1st LD Writethru: Futures trading of Japan benchmark indices halted over circuit breaker

TOKYO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Index plummeted over 8 percent on Monday, triggering the futures circuit breaker, which halted trading until 1:36 p.m. local time.

The index dropped below the 33,000-point mark for the first time since Jan. 4, suffering the worst losses since 1987.

Meanwhile, the broader Topix index, which dived nearly 9 percent, also saw its futures trading suspended