HK shares edge lower on Mideast war fears
Hong Kong stocks ended down Wednesday as worries about the Israel-Hamas crisis spiralling into a regional war overshadowed forecast-beating mainland economic growth data. The Hang Seng Index fell 0.2 percent, or 40 points, to 17,732. The Shanghai Composite Index sank 0.8 percent, or 24 points, to 3,058, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange shed 1.5 percent, or 28 points, to 1,856. Markets elsewhere in the region were also mostly down, with Singapore, Mumbai, Jakarta, Taipei and Manila all down. Sydney, Seoul, Wellington and Bangkok edged up, while Tokyo was flat. Crude jumped more than two percent at one point on worries about supplies from the oil-rich region in the event of a wider war, with some observers even warning the commodity could head towards US$150 a barrel. (AFP)