In Asia today, the Nikkei closed down 15.61 points at 17,408.57, while the Hang Seng ended the morning down 123.40 points at 20,648.82.
New York Mercantile Exchange's main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in Marcy, was down 4 cents at $52.54 a barrel from its level of $52.58 in late trading in the US overnight.