HONG KONG, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares are set to open flat to slightly lower after a long weekend as uncertainty over the timing of Spain's request for a bailout and worries about the global economy keep investors on the sidelines.
The Hang Seng index ended a choppy quarter on a bright note last Friday, rising 7.2 percent with most of the gains coming in September as mainland markets rebounded on hopes that Chinese authorities will take measures to avert a protracted slowdown.
With China's domestic markets shut this week for the Mid-Autumn festival holidays investors are likely to be more focused on developments in Europe. Officials told Reuters on Monday that Spain is ready to make the request for a euro zone bailout as early as next weekend.
Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's Kospi were little changed.
STOCKS TO WATCH
* G-Resources Group Ltd has halted operations at its $1-billion Martabe gold mine on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, after a dispute with local residents over the installation of a water discharge pipe, the Hong-Kong listed miner said on Monday.
* Trader Glencore has formally notified the European Commission of its $33 billion plan to take over miner Xstrata , sources familiar with the matter said, after months of preliminary talks designed to pave the way for a swift approval.
* Matthias Warnig, a former East German secret agent turned investment banker who has known Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 1990s, has been appointed chairman of Russia's RUSAL , replacing Barry Cheung, who resigned.
* Canada's Conservative government will commit treason if it approves a $15.1 billion bid by China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd
to buy Canadian oil company Nexen Inc , opposition Member of Parliament Pat Martin said on Tuesday.
* China's Sinopec Corp has started shutting down a processing unit at a subsidiary refinery in Guangzhou, two industry officials said, preparing for safety and environmental checks after state media reported environmental problems.
* Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd said on Friday it was voluntarily recalling about 55,000 vehicles made and sold in China due to defects in fuel boxes.
* Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) has ended an agreement to buy a 29.9 percent stake in Winsway Coking Coal
as it would not be able to win approvals from Chinese and overseas authorities by the Sept. 30 deadline, it said in a stock exchange filing late on Friday.
* Hong Kong police arrested six crew on Tuesday after a ferry and a company boat of Hongkong Electric Co carrying more than 120 staff and family celebrating the mid-autumn festival collided, killing 37 people as the boat sank. Hongkong Electric, a unit of Power Assets Holdings which is controlled by Asia's richest man Li, said the boat had capacity to hold up to 200 people.
(Reporting by Vikram Subhedar; Editing by Richard Pullin)
((vikram.subhedar@thomsonreuters.com)(+852 28436975))
Keywords: MARKETS HONGKONG CHINA STOCKS/ PREOPEN