Highly radioactive water has been found for the first time outside one of the reactor buildings at Japan's quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, officials say.

Highly radioactive water has been found for the first time outside one of the reactor buildings at Japan's quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, officials say.

The leak in a tunnel linked to the No 2 reactor has raised fears of radioactive liquid seeping into the environment.

Plutonium has also been found in soil at the plant, but not at levels that threaten human health, officials say.

Earlier, Japan's government strongly criticised the plant's operator, Tepco, over mistaken radiation readings.

Tepco announced on Sunday that a highly radioactive pool of water in the No 2 reactor was 100 times more radioactive than it actually was.

Officials said the radiation scare was caused by a partial meltdown of fuel rods.

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disgraced former Tory MEP faces criminal charges unless he pays back over £345,000 in "misused" staffing expenses paid to a family company

disgraced former Tory MEP faces criminal charges unless he pays back over £345,000 in "misused" staffing expenses paid to a family company in a European Union case that has dwarfed similar Westminster scandals.
Den Dover was the Conservative European whip until a scandal over his use of expenses emerged from an investigation in The Daily Telegraph three years ago.
He was expelled from the Tories in Nov 2008 after the European Parliament attempted to recover money that should have funded staff salaries but instead had been put towards family expenses.
Mr Dover, 72, stepped down as an MEP in May 2009 and remains entitled to two publicly funded pensions worth over £35,000 a year for a decade of service in the EU assembly.
After refusing to pay back the money and a two year legal battle, EU judges on Thursday ruled that the European Parliament was right to act over Mr Dover's "significant and serious misuse" of expenses.
The former North West Conservative MEP now faces an investigation by Olaf, the EU's anti-fraud agency and calls for him to be arrested by British police.

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British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan and chief executive Andy Hunt have been suspended from the board of Locog

British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan and chief executive Andy Hunt have been suspended from the board of Locog - the London 2012 organising committee - following the legal row over the financial surplus from the Games, the BBC has learned.
Locog has suspended them because of a conflict of interest and both Lord Moynihan and Hunt did not attend a meeting of the board on Thursday.
The BOA has been invited to nominate replacements until the case, which is to be considered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is resolved.
But by suspending the pair Locog is sending the clearest indication yet of the seriousness of the dispute which is overshadowing London's preparations.
A Locog spokeswoman said: "Colin Moynihan and Andy Hunt remain directors of Locog.
"The Locog board has decided to exclude them from board meetings whilst they are individually and actively involved in pursuing a dispute against Locog.
"Both have been invited to send alternate representatives to board meetings. The BOA is ably represented on the Locog board by HRH the Princess Royal, Sir Craig Reedie, Sir Philip Craven and Adam Pengilly."
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the International Paralympic Committee has accused the BOA of undermining its vision for London 2012.

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