sian markets were off to another weak start on Tuesday, with Japan and Australian stocks trading lower in early trade.
Japan's Nikkei average slid further after the biggest drop since the 2008 financial crisis the day before as Japan battles to avert nuclear disaster while power shortages threaten to cause deeper economic pain than initially thought.
The benchmark Nikkei index [JP;N225 9433.23 
-187.26 (-1.95%)] dropped 4.8 percent to 9,154.4 points at the open. The index had lost 6.2 percent and slumped to a four-month intraday low at one point on Monday. The broaderTopix sank 5.6 percent at 799.2.
-187.26 (-1.95%)] dropped 4.8 percent to 9,154.4 points at the open. The index had lost 6.2 percent and slumped to a four-month intraday low at one point on Monday. The broaderTopix sank 5.6 percent at 799.2.Nuclear-related stocks and big blue-chip companies took a hit from power cuts.
A fresh explosion was heard on Tuesday minutes past at a quake-stricken Japanese nuclear power plant, the country's nuclear safety agency said.
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), which owns the troubled nuclear plant, is untraded. Its stock is likely to go down limit-down for the second consecutive session after TEPCO ended ask-only at 1,621 yen on Monday, down 23.6 percent. keep reading...
