Abruptly, Expatriate Bankers Are Cut Loose

By KEITH BRADSHER and JULIA WERDIGIER

Charles Pertwee for The New York Times

Marco Wong was laid off by Citibank in Singapore.

The salaries and bonuses were great, the lifestyle grand. The party’s over, and expats are joining the ranks of the jobless.

John DiCicco, a top federal tax official, left, and Mark Branson, a UBS executive, center rear, at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

UBS Executives May Face Prosecution in Tax Evasion Inquiry

By LYNNLEY BROWNING

A Swiss bank, under fire from Congress for secrecy that may allow tax evasion, suggests it’s a matter for diplomats.

For Swiss Banks, an Uncomfortable Spotlight

Kaspar Villiger, right, was named to succeed Peter Kurer, left, as chairman of UBS as a U.S. investigation continues.

UBS Picks Former Swiss Finance Minister as Chairman

By BLOOMBERG NEWS

The nominee, Kaspar Villiger, was first official to apologize for Switzerland’s World War II refugee policy of turning away thousands of Jews.

The opening ceremony of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.

China Outlines Ambitious Plan for Stimulus

By MICHAEL WINES

Premier Wen Jiabao did not explicitly announce any new stimulus spending beyond what was committed in November.

Memo From Singapore

Tens of thousands of workers in Singapore have been cut back to three or four days a week and their wages per hour also reduced.

East Asia’s Small Edens of Trade Wilt as Need for Exports Dries Up

By KEITH BRADSHER

Small, globalized trading centers like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan are proving to be particularly vulnerable to the wave of global economic troubles.

A Sign of Hope for China's Economy

By BETTINA WASSENER

A closely watched index of manufacturing activity in China edged up in February, an early sign that the economy may have seen the worst of the downturn.

2009 Geneva Motor Show

The Aston Martin One-77 was displayed at the Geneva auto show.

An Auto Show Goes on, Seemingly in Denial

By JERRY GARRETT

It’s pedal-to-the-floor at the Geneva auto show, a showcase for six-figure supercars that does not acknowledge the grim state of the industry.

Eurotunnel Pays a Dividend, Its First

By DAVID JOLLY

Founded in 1987 and restructured three times since, Eurotunnel announced a dividend after posting a net profit of $50 million for 2008.

Japan said it would dip into its $1 trillion in foreign currency reserves to lend to Toyota. Above, a Toyota assembly line.

Countries Stepping in to Finance Export Trade

By CARTER DOUGHERTY

Japan took the rare step Tuesday of tapping its foreign currency reserves to help struggling exporters, including Toyota.

Europe Backs Tariffs on U.S. Biofuel Imports

By JAMES KANTER

European producers have complained to trade regulators that their counterparts in the United States benefit from both U.S. and European subsidies.

Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, the former billionaire owner of Yukos oil, in the bullet-proof glass defendants' cage at a Moscow court on Tuesday.

New Trial of Ex-Tycoon Begins in Russia

By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ

Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and a former business partner are accused of laundering more than $20 billion and embezzling close to 350 million tons of crude oil.