Asian stocks give ground, copper takes a spill

SYDNEY: Asian stock markets were set to turn lower on Wednesday as economic uncertainty in China and the United States combined with political tensions in Ukraine to keep investors sidelined.

The early signs were dark with Australian stocks off 1 percent and Nikkei futures pointing to an opening loss of at least as much. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased 0.5 percent.