The storm overnight picked up speed and intensity, and a decision was made that in order to return to Washington to monitor and oversee the efforts to prepare for the storm and respond to it, that we needed to leave earlier than planned.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

The president has pulled out of a Monday event in Ohio - considered a key swing state - in order to return to Washington to monitor the storm - although he is still set to attend a rally with former President Bill Clinton in Florida earlier in the day.

BBC: Hurricane Sandy: US states begin storm shutdown

The South African president said that the G8 had shown commitment towards Nepad, the development programme for Africa in which rich countries promise more aid and investment in return for efforts by African leaders to raise standards of government and monitor each other's performance.

BBC: Mbeki urges G8 commitment

Part of a stress test is to understand how both parts work together and to also monitor the performance and make sure you are getting at least a fair return for the risk you are taking.

FORBES: Prep Your Portfolio for Disaster With a Stress Test

Monitor had agreed with the committee and said existing initiatives would not be enough to return the trust to financial sustainability.

BBC: Peterborough and Stamford NHS Trust helped on ?45m deficit

And another survey - the UK Business Confidence Monitor - found confidence improved in the last three months, suggesting the UK will return to growth in the April-June quarter.

BBC: UK companies remain optimistic, surveys suggest

Also, if you are having luck with a given ETF, you might want to carefully monitor the holdings and see if you could own the top performing individually and get a better return.

FORBES: LPL Broker Tripped Up By Undisclosed IRS Tax Lien