Sharp yen gains sparked by fears of political deadlock in Italy are a wake-up call to investors and a challenge to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose demand for drastic monetary easing has sent the Japanese currency tumbling. Abe won a big election victory in December promising aggressive policies to end deflation and revive economic growth. The fall in the yen has begun to help exporters. But Monday's sudden spike in the yen was a reminder Japan is seen by many investors as a safe haven in times of uncertainty, which will limit the impact of Japan's monetary policy easing on the currency. Some investors also say the ... (full story)