Asian shares gain

Asian shares rose on Wednesday as dealers sought bargains after two days of big losses, although lingering concerns over Japan's nuclear crisis led to caution.
Tokyo rose 0.90 percent, or 85.92 points, to end at 9,641.18 as a weaker yen supported exporters, while Hong Kong gained 0.66 percent, or 158.66 points, to 24,135.03.
Sydney added 0.25 percent, or 12.3 points, to finish at 4,911.0 while Seoul jumped 1.56 percent, or 32.52 points, to 2,121.92.
Shanghai rose 0.96 percent, or 29.03 points, to 3,050.40.
But sentiment was tempered by Japan's decision Tuesday to raise the crisis level at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the same as Chernobyl in 1986, following a series of strong aftershocks from the March 11 quake.
Asian markets were sent tumbling after the tremors on Monday and Tuesday, which renewed concerns over Japan's economic outlook.
Tokyo's Nikkei index moved in and out of positive territory in the morning but jumped in the afternoon as the yen slipped.
The dollar fetched 83.97 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, up from 83.56 in New York late Tuesday.
The euro jumped to $1.4486 from 1.4477. The single European currency rose to 121.70 yen from 120.93.
Oil staged a rebound after three straight days of losses that were caused by forecasts that crude demand would ease due to the recent spike at two-and-a-half-year highs.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, added 59 cents to $106.84 per barrel while Brent North Sea crude for May delivery gained $1.11 to $122.03.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 0.95 percent Tuesday due to the Japan crisis, a poor performance from energy plays and following worse-than-expected first quarter results from aluminium giant Alcoa.
Gold closed at $1,457.00-$1,458.00 an ounce in Hong Kong, down from Tuesday's close of $1,460.00-$1,461.00.

In other markets:
Singapore closed up 1.09 percent, or 34.08 points, at 3,172.08. Kuala Lumpur ended 0.62 percent, or 9.47 points, higher at 1,535.39.
Petronas Chemicals climbed 4.4 percent to 7.36 ringgit while power firm Tenaga Nasional rose 1.6 percent to 6.17 ringgit.
Mumbai climbed 2.25 percent, or 434.32 points, to 19,696.86, snapping five days of losses on bargain hunting.
India's largest software outsourcer TCS rose 2.57 percent, or 30.25 rupees, to 1,208.95.
Bangkok was closed for a public holiday.