Asian shares were mostly lower Wednesday, AP reported. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.5 percent to 20,098.38 and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.2 percent to 2,391.77. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.7 percent to 26,048.75, while China's Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.5 percent to 3,186.08. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 1 percent to 5,673.80. Stocks in Southeast Asia were mixed. Benchmark U.S. crude added 75 cents to $45.79 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Tuesday, the contract rose 64 cents, or 1.4 percent, to settle at $45.04 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 65 cents to $48.16 per barrel in London. On Tuesday, it rose 64 cents, or 1.4 percent, to finish at $47.52 a barrel. The dollar fell to 113.46 yen from 113.95 yen while the euro weakened to $1.1455 from $1.1467.
