Remotely controlled construction machinery rolled into the site of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant last week to help clear roads and passages of radioactive debris, the plant's operator said.

Australian and New Zealand CIOs can expect minor supply restrictions from Japanese technology brands as a result of the Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake, which hit north-eastern Japan on March 11, according to analyst, IDC.

A day after Japan's biggest earthquake ever caused widespread destruction and as-yet uncounted deaths, Japan's biggest electronics companies are trying to ensure that employees in disaster areas are safe and facilities remain intact.

Earthquakes? Volcanoes? Pandemics? Tsunamis? Are these the stuff of business continuity? Gartner has issued several papers covering major disasters such as the Iceland volcano eruption and its impact on business travel, admitting that “few, if any, businesses plan for a volcanic ash disruption scenario”, which is probably the understatement of the year.