high global oil prices. The Stock Exchange of Thailand Index closed off 6.43 points, or 0.9 percent, at 675.52. JAKARTA: Indonesian shares ended sharply lower as investors continued to pare their equity portfolios as they feared that the local currency, the rupiah, may weaken further due to rising oil prices. The Jakarta Stock Exchange's Composite Index ended down 3.1 percent, or 35.695 points, to hit a five-week closing low at 1118.274. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian shares ended lower, weighed down by Wall Street's weakness over the weekend and record high oil prices. The weighted Composite Index of 100 blue chip stocks fell 9.12 points, or 1 percent, to close at the intraday low of 927.92 from an intraday high of 938.85 MANILA: Philippine stocks fell as worries about soaring world oil prices snapped a four-day rally. The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index declined 32.11 points, or 1.6 percent, to 2,005.99. SEOUL: South Korean markets were closed as the country celebrated its liberation from Japanese rule. SHANGHAI: China shares rose, led by buying of shares listed on Shenzhen's board for small- and medium-sized enterprises, following reports such companies would move ahead with shareholding reforms. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.6 percent to 1,187.01, the highest level since April 19, when it closed at 1,199.90. The Shenzhen Composite Index surged 2.5 percent to 281.95. SINGAPORE: Singapore shares closed lower, tracking losses on Wall Street in the previous session due to record-high oil prices. The Straits Times Index fell by 23.44 points, or 1.02 percent, to close at 2279.76. SYDNEY: Australian shares closed down 0.2 percent at 4,459.5 amid worries about a decline on Wall Street. TAIPEI: Taiwan's shares fell, driven down by declines among notebook computer makers after U.S. tech firm Dell delivered a discouraging outlook for the third quarter. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange fell 105.77 points, or 1.7 percent, to 6,245.13.
