JAPAN

The economic damage from Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami last month is likely to be worse than first thought as power shortages curtail factory output and disrupt supply chains, the country's economics minister warned on Tuesday.

Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said it has raised the accident levels at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant to level 7 Major Accident.

US stocks are mixed on global worries ahead of the unofficial start of first quarter earnings season.

The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency issued a new provisional rating for the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the IAEA International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Exelixis, KIT digital, Tibco Software, Layne Christensen, and Schnitzer Steel Industries. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Micrel, Extreme Networks, TranS1, Lionbridge Technologies, and NPS Pharmaceuticals.

There are about 700 not 50 workers, engaged in the daily struggle with the invisible enemy at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as reported by the foreign media, leading Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun sought to clarify.

Information about the Situation Caused by the Earthquake of Hamadori in Fukushima Prefecture

Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd, the 100 per cent subsidiary of Nissan Motors Japan, has increased the price of its largest selling flagship hatchback - the Micra.

Brent and U.S. crude fell more than $1.50 a barrel on Tuesday in on concerns demand may wane on high fuel prices and after Goldman Sachs advised investors to lock-in trading profits before oil and other commodity markets reverse.

Japan nuclear agency has raised severity level of the crisis at a stricken nuclear plant Tuesday to rank it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Tokyo Electric Power <9501.T> could face 2 trillion yen ($23.6 bln) in special losses in the current business year to March 2012 to compensate communities near its crippled nuclear plant, JP Morgan said in a research report obtained by Reuters.

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> on Monday warned that the uncertain supply of parts from Japan could threaten its output of vehicles through July, the latest sign of trouble for the global auto industry stemming from the massive Japanese earthquake a month ago.

Shares of Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) fell 3.15 percent in the after-hours trading, after reporting its first quarter sales that missed Street view as the dollar weakened.

U.S. blue-chip stocks eked out a slim gain Monday but other market measures fell slightly as investors traded cautiously ahead of the first quarter corporate earnings season.The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1.06 points, or 0.01%, at 12381.11. The Nasdaq Composite shed 8.91, or 0.32%, to 2771.51. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index slipped 3.71, or 0.28%, to 1324.46. The mixed activity came as investors looked ahead to the first-quarter earnings season, which kicked off unoffic...

Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> might face limited production through July due to Japan's March 11 earthquake and its aftermath, its U.S. sales chief, Bob Carter, said in a note to dealers.

Soaring oil prices and inflation in emerging economies pose new risks to global recovery but are not yet strong enough to derail it, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

Soaring oil prices and inflation in emerging economies pose new risks to global recovery but are not yet strong enough to derail it, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

Oil prices slumped on Monday, pulling back from 32-month peaks on concerns about high prices eroding demand and threatening economic recovery as investors eyed attempts to halt Libya's conflict.

Oil prices fell on Monday in choppy trading, pulling back after surging to 32-month peaks last week when the dollar swooned and as investors warily eyed an African Union plan to halt Libya's conflict.

Stocks rose on Monday as investors bet on a strong corporate earnings season, which Alcoa Inc unofficially launches after the market's close.

U.S. stocks advanced in early trade on Monday as successful acquisitions by U.S companies and anticipation of solid first-quarter corporate earnings buoyed sentiment.