Am-Ocean-Star

A key port on Japan's northeast coast devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami welcomed a foreign cargo ship on Friday for the first time since the disaster, Reuters reports. The freighter's arrival at Sendai Shiogama, one of 14 main ports along the coast, is the latest sign of a gradual recovery in the region's economy. The arrival of the Panama-registered "Global Splendour" at Sendai Shiogama, just 100 km (60 miles) north of the nuclear plant, follows confirmation by Miyagi Prefecture officials that radiation levels in seawater and air around the port are safe. A port official said the 30,000 tonne freighter was carrying 10,000 tonnes of coal from Indonesia.