Japan Shares Tumble as Nuclear Crisis Fears Create Panic
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tokyo shares closed down 10.55pc on Tuesday as panicking investors dumped stocks after the government said levels of radiation leaking from a stricken nuclear plant posed a threat to health.

Japan's Nikkei index clawed back some ground from an earlier freefall - sliding more than 12pc at one stage - to close down 1,015.34 points at 8,605.15. The broader Topix plunged 9.5pc in its worst two-day fall since 1987.

Other Asian markets suffered a ripple effect as investors fled stocks as the crisis in the world's No. 3 economy seemed only to escalate after a third explosion at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima province. » | Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Global Shares Tumble on Greece Debt Fears
THE TELEGRAPH: Global stock markets tumbled on growing fears that a rescue package for Greece might not be enough to prevent a debt crisis from spreading in Europe.

Stock markets in Europe and the US fell heavily on Tuesday, hit by continued jitters over Greek debt. Photograph: The Telegraph
Asian markets mirrored heavy falls in the United States and Europe, extending the biggest fall in global shares in three months.

It came at Greece was paralysed by a nationwide general strike on Wednesday - the first major test of the socialist government's resolve to push through unprecedented austerity cuts needed to avert a fiscal meltdown.

The euro continued to weaken against the dollar in Asian trading, hitting $1.2958, as investors doubted whether €110bn (£95bn) of loans from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund could stop contagion to other vulnerable countries such as Spain and Portugal.

Investors are worried that these countries may need even larger debt bailouts. >>> | Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Global Shares Dive as US Recession Deepens
TIMES ONLINE: Shares across the UK, America and Europe tumbled today after it emerged that the US economy shrank at the fastest rate since 1982 in the final three months of last year, far worse than the US Government had initially estimated.

Gross domestic product (GDP) fell at an annual rate of 6.2 per cent between October and December, above initial estimates of a 3.8 per cent decline during the fourth quarter of 2008.

In response, London's FTSE 100 index plunged further below the 4,000 level today, losing 127.35 points to 3,788.29 and America's Dow Jones industrial average fell 132.45 points to 7,049.63.

Investors in Germany and France also took fright - Frankfurt's Dax fell 4.1 per cent while French-listed stocks dropped 3.3 per cent to 2,654.52.

With President Obama's fiscal stimulus packages not expected to become effective until the second quarter of this year, Wall Street is expecting growth numbers for the current quarter of 2009 to be as bad as the last three months of 2008.

According to the new GDP numbers, the US economy actually contracted by 6.2 per cent - the worst showing in 27 years - at the end of last year because American exports plunged by more than expected and the US consumer stopped spending.

The worse than expected numbers show that the US economy is struggling to cope on two fronts - on one side, foreign markets have applied the brakes to buying US goods as their own economies plunge deeper into recession.

On the other front, Americans have become so anxious that they may also join the soaring numbers of unemployed that they have stopped spending on all but essential items such as food and petrol. >>> Grainne Gilmore | Friday, February 27, 2009

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US Shares Dive on Doubts over Rescue Stimulus
TIMES ONLINE: US shares plunged by nearly 280 points in early trading today as investors grew nervous that President Obama’s financial stimulus plan will not be enough to boost the world's largest economy and carmakers may not be able to stave off collapse.

The Dow Jones industrial index plunged by 276.94 points to 7,573.47 points within half an hour of the US stock market opening — the first day of trading since Friday after being closed on Monday for Presidents Day.

At the same time, concerns over America's deepening recession, and the effect it may have on demand for energy, sent oil prices down more than $2 to $35.37 a barrel. >>> | Tuesday, February 17, 2009

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Share Prices in London Slide in Reaction to Weak Dollar and Heavy Falls Overnight on Asian Markets
TIMESONLINE: London shares slide as investors react to a weaker US dollar and heavy overnight falls on Asian stock markets

The value of Britain’s biggest companies plunged this morning with 114 points wiped from the FTSE 100 as investors reacted to growing signs of global market turmoil.

The US dollar hovered near a record low overnight and stock markets in Asia suffered their biggest falls for weeks as traders took their lead from the brutal sell-off on Wall Street on Friday.

In London, the FTSE 100 was down 114.5 points at 6413.5 after opening with every single company in negative territory. Market turmoil sends London stocks plummeting (more)

THE GUARDIAN:
IMF warns of decline in global economy

BBC:
Dollar sinks to another euro low

FINANCIAL TIMES:
London shares join global equities downturn By Michael Hunter and Robert Orr

THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Buyers Pounce on Deals as Homes Go on the Block

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG:
Schweizer Börse gibt deutlich nach: Banken unter Druck

Asiatische Börsen auf Talfahrt: Vier-Wochen-Tief in Tokio

LE MONDE:
Les marchés s'inquiètent du ralentissement économique américain

Mark Alexander

Panic in Stock Markets as Share Values Plunge
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Shares in London tumbled again yesterday, wiping £75bn off the value of the blue chip index in just two days.

Its fall was matched worldwide despite dramatic attempts by central banks to pour money into the credit markets to prevent losses from the US sub-prime mortgage market slump spreading throughout the financial system.

The FTSE 100 had its biggest drop in almost four and a half years, tumbling 232.9 points to 6038.3, to leave it lower than it started the year. The mid-cap index slid 322.6 to 10889.

Tom Hougaard, chief market strategist at City Index, said: "This is absolutely unprecedented. In the last 15 minutes of trading we dropped 50 points. That's serious 'Get me out, I don't want to be in this any more, I'm scared'." FTSE 100 loses £75bn in two days (more) By Josephine Moulds and Richard Blackden

TIMESONLINE:
Bernanke under pressure to cut rates as markets plunge By Suzy Jagger in New York

FT:
Fresh turmoil in equity markets

DAILY MAIL:
£63bn wiped off UK shares as fears of a recession grow By Sam Fleming

Mark Alexander