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Messi a doubt for Argentina ahead of Copa quarter-final
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British tennis ace Raducanu votes for 'lie-in' on election day
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France film director Jacquot charged with raping two actors
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Israel 'evaluating' new Hamas 'ideas' on halting Gaza war
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Venezuela, US agree to 'improve relations,' says Caracas
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Under-fire Kenya govt says to review state salary hikes
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Thousands told to flee raging California wildfire
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Osaka focuses on Olympics after Wimbledon KO
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Tens of thousands flee south Gaza as tensions soar
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US Fed officials stressed 'patience' on rate cuts: minutes
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Blond not bombs as Fognini learns to love Wimbledon
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New lithium plant inaugurated in Argentina
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Threads hits 175 mn users on first anniversary
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French court says Netflix shark hit can keep streaming in copycat row
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Comeback king 'Cav' to carry on doing the thing he loves
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Alcaraz marches on at Wimbledon as Osaka returns to Centre Court
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Biden under pressure as Democratic panic rises
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Belarus frees 'some political prisoners': exiled opposition leader
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Alcaraz coasts into Wimbledon third round
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Cavendish makes Tour de France history with 35th stage win
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Everton sign forward Ndiaye from Marseille
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Bailed Indian opposition leader to return as chief minister
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World's oldest artwork discovered in Indonesian cave
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Toney urges England to kick on after Euros reprieve
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Murray teams up with Raducanu in Wimbledon mixed doubles
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Former England rugby coach Jack Rowell dies aged 87
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Hurricane Beryl bears down on Jamaica
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US trade deficit expands less than expected in May: govt
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'The god took away my son': Indians grieve after deadly stampede
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Moscow hit by heat not seen in over a century
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US private hiring eases unexpectedly in June: ADP
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Confident Kroos says Germany-Spain clash 'won't be my last game'
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Paris bars to open 24h for Olympics opening ceremony
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Putin, Xi vie for influence at Central Asian summit
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Germany, Sweden arrest eight over Syria crimes against humanity
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French giant Mpetshi Perricard joins Wimbledon heavy artillery
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Two-time Major winner Langer to make 'emotional' European Tour bow
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French PM urges united front to stop far-right takeover
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Olympic silver medallist gymnast Poujade dies at 51
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Bhole Baba: preacher at centre of Indian stampede disaster
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Microsoft to invest 2.2 bn euros in Spain data centres
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Showdowns, young guns and own goals as Euro 2024 head into quarter-finals
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Russia advances in east, kills five in Dnipro strikes
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France prosecutors request rape charges against film director
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Schumacher blackmail suspects had 'family photos'
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EU clears Lufthansa's proposed ITA Airways stake, with conditions
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Indian World Cup winners head home after hurricane delay
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120,000 'stolen' babies: Georgia's trafficking scandal
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Only far right can win absolute majority, French PM warns
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Turkey ride 'best save' and wave of emotion into Euros quarters
Most markets track weak US lead, eyes on yen
Most equity markets extended last week's poor run with more losses Monday, following another tepid lead from Wall Street as profit-taking weighed on the tech sector.
A forecast-topping read on the US services sector provided further evidence that the world's top economy remained in rude health and dealt a blow to hopes for interest rate cuts.
Investors are also tracking developments in Japan as the yen flirts with three-decade lows against the dollar, leading the country's top currency official to warn that authorities were ready to step in to provide support.
A surge in the tech sector has helped push markets to record or multi-year highs but concerns that the buying has gone too far have set in and profit-taking has weighed on equities in recent weeks.
That saw Wall Street end broadly lower Friday, with the better-than-expected read on the US services sector, which is at a more than two-year high, weighing on sentiment.
The next major indicator to come is the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index -- the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation -- which could play a key role in the bank's plans for monetary policy.
Decision-makers have pushed back against speculation they could cut interest rates in September, with some even suggesting they are happy to keep them elevated into the new year.
Asian markets got off to a weak start for the week, with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei and Wellington all in negative territory.
Tokyo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Singapore, Manila and Jakarta edged higher.
London fell at the open, while Paris and Frankfurt rose.
The yen slipped further, and is approaching the 160.17 per dollar mark that forced authorities to intervene in currency markets earlier in the year.
The movement led vice finance minister Masato Kanda to say officials were ready to step in 24 hours a day.
"If there are excessive currency fluctuations, it has a negative impact on the national economy," he said.
"In the event of excessive moves based on speculation, we are prepared to take appropriate action."
The comments have helped keep the yen below 160 but US rate uncertainty was putting fresh pressure on the unit.
Tony Sycamore, at IG Australia, said: "We suspect the next round of intervention is likely to come after yen triggers buy orders perched above the late April 160.20ish high."
- Key figures around 0715 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 38,804.65 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 17,863.08
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 2,963.10 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,218.92
Dollar/yen: UP at 159.69 yen from 159.61 yen on Friday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0701 from $1.0697
Euro/pound: UP at 84.63 pence from 84.53 pence
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2647 from $1.2651
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $80.66 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $84.29 per barrel
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 39,150.33 (close)
J.V.Jacinto--PC