Oil retreated on Monday with Brent slipping to around $115 after Libyan rebels regained control of key oil towns, and unrest over the weekend was limited to minor crude exporters Syria and Yemen.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano said Saturday that Japan was ''still far from the end of the accident'' that hit a nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture, according to a report by the New York Times.
U.S. stocks gained for the third consecutive day on Friday as investors shook off global fears and focused instead on upbeat earnings.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc will re-open 12 of its Seiyu stores in Japan which were affected by the earthquake, and is hoping to open the remaining 12 impacted stores as soon as possible, a spokesman for the U.S.-based retailer said.
Glencore , the global commodities trading giant, is set to appear before the listing committee of the Hong Kong stock exchange this week, the strongest sign yet it will go ahead with a roughly $10 billion IPO, two sources with direct knowledge of the plans told Reuters on Monday.
The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious, the International Energy Agency said on Monday.
The Nikkei average fell on Monday after weekend reports of soaring radiation levels at a damaged nuclear plant, adding to investors' worries over disrupted supply chains and power cuts already biting into corporate earnings after Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
Japanese chipmaker Elpida Memory Inc said on Monday it expected no interruptions to its product supply following the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a nuclear safety crisis and rolling power blackouts.
The Federal Reserve should consider trimming its $600 billion bond purchase program given pretty good U.S. economic data, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said on Saturday.
The U.S. labor market is finally improving, just when many of the other economic indicators are wavering.
The Japanese earthquake is seen costing AXA
, Europe's second-biggest insurer, at least 100 million euros ($140.8 million) before tax, Chief Executive Henri de Castries told French television on Sunday.
It would make sense for Portugal to seek aid from the European Union bailout fund, although such a decision will be caught up in domestic politics, European Central Bank Governing Board member Ewald Nowotny said.
Nintendo's 3D gaming console is now available in stores in the US.
The European Central Bank is watching energy prices carefully and still wants to move toward a more normal monetary policy despite recent events in Japan, ECB Governing Board member Ewald Nowotny said on Sunday.
Japanese companies' demand for funding has soared since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, with the country's top three banks seeing a surge in new loan requests, lenders said on Sunday.
While a drop in public support for nuclear power would be expected after an incident like the Fukushima reactor crisis, the nuclear disaster in Japan has triggered a much stronger response among Americans.
The symbolic action of turning lights out for an hour in an expression of concern for the environment is in the process of being officially observed in thousands of communities across 134 countries and territories on Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe.
The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in its latest update on Japan's nuclear crisis.
Retailers are expecting a strong demand for Nintendo's latest and greatest portable handheld, the 3DS, but a stiff economy and even tougher competition may make for a tepid reception.
Ford Motor Co will idle its auto plant in Genk, Belgium, for five days starting April 4, to conserve parts following the earthquake and nuclear crisis in Japan that has disrupted supplies for numerous automakers.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) should be much more aggressive, said Paul Sheard, global chief economist of Nomura Securities.
Residents of Fukushima Prefecture who live between 20 and 30 kilometers away from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are feeling increasingly isolated, according to Kyodo News.