Cyprus said that a sale of its gold reserves was among the options for its contribution towards an international bailout, but ultimate responsibility rested with its central bank. Because of this, euro zone nations such as Italy and Portugal could come under pressure to put their bullion reserves to work. Today’s graphic looks at gold reserves as a percentage of debt and GDP for some of the world’s largest economies.

In the time it takes to read this article, Nigeria will have added 50 people to its population, or about 11,000 a day. While Africa’s most populous nation has long had business leaders salivating over its potential, it’s not clear whether it can turn a growing population into a richer society with widespread higher living standards. Today’s graphic shows how Nigeria’s population has grown since 1960 and what it will look like in 2050. Follow all the news coming from the Reuters Africa Investment Summit here.

India car sales fell for the fifth consecutive month in March and end the financial year with an annual 6.7% drop in sales, the first fall in a decade. Carmakers in India have seen high interest rates, rising fuel prices and continued economic distress turn an industry that was recently growing at 30% a year into one riddled with huge discounts and showrooms full of unsold cars. Today’s graphic shows the year-on-year growth in car sales and automobile sector performance.

In spite of renewed signs of turmoil in Europe, as the government of Cyprus struggled to prevent the collapse of its banking sector, investors continued to display their confidence in financial assets and once again, stocks and other “risk on” asset classes led financial markets higher in most corners of the world. The question hanging overhead as the first quarter drew to a close is just how long stock markets in Europe, the United States and Japan can keep leading some of their smaller peers higher without a significant pullback of some kind.

08 Apr 2013Thomson Reuters

Head over to Alpha Now or click on the pic below to see a wonderful selection of charts from the last month.

Scientists said they may be close to tracking down the mysterious “dark matter” which makes up more than a quarter of the universe but has never been seen. A final identification of what makes up the material would solve one of the biggest mysteries in physics and open up new investigations into the possibility of multiple universes and other areas. Today’s graphic diagrams the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (CERN-built particle detonator) and how it sifts through particles for anti-matter and dark matter.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which will be deployed in Guam, targets incoming ballistic missiles in their terminal phase unlike the AEGIS missile defense system used by the two destroyers positioned in the western pacific. Today’s graphic shows how the THAAD system works.

Projections show China’s population could peak in the next two decades and its elderly population may hit 360 million by 2030. Today’s graphic shows fertility rate & population forecasts and the estimated percentage of the population over the age of 65.

Best Buy made about three-quarters of its annual sales in the United States in the most recent fiscal year. The world’s largest consumer electronics chain has struggled to boost market share in China and Europe. Today’s graphic shows Best Buy’s sales share and market share by region.

Here are the top economic releases expected this week, including the media forecast of analysts surveyed by Reuters and the last report figure. It also includes a snapshot of key figures for the world’s largest economies.

The Premier League is pumping 350 million pounds into its Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) – a new blueprint for the academy system that has been around since 1998. The mission statement is to create “more and better home-grown players” using a network of 120 leading coaches working with 4,500 more at 96 professional clubs. Today’s graphic breaks down soccer’s home grown talent in the world’s five most popular leagues.