Russian envoy says there are no plans to hold tripartite talks in New York.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary said Iran is not in a hurry to negotiate; its conditions have been drafted and handed to Qatar and Pakistan.

Hong Kong stocks slipped after a weak open; HSI was down 0.52% and the Hang Seng Tech Index down 1.11% at midday. Oil names outperformed—PetroChina (00857.HK) rose over 2%. Large banks traded higher: Agricultural Bank of China (01288.HK) and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (01398.HK) each gained more than 1%. Green power, agriculture, paper and education sectors were active. Gold stocks plunged—Zijin Gold International (02259.HK) fell over 5%. Lithium battery, PCB, Chinese brokerages and commercial aerospace sectors were weaker.