Asian shares were mostly lower Monday, AP reported. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 tumbled 2.6 percent to 22,682.08 and South Korea's Kospi shed 1.1 percent to 2,498.07. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index sank 1.1 percent to 32,236.08 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.6 percent to 6,026.20. Benchmarks in Southeast Asia also lost ground. Only mainland Chinese shares showed signs of life, with the Shanghai Composite reversing early losses to gain 0.6 percent to 3,482.30. Oil futures extended losses. Benchmark U.S. crude slid 54 cents to $64.91 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost 35 cents to settle at $65.45 a barrel on Friday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 61 cents to $67.97 a barrel in London. The dollar weakened to 109.91 yen from 110.14 yen in late trading Friday. The euro was flat at $1.2458.
