A species of shellfish, Thais clavigera, has disappeared in a 30km coastal area near Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, Japanese experts said. (hindustantimes.com)

Japan's Supreme Court decided Tuesday to dismiss an appeal against a high court ruling that the government was not responsible for deaths of two patients caused by side effects from the Iressa lung cancer drug. (Jiji Press)

The rubella epidemic is spreading quickly, particularly in the Kanto region. Usually limited to developing countries, the disease, also known as German measles, poses a threat to pregnant women as it can cause disorders in fetuses, including hearing impairments, cardiac disease and cataracts. (Japan Times)

Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department set up Tuesday a special investigation unit for cybercrimes amid a growing number of attacks through computers against government agencies and private companies in Japan. (Jiji Press)

Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department set up Tuesday a special investigation unit for cybercrimes amid a growing number of attacks through computers against government agencies and private companies in Japan. (Jiji Press)

Tokyo Tower was lit up in blue for the U.N. World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday, along with over 40 other towers and buildings in Japan. (Jiji Press)

North Korea says it will refurbish and restart its disabled nuclear reactor at Nyongbyon, apparently to suggest that it plans to extract toxic plutonium from its spent nuclear fuel. (NHK)

Despite a lack of experience in foreign policy, or any other kind of politics, Caroline Kennedy looks set to receive a warm reception in Japan if her appointment as the next US ambassador to the country is confirmed. (csmonitor.com)

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda is struggling to build a consensus ahead of his first central bank board meeting this week, risking disappointing markets that expect hefty bond purchases and a radical shift in its policymaking framework. (Reuters)

The United Nations has adopted its first ever treaty aimed at controlling the trade in conventional weapons, voting it through by a large majority despite earlier being blocked by three countries. (guardian.co.uk)

The Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra made its first foreign tour, in Russia through Sunday, since the massive earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan, including its home city of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, in March 2011. (Jiji Press)

Asian stock markets were mixed during late Asian trade on Tuesday, with markets in Japan coming under pressure as the yen strengthened against its major counterparts ahead of the Bank of Japan's highly-anticipated policy meeting later this week. (investing.com)

Japan's supreme court has ruled that parents who fail to respond to an estranged partner's requests to see their children can be fined. (Japan Today)

The government decided Tuesday to liberalize the electricity retail market from 2016, making it possible for consumers to choose power suppliers that can offer lower electricity rates. (Kyodo)

The United States moved an Aegis warship Monday to waters near the Korean Peninsula in response to the increasingly threatening rhetoric exhibited by North Korea. (Kyodo)

A woman in Soka, Saitama Prefecture was stabbed in the back by an unknown assailant in the street on Monday, police said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

In what police believe is connected to an ongoing gang war in Yamanashi Prefecture, an explosion shook a residential neighborhood on Sunday evening. (Tokyo Reporter)

The Antarctic Ocean-dwelling ocellated icefish is an anomaly in the natural world, as the only vertebrate with transparent blood. (Kyodo)

A municipal library run by the operator of the Tsutaya movie rental and bookshop chain opened Monday in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, featuring a Starbucks cafe, in what is believed to be the first public-private partnership of its kind. (Kyodo)

Japan and Russia are arranging for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit Russia on April 29 and 30, a source familiar with bilateral relations said Monday. (Kyodo)