US strike to Afghanistan severely affects Tokyo shares
Shares
TOKYO: Tokyo shares opened lower Friday on rising geopolitical fears after the US military dropped a massive bomb in Afghanistan, adding to global tensions over the Middle East and the Korean peninsula.
The weak start followed overnight losses on Wall Street, where investors sold shares to reduce risks, as the Pentagon announced it dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever deployed in combat, targeting an Islamic State complex.
President Donald Trump called the mission "very, very successful," but the announcement drove down US equities, as it added to concerns among investors already wary of risks over Syria and North Korea, as well as the outcome of the French presidential election.
Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.11 percent, or 19.66 points, to 18,407.18 in first minutes of trading, while the Topix index of all first-section issues lost 0.49 percent, or 7.18 points, to 1,461.13. (APP)
