A Filipino stock trader covers his face in dismay at the Philippine Stocks Exchange trading floor in Manila's Makati financial district January 5. The Phillippines 33-share main index lost 78.43 points, or 3.64 percent, to end on Wednesday at 2,074.75. Asian markets lost their new year fat on Wednesday after America's high-tech darling, the Nasdaq market, suffered its biggest point drop ever on fears of U.S. interest rate hikes.

EDC/DL