Asia

Decorative figurines sit next to a container of hand sanitizer just inside the entrance of Cosmos Karaoke.

A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster

6:14pm September 12, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

Run by a South Korean woman, the Cosmos Karaoke Bar in Namie, Japan, is a haven for residents who've come back to live in a town that was evacuated and fell into decay after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

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Tomoko stands at the inn in Fukushima prefecture that has been in her family for generations.

Fukushima Has Turned These Grandparents Into Avid Radiation Testers

10:05am September 11, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

After losing trust in official information, the Japanese public took it upon themselves to learn to measure for radioactive matter. Nearly a decade after the nuclear disaster, they're still testing.

World News

Philippine President Pardons U.S. Marine In Killing Of Transgender Woman

4:57am September 11, 2020

by Julie McCarthy

In the Philippines, the surprise pardon of a US Marine convicted of killing a transgender woman has stirred old resentments about preferential treatment for American forces who run afoul of the law.

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On Jan. 23, workers started building the Huoshenshan hospital for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China. The photo above was taken on Jan. 30. Construction was done on Feb. 2, and the 1,000-bed hospital opened on Feb. 3. Today it stands empty of patients.

Health & Safety

Whatever Happened To ... The Instant Hospitals Built For COVID-19 Patients In Wuhan?

11:16am September 10, 2020

by Joanne Lu

Two hospitals were built in a matter of days to house the growing number of patients. Existing facilities were converted to health care centers as well. And now, what happened to them?

A macaque monkey in a tree in Fukushima prefecture. After the 2011 nuclear disaster, towns and neighborhoods in Fukushima were left devoid of humans for years, and nature started to reclaim the space.

World News

In Rural Fukushima, 'The Border Between Monkeys And Humans Has Blurred'

8:16am September 10, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

After people evacuated their homes following a nuclear disaster in the Japanese prefecture, nature started to reclaim the space. The humans are trying to return, but it's an uneasy coexistence.

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World News

How The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Affected The Energy Industry In Japan

6:44pm September 09, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

The Fukushima nuclear disaster put much of Japan's nuclear power program on hold. Nearly a decade later, the energy-poor country is grappling with how to power one of the world's largest economies.

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Officials from the Cilandak Subdistrict Office and Police Department carry a coffin in the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of a campaign to scare people into following pandemic guidelines.

Can A Parade Of Coffins Scare People Into Wearing Masks?

1:50pm September 09, 2020

by Adi Renaldi

City officials in Jakarta, Indonesia, created the life-size coffins — complete with dummies inside — to encourage people to take the pandemic seriously. It didn't quite have the intended effect.

World News

How 2 Towns That Host Fukushima Power Plant Recover After 2011 Nuclear Disaster

4:06pm September 08, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

Two Japanese towns that host the Fukushima nuclear power plant stood to gain a lot from the promises of nuclear power. But after one of the worst nuclear disasters, it's clear how much they've lost.

Analysts Recall Plane Collision In 2001 Amid Worsening China-U.S. Relations

4:06pm September 08, 2020

by John Ruwitch

A Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. surveillance plane collided over the South China Sea 19 years ago. Analysts say that currently deteriorating China-U.S. relations may lead to another mishap.

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A view over a gate blocking off the old downtown of Okuma, in Fukushima Prefecture. Fukushima was forever changed by one of the world's biggest nuclear disasters nearly a decade ago.

World News

The Ghost Towns Behind The Gates

9:11am September 08, 2020

Fukushima was forever changed by a nuclear disaster in 2011. What does recovery mean for the region? It's an answer filled with resilience, reinvention and regret.