TOKYO — Asian markets mostly fell on Wednesday while European shares rose modestly as investors kept a wary eye on developments in the Middle East after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane.
Trading was light ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% to 19,847.58 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.4% to 22,498.00. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.3% to 2,009.42 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.6% to 5,193.70. China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.9% to 3,647.93.
Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.5% to 6,305.83 and the CAC 40 of France gained 0.2% to 4,831.52. Germany's DAX was up 0.1% at 10,945.75.
Wall Street also looked set for gains. Dow futures were up 0.1% at 17,781.00 and S&P 500 futures added 0.1% to 2,085.90.
The downing by Turkey of a Russian fighter plane that Turkey said had violated its airspace and ignored warnings added further complexity to the crisis in Syria.
Russia said Turkey had betrayed it and that jets had not violated Turkish airspace, as Nato worked to reduce tensions at an extraordinary meeting.
"An escalation in geopolitical risk is sending a chill through the markets. Traders are opting to sit on the sidelines, especially ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday,'' Stephen Innes, a senior foreign exchange trader for OANDA, said in a commentary.