Asia Stocks Crumble; Resources Hit

Pakistan Says Lashkar Leaders Are in Custody

Pakistan said it has arrested the entire leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the outlawed Pakistani militant group linked to November's attacks in Mumbai.

Sri Lanka Army Corners Rebels

Sri Lankan forces have surrounded a shrinking number of Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeast of the country.

China Foreign Investment Hit
Record in '08 Despite Late Drop

Foreign direct investment in China jumped nearly 24% to a record $92.4 billion in 2008, rising for the third straight year, but the worsening economic slowdown continued to keep investment inflows in check.

Japanese Machinery Orders Dive

Japanese machinery orders fell at their fastest rate on record in November as the global slowdown severely curbed manufacturers' spending -- the latest indication that the nation's economy weakened in the final months of 2008.

Australia Loses 1,200 Jobs

Australia's economy lost 1,200 jobs in December, well short of the expected 20,000 loss, lifting hopes that the labor market will remain resilient despite the global financial crisis. The news also removes some of the pressure for further interest rate cuts.

Sanyo Warns of Break-Even Year

Sanyo Electric, saying it no longer expects to post a profit for the current fiscal year, announced plans to close factories and cut about 1,200 jobs.

China's Stock Regulator Returns to Last Year's Goals

China's stock-market regulator outlined priorities for 2009, drawing heavily on plans promoted a year ago that weren't fulfilled after the market entered a downturn that erased more than $3 trillion in value from listed companies.

SGX net profit falls 52% on lower trading volume

Tata Consultancy Reports 1.6% Net-Profit Increase