Asian shares fell Tuesday, AP reported. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.6 percent to finish at 19,999.91 as the yen gained against the dollar. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 1.2 percent to 5,687.40. South Korea's Kospi was flat at 2,425.26. Hong Kong's Hang Seng also was unchanged, at 26,469.63, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.1 percent to 3,173.46. Benchmark U.S. crude gained 2 cents to $46.04 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 52 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $46.02 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 5 cents to $48.37 a barrel in London. The dollar has been weakening as investors conclude the U.S. government is unlikely to enact a significant infrastructure spending package to boost the economy. The dollar slipped to 112.10 yen from 112.66 yen late Monday in Asia. The euro rose to $1.1519 from $1.1460.
