Asian shares firm on ECB hopes despite uncertainty

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares edged up on Tuesday as investors held on to hopes the European Central Bank will act to soothe borrowing costs, even as officials denied a report about the shape of its planned bond buying strategy.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.2 percent while Japan's Nikkei stock average opened down 0.1 percent after rising to a three-month high on Monday.

U.S. stocks were flat on Monday, pausing after a six-week rise, but Apple Inc