Kuwait - The oil-rich Gulf state of Kuwait halted its share trading by a court order on Thursday after significant losses on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE), Kuwait news agency KUNA reported.

The court decision came to prevent further losses among traders, after the KSE price index fell to 8,691 points on Thursday, a drop of 160.1 points.

Director of KSE Saleh al-Falah was informed of the court's decision early Thursday, he said that the suspension will continue until November 17, KUNA reported.

Seoul - Shares nosedived Thursday on t

Tokyo - Asian stock markets were in a downward spiral Thursday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street and falling on persistent worries over a US recession.

The Tokyo stock market extended its losing streak with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average falling 456.87 points, or 5.25 per cent, to close at 8,238.64, a two-week low.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 4.31 per cent at 837.53.

Exporters' shares were also hurt by a stronger yen, which reduces Japanese firms' earnings overseas.

Tokyo - The Tokyo stock market extended its losing streak to end Thursday trading lower as the market sentiment was dampened due to persistent worries over the US economy and the yen trading stronger against other currencies.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average tumbled 456.87 points, or 5.25 per cent, to close at 8,238.64, a two-week low.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 37.7 points, or 4.31 per cent, to 837.53.

Exporters were hurt by the stronger yen as it shaves off Japanese firms' earnings overseas.

Taipei - The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSEC) launched a Sharia Index Thursday to attract funds from Islamic countries and to help Taiwan break into Islamic nations' financial markets.

TSEC launched the TSEC Taiwan Sharia Index in conjunction with the FTSE Group - a London-based index company owned by the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.

The TSEC Taiwan Sharia Index covers 68 medium and major stocks selected from FTSE's global equity index series and listed on TSEC.