KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysian share prices closed 1.3 per cent weaker on Friday as banking and plantation stocks continued their decline, dealers said.

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index shed 14.38 points to end at 1,095.05.

Declining stocks led advancers 317 to 182 with 252 stocks unchanged.

'The banks are weighing on the market, especially Bumi-Commerce following its 2Q results,' a trader told Dow Jones Newswires.

'Plantations continue to come under selling pressure, especially with crude palm oil prices falling further today.'

Traders expect further selling pressure next week in the absence of positive leads, with the benchmark index expected to test the 1,090 level.

'If that breaks, the next level we are looking at would be 1050,' one trader said.

Among major stocks Bumi-Commerce was down 5.6 percent at 7.65 ringgit, KLK was down 3.3 per cent at 11.60 ringgit and Kulim fell 4.0 per cent.

HONG KONG
Hong Kong share prices closed down 1.1 per cent on Friday on worries about a global economic slump, dealers said.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 232.13 points at 21,160.58. Turnover was 48.96 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$6.27 billion).

Offshore oil producer CNOOC slumped 4.3 per cent on falling crude prices, while Hong Kong power supplier CLP Holdings fell 3.7 per cent.

SHANGHAI
Chinese share prices closed mixed on Friday with the Shanghai bourse up 0.56 per cent as bargain-hunting in some heavyweights helped the key index regain ground lost earlier in the day, dealers said.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, was up 13.53 points at 2,450.61 on a turnover of 27.2 billion yuan (US$4 billion).

The key index ended higher after a five-session sell-off streak starting from the day Beijing opened the Olympics, but trading volumes shrank to a fresh 21-month low, indicating a lack of interest among investors.

The Shanghai A-share index added 14.25 points, or 0.56 per cent, to close at 2,572.10 on turnover of 27.1 billion yuan, but the Shenzhen A-share index lost 1.74 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 730.90 on turnover of 14.5 billion yuan.

TOKYO
Japanese shares closed up 0.48 per cent on Friday after an overnight rally on Wall Street on the back of a drop in oil prices and easing jitters about problems in the financial sector, dealers said.

But they said activity was muted because many market players were on holiday. Concerns about the economic outlook were also keeping sentiment cautious.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange?s benchmark Nikkei-225 index rose 62.61 points to end at 13,019.41.

The broader Topix index of all first-section shares added 8.38 points or 0.68 per cent to 1,247.31. -- AFP, BERNAMA