Asian shares fall on virus variant worries, Wall St retreat

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares fell Tuesday as worries were growing that a faster-spreading variant of the coronavirus could upend the global economic recovery.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.9% to 27,417.75. South Korea's Kospi shed 0.6% to 3,226.19. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.5% to 7,252.20. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.1% to 27,189.43, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 3,531.54.

Worries about the pandemic continue in Japan, with three days to go before the Tokyo Olympics open. Some 11,000 athletes are taking part in the Games, and 22,000 other people have arrived since July 1 to take part in the Games.

Several athletes and more than 60 other non-athletes affiliated with the Games have tested positive. Fears are growing that, despite repeated tests, infections may spread.

The vaccination rollout has been slower in Japan than in other developed nations, with just 22% of the population fully vaccinated. Reports that fully vaccinated people have gotten infected are another cause for worry. The Japanese government has repeatedly promised “a safe and secure" Games.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 1.6% to 4,258.49, after setting a record just a week earlier. In another sign of worry, the yield on the 10-year Treasury touched its lowest level in five months as investors scrambled for safer places to put their money.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury was steady at 1.21% after falling to 1.20% Monday from 1.29% late Friday. In March it was at roughly 1.75%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 2.1% to 33,962.04, while the Nasdaq composite lost 1.1% to 14,274.98.

Airlines and other companies that would get hurt the most by potential COVID-19 restrictions took some of the heaviest losses, similar to the early days of the pandemic in February and March 2020. United Airlines...