More on Japan

News keep coming in regarding Japan. It is still unclear exactly what kind of threat the nuclear situation may pose despite a lot of speculation. At this point it seems to be all a matter of speculation on where this is headed, with viewpoints all over the board. Some brief updates:

Radiation fears spark panic, evacuations in Toyko

Scores of people fled Tokyo on Tuesday and residents stayed indoors over fears that radiation from an earthquake-stricken nuclear plant could waft over one of the world's biggest and most densely populated cities.

Despite assurances from the city government that low levels of radioactivity detected in Tokyo were for now "not a problem," residents, expatriates and tourists decided staying in Japan's capital was simply too risky.

Those who remained in Tokyo hoarded food and supplies, fearing the worst from the radiation threat that spread panic in this bustling, ultra-modern and hyper-efficient metropolis of 12 million people.

Japan's apocalypse now

There are some incredible pictures in this link. The destruction is beyond words.

Japan races to avert catastrophe as fresh fire erupts

Japan raced to avert a catastrophe after fire broke out on Wednesday at a quake-crippled nuclear plant that has already sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo and prompted some people to flee the capital.

The plant's operator said workers were trying to put out the blaze at the building housing the No.4 reactor of the nuclear facility in Fukushima, 240 km north of Tokyo.

Experts say spent fuel rods in a cooling pool at the reactor could be exposed by the fire and spew more radiation into the atmosphere.

Two strong aftershocks rock Japan minutes apart

Two strong earthquakes struck Japan on late Tuesday evening, days after one of the largest earthquakes on record devastated the country, seismologists said.

The first 6.2-magnitude earthquake at 10.28 p.m. local time (1328 GMT) was centered off the country's northeastern coast, about 142 kilometers (88 miles) east-northeast of Iwaki on the main island of Honshu. It struck about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) deep, making it an extremely shallow earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Minutes later, at 10.31 p.m. local time (1331 GMT), a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck central-east Japan at a depth of 1 kilometer (0.6 mile). It struck about 36 kilometer (22 miles) south of Kofu and was centered on land.

Continuing problems raise fears of greater radiation threat

A fire was discovered Wednesday in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the latest in a series of setbacks at the stricken plant that has heightened fears that the incidents could lead to widespread radiation contamination.

The fire followed a hydrogen explosion Tuesday at the plant's No. 2 reactor. Hydrogen explosions had previously occurred in the plant's No. 1 and No. 3 reactors.

It was unclear how much radioactive material may have been emitted, what kind of health threat that could pose or when the danger would end.

That seems to be the order of the day. More questions than answers. We'll have to wait and see where this leads as we are all looking at an unprecedented situation - one that is almost impossible to predict.