SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock 
Prudential Financial Reports Higher Q4 Profit on Strong Underwriting and Investment Gains 
CK Hutchison Unit Launches Arbitration Against Panama Over Port Concessions Ruling 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
Ukraine minerals deal: the idea that natural resource extraction can build peace has been around for decades 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
The UK is surprisingly short of water – but more reservoirs aren’t the answer 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
We combed through old botanical surveys to track how plants on Australia’s islands are changing 
Sony Q3 Profit Jumps on Gaming and Image Sensors, Full-Year Outlook Raised 
Parasites are ecological dark matter – and they need protecting 
South Korean imports of Japanese seafood fell by over 30% last month, data reveals, amid ongoing concerns over Japan's planned release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. The Korean ban on imports from eight adjacent prefectures persists.
South Korea has banned seafood imports from eight Fukushima-neighboring prefectures since 2013 due to radiation concerns. In May, imports of fishery products from Japan reached 2,129 tons, marking a 30.6% decline compared to last year; imports also fell by 1.8% to US$14.06 million.
While South Korea is committed to keeping its citizens safe, it has made it clear that the Fukushima water release should be considered separately from the existing import ban, overturning which would require solid proof of safety.
According to recent data, seafood imports plummeted by a staggering 26 percent on-year in volume and 9.7 percent in value this April. What triggered this sharp drop? Well, it turns out that Japan's planned discharge of radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has gotten people a bit concerned.
Of course, South Korea isn't taking any chances after banning all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima back in 2013 due to concerns over radiation levels. South Korea has made it clear that it won't lift the ban on these imports without proof that the seafood from the area is safe. As far as they're concerned, the Fukushima water release should be considered separately from the import ban.
Recently, the operator of the Fukushima plant ran tests for its newly built facilities that would discharge treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, a move that drew strong opposition from local fishermen and neighboring countries.
But, after years of research, scientists are confident that releasing the treated wastewater would actually be both safe and sensible. "Japan is preparing to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean," said Associate Professor Nigel Marks with Curtin University.
At first glance, this may seem alarming, but in actuality, it is a well-planned strategy that considers all safety measures. Despite initial concerns, this move will not only improve the state of the local fisheries but also benefit the larger community.
Photo: Mike Bergmann/Unsplash
