Four out of five Asian indices ended in negative territory. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined nearly one and a half per cent, China’s Shanghai Composite Index lost more than one per cent, Japan’s Nikkei slid nearly half per cent and Korea’s Kospi fell 0.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Straits Times Index increased by more than one per cent.

All three major European Indices were trading in positive territory. France’s CAC 40 gained more than half per cent, London’s FTSE and Germany’s DAX were trading 0.7 per cent up each, when reports last came in.