LOS ANGELES—Asian stock markets ended mostly lower Tuesday amid concerns over whether newly formed governments in Italy and Greece can contain their debt crisis as Spanish and Italian government-bond yields climbed.

"People are very skittish," said Macquarie Private Wealth investment adviser James Rosenberg in Sydney. "Europe will remain volatile for a quite some time and you are seeing a lot of caution, which is reflected in the low share market volumes."

The fresh worries pushed 10-year Italian government bond yields closer to 7% Monday, while the cost to insure French and Belgian debt rose to euro-era highs. The euro was also weighed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling CDU party approving a measure Monday allowing countries to leave the euro zone, but remain within the European Union.

Japan's Nikkei Stock Average shed 0.7%, Australia's S&P/ASX fell 0.4% and Korea's Kospi lost 0.9%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was down 0.8%, while China's Shanghai Composite was flat. India's Sensex fell 1.4%.

Resources plays were broadly lower around the region, with metals prices pressured partly by the weaker euro as dollar-denominated commodities become more expensive to investors holding other currencies when the greenback is firm.

Sydney-listed heavyweight BHP Billiton lost 1.7%, Sumitomo Metal Mining fell 2.0% in Tokyo and S-Oil shed 2.5% in Seoul. Zijin Mining's Hong Kong and Shanghai shares fell 2.5% and 0.8% respectively. In Mumbai, Tata Steel fell 2.9%.

In Tokyo, heavily weighted technology shares are fell with the euro. TDK lost 1.8%, Kyocera skidded 1%, Tokyo Electron fell 1.6% and Nikon closed down 1.6%. Sony also fell 1.5% after Monday's sharp rise following a weekend announcement it will team up with investment fund operators to buy EMI Music Publishing, an arm of U.K.-based EMI Group.

Elpida Memory dropped 9.1% amid continuing concerns over the DRAM outlook.

Offsetting the declines, Olympus rose 19%, closing limit-up for a second day and becoming the single heaviest-weighted positive contributor to the Nikkei as concerns eased over the possibility of a delisting.

In Hong Kong, Esprit, which derives most of its revenue from Europe, was the worst blue-chip performer, shedding 2.9%, while heavyweight HSBC, which also has exposure to Europe, shed 1.9%.

Sino-Forest unit Greenheart Group shot up 93% on high volume after news the independent committee investigating Toronto-listed Sino-Forest said it had found no evidence of fraud at the company. The finding emphatically rejected allegations by research firm and short-seller Muddy Waters, which said Sino-Forest was a "near total fraud" and a "Ponzi scheme." Carson Block, Muddy Waters' director of research, stood by his report, saying his research showed the company overstated the value of its assets.

In Sydney, uranium explorers outperformed after Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard signaled an end to a decades-long ban on selling uranium to India, a move aimed at offsetting a potential drop in sales to Japan following this year's earthquake. The policy shift came despite India's continued refusal to sign an international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Deep Yellow jumped 28% and Paladin Energy gained 3.1%.