TOKYO (Reuters) – More than 10,000 people dead, hundreds of thousands injured, nearly one million buildings destroyed, millions forced to evacuate and a fifth of Japan’s economy wiped out.

That’s the scenario forecast if a huge magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Japan’s capital of Tokyo, a disaster experts say has a 70 percent risk of occurring over the next 30 years.

By Linda Sieg

(Reuters) – Japan’s two biggest parties look as though they might put aside bitter rivalry and join hands to recover from the devastation left by last month’s massive earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a nuclear crisis that is still far from under control.

But partisan bickering could still stand in the way of a “grand coalition” and therefore delay agreement on funding for Japan’s biggest reconstruction project since World War Two.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Yoko Hashiguchi and her toddler fled Tokyo after a deadly earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan and triggered a nuclear disaster at a power plant 240 km (150 miles) away.

Three weeks later, they’re back in the capital, hoping life will get back to normal.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Nuclear experts can’t agree what the worst-case scenario for Japan’s nuclear crisis might be, so predicting the impact of the disaster on the world’s third-largest economy with any accuracy is an impossible task.

But even if a catastrophic nuclear meltdown is averted, a drawn-out battle to stabilize the earthquake-crippled Fukushima plant poses a serious risk to an economy already burdened with huge public debt, an aging population and a big bill to rebuild from a quake and tsunami disaster that caused damages possibly topping $300 billion.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Nuclear experts can’t agree what the worst-case scenario for Japan’s nuclear crisis might be, so predicting the impact of the disaster on the world’s third-largest economy with any accuracy is an impossible task.

But even if a catastrophic nuclear meltdown is averted, a drawn-out battle to stabilise the earthquake-crippled Fukushima plant poses a serious risk to an economy already burdened with huge public debt, an ageing population and a big bill to rebuild from a quake and tsunami disaster that caused damages possibly topping $300 billion (187 billion pounds).

TOKYO (Reuters) – Nuclear experts can’t agree what the worst-case scenario for Japan’s nuclear crisis might be, so predicting the impact of the disaster on the world’s third-largest economy with any accuracy is an impossible task.

But even if a catastrophic nuclear meltdown is averted, a drawn-out battle to stabilise the earthquake-crippled Fukushima plant poses a serious risk to an economy already burdened with huge public debt, an ageing population and a big bill to rebuild from a quake and tsunami disaster that caused damages possibly topping $300 billion.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Who’s running the show as Japan grapples with its worst crisis since the end of World War Two?

Concerns are growing over an apparent leadership vacuum as Japan fights to prevent catastrophe at a crippled nuclear plant and recover from the deadly earthquake and tsunami that has devastated the country’s northeast.

By Linda Sieg

(Reuters) – Who’s running the show as Japan grapples with its worst crisis since the end of World War Two?

Concerns are growing over an apparent leadership vacuum as Japan fights to prevent catastrophe at a crippled nuclear plant and recover from the deadly earthquake and tsunami that has devastated the country’s northeast.

By Linda Sieg

(Reuters) – Who’s running the show as Japan grapples with its worst crisis since the end of World War Two?

Concerns are growing over an apparent leadership vacuum as Japan fights to prevent catastrophe at a crippled nuclear plant and recover from the deadly earthquake and tsunami that has devastated the country’s northeast.

By Linda Sieg

(Reuters) – Bit by bit, the gloves are starting to come off.

The media and opposition politicians who muted their criticism of Japan’s government as it struggled with the triple calamities of a massive earthquake, tsunami and a crippled nuclear plant are growing more vocal, a prelude to fiercer attacks that will come when the crisis fades.

That bodes ill for Prime Minister Naoto Kan, whose grip on power was weakening before the deadly March 11 earthquake struck and who could well face pressure to resign once the uneasy political truce inspired by the disaster ends.