91 bags of radioactive missing in Japan after typhoon Hagibis

14:46, November 05, 2019

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  Japan retailers to charge for plastic bags from 2020

  (Photo: CGTN)Japanese retailers including supermarkets and convenience stores will be required to charge for plastic bags starting next summer ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, a government panel agreed Friday.The move brings Japan in line with many other countries that have already adopted the environmentally friendly measure, but it will only come into effect in July 2020.There will be no set price for a bag, with each retailer able to decide how much to charge.The government will try to "ingrain the habit among consumers of bringing bags" and help them understand the move as "a step towards transforming their lifestyle," according to documents on the plan.It comes after the G20 major economiesagreed in June a deal to reduce marine plastic waste at a meeting in the host nation Japan.Campaigners have criticized the East Asian country for moving too slowly on reducing plastic consumption -- particularly as it produces more plastic packaging waste per capita than any nation apart from the United States, according to the UN.Japan touts an enviable waste-management system, and the government says that 86 percent of its plastic waste is recycled.But much of that "recycling" involves simply incinerating plastic, often to produce energy -- a process that generates carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change.Japan exports around 10 percent of its plastic waste for recycling overseas. But research by environmentalists shows the waste can end up in the ocean or emit harmful pollutants when burned improperly.In 2018, Japans government unveiled a proposal to tackle plastic waste, with the goal of reducing the 9.4 million tonnes produced by the country each year by a quarter by 2030.

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  Typhoons and tries: Rugby World Cup talking points

  South Africas captain Siya Kolisi lifts the trophy after a brilliant tournament. (Photo: AFP)A breakthrough performance from the hosts, a huge typhoon and a dressing-down for referees: the first Rugby World Cup in Asia was not short of talking points.AFP Sport looks back at some of the highlights of Japan 2019.- Nippon! Nippon! -One of the great unknowns about Japan 2019 was how the host team would perform, a vital element at any major event.The omens were not good when they suffered a 41-7 drubbing at the hands of the Springboks in a warm-up match that showed they were still some way off rugbys elite nations.But after a nervous start, they put Russia to the sword 30-10 and then lit up the tournament with an incredible 19-12 upset of Ireland, roared on by a passionate and partisan crowd.A stylish win over Scotland saw them top their pool, an unbelievable achievement for the Brave Blossoms, who have been on the wrong end of some historic thrashings at previous World Cups.Japan fell short in the quarter-finals against the Springboks, who squeezed the life out of them with a gargantuan defensive effort, but they won some high-profile admirers along the way with their entertaining brand of attacking rugby.World Rugby boss Bill Beaumont said they had shown how the game should be played, and should now be viewed as one of the sports Tier One countries.- Typhoon chaos -Contingency planning was a major talking point ahead of the tournament in Japan, one of the worlds most seismically active countries which is also battered by around 20 typhoons a year.And the worst fears were realized as Typhoon Hagibis bore down on the country -- one of the biggest and most powerful storms Japan has seen in many years, that would eventually kill more than 80 people.The sheer size of the storm -- it covered the vast majority of the sprawling Japanese archipelago -- and the ferocity of its winds left the organisers with little choice but to cancel three pool matches, reco...

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  Search continues for 2 missing Chinese divers in Indonesia

  The intense search and rescue entered the second day on Tuesday, after two Chinese nationals went missing in waters off Banten Province in Indonesia. The two divers remain unaccounted for.Photo: Peoples Daily onlineAccording to the website of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, the embassy received a phone call for help late Sunday, which said three Chinese nationals went missing while diving in waters near Sangiang Island. But the missing people was then verified to be two Chinese and one Singaporean. The two Chinese nationals are employees at a Chinese company in Indonesia.The embassy initiated the emergency response mechanism after receiving the call. It reported the incident to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent personnel to the venue to have a grasp of the situation. The embassy made the search and rescue plan with the rescue team from Banten, and urged Indonesia to do its best with the search and rescue.Since early Monday morning, the Indonesian Navy, water police and united rescue team have dispatched a helicopter and an underwater robot to the area. The search area has been enlarged to 100 square kilometers.