Asian shares were drifting Thursday, AP reported. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1 percent higher to 21,731.52 while South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.3 percent to 2,484.52. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.3 percent to 28,223.48 but the Shanghai Composite in mainland China added 0.3 percent to 3,407.04. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 reversed early losses to rise 0.2 percent to 5,916.30. Southeast Asian indexes were mixed. The dollar slipped to 113.58 yen from 113.75 yen in late trading Wednesday. The euro edged up to $1.1829 from $1.1813. Oil futures fell. Benchmark U.S. crude shed 9 cents to $52.10 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost 29 cents to settle at $52.18 a barrel on Wednesday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, sank 5 cents to $58.39 per barrel in London.
