Hong Kong shares fall again

The IMF announcement failed to boost market confidence in Indonesia: after a slight rise earlier in the day, the Jakarta stock market fell by more than four per cent.

Share prices also fell sharply in Hong Kong, reversing an upward trend over the past two days.

The Hang Seng index closed seven per cent lower.

Dealers said the fall reflected concern about property prices and other economic indicators.

But elsewhere in Asia, investor confidence was more in evidence; share prices rose in Singapore and Seoul.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service