IBT Staff Reporter

European shares hit a three-month low in early trade and Asian stocks too dropped on Friday, while U.S. futures headed lower, after a powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan's northeastern coast, triggering a tsunami as high as 10 metres.

The world is reacting to the catastrophic earthquake that struck Japan Friday through social media as platforms like Facebook and Twitter come alive with reactions, prayers and timely updates of the disaster.

A tsunami warning has been issued by NOAA's National Weather Service to the following countries with the estimated time of arrival at forecast points.

A recent study undertaken by the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM) found that workplace climate was the foremost reason behind women choosing to stay away from the engineering profession after college or quitting it after a temporary stint.

A powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan's northeastern coast Friday, triggering a tsunami as high as 10 metres, leaving at least five people killed and several injured, early reports said.

While residents in Beijing have reported to have felt the tremors of the massive earthquake that hit Japan Pacific coast, top Chinese seismology expert is confident that the Chinese mainland is not in the danger zone.

a timeline of some of the most devastating earthquakes which have hit Japan since 1900.

Around 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands have been issued Tsunami warning after Japan's massive 8.9 Richter scale earthquakes, the National Weather Service said.

Nuclear power facilities across Japan are not damaged and there was no radiation leakage, Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan told media persons in Tokyo.

Scientists are reporting an important step toward development of a universal blood product that would eliminate the need to type blood to match donor and recipient for transfusion.

Flanked by an entourage of assistants and advisors, Chinese mining tycoon Lian Guangming flitted from one luxury jet to another at the Asian AerospaceExpo in Hong Kong.

Apple has tweaked its policy for in-app purchases to prevent users, especially kids, from making accidental virtual purchases.

Japan has issued tsunami warning after a massive 8.8 magnitude offshore quake on Friday, with reports of 'numerous' injuries and ships being washed ashore by waves, AP reported

Researchers have developed an all-optical, fiber-based switch, opening the doors for building an ultra-fast quantum internet.

(Corrects name of Bombardier plane in paragraph 2)

Chinese inflation topped expectations, with prices rising 4.9 percent in the year to February and looking set to climb faster in coming months, adding to pressure for another dose of monetary tightening.

Euro zone leaders are set to agree a competitiveness pact at a summit on Friday and will push Portugal to announce new reforms to increase market confidence as they seek to draw a line under the regions' debt crisis.

Google stands tall at the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest as its browser Chrome and mobile software stack Android survive hack attacks while Apple, Microsoft offerings falter.

Asian shares dropped after a massive earthquake hit Japan, including the capital Tokyo, darkening an already bleak mood caused by weak economic data and unrest in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. officials believe China's insurance regulator passed on proprietary information about AIG to its Chinese rivals during the American firm's collapse in 2008, according to unpublished diplomatic cables.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake have part ways, for real this time, with confirmations coming from the reps of the celeb couple.

Tracking celebrities in trouble used to be so easy. First, there was the problem, then a public apology followed by a trip to rehab and interview in People magazine or on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.

Asian shares dipped on Friday as spreading unrest in Saudi Arabia and weak economic data spurred some profit taking while the euro looked shaky after its biggest one-day fall versus the dollar in a month.

When Steve Jacobs joined Las Vegas Sands in 2009, the company was sinking.

A British man pleaded guilty on Thursday to committing mail and wire fraud in an investment scam selling worthless stocks of dormant and sham U.S. companies that bilked investors of more than $40 million.

Clearwire Corp CEO Bill Morrow has resigned in a wider management shake-up as the wireless operator tries to resolve a dispute with majority owner Sprint Nextel and fights to close a funding gap of billions of dollars.

General Motors Co finance chief Chris Liddell, who was passed over for the top job at the automaker last year, resigned suddenly on Thursday, renewing concerns about the automaker's stability at the top.

A federal judge limited the potential financial liability facing the operator of LimeWire, a once-popular file-sharing service found liable for copyright infringement, at an upcoming damages trial.

American International Group offered on Thursday to buy back, for $15.7 billion cash, mortgage-backed securities the U.S. government had taken off the bailed-out insurer's hands during the financial crisis.