JAPAN

The tragic 2011 T?hoku earthquake and tsunami is the worst natural disaster to hit Japan in the last half century. The confirmed death toll now total 14,133 while the number of missing total 13,346. The final death toll, therefore, is probably north of 25,000.

To get exposure, most investors immediately considered equities, which have been historically correlated with economic growth. However, an even better option may be the forex carry trade.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the United States will reaccelerate, and reach 3.5–4 percent in the second half of this year, IHS Global Insight said in its April World Flash report.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) released new video, where robots are being deployed at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in order to measure radiation levels and other conditions after the recent earthquake in Japan.

On Wednesday, April 20, 2011, the IAEA provided the following information on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan

The 20-kilometer evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima nuclear reactor complex has been declared a no-entry zone by the Japanese government, stating that the 'plant has not been stable'.

Apple posted record second quarter profits on Wednesday, but sales of its iPad tablet took a hit.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. says there is somewhat less radioactive water in the tunnel linked to one of the reactors, amounting to 210 metric tons of water, according to broadcaster NHK.

The Department of Energy has been working around the clock to provide whatever assistance we can to the Government of Japan as they work to bring the Fukushima nuclear reactors under control. One unique capability that the Department has recently mobilized to help in this situation is an expertise in robotics.

U.S. stocks advanced on Tuesday as stronger-than-expected report on new home starts and encouraging quarterly results from Johnson & Johnson buoyed sentiment.

A telecom equipment company in Spain has published instructions and sells kits for a DIY radiation detector.

Donald Trump's PR campaign has been built around questioning the validity of President Obama's birth certificate. But recently Trump has also broached on foreign policy, adding another angle to his PR campaign.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. plans to move the radioactive water from one of the reactor buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and treat it on site, the company said.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Atrinsic, Millicom International Cellular, Zions Bancorp, Pacer International, and Internet Initiative Japan. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Identive Group, Logitech International, Lincare Holdings, Vodafone Group, and Inspire Pharmaceuticals.

The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious but there are early signs of recovery in some functions, such as electrical power and instrumentation, International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday in its latest update on Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Photos of the winning moments at the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Japan's Earthquake in 2011 was the most devastating natural disaster to hit Japan after WWII. The 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck on Friday, March 11 2011 off the coast of T?hoku, which is located in the northern part of the country.

Lukewarm sales of the 3DS, released Feb. 26 in Japan, have fueled speculation that Nintendo's latest handheld may not see the success enjoyed by its predecessor.

Spot Gold jumped to a new all-time high of $1489 per ounce in Asian trade Monday, edging lower as the Dollar rose on the currency market and global equities began the Easter-shortened week with a 0.5% drop.

Gleacher & Co. expects mobile chip maker Qualcomm to be a primary beneficiary in the 3G/4G growth and will remain the top supplier for integrated chips and extend its leadership position to LTE.

Toyota Motor Corp will resume production at all domestic plants on Monday in the aftermath of the catastrophic March 11 earthquake, the carmaker said in a statement.