Hong Kong and mainland markets continued to take a toll from the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and a widening of the hostilities with retaliation by Tehran.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 291 points, or 1.12 percent, to end at 25,768.

The China enterprises index was 93 points, or 1.07 percent, lower at 8,608 while the tech index was 112 points, or 2.26 percent, lower at 4,876.

Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended down almost 60 points, or 1.43 percent, at 4,122.

The Shenzhen Component Index was 443 points, or 3.07 percent, lower at 14,022 while the ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, was down 84 points, or 2.57 percent, at 3,209.

The combined turnover of the two main indexes in Shanghai and Shenzhen was 3.13 trillion yuan, up from 3.02 trillion yuan on Monday.

Stocks in oil and gas extraction and shale gas sectors led gains while military equipment and minor metals shares were among the biggest losers.

In Tokyo, Japanese shares fell at the sharpest pace in months as investors remained on edge for a second straight day following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Topix ⁠slumped 3.2 percent to 3,772, the fastest decline since April, while the Nikkei declined 1,788 points, or 3.06 percent, to 56,279, the biggest drop since November, after falling as much as 3.4 percent.

South Korean shares tumbled 7 percent, logging the biggest percentage drop in 19 months.

The benchmark Kospi fell 452 points, or 7.24 percent, to close at 5,791, after triggering a sidecar trading curb during the session. It was the biggest daily percentage fall since August 5, 2024. (Reuters & Xinhua)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden