Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index sinks 12.4% as investors dump a wide range of shares

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Nikkei 225 share index plunged more than 12% on Monday as investors worried that the U.S. economy may be in worse shape than had been expected dumped a wide range of shares.

The Nikkei index shed 4,451.28 to 31,458.42. It dropped 5.8% on Friday and has now logged its worst two-day decline ever, dropping 18.2% in the last two trading sessions.

At its lowest the Nikkei plunged as much as 13.4%. Its biggest single-day rout was a drop of 3,836 points, or 14.9%...