IBT Staff Reporter

A massive 8.9 earthquake struck Japan on Friday triggering a reportedly 33-feet high (10 meters) tsunami that swept away cars, planes, homes and even some smaller buildings along the country's northeastern coast.

Chinese inflation topped expectations in February at 4.9 percent and looks set to climb further in coming months, adding to pressure for another dose of monetary tightening.

Stocks were poised for a lower open on Friday after a massive earthquake hit Japan and accelerating inflation in China unnerved investors.

Retail sales posted their largest gain in four months in February as shoppers stepped up purchases of autos, clothes and other goods even as they spent more for gasoline.

A small tsunami has just hit the northern coast of Indonesia and minor waves have now begun hitting the Philippines, but without causing any damage, early reports said.

Sales at retailers increased broadly in February as rising energy prices boosted receipts at gasoline stations, but consumers also spent on a range of products in a sign of resilience in the face of rising gasoline prices.

Japan was caught off guard Friday, March 11, 2011 by a powerful earthquake. The article recounts how a 8.9-magnitude earthquake shattered Japan, shocked the world on March 11, 2011.

OPEC stuck to its view that the world has enough oil despite the loss of Libya's crude and prices of $113 a barrel, pointing to rising output from other members and a looming seasonal slowdown in demand.

The Japanese government has declared a state of atomic power emergency after a powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeastern coast Friday, spawning a tsunami as high as 10 metres.

U.S. stock index futures fell on Friday after a massive earthquake hit Japan and accelerating inflation in China rattled investors.

Portugal announced additional spending cuts and reforms on Friday to increase its deficit-cutting efforts by 0.8 percent of gross domestic product this year and provide extra certainty that it will reach its target of a 4.6 percent fiscal gap.

Oil slid by more than $3 on Friday, with U.S. crude falling below $100, after an earthquake rocked Japan, creating a 10-meter tsunami and shutting down dozens of plants in the world's third-largest oil consumer.

World's top phone maker Nokia will pay its CEO Stephen Elop more than $6 million in one-time payments for moving to the Finnish company from Microsoft last September, a corporate filing showed on Friday.

At least 32 people were killed and many injured after a powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeastern coast Friday, triggering a tsunami as high as 10 metres.

A fire broke out at a nuclear power plant in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture following a powerful earthquake that hit northeastern Japan while authorities have detected no abnormalities such as radiation leakage at nuclear plants, latest reports from the Mainichi Daily News says.

Some facts issued by NOAA to better read the signs of an incoming tsunami.

Global stocks fell to their lowest in nearly six weeks on Friday and government bonds rose as a huge earthquake in Japan and expectations Portugal will have to seek financial aid prompted a sell-off in risky assets.

Four nuclear power plants closest to Friday's powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck off Japan's northeastern coast have been safely shut down, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

Brent crude futures fell below $113 on Friday as a massive earthquake rocked Japan, creating a 10-meter tsunami and shutting down dozens of plants in the world's third-largest oil consumer.

While Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms have been flooded with Japan earthquake photos, YouTube users have uploaded video footage giving viewers across the globe a glimpse into the first hand experience of the disaster.

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

The yuan plays only a secondary role among China's options to temper inflation, and monetary policy alone won't be enough to rein in prices, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan said on Friday.

Companies across Japan are in emergency mode and assessing the immediate physical and economic damage caused by the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

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.