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France detains two filmmakers over sex abuse claims
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Sinner comes through Wimbledon test to set up Berrettini clash
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George joining 76ers, Thompson heading to Mavs in NBA free agency
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France coach Deschamps savours reaching Euro 2024 quarter-finals
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Coach Tedesco curses Belgium's luck after Euros exit to France
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France star Kounde calls on voters to block far right in elections
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Taliban told to 'include women' in public life at UN talks
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NBA Celtics put up for sale two weeks after winning title
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Gauff breezes into Wimbledon second round as rivals fall
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NHL Predators land free agents Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjei
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Games organisers will hope for peaceful reaction to French election: ex-IOC executive
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Girmay gatecrashes 'father' Cavendish tilt at Tour history
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France edge tense clash with Belgium to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals
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Nigeria weekend suicide bomb attack toll climbs to 32
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England's Bland beats Japan's Fujita in playoff to win US Senior Open
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Dan Ashworth joins Man Utd as sporting director
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Girmay dedicates Tour de France stage win to Africa
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George joins Embiid with 76ers as NBA free agency heats up: reports
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Trump advisor Bannon reports to jail to serve sentence
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Austria glory at Euro 2024 'not impossible', says Rangnick
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Aboriginal ritual passed down over 12,000 years, cave find shows
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England midfielder Barkley returns to Aston Villa
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Osaka wins first match at Wimbledon since 2018
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MLS St. Louis City dumps South Africa's Carnell as coach
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Coe makes pre-Olympics visit to Ukraine to give athletes support
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Powerful Hurricane Beryl slams into Caribbean island of Carriacou
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Wawrinka, 39, makes flying start at Wimbledon
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Eritrean Girmay wins Tour de France stage as Carapaz takes race lead
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Alcaraz wins Wimbledon opener as Murray wants 'closure'
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Nepal jails 'Buddha boy' for 10 years over child sex abuse
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Moscow takes two more east Ukrainian villages
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Supreme Court rules on Trump immunity, delaying trial
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Rusty Alcaraz sees off qualifier in Wimbledon opener
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Paqueta 'suffering' over betting allegations says new Hammers boss Lopetegui
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Under-fire Dutch not hitting panic button, says Koeman
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Bellingham's celebration gesture to be investigated by UEFA
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No 'cold sweats' before Spain Euros showdown, says Germany's Raum
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'Heartbroken' Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon
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Pickford grateful to 'golden boy' Bellingham for sparing England's Euros blushes
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Austrian Grand Prix - three things we learned
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Alcaraz starts Wimbledon title defence as Murray wants 'closure'
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European sprint champion Asher-Smith 'so happy' as she bids for Olympic gold
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Anderson set to mentor England's quicks after Test exit
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Hope for Mekong dolphins as Cambodia numbers increase: minister
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France's far-right vote in figures
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France detains two filmmakers over sexual abuse allegations
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Israel strikes Gaza as militants claim rocket barrage
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Meta risks fines over 'pay for privacy' model breaking EU rules
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Williams takes spotlight as Spain power through to Euros quarters
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Macron aims to thwart French far right in election runoff
Stock markets mostly drop, yen gains after 38-year low
Major stock markets mostly dropped Thursday as Europeans gears up for key elections, the US awaits inflation data and Japan contemplates measures to strengthen the yen.
The Japanese currency edged up against the dollar after hitting a 38-year low Wednesday, putting investors on alert for a possible intervention by Japanese authorities.
The Japanese unit's latest retreat came as uncertainty surrounded the Federal Reserve's timetable for cutting interest rates, and the Bank of Japan's caution in tightening monetary policy.
Traders sold equities as tech firms face pressure amid concerns that a long-running rally in the sector may have been overdone.
Investors were meanwhile awaiting outcomes in French and British general elections due over the next week.
"Today sees the US economy come into sharp focus, with the final GDP and core durable goods orders data released ahead of tomorrow’s crucial core PCE inflation release," noted Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.
"Signs of weakness in the jobs market have started to spread through alternate areas of the economy, with yesterday's new home sales figure falling to a 2024 low."
A forecast-busting read on the PCE index, the Fed's favoured gauge of inflation, could push back expectations for a rate reduction and put further upward pressure on the dollar.
In Japan, vice finance minister Masato Kanda said this week that authorities were keeping a close eye on movements in foreign exchange markets and were ready to step in with yen support 24 hours a day.
Their determination was put to the test after the yen fell to 160.87 per dollar late Wednesday -- its weakest since 1986 -- as US Treasury yields spiked.
Analysts say it is possible traders will keep pushing the envelope to see at what point the government will act, with some saying the unit could hit 170.
In Europe, France's political future was up in the air with the far right surging in polls but other forces fighting to the end three days before a high-stakes parliamentary vote.
It comes ahead of a UK national vote on July 4, with the right-wing Conservatives led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on course to lose power to the centre-left Labour party.
- Key figures around 1100 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 8,202.55 points
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,570.40
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.2 percent at 18,181.83
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 percent at 4,913.02
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.8 percent at 39,341.54 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.1 percent at 17,716.47 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 2,945.85 (close)
New York - Dow: FLAT at 39,127.80 (close)
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 160.46 yen from 160.73 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0704 from $1.0680
Euro/pound: UP at 84.60 pence from 84.57 pence
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2651 from $1.2625
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.5 percent at $85.66 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $81.20 per barrel
L.E.Campos--PC