Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday as investors hung onto hopes the coronavirus pandemic may come under control with treatments being developed. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 1.4% to finish at 23,296.77. South Korea's Kospi gained 1.6% to 2,368.01. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.5% to 6,161.40. Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged 0.1% lower to 25,522.36, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.4% to 3,373.06. Shares also rose in India and most of Southeast Asia, AP reported. Benchmark U.S. crude oil slipped 5 cents to $42.57 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 28 cents to $42.62 per barrel Monday. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 14 cents to $45.27 a barrel. The dollar rose to 106.02 Japanese yen from 105.99 yen. The euro climbed to $1.1812 from $1.1791.