Asian shares skid

Asian shares began the week on a plaintive note amid losses on Wall Street and worries over China, while investors braced for a Federal Reserve meeting that might take another small step toward lifting US interest rates. Japan's Nikkei slipped more than 1 per cent, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 1.4 per cent. In China, the CSI300 index .CSI300 of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen fell 3 per cent. Australian shares edged up 0.4 per cent. The S&P/ASX 200 index ended up 23.8 points at 5,589.9. The benchmark ended 0.4 per cent lower on Friday at 5,566.10. New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index slipped 0.37 per cent or 22.1 points to finish the session at 5,872.1. The dollar was 0.1 per cent lower against a basket of currencies at 97.035. Gold seemed to have steadied after its recent slide, with spot bullion at $1,097.90 an ounce, according to Reuters.

-SRS