Tokyo's Nikkei plunges 5.96% below 60,000 on AI investment fears

Tokyo's stock market closed with the Nikkei index plunging 5.96%, falling below 60,000 points for the first time in over five months, driven by concerns over artificial intelligence investment. The Nikkei, tracking 225 leading Japanese stocks, lost 3,643.13 points to finish at 57,434.77 units. The broader Topix index, covering major capitalized companies, dropped 5.9%, or 232.4 points, closing at 3,707.99 points. The decline follows worries about stricter US regulations on AI development, including slower data center investment, two days after the Democratic Party won both chambers of Congress. Wednesday's Democratic midterm victory had already triggered losses in both Japanese indices due to similar tech sector fears.