Australia: Shares fall in worst yearly start ever on China worries

[SYDNEY] Australian shares fell for a sixth straight session on Friday, their worst start to a year on record, as concerns about China's slowing economy and its policymaking ability weighed on investors.

The S&P/ASX 200 index was down 19.54 points, or 0.4 per cent, at the close of trade.

For the week, the benchmark was down 5.8 per cent, its biggest weekly fall since 2011 and its biggest fall in the first week of a calendar year ever.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 58.3 points, or 0.9 per cent, to finish the session at 6,155.1, down 2.6 per cent for the week.

REUTERS