Global Shares Mostly Slip Tuesday      06/23 04:49

   Global shares mostly declined on Tuesday as recent enthusiasm cooled and 
markets faced uncertainty about efforts to end the war in Iran.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares mostly declined on Tuesday as recent enthusiasm 
cooled and markets faced uncertainty about efforts to end the war in Iran.

   France's CAC 40 dipped 1.0% in early trading to 8,313.86, while the German 
DAX fell 1.6% to 24,746.63. Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.6% to 10,379.26. U.S. 
shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures down 0.7% at 51,774.00. S&P 500 
futures fell 1.5% to 7,429.25.

   Earlier in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 3.6% to finish at 
69,788.38.

   "We've had eight days of strong markets," said Neil Newman, head of strategy 
at Astris Advisory Japan. "Now it has cooled off a bit."

   Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.3% at 8,787.00. South Korea's Kospi 
tumbled 10.0% decline to 8,203.84, dropping from previous record highs due to a 
sell-off in major technology issues. Signs of greater regulatory scrutiny in 
the country's semiconductor sector also added to the hand-wringing.

   Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1.8% to 23,336.28, while the Shanghai 
Composite shed 1.4% to 4,106.25.

   In the oil market, prices fell following talks over the weekend between the 
United States and Iran on their war. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said they 
created a "good foundation for a successful final deal."

   An end to the war could open the Strait of Hormuz for oil tankers and allow 
for the full resumption of deliveries from the Persian Gulf. Iran's military 
said Saturday that it had closed the strait again, though U.S. Central Command 
has disputed that.

   On Tuesday, benchmark U.S. crude fell 73 cents to $73.58 a barrel. Brent 
crude, the international standard, lost 43 cents to $77.47 a barrel.

   In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged down to 161.43 Japanese yen from 
161.52 yen. The euro cost $1.1407, down from $1.1431.