Hong Kong stocks close flat

Hong Kong shares ended flat Wednesday as attention turned to the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting later in the day, while traders also kept an eye on the Crimean crisis. The benchmark Hang Seng Index edged down 14.81 points to 21,568.69 on turnover of HK$64.17 billion (US$8.28 billion). Tensions in Eastern Europe rose on Tuesday when President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty absorbing Crimea into Russia following a weekend referendum Western leaders slammed as illegal. The move comes less than three weeks after Russian troops seized control of the strategic peninsula in response to the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow government, according to AFP.