TOKYO
Japanese share prices closed down 1.23 per cent on Monday, ending below the key 13,000 points level as investors worried about weak company earnings and losses on Wall Street, dealers said.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange's benchmark Nikkei-225 index slid 161.41 points to 12,933.18, the lowest close since July 18.

The broader Topix index of all first-section shares declined 24.68 points or 1.94 per cent to 1,248.25.

Heavyweight HSBC was down 0.3 per cent and Hang Seng Bank dropped 1.0 per cent, with both expected to announce poor mid-year results after the market close.

Shipping firm Cosco Pacific was down 4.9 per cent on surging crude oil prices.

SHANGHAI
Chinese share prices closed down 2.14 per cent on Monday as already weak sentiment was hit by reports that 16 police were killed in a suspected terror attack in northwest China, dealers said.

The attack in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, reported by the official Xinhua news agency, raised security fears four days before the Beijing Olympics.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, lost 60.08 points to 2,741.74 on turnover of 37.6 billion yuan (S$7.5 billion).

The Shanghai A-share index fell 63.06 points, or 2.15 per cent, to 2,875.98 on turnover of 37.4 billion yuan, while the Shenzhen A-share index was down 20.98 points, or 2.39 per cent, to 855.48 on turnover of 20.8 billion yuan.

KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysian share prices closed 0.9 per cent lower on Monday, weighed down by losses across all sectors after a pullback on Wall Street last week, dealers said.

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index shed 10.42 points to close at 1,148.68.

HONG KONG
Hong Kong share prices closed down 1.5 per cent on Monday as concern about oil prices once again spooked investors, while banking titan HSBC posted a 29-percent profits tumble.

The Hang Seng index shed 347.68 points to 22,514.92 after a jump in US unemployment and a fall on Wall Street also soured sentiment.

'There is some weariness about the not-so-good economic data in the US on Friday. The price of oil is still a major source of concern,' said Mr Howard Gorges, vice-chairman at South China Securities.

HSBC said net profit tumbled to 7.722 billion dollars (S$10.59 billion) in the first half of the year amid the ongoing worldwide credit squeeze.

SINGAPORE

Singapore stocks closed lower with the benchmark Straits Times Index down 29.99 points, or 1.03 per cent, at 2,876.08.

Up to 975.1 million shares exchanged hands.

Losers beat gainers 372 to 151. --ST, AFP