Kuril Islands

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter Scale jolted Japan's Kuril Islands on Thursday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said.

A Russian anti-submarine destroyer chased off a US submarine near the Kuril Islands, forcing it to leave the country's territorial waters, Moscow said Saturday, amid rising tensions over Ukraine.

A 7.2-magnitude quake hit off Russia's Kuril Islands on Wednesday, prompting local residents to seek higher ground due to a brief tsunami threat, authorities said.

Watching a volcano erupt would be cool. But having a front-row seat 254 miles above the volcano? That would be a view.

Japanese officials criticised Russia on Monday for its plans to lay fibre-optic cables to islands disputed by Tokyo and Moscow, calling the construction work "deplorable" and "without legal basis."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on today he would like Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Japan to discuss the disputed Kurile Islands and the signing of a formal World War Two peace treaty.

Russia is inviting foreign partners to help it develop fisheries around Pacific islands where Moscow and Tokyo have rival territorial claims and says it will give Tokyo priority; but if it doesn't jump at the chance, other investors will.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck 226 km (140 miles) south of Russia's Kurile Islands today, the United States Geological Survey reported.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated Monday that there is no room for compromise with Japan over the disputed south Kuril islands, calling on Tokyo to "recognise" post-WWII "historic realities".

Japan today lodged a protest over Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to one of four disputed Pacific islands which have strained ties between the two countries since the end of World War II.

Japan said on Wednesday it was imposing additional sanctions on Russia because of its involvement in the Ukraine conflict and that it had also formally protested at the visit to a contested island by an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Japan lodged a "stern" protest with Russia on Wednesday over military exercises that are being held on the disputed Kuril islands, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

The spectacular, eye-popping beauty of an erupting volcano is not to be missed if it is captured from space.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter Scale jolted Japan's Kuril Islands on Thursday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said.

A Russian anti-submarine destroyer chased off a US submarine near the Kuril Islands, forcing it to leave the country's territorial waters, Moscow said Saturday, amid rising tensions over Ukraine.

A 7.2-magnitude quake hit off Russia's Kuril Islands on Wednesday, prompting local residents to seek higher ground due to a brief tsunami threat, authorities said.

Watching a volcano erupt would be cool. But having a front-row seat 254 miles above the volcano? That would be a view.

Japanese officials criticised Russia on Monday for its plans to lay fibre-optic cables to islands disputed by Tokyo and Moscow, calling the construction work "deplorable" and "without legal basis."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on today he would like Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Japan to discuss the disputed Kurile Islands and the signing of a formal World War Two peace treaty.

Russia is inviting foreign partners to help it develop fisheries around Pacific islands where Moscow and Tokyo have rival territorial claims and says it will give Tokyo priority; but if it doesn't jump at the chance, other investors will.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck 226 km (140 miles) south of Russia's Kurile Islands today, the United States Geological Survey reported.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated Monday that there is no room for compromise with Japan over the disputed south Kuril islands, calling on Tokyo to "recognise" post-WWII "historic realities".

Japan today lodged a protest over Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to one of four disputed Pacific islands which have strained ties between the two countries since the end of World War II.

Japan said on Wednesday it was imposing additional sanctions on Russia because of its involvement in the Ukraine conflict and that it had also formally protested at the visit to a contested island by an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Japan lodged a "stern" protest with Russia on Wednesday over military exercises that are being held on the disputed Kuril islands, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

The spectacular, eye-popping beauty of an erupting volcano is not to be missed if it is captured from space.