In Asia today, the Nikkei closed down 7.46 points at 17,202.46, while the Hang Seng ended the morning down 19.59 points at 20,048.97.
New York Mercantile Exchange's main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in February, was still at 19-month lows, trading at $52.48 a barrel, down 51 cents from its level in late trading in the US overnight.