Sydney — Asian share markets were mixed and oil prices fell on Monday as the relief that US-led strikes on Syria looked unlikely to escalate was tempered by the concern about Russia’s potential reaction to new sanctions from Washington. With the situation in the Middle East still fluid, moves were modest and in both directions. E-mini futures for the S&P 500 nudged up 0.38%, while Japan’s Nikkei added 0.2%. Yet MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.4% as Chinese blue chips took an early 0.7% dip. The US, France and Britain launched 105 missiles targeting what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that further western attacks on Syria would bring chaos to world affairs, as Washington prepared to increase pressure on Russia with new economic sanctions. But with President Donald Trump declaring mission accompl...
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