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Japan closes higher despite blasts
(CNN) -- Japan's market closed higher Wednesday, despite the twin shocks of the blast at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad and the bus bomb in Jerusalem that between them claimed 35 lives. Other Asian markets were mixed. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 stock average finished up 1.16 percent to 10,292.06, a fresh 13-month high. The broader Topix rose 1.05 percent to 1001.08, cracking the 1000-point mark for the first time since July 19 last year and its highest close since 1010.12 on July 18. In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 added 0.07 percent and Taiwan's Taiex was up 0.57 percent to a 14-month high. South Korea's Kospi reversed earlier rises to finish 0.4 percent lower, but still near a one-year high. Hong Kong lost 0.32 percent, and Singapore eased 0.20 percent. New Zealand posted a fall of almost 1 percent. The gains in Tokyo followed another strong day Tuesday for European and Wall Street stocks, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq putting on 1.24 percent to reach a 16-month high and the Dow adding 0.17 percent. (Full story) The deadly blasts in Baghdad and Jerusalem come just a day after London-based World Markets Research Center released its global terrorism index, showing terrorism is now a key business risk for multinationals. ( Full story But investors shrugged off the blasts, focusing instead on upbeat U.S. stocks. Japanese tech leaders Hitachi and Toshiba, which both added more than 6 percent on Tuesday, were up again on Wednesday, as was Fujitsu. NEC rose 1.44 percent to 843 yen. The market's biggest stock, NTT DoCoMo, was up another 1.32 percent to 307,000 yen. Big exporter and consumer electronics leader Sony ended unchanged at 3790 yen and Canon put on 0.35 percent to 5790 yen. Toyota was up 0.9 percent to 3310 yen, while rival carmaker Nissan ended 0.86 percent in the red. Honda rose slightly. Big banks added to Tuesday's strong gains, with Mizuho Holdings up another 2.4 percent to 128,000 yen following its 6.8 percent jump a day earlier. SMFG did best with a rise of 5.2 percent, UFJ was flat and MTFG ended 1 percent higher. In Seoul, the Kospi slipped 0.4 percent to 737.20, just below Tuesday's 11-month high. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics finished up 1.16 percent to 435,000 won, a fresh record high. (Full story) Mobile operator SK Telecom lost 1.5 percent to 197,500 won and big bank Shinhan was also in the red. In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 added 0.07 percent to 3171.5. Despite early gains, insurer and funds manager AMP slipped 2.3 percent to A$4.61 after it produced a loss of A$2.16 billion for the half year on UK writedowns. (Full story) Media group News Corp was up 0.3 percent to A$12.52, and Telstra ended flat at A$4.74. Westpac Bank slipped another 1.9 percent after confirming its interest in New Zealand bank NBNZ. (Full story) Commonwealth Bank of Australia rose 0.6 percent to A$29.80 after posting a full-year profit of just over A$2 billion. (Full story) Lend Lease added 4 percent to A$9.72 after posting a A$715 million loss for the year to June, mainly on U.S. writedowns. (Full story) Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.32 percent to close at 10,475.33, just below Monday's one-year closing high of 10,509. China Mobile fell 0.26 percent to HK$19.25 and PCCW ended 1.8 percent higher to HK$4.27. Leading bank HSBC was 0.13 percent down to HK$99.50. Taiwan's Taiex closed up 0.57 percent to 5543.61, helped by a 0.8 percent gain to T$63.00 for market heavyweight, chip foundry TSMC. Its smaller rival UMC was also higher, up 1.2 percent to T$24.80. Formosa Plastic fell 1 percent. Singapore's Straits Times index lost 0.20 percent to 1,611.97 after hitting a 13-month closing high on Monday. Creative Technology slipped 1.1 percent to S$18.30, while big banking group DBS put on 1.63 percent at S$12.50.
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