Asian shares were mixed Thursday, AP reported. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.1 percent to 26,866.94 while Australia's S&P ASX 200 rose 0.3 percent to 5,850.10.The Shanghai Composite index lost 0.1 percent to 2,567.21. Japan's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.2 percent lower to 20,402.27 while South Korea's Kospi added 0.1 percent to 2,107.06. Shares rose in Thailand and Indonesia but fell in Singapore. Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 26 cents to $52.05 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 20 cents to settle at $52.31 per barrel on Wednesday. Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 24 cents to $61.08. It added 68 cents to $61.32 a barrel in London. The dollar eased to 108.89 yen from 109.13 yen late Wednesday. The euro edged down to $1.1391 from $1.1394, while the British pound retreated to $1.2879 from $1.2885.
