- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
Asian markets down as traders await US jobs report
Asian markets were largely down on Friday, a day after Tokyo's indexes hit record highs, with traders preparing for a key US jobs report.
Japan's Nikkei 225 ended flat while the broader Topix index, which a day earlier surpassed its previous peak set in 1989, also shed some of its gains.
"The fact that the Topix, which indicates the overall performance of the Japanese market, has in turn broken its own record, is news of great importance," said analyst Takuma Ikemoto of the Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Lab.
The capitalisation of Japan's Prime market has also increased significantly, showing "that Japanese companies are constantly strengthening their ability to generate profits and... indicates that the Japanese stock market has entered a new phase", he said.
The yen continued strengthening against the dollar after hitting its lowest level in nearly four decades.
Samsung Electronics' forecast that second-quarter profits would beat expectations by more than 25 percent, due to rising chip prices and growing demand for generative AI, sent its share price higher and spurred the market in Seoul.
But shares in Hong Kong ended a four-day winning streak, while stocks in mainland China were trading lower after the European Union slapped extra provisional duties of up to 38 percent on Chinese electric car imports on Thursday.
A European Commission probe launched last year concluded that state subsidies for Chinese EV manufacturers were unfairly undercutting European rivals, which Brussels wants to shield as they transition from thermal to electric power.
Chinese markets have suffered losses for weeks, with the world's second-largest economy beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high youth unemployment.
European markets built on gains Friday after calming electoral news in the United Kingdom and France.London, Paris and Frankfurt all started higher.
Trading in Europe was dominated by polls in the UK and France.
The return of the main opposition Labour Party to power in Britain ended 14 years of Tory rule and strengthened the pound even before results were announced.
An expected period of stability has ushered in optimism for investors after a prime ministerial game of musical chairs in Downing Street.
In France, efforts to block the far-right from taking over the government have boosted the euro and breathed life into European markets.
But analysts remain wary that the second-biggest economy in the European Union could be headed for a period of political deadlock if there is no overall winner in the polls.
Investor sentiment was also lifted Thursday as softer US labour market data gave the Federal Reserve room to cut interest rates, with another key jobs report due Friday.
"We expect US labour market data will show more signs of cooling in June," Alvin Tan of RBC Capital Markets said.
Gains were capped, with Wall Street shut for the July 4 Independence Day holiday in the United States.
- Key figures around 0720 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: FLAT percent at 40,912.37 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 17,850.47
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 2,949.93 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,264.72 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,716.54
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0823 from $1.0813
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2768 from $1.2765
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 160.82 yen from 161.16 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 84.76 pence from 84.69 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $83.91 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $87.33 per barrel
New York - Dow: Closed for public holiday
P.Mathewson--AMWN