Asian shares drop, dollar at highest since 2002 vs yen

An index of Asian shares fell on Thursday as the Chinese, Hong Kong and Australian markets slipped, while the dollar scaled its highest level against the yen since 2002 on expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise rates this year.

Spreadbetters predicted European shares would tread water just below previous closes, as talks continued about Greece's ongoing financial crisis. Britain's FTSE 100 was seen opening between 2 and 5 points higher, Germany's DAX  was expected to open between 4 points lower and 10 points higher, and France's CAC 40  was seen opening between 11 points lower and 13 points higher.