Articles by Elaine Kurtenbach

10 Dead, 22 Missing in Hiroshima Landslide

Rain-sodden slopes collapsed in torrents of mud, rock and debris early Wednesday in the outskirts of Hiroshima, killing at least 10 people and leaving 22 missing, the government said. [IJ Ed. Note: Latest reports say the death toll is at …

Japan’s Clean-Up from 2011 Tsunami, Nuclear Accident Lagging

Two years after the triple calamities of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster ravaged Japan’s northeastern Pacific coast, debris containing asbestos, lead, PCBs — and perhaps most worrying — radioactive waste due to the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant looms as …

China Author Sues for Defamation Over Ghostwriting Claims

Celebrity author Han Han has filed a defamation lawsuit in Shanghai against a writer who alleges some of Han’s prolific works were penned by others. Han, a novelist and semiprofessional race-car driver popular among young Chinese, and muckraking science writer …

U.S. Seeks China’s Help for Homeowners with Drywall Claims

The U.S. is hoping China will help persuade its manufacturers of tainted drywall to cooperate in helping homeowners fix their homes, the chairman of the Consumer Products Safety Commission said. Inez Tenenbaum, in Shanghai for meetings with her Chinese and …

China’s Snow Crisis Highlights Weaknesses of Economy

China’s financial capital saw fresh snowfall Wednesday as the impact of unusually wintry weather deepened, highlighting the vulnerabilities of the country’s booming economy. Heavy snows in recent days have stalled shipments of food and fuel, complicating authorities’ efforts to combat …