Asian stock benchmarks skidded lower Thursday, AP reported. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index slid 1.4 percent to 19,529.69 and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.4 percent to 2,284.25. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.3 percent to 25,220.80 and the Shanghai Composite index in mainland China dipped 0.4 percent to 3,092.75. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 skidded 1.1 percent lower to 5,723.40. Benchmarks in New Zealand and most of Southeast Asia also lost ground. The euro slipped to $1.1143 from $1.1159 in late trading Wednesday. The dollar strengthened to 111.25 yen from 110.82 yen. Benchmark U.S. crude oil futures slipped 10 cents to $48.97 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 41 cents, or 0.8 percent, to close at $49.07 per barrel on Wednesday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 13 cents to $52.10 a barrel in London.
