The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday approved a construction and operating license for new nuclear power reactors for the first time since 1978, giving Southern Co. the green light to build two new units at its existing Vogtle site in Georgia. Read full article > >

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NRC approves construction of new nuclear power reactors in Georgia

“We don’t need to pay all this money to keep troops all over the country, 130 countries, 900 bases. But also, just think, bringing all the troops home rather rapidly, they would be spending their money here at home and not in Germany and Japan and South Korea, tremendous boost to the economy.” Read full article > >

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Ron Paul’s strange claim about bases and troops overseas

An earlier 2006 plan aimed at removing 8,000 Marines from the island hinged on relocating an important Marine air base.

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Japan and United States in Talks to Renegotiate Part of Okinawa Deal

Kitakyushu has declared war on the yakuza, just as authorities say any romantic aura that may have enveloped gangsters in the past is falling away in Japanese society.

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With Risk, Japanese City Takes On Once Accepted Fact of Life: Its Gangsters

A United Nations mission on Tuesday tentatively supported new stress tests designed to determine whether Japan’s nuclear plants can withstand another emergency.

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United Nations Tentatively Backs Japans Nuclear Stress Tests

TOKYO — The hulking system that once guided Japan’s pro-nuclear-power stance worked just fine when everybody moved in lock step. But in the wake of a nuclear accident that changed the way this country thinks about energy, the system has proved ill-suited for resolving conflict. Its very size and complexity have become a problem. Read full article > >

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After earthquake, Japan can’t agree on the future of nuclear power

The chance of a big earthquake hitting Japan’s capital in the next few years is much greater than official predictions suggest, researchers say.

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Big Tokyo quake is ‘likely soon’

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda shook up his cabinet on Friday in a bid to appease opposition parties and build support for his contentious tax hike proposal. In what Japan’s domestic media described as a “minor” reshuffle, Noda replaced five of his 17 ministers, including two who had recently come under criticism for their verbal slip-ups. But the move comes at a critical time for Noda, who in the coming months will either win wider backing for his fiscal policy or squander what’s left of his popularity. Read full article > >

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Japan PM reshuffles cabinet in bid to win support for tax hike

TOKYO — Japan on Thursday agreed to cut its dependence on Iranian oil, bolstering the U.S.-led effort to choke off funding for Iran’s nuclear development program. The Japanese pledge, given during a visit here from Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, stood in contrast with resistance earlier this week from China , whose officials say that Iran’s uranium program and its energy sales shouldn’t be linked. Read full article > >

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Japan agrees to reduce oil imports from Iran

CANBERRA, Australia — Japan has agreed to release without charge three Australian activists who boarded a Japanese vessel off southwest Australia as part of a campaign to stop whale hunting in Antarctic waters, Australia’s attorney-general said Tuesday. The three men boarded the security ship Shonan Maru No. 2 on Sunday as it tailed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s flagship the Steve Irwin. Read full article > >

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Australian government says Japan agrees to release 3 activists who boarded Japanese whaler

The ousted boss of Olympus gives up on his attempts to regain control of the Japanese camera and medical equipment maker.

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Olympus ex-boss ends takeover bid

The tiny village of Babanakayama, Japan, had plans to build a road to resettle on higher ground, but opposition has sidelined the project.

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In Babanakayama, Japan, Road to Future Leads Nowhere

A key panel of Japan’s ruling party agrees to postpone a planned sales tax increase amid rising opposition to the move.

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Japan delays sales tax increase

There are days when I hit “send” on Wonkbook and feel a little guilty. It can be a lot of bad news for 7am. “Good morning. We’re doomed!” But not today. Today, Wonkbook is optimistic. Sort of. A little. David Wessel puts it nicely in today’s Wall Street Journal. “For the past year and half,” he writes , “the U.S. has been caught in a tug of war. On one side is the economy’s natural resilience. On the other are the long-lasting effects of a burst credit bubble and some bad luck—the oil-price spike provoked by the Arab Spring, the supply-chain disruption following Japan’s earthquake. At the end of 2010, the economy’s resilience was winning. In 2011, it gave ground.” Read full article > >

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Wonkbook: How the economy could come back in 2012

The euro falls to a ten-year low against the Japanese yen amid renewed concerns over the eurozone crisis.

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Euro hits ten-year low versus yen