- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- 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
Stock markets swing as traders prepare for US jobs data
Markets fluctuated Friday as traders positioned themselves ahead of a highly anticipated US jobs report later in the day and after a mixed bag of economic data on the world's top economy.
As a rollercoaster week drew to a close, debate centred on the Federal Reserve's plans for interest rates when it meets in less than a fortnight, with most observers expecting a 25-basis-point cut.
However, analysts say it could go twice as big if the non-farm payrolls report for August comes in well below forecasts, as a series of recent figures suggest the economy is slowing more sharply than initially thought.
A big miss in July's reading fanned fears of a recession and was a key driver of the rout across markets at the start of last month.
Investors were given a slight jolt by data Thursday showing a miss on private-sector hiring, which was slightly offset by a dip in first-time and continuing claims for jobless benefits.
A separate report pointed to a marginal increase in activity in the key services sector, which beat expectations.
"There has been nothing in the latest batch of US economic data... to materially impact on expectations for (Friday's) all-important employment data or to move the dial on expectations for what the Fed is likely to do on September 18," said National Australia Bank's Ray Attrill.
Wall Street ended the day on a tepid note, and Asian investors were equally cautious.
Shanghai, Seoul, Mumbai and Wellington fell along with London, Paris and Frankfurt.
Tokyo was weighed by a strong yen, which has picked up against the dollar on the back of bets on a Fed rate cut and growing expectations the Bank of Japan will continue hiking its own borrowing costs.
Still, Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Manila, Jakarta and Bangkok rose. Hong Kong was closed due to a typhoon.
The broadly calm end to the week came after markets were sent tanking Wednesday following a disappointing read on factory activity and worries about tech firms' valuations -- particularly chip giant Nvidia -- after a rally this year.
Analysts warned there was a lot of risk in Friday's jobs figures, with a sharp drop likely to boost bets on a 50-point cut but stoke fresh recession worries, while an above-forecast read would dent hopes for a series of cuts this year.
Traders have factored in one percentage point's worth of reductions before the end of the year.
"One thing is becoming increasingly evident: the more the market leans into the idea of a 50 basis point cut, the shakier equities get," said Stephen Innes in his Dark Side Of The Boom newsletter.
"This week's relentless market slide is a reflection of mounting fears that a 50 basis point cut isn't a soft cushion but rather a red flag signalling turbulent economic waters ahead."
- Key figures around 0710 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 36,391.47 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.8 percent at 2,765.81 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: Closed for typhoon
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,225.98
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 142.40 yen from 143.42 yen on Thursday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1122 from $1.1110
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3186 from $1.3180
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.17 pence from 84.29 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $69.52 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.5 percent at $73.05 per barrel
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 40,755.75 (close)
P.Santos--AMWN