Meltdown Possible at Japanese Power Plant

Radiation leaked froma damaged Japanese nuclear reactor north of Tokyo on Saturday,the government said, after an explosion blew the roof off thefacility in the wake of a massive earthquake.  The developments raised fears of a meltdown at the plant asofficials scrambled to contain what could be the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl explosion in 1986 that shocked the world.      

The Japanese plant was damaged by Friday's 8.9-magnitude earthquake, which sent a 10-metre (33-foot) tsunami ripping through towns and cities across the northeast coast. Japanese media estimate that at least 1,300 people were killed.     "We are looking into the cause and the situation and we'll make that public when we have further information," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said after confirming theexplosion and radiation leak at the plant.

An evacuation radius has been widened to 12 miles and residents of the region have been urged to stay indoors, turn off air conditioning units and not to drink tap water.

Radioactivity in the control room at the plant is 1,000 times the normal level - and eight times the normal level in the area immediately outside the site.

Tsunami Hits Sendai Airport in Japan

There will be worse video than this of the destruction in Japan, but this will give you a small taste of what a tsunami can do when unleased.

This is a small airport in Japan, the city of Sendai.

The Amazing Race Preview for "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently"

The teams leave Australia and head to Japan.

Challenges this week include a roadblock that has one team member in costume riding a revolving wooden horse trying to shoot an arrow at a wooden diamond target. The Detours in this leg of the race will involve participating in a traditional Shinto cleansing ceremony to purge evil spirits from their bodies or hunting for frog good luck symbols in a mud bowl.

Drama builds for one team as there is a car accident.

On Friday, Feb 25 Phil Keoghan flew to Christchurch, New Zealand to survey the damage from the earthquake that occurred on Feb 22 to the town that is just 14 miles from where Phil grew up. While there, Phil will make some public service announcements that encourage viewers to help those affected by the earthquake and to plead for vacationers planning to visit the island to still come. New Zealand's economy is largely based on tourism and a fall in visitors could cause the economy to collapse. I predict that there will be at least one of these PSAs shown immediately before Sunday's episode in which the TAR teams travel from nearby Australia to Japan.

Tune in to CBS Sunday night at 8:00 PM ET to The Amazing Race to see who's affected by the car accident will be and to see which team will be the last to arrive at the Pit Stop and face elimination.

Japan Also Issues Travel Alert for Europe

Japan's Foreign Ministry issued a travel alert on Monday for Japanese nationals living or travelling in Europe, warning of "possible terrorist attacks" by al-Qaeda and affiliated groups.

The warning followed an alert from Washington to Americans, which said attackers may use "a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests" in Europe.

France and Britain immediately voiced support for the US security statement, which said "current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks."

The Japanese alert urges its citizens living or travelling in Europe to exercise full caution at possible attack targets, such as government and police facilities, public transport systems and tourist spots.

The US alert - which the State Department issued regarding specific events, and is one step down from a full travel warning - followed intelligence reports that suggested an al-Qaeda attack could be imminent.

To sum up, if you are in Europe, stay alert.

Paris Hilton Told to Leave Japan

Paris Hilton was not allowed to stay in Japan today, two days after she pleaded guilty to a drug charge in Las Vegas.

Japan has strict immigration laws that bar entry to those convicted of drug offences, although exceptions are occasionally granted.

"I'm going back home, and I look forward to coming back to Japan in the future," Hilton told reporters before departing on her private jet.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite had been due to appear today at a news conference in Tokyo to promote her fashion and fragrance lines. She arrived yesterday evening, but was stopped at the airport and spent the night at an airport hotel after being questioned by officials.

A Japanese immigration official said Hilton was denied entry after a total of about six hours of questioning.

She also abruptly cancelled planned appearances in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Jakarta, Indonesia.