1.   Asian markets have been battered since this summer as interest rates soared as government sought to defend their currencies against speculative attacks.

2.   If Japanese leaders do not follow through on a comprehensive plan by then, currency and stock traders could batter Japanese markets even harder than before.

3.   Indeed, the spending portion of the package has been creeping up as criticism from around the world kept pouring in and investors kept battering the markets here.

4.   The broader market was also battered.

5.   The market has been battered for more than two weeks by disappointing earnings news from big-name companies like Motorola Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and United Healthcare Corp.

6.   The market has been battered by manipulation scandals this year.

7.   This was a sharp turnabout from the beginning of the week, when the market was battered for consecutive days.

8.   Philippine markets were badly battered for a second day by allegations that President Joseph Estrada received millions of dollars in kickbacks from illegal gambling operations, traders said.

9.   Information technology, telecoms and financial stocks led the decline, as concerns about financial turmoil in the banking sector battered European markets.

10.   Such bad news has battered the market in recent weeks, as company after company reduces its outlook for coming months.