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3:12 pm
Tue March 11, 2014

Three Years From Meltdown, Japanese Nuclear Plant Still Struggles

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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 5:51 pm

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Three years ago today, a massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan killed thousands of people. It also triggered the meltdown of reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The cleanup is ongoing and has been problematic, with power failures and leaks of contaminated water. And the technical difficulties involved in closing the facility are compounded by serious labor issues.

NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken)

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Religion
3:12 pm
Tue March 11, 2014

On Italian Newsstands, Pope Francis Gets His Own Fanzine

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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 5:51 pm

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ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

This week, Pope Francis marks the first anniversary of his papacy. In his first 12 months, Francis has achieved the rank of a global pop star. His message of humility and proximity to the poor has won admiration from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. He's attracting bigger crowds than his predecessor and, as NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports, he is now the focus of a new fan magazine.

(SOUNDBITE OF A CROWD)

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Parallels
1:24 pm
Tue March 11, 2014

Norway Takes The Lead In Electric Cars (With Generous Subsidies)

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Jonette Øyen with her Nissan Leaf outside the National Archives in Norway, where she works. Next month Norway is expected to become the first country where one in every 100 cars is purely electric.
Credit Sidsel Overgaard / NPR
One of Oslo's municipal parking lots, where rows of outlets allow EV owners to park and charge for free
Credit Sidsel Overgaard / NPR
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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 5:51 pm

When Jonette Øyen bought her first electric car, it turned heads. "Now nobody turns around!" she says with a laugh.

Sometime in April, Norway is expected to become the first country where one in every 100 cars is purely electric. One percent may not sound like a huge figure, but in the U.S., the equivalent number would be something close to .07 percent.

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The Two-Way
1:13 pm
Tue March 11, 2014

Libyan Premier Dismissed Over Oil Port Standoff With Rebels

The North Korean-flagged tanker "Morning Glory" is docked at Sidra's export terminal at Ras Lanuf earlier this week.
Credit Esam Omran Al-Fetori / Reuters/Landov
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Libya's prime minister lost a vote of confidence and has been dismissed after his government was unable to stop a North Korean-flagged tanker from loading oil at a rebel-held port and reportedly breaking through a naval blockade.

Ali Zeidan was replaced temporarily by the country's defense minister, Abdallah al-Thinni, parliamentary spokesman Omar Hmeidan said.

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The Two-Way
11:37 am
Tue March 11, 2014

Reporter For Swedish Radio Shot Dead In Afghanistan

A photo from last year of Swedish Radio journalist Nils Horner, who was killed Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Credit Mattias Ahlm / AP
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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 12:08 pm

A Swedish journalist was gunned down in a heavily guarded section of the Afghan capital that is home to Westerners working for aid agencies, embassies and news organizations.

Nils Horner, 51, who has dual British-Swedish nationality, worked for Swedish Radio and had been in Afghanistan for only a few days prior to Tuesday's attack in Kabul.

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The Two-Way
9:31 am
Tue March 11, 2014

'Ringing' Phones Do Not Mean Malaysian Passengers Are OK

In Beijing, anxious relatives continue to wait for word about the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The Beijing-bound jet disappeared on Saturday.
Credit Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images
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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 10:18 am

Already heartbreaking images of grieving family and friends only become more poignant when you hear this:

Some family members and friends of the 239 people who haven't been heard from since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared Saturday say they've been calling their loved ones' cellphones and hearing rings — though no one picked up the calls.

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World
9:28 am
Tue March 11, 2014

Why Is Locating A Lost Airliner So Hard?

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Renee Montagne talks with aviation reporter Stephen Trimble about airplane technology and black boxes.

The Two-Way
8:29 am
Tue March 11, 2014

Crimean Parliament Passes 'Declaration Of Independence'

A masked man, believed to be a Russian soldier, holds a Crimean flag as members of a pro-Russian self-defense unit stand in formation Monday in the regional capital of Simferopol.
Credit Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters /Landov
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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 10:51 am

"Crimea's regional legislature on Tuesday adopted a 'declaration of independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,' " The Associated Press reports. "The document specified that Crimea will become an independent state if its residents vote on Sunday in favor of joining Russia."

That's just one of several developments Tuesday as the crisis in Ukraine continues. Among the other news:

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Parallels
7:24 am
Tue March 11, 2014

In Tsunami's Wake, Fierce Debate Over Japan's 'Great Wall'

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Workers build a concrete barrier along the coast of suburban Kesennuma, northeastern Japan, which was hard hit by the devastating tsunami in 2011. Nationwide, Japan has poured concrete to defend nearly half of its shoreline. Critics say much of it is unnecessary.
Credit Lucy Craft for NPR
A sea wall on the outskirts of the port city of Kesennuma. Some residents say high walls are too expensive and destroy scenery, wildlife and popular beaches. The government has proposed sea walls that will stretch for more than 200 miles and will be 30 feet high in some places.
Credit Lucy Craft for NPR
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Originally published on Tue March 11, 2014 9:28 am

Three years after the massive tsunami that ravaged northeastern Japan, the government is building the biggest anti-tsunami barriers ever.

The vast network of supersized sea walls, mocked by some as "the Great Wall of Japan," is already underway and would stretch 230 miles and cost nearly $8 billion.

The wall is designed to protect places like the small port city of Kesennuma in Miyagi prefecture. With its dramatic hills, white fishing boats and seafood market, Kesennuma has the pleasant nautical feel of Seattle.

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The Two-Way
6:36 am
Tue March 11, 2014

Confusion Reigns Over Missing Jet's Final Location

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As the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has expanded, teams from many countries have been involved. This navigator was aboard a Vietnamese helicopter searching the waters off that nation's coast.
Credit Hoang Dinh Nam / AFP/Getty Images
A map showing where authorities are searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Credit Aly Hurt / NPR
At a news conference Tuesday in Sepang, Malaysia, authorities held up pictures of the two Iranian men who are said to have boarded Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with stolen passports. The man at left is said to 19-year old Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad. The other man was not identified. Authorities believe the men were trying to emigrate to Europe.
Credit Wong Maye-E / AP
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Originally published on Wed March 12, 2014 5:23 am

This post has been updated.

There's no sign yet of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 — the Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard that disappeared early Saturday while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

At the same time, there is confusion as to where authorities last spotted the jet.

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