sidelines of the ADB annual meetings in Incheon, Korea, on May 3^rd.

“Japan has had an extraordinary record of economic success. Over the last sixty years, it has pursued outward-looking growth and export strategies,” said the Treasurer.

“These have lifted the standard of living of Japanese families dramatically – from just $USD475 per capita in 1960 to $US39,300 in 2021 (over K100,000 per person each year).

The plaintiffs, aged between six and 16 at the time of the disaster, say they got cancer from radiation exposure.

All of them underwent surgery to remove parts or all of their thyroid glands, their lawyer said.

However, they may struggle to prove that the radiation led to their cancer.

Their lawsuit is seeking $5.4m (£4m) in compensation from the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).

A Tepco spokesman said the company was aware of the case filing and would address it once they had seen the details of the complaint.

The US warned of strong currents and waves, and coastal flooding.

The huge underwater volcanic eruption caused waves of more than a metre to crash into Tonga.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano was heard across the South Pacific, and eventually as far away as the US.

A tsunami warning has been issued for parts of Australia's east coast and Tasmania, and the north and east coast areas of New Zealand's North Island.

Police are investigating whether the blaze was started deliberately, public broadcaster NHK said.

The victims suffered cardiopulmonary arrest, a term often used in preliminary reports before a death is officially confirmed, reports say.

Footage showed blackened windows after dozens of firefighters extinguished the blaze on the fourth floor.

All of those feared dead were reportedly in a psychiatric clinic on the fourth floor of the building, located in a busy commercial and entertainment district.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision was in response to "human rights abuses" in China's Xinjiang province and "many other issues that Australia has consistently raised".

Athletes would still attend, he added.

China has condemned the US announcement and threatened to retaliate, without giving further details.

On Monday, the US said it would not send diplomats to the Games in Beijing over concerns about China's human rights record.

Under Japanese law, female imperial family members forfeit their status upon marriage to a "commoner" although male members do not.

She also skipped the usual rites of a royal wedding and turned down a payment offered to royal females upon their departure from the family.

She is the first female member of the royal family to decline both.