Asia shares extend losses, dollar firms but off highs

Asian shares extended losses on Thursday after disappointing earnings from technology giant Apple dragged on Wall Street, while the dollar firmed but remained shy of this week's nearly nine-month highs. An overnight slide in oil prices combined with disappointment over Apple's earnings had prompted a broad sell off in the technology sector, wrote Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in London. "Markets in Asia have followed on from this weak lead this morning and this looks set to