JAPAN

Wall Street was set to open near breakeven on Wednesday following volatile futures trading after surging U.S. producer price and weak housing data, while investors were buffeted by Middle East political uncertainty and a nuclear crisis in Japan.

Oil prices rose by over $2 on Wednesday, with Brent topping $111 a barrel and rebounding from 3-week lows a day earlier as escalating violence in the Middle East renewed fears about oil supply in the region.

After Japan was rocked by a pair of disasters, Apple has announced that it is postponing its Japanese release of the iPad 2.

Apple has deferred the launch of its slimmer, lighter and faster rendition of iPad, the iPad 2, in Japan as the country grapples with massive destruction caused by a 9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

The everyday reality of mild-to-serious doses of harmful radiation that people everywhere in the world are exposed to pops into limelight only when a possible Armageddon shakes everyone up! Following is a sneak peek into some of the ways in which human beings are exposed to radiation in their everyday lives:

The troubled actor has added more dates to his Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour. Sheen will be bringing his show to Ohio, Connecticut, Boston and New York City.

ON Semiconductor recently purchased Sanyo Semiconductor ($1.1 billion in annual revenues) and thus has several thousand employees and several fabs in Japan.

Japanese electronics manufacturers warned production would be hobbled by further supply and distribution problems as companies struggle with power blackouts after the disaster in Japan.

Japanese electronics manufacturers warned production would be hobbled by further supply and distribution problems as companies struggle with power blackouts after the disaster in Japan.

Last week's earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan and its aftermath in the form of nuclear reactor crisis present a near-term disruption for a handful of software companies that have exposure to the region.

The 9 magnitude temblor which hit Japan on Friday sent tremors across the global supply chain as companies dependent on Japanese exports fretted over supply disruptions.

Nuclear authorities in Japan warn that that the No. 3 reactor at the quake-ravaged Fukushima No. 1 power station may be damaged, promoting the release of radioactive steam, while another fire has struck the No. 4 reactor.

Last week's earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan and its aftermath in the form of nuclear reactor crisis present a near-term disruption for a handful of software companies that have exposure to the region.

Last week's earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan and its aftermath in the form of nuclear reactor crisis present a near-term disruption for a handful of software companies that have exposure to the region.

Panic-stricken by the growing nuclear crisis in Japan, thousands of immigrants are swamping immigration offices to apply for re-entry permits in case they plan to evacuate the country.

Message to American Citizens from U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V Roos, March 16, 2011

U.S. stock index futures fell in volatile trade on Wednesday as Japan struggled with a nuclear crisis and as clashes in Bahrain lifted oil prices, with uncertainty set to drive near-term trading.

In an extremely rare public gesture, the emperor of Japan, Akihito, appeared on live television to express his concerns about the nuclear crisis confronting his country in the wake of last week's cataclysmic earthquake and tsunami.

Top mobile telecom equipment makers Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent are braced for a supply squeeze following Japan's earthquake, adding to fears for a sector hampered by shortages.

Stock index futures fell on Wednesday as Japan struggled with a nuclear crisis and as clashes in Bahrain lifted oil prices, with uncertainty set to drive near-term trading.

There are divergent views about the impact of the Japanese triple tragedy on the global economy. While some say the impact will be limited mainly to bottlenecks in the global manufacturing supply chain, others have said the Japanese disaster will have longer-term effects a wider cross section of global economy.