Youngsters from earthquake-stricken areas in Japan were treated to a visit by Justin Bieber. The Canadian superstar took a break from his concert tour to meet about a dozen children from villages destroyed by the tsunami. Bieber has already performed on a charity album that raised more than US$5 million for quake victims.

Meanwhile, Japan's economy slid back into recession while workers continued to battle radiation leaking from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which is expected to be shut down by January.