Jijo Jacob

The Fukushima reactor buildings are square, not circular, and had to absorb the force of the tsunami wave straight on.

Though the human tragedy caused by the Japan disaster is incalculable, its economic impact may be less harsh than previously thought. An analyst said on Monday there will be some near-term impact but it will not be sufficient to dent the region’s strong growth prospects this year.

Even as Japan reported significant progress in preventing a melt-down in its Fukushima nuclear plant, the National Police Agency said on Monday more than 18,000 people have been confirmed dead in the twin-catastrophe that hit the country on March 11.

Yemen's beleaguered president Ali Abdullah Saleh has dismissed his cabinet after popular protests demanding his resignation and constitutional reforms intensified. The move came after Saleh faced the ire of a powerful tribal group in the country on Sunday.

There was intense speculation on Monday about the whereabouts of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after allied forces bombed his compound Sunday night, an action reminiscent of the 1986 attack by the U.S. on Gaddafi's compound in which his daughter was killed.

If you are someone who missed watching the Supermoon on Saturday, do not despair. According to some astronomers, the moon will be only 1 percent smaller on Sunday night.

The impact of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan will only have a limited direct economic impact on the eurozone, according to analysts.

The mastermind behind the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981, who has been released from prison since the fall of Hosni Mubarak regime, has plans to take part in post-Mubarak political future of Egypt, according to reports.

Saudi Arabian king will likely make announcements today regarding a ministry reshuffle, anti-corruption drive and more welfare dole outs, according to media reports.

The everyday reality of mild-to-serious doses of harmful radiation that people everywhere in the world are exposed to pops into limelight only when a possible Armageddon shakes everyone up! Following is a sneak peek into some of the ways in which human beings are exposed to radiation in their everyday lives:

The U.S. factory gate inflation in February rose 1.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, following advances of 0.8 percent in January and 0.9 percent in December.

There are divergent views about the impact of the Japanese triple tragedy on the global economy. While some say the impact will be limited mainly to bottlenecks in the global manufacturing supply chain, others have said the Japanese disaster will have longer-term effects a wider cross section of global economy.

The Japanese government may have failed to show due diligence in acting on an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warning on security shortcomings in the Fukushima nuclear plant, according to reports.

Leading Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun has said in an editorial the worsening nuclear crisis is comparable to the Chernobyl disaster, saying four nuclear reactors standing in a line are simultaneously spinning out of control.

Low-level radiation has been detected at the US military base in Japan's Yokosuka, BBC said in its live blog on the unfolding nuclear crisis, citing a Reuters report.

BBC said on Tuesday an email message about the radiation risk in Japan which sent shock waves through much of Asia in the last couple of days is fake, and wrongly attributed to it.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is unlikely to tighten policy by either raising rates or halting the second edition of the asset purchase program known as QE2, when its policy board meets today, according to analysts.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday that radioactivity is being released directly into the atmosphere from the Unit 4 reactor at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant.

The decision by Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries to send armed forces to Bahrain to help quell protests is bad enough; but worse is the explanation that the move is in accordance with a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) defense pact.

Rock star Bryan Adams exhorted the world's musicians to organize a concert for Japan, which is reeling from the worst disaster in recent history.

The European Union is considering the closure of nuclear plants in the wake of the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan caused by the twin tragedy of earthquake ad tsunami.

The economic impact of the quake-tsunami that pulverized the Japanese economy will largely depend on who ultimately pays for the massive reconstruction efforts, according to an analyst.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said on Monday it will increase the size of the asset purchase program from five trillion yen to 10 trillion yen and promised to inject additional liquidity into the financial system battered by the triple whammy of a disastrous earthquake, a tsunami and an unfolding nuclear crisis.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said on Monday it will increase the size of the asset purchase program from five trillion yen to 10 trillion yen and promised to inject additional liquidity into the financial system battered by the triple whammy of a disastrous earthquake, a tsunami and an unfolding nuclear crisis.

Earth has been shifted on its axis by almost 4 inches (10 centimeters) during the Japan earthquake, and according to some reports, the cataclysmic incident has a moon connection.

The Shinmoedake volcano in Japan's Kyushu has erupted two days after the massive earthquake and tsunami that left more than 10,000 people dead, reports said on Sunday. There was no confirmation on whether the eruption was related to Friday's quake.

The radiation level at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, which was hit by the earthquake, has exceeded the legal limit on Sunday, posing extreme danger to the people in a multi-kilometer radius and spawning long-term environmental hazards.

After witnessing two unusually major solar flares in the span of 30 days, space watchers are saying a series of solar activity is bound to take place in the coming days.

The biggest ever earthquake to hit Japan has killed hundreds of people already, according to reports. According to Kyodo News, at least 300 bodies have been recovered from one of the worst-hit coastal cities in the northeast of the country.