Nikkei posts biggest drop in 3 weeks

TOKYO, July 19 (Reuters): Japan's Nikkei share average dropped to a one-week low on Friday and posted its biggest one-day fall in three weeks as investors turned risk averse on news a Malaysian Airlines passenger jet was shot down near the Ukraine-Russia border.

The Nikkei ended 1 per cent lower to 15,215.71, the lowest closing level since July 11. At one point, the index was down as much as 1.7 per cent.

For the week, the benchmark rose 0.3 per cent.

The broader Topix dropped 0.8 per cent to 1,263.29, and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 shed 0.7 per cent to 11,505.50.