In Asia today, the Nikkei closed up 79.63 points at 18,188.42, while the Hang Seng
ended the morning down 162.08 points at 20,647.15.
New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April,
dropped six cents to $60.89 a barrel after advancing 88 cents to $60.95 a barrel in
late US trades.