Asian markets: China's Shanghai Composite index falls 0.3 percent as China grapples with soaring COVID-19 infections

Key indices at Asian markets ended lower, taking the lead from losses on Wall Street while investors also looked ahead to some economic data in the region. So, Japan's Nikkei-225 index declined 1 percent as Japan's core consumer inflation hit a fresh 40-year high of 3.7% in November, fuelling market expectations that Japan's central bank will further roll back its massive stimulus next year. South Korea's Kospi index plunged 1.8 percent; Hong Kong's H...