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HONG KONG — <\/span>Asian shares mostly extended their losses on Wednesday and gold prices hit a record high as concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff threats on Greenland fueled unease among investors. <\/p>\n U.S. futures rose after steep losses Tuesday on Wall Street. The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.3% and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%.<\/p>\n Gold prices crossed the $4,800 mark for the first time, gaining 1.7% as money flowed into assets considered to be safe havens at times of uncertainty. <\/p>\n Traders were waiting for Trump\u2019s planned speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, attended by world leaders, elites and billionaires. Trump told reporters he planned to highlight his administration\u2019s accomplishments<\/a> during his address.<\/p>\n Trump’s Air Force One<\/a> returned to Washington after its crew identified \u201ca minor electrical issue\u201d while he was on his way to Davos. He was to board another aircraft and resume his trip.<\/p>\n In Asian trading, Tokyo\u2019s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.7% to 52,603.44. Markets in Japan have been riled both by geopolitical uncertainty and by domestic issues. <\/p>\n Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap election<\/a> for Feb. 8, sending yields of long-term government bonds to record levels<\/a>. The assumption is that Takaichi, who is capitalizing on strong public support ratings to try to consolidate a majority for her Liberal Democratic Party, will cut taxes and boost spending, adding to the challenges Japan faces in handling its massive government debt. <\/p>\n The yield on the 40-year Japanese government bond was trading at 4.095% early Wednesday, down from the all-time high of 4.22% that it hit on Tuesday. <\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s Kospi shed 0.5% to 4,862.17.<\/p>\n Hong Kong\u2019s Hang Seng slipped 0.2% to 26,435.20. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.2% higher, to 4,120.10.<\/p>\n In Australia, the S&P\/ASX 200 gave back 0.4% to 8,781.70.<\/p>\n Taiwan\u2019s Taiex fell 0.9%, and India\u2019s Sensex edged up 0.1%.<\/p>\n Trump has said he will impose 10% tariffs<\/a> on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland beginning in February. That would be on top of a 15% tariff specified by a trade agreement with the European Union that has yet to be ratified. <\/p>\n European leaders have hit back as Washington’s relations with its Western allies sour, considering countermeasures, including perhaps slow-walking ratification of the trade agreement or ordering retaliatory tariffs<\/a>, analysts say.<\/p>\n The U.S. president had linked his position<\/a> on Greenland to him not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, as he told Norway\u2019s prime minister he no longer felt \u201can obligation to think purely of Peace.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the S&P 500 fell 2.1% to 6,796.86, the steepest drop for the benchmark index since October.<\/p>\n The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.8% to 48,488.59. The Nasdaq composite fell 2.4% to 22,954.32.<\/p>\n Nvidia, one of the world\u2019s most valuable companies, fell 4.4%. Apple dropped 3.5%. Retailers, banks and industrial companies also suffered steep losses. Lowe\u2019s fell 3.3%, JPMorgan Chase fell 3.1%, and Caterpillar lost 2.5%.<\/p>\n