• Silver Slumps With Yen Trade Cited
• Japan Upgrades Economic Outlook
• Oil Is Isolated Bright Spot
• Japan Pledges $2 Billion for African Projects
• Yen Weakness Boosts Nikkei

• Venezuela says taking steps to restore U.S. diplomatic ties
• Obama to discuss al Qaeda, drones, Guantanamo Bay in Thursday speech
• Upmarket Pakistan district votes again as Imran Khan decries killing
• At least one reported dead as tornadoes hammer Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa
• North Korea fires short-range missiles for two days in a row

• Obama ratings not hurt by scandals
• Obama to grads: "No time for excuses"
• Why I think tiger moms are great
• Tornadoes tear through U.S. states
• Syria's Assad: 'Nobody has dialogue with terrorists'

• Yahoo buys start-up Tumblr for $1bn
• New era as Swiss bank secrecy declines
• Cameron feels Tory rage on gay marriage
• Worker insecurity at 20-year high
• Low rates fail to spur M&A boom

FT Alphaville - Market Commentary - FT.com

• Alphachat: Lee Buchheit edition, featuring Lee Buchheit
• “This is Lake Wobegone upside-down”
• A boutique bear-hug?
• Re-setting ENRC (updated)
• The persistent supply-side constraints in US housing