Investing.com - Asian shares fell on Wednesday as geopolitical risks rose and markets took a cue from Wall Street.
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.44%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.36%. Australia reported third quarter GDP rose 0.6%, compared with with a 0.7% rise seen on quarter and at a 2.8% gain, shy of the 3.0% pace on year expected.
Shares of Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) fell 1.88%, Fortescue Metal was down 0.54% and BHP lost 1.68%. Junior miners also fell with South32 shares declining 3.11%.
In Greater China, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.60% and the Hang Seng index eased 0.98%,
Bitcoin continued to clim in Asia on Wednesday, breaking $12,000 and hitting a fresh record high of $12,205.46.
Yonhap reported that US B1 bombers plan flights over the Korean peninsula Wednesday as part of an annual military exercises that rile Pyongyang. The week-long drills come a week after North Korea tested what it called its most advanced ICBM and warned that the exercises would push the Korean peninsula to "the brink of nuclear war."
Elsewhere, Sky News reported that an Islamist suicide attack was planned against Downing Street and British PM Theresa May, but was foiled by police and security services.
There was little immediate reaction to reports that Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) received a subpoena from US special counsel Robert Mueller related to his Russia election meddling investigation and the bank's business with President Trump.
Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's personal lawyers, said Deutsche Bank has not received any subpoena for financial records relating to the president as part of Mueller's probe.
"We have confirmed that the news reports that the Special Counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the president are false,” Sekulow said. “No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources."
Overnight, the S&P 500 declined 0.4%t to 2,629.57. The Dow Jones industrial average finished 109.41 points lower at 24,180.64.
The Nasdaq composite erased earlier gains, slipping 0.2% to 6,762.21. The index also notched a three-day losing streak.