LAST Friday, Mother Nature dealt Japan a cruel blow in the form of a 9-magnitude earthquake along the north-east region of Sendai. The earthquake triggered a massive 10m-high tsunami which has added to the colossal damage. Now the country is facing the threat of a possible meltdown of several nuclear plants. As Nobel prize-winning economist Nouriel Roubini has put it, the disaster came at the "worst time" as Japan struggles to reduce its massive debt. However, in the first day of trading after the disaster, the country's currency actually strengthened to 80.60 yen (S$1.2464) against the US dollar - less...