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Asian markets extend rout as volatility returns
Asian stock markets took another battering Wednesday, with Tokyo leading another day of sharp losses as investors grow increasingly worried about the world economy and the possibility of a global recession. As more bourses reopened after the Lunar New Year break, they immediately plunged into the red, playing catch-up with a rout that has seen billions wiped off valuations from Sydney to Frankfurt to New York. Energy firms were once again in the firing line after oil prices sank below $28 a barrel again, while financial plays are also coming under increasing pressure as investors fret about their bottom lines in the ... (full story)