West Japan Quakes Unlikely to Be Precursors, Panel Says  TOKYO (Reuters) - Two strong earthquakes that struck  western Japan are unlikely to be precursors to the type of  massive tremors that hit the region every century or so and the  chances of major aftershocks seem low, a government panel said  on Monday.
Brazil's Trade Surplus Is Biggest Ever Brazil racked up its biggest trade surplus in history last year, but the country's export boom of everything from soybeans to automobiles is expected to ease in 2005.