Hong Kong shares slide by midday

Hong Kong stocks fell by midday on Friday amid the intensified Iran war.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 161 points, or 0.63 percent, to 25,338.

The tech gauge dropped 1.71 percent to 4,911.

In the mainland, the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index inched up 0.16 percent, to 4,013 points, while the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Component Index rose 1.57 percent to 14,119 points.