Asian shares mixed as attacks in Egypt add to uncertainties

Asian shares were wavering Monday after attacks by suicide bombers on churches in Egypt added to uncertainties in the Middle East. News that China's top anti-corruption body is investigating the insurance regulator pulled shares in Shanghai and Shenzhen lower.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.7 percent to 18,789.03, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 also gained 0.7 percent to 5,901.80. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.9 percent to 2,132.84. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was little changed at 24,273.60, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.3 percent to 3,276.86. Shares were lower in Taiwan and mixed in Southeast Asia.

WALL STREET: The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 0.1 percent on Friday to 2,355.54. The Dow Jones industrial average was almost unchanged at 20,656.10 and the Nasdaq composite was steady at 5,877.71.

GEOPOLITICS: President Donald Trump's meetings Friday-Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping seemed to have little major impact on markets. But U.S. missile strikes on a Syrian air base last week were followed by the bombings at two Coptic churches in northern Egypt that killed 44 people. Meanwhile in Asia, the Pentagon said a Navy carrier strike group was moving toward the western Pacific Ocean to provide more of a physical presence in the region. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. missile strikes carry a message for any nation operating outside of international norms. Worries have been growing about North Korea's missile tests and nuclear weapons program.