Asia markets show glimmer of improvement

Global market panic showed fragile signs of easing as Asian markets opened a day after £52bn was wiped from the FTSE and exchanges tumbled around the world.

Trading floors in China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea showed glimmers of improvement following fears of a ’bear market’ – a run on shares fuelled by trader worries – taking hold across the Far East, although gains fell short of recovering losses seen on Wednesday.