Japan, One Month On...

A month after the deadly earthquake and tsunami, the official death toll in Japan stands at 13,000. 14,000 people are still missing. Here are some pictures at ground zero, one month on.

In other news:

• Fukushima v Chernobyl: a comparison
• A silver lining: the nuclear crisis is expected to be brought under control within nine months.
• Inspirational stories of death and survival at a school swimming club.

Reminder & Latest News from Japan

We have been receiving some high-quality submissions from caring writers across the globe! Thank you guys! Don't forget, the deadline for submissions is May 15th, so if you have a story idea or draft, you've got a month to write/polish it! :)

And here are more updates from Japan:

• Exactly one month after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Sendai region, another powerful earthquake (magnitude 7.1) hit north-east Japan on Monday.
• The nuclear crisis in Japan has been raised to the highest level, 7. This has only ever been previously applied to one other nuclear disaster in 1986. Could Fukushima be the new Chernobyl?

Latest News from Japan...

• Workers are now pumping nitrogen into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor to prevent further explosions.
• Residents of the town of Futaba near the nuclear power plant have had to be evacuated due to radiation, and it seems they may not be able to return for a very long time.
• And if you're interested, here are some facts on the health effects of radiation exposure.