Another day of market gyrations unnerves investors

Tokyo

VOLATILITY continued to dominate financial markets on Thursday, causing Japan's Nikkei 225 index to fall sharply in sympathy with falls in other equity markets, as evidence mounted of a continued economic slowdown and a trend toward falling prices.

Asian currencies in general, including the Chinese yuan, lost further ground; the yen managed to hold its ground at around 120 to the dollar.

Japan's finance minister Taro Aso meanwhile warned of furt…