JAPAN

The hacker being sued for altering the firmware that runs the PlayStation 3 has fired back at Sony Computer Entertainment America's attempt to get the case heard in California.

Mashable is reporting that Lady Gaga donated $1.5 million to Zynga's fundraising campaign for Japan.

Three percent of Japan's total demand for LPG has been wiped out by the earthquake that hit the county earlier this month, though intensive buying by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) could compensate for the reduction in demand to some extent.

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said it detected several kinds of radioactive material in the water on the floor of reactor buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The first teams of foreign doctors have arrived in Japan to treat victims of the devastating earthquake of two weeks ago after the government lifted its restriction on holders of foreign medical licenses treating Japanese patients.

US stocks opened higher in early trade on Monday, with the S&P 500 Index gaining 2.49 points, or 0.19 percent, to trade at 1,315.76. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 18.31 points, or 0.15 percent, to trade at 12,238.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.28 percent.

Increasing numbers of pregnant women from Tokyo are moving westward into the Kansai area to have their babies due to rising radiation fears.

Ruling out laymen speculation on a connection between the earthquakes that have stuck nations across the world including the powerful Christchurch and Japan ones, a new study has found that large quakes do not cause temblors in far away lands.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho admitted that he was just hours away from accepting the England manager's job in 2007 before the appointment of Fabio Capello.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano said Saturday that Japan was ''still far from the end of the accident'' that hit a nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture, according to a report by the New York Times.

The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious, the International Energy Agency said on Monday.

Nintendo's 3D gaming console is now available in stores in the US.

While a drop in public support for nuclear power would be expected after an incident like the Fukushima reactor crisis, the nuclear disaster in Japan has triggered a much stronger response among Americans.

The symbolic action of turning lights out for an hour in an expression of concern for the environment is in the process of being officially observed in thousands of communities across 134 countries and territories on Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in its latest update on Japan's nuclear crisis.

Retailers are expecting a strong demand for Nintendo's latest and greatest portable handheld, the 3DS, but a stiff economy and even tougher competition may make for a tepid reception.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) should be much more aggressive, said Paul Sheard, global chief economist of Nomura Securities.

Residents of Fukushima Prefecture who live between 20 and 30 kilometers away from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are feeling increasingly isolated, according to Kyodo News.

Nuclear emergency workers toiling in the quake-stricken power plant at Fukushima are exhibiting extraordinary courage and devotion to their monumental duties.

Lights being turned off in homes, businesses and public buildings in Fiji and New Zealand at 8:30 PM local time marked the commencement of Earth Hour 2011, with widespread endorsement of the message that the world and its environment need commitments for action going “beyond the hour”.

Japanese authorities today confirmed a number of developments at the nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi.