"Reporting from Tokyo The operator of the stricken Japanese nuclear power plant said Sunday that it hoped to stabilize the facility's reactors by the beginning of next year in a state known as a cold shutdown.

"The plan for the Fukushima Daiichi power plant is Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s most concrete timetable yet for resolving Japan's worst nuclear crisis.

"Emergency crews have struggled to avert a disastrous meltdown at the plant since March 11, when the earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation's northeastern coast damaged the complex. Several explosions have rocked the plant, which has leaked dangerous radioactive isotopes into the air, soil and water. Workers have focused on trying to cool the reactors, but their plans have often seemed haphazardly conceived and executed and the results have been mixed."

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