Worries about US credit-market losses spreading to the Asia Pacific region flavoured trading Tuesday. Shares generally fell or rose only weakly, with Bangkok, Jakarta, Sydney and Seoul leading the drop.

Australian shares suffered after a recently floated mortgage lender, Rams Home Loans Group, warned that profits would be hit by the turmoil in world debt markets. Its shares dropped as much as 32 per cent, before closing down 19.4 per cent at A$1.41.