JAPAN

Japanese and Japanese-Americans across the U.S. are mobilizing to send help to their homeland after the unspeakable damage wreaked by one of the worst earthquakes and tsunamis in history.

The Gold Price dropped 3% to four-week lows vs. a rising US Dollar on Tuesday morning, as world stock-market and commodity prices sank on worsening radiation leaks from north-east Japan's earthquake-hit nuclear plants.

Tsunami-related damage in Hawaii is estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, but may climb higher, according to a spokeswoman of the state’s governor Neil Abercrombie.

Manufacturing in New York state rose in March to a nine-month high, while prices paid also accelerated in another sign inflation is starting to build.

The Japanese metropolis of Tokyo, already reeling from reports of higher-than-average radiation levels, was hit by massive tremor. There are also reports of people fleeing Tokyo.

Stocks fell 1 percent on Tuesday as fears of a nuclear crisis in Japan fanned caution in equities and the market looked likely to extend its bearish trend.

Nuclear power will continue to be a part of U.S. plans for power generation even as a nuclear crisis unfolds in Japan in which authorities are trying their best to prevent a meltdown at a plant on the nation's eastern coastline, a top official said on Tuesday.

The Federal Reserve looks set to maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy on Tuesday as lofty oil prices and swooning stock markets after Japan's ravaging earthquake raised doubts about the economy's path.

Manufacturing in New York state rose in March to a nine-month high, while prices paid also accelerated in another sign inflation is starting to build.

Prices for memory chips are rising as the earthquake in Japan has raised supply chain concerns.

U.S. stocks tumbled more than 2 percent at the open on Tuesday, tracking global equities sharply lower as Japan's looming nuclear crisis looked set to thrust financial markets into a period of turmoil.

U.S. stocks plunged in early trade on Tuesday, following sell-off in European and Asian stock markets amid fears of a nuclear disaster in Japan.

Wall Street was set to tumble more than 2 percent at the open on Tuesday, tracking global equities sharply lower as Japan's looming nuclear crisis looked set to thrust financial markets into a period of turmoil.

Low-level radiation has been detected at the US military base in Japan's Yokosuka, BBC said in its live blog on the unfolding nuclear crisis, citing a Reuters report.

Wall Street tumbled more than 2 percent on Tuesday and the Nasdaq turned negative for the year as Japan's looming nuclear crisis looked set to thrust financial markets into a period of turmoil.

Japan's Nikkei share average plunged 10.6 percent on Tuesday, posting the worst two-day rout since 1987, as hedge funds bailed out after reports of rising radiation near Tokyo. Many mutual funds were left on the sidelines, leaving them poised to dump shares into any rebound.

BBC said on Tuesday an email message about the radiation risk in Japan which sent shock waves through much of Asia in the last couple of days is fake, and wrongly attributed to it.

U.S. stocks plunged in early trade on Tuesday, following sell-off in European and Asian stock markets amid fears of a nuclear disaster in Japan.

Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn came under pressure after a dramatic climbdown and public apology following the collapse of an investigation into industrial espionage at the French carmaker.

Oil prices dropped sharply on Tuesday with Brent crude falling below $108 a barrel for the first time in nearly three weeks as a deepening nuclear crisis in Japan heightened risk aversion across financial markets.

Oppenheimer lowered its profit forecast on phone giant Nokia as the company is seeing greater than market seasonal weakness in demand in the first quarter of 2011.