"If we were enjoying growth and prices were rising, we wouldn't be having this debate, " says ING analyst Peter Williamson in Singapore, who follows the stocks of both exchanges.

FORBES: World Markets

Four of the captives - Britons Margaret Whitehouse, 52, a teacher from Hampshire, Ruth Williamson, 34, an NHS employee from Edinburgh, university lecturer Peter Rowe, 60, from Durham, and Australian Andrew Thirsk - were killed after Yemeni authorities tried to rescue them.

BBC: The US is seeking the extradition of Abu Hamza