- France detains two filmmakers over sex abuse claims
- Sinner comes through Wimbledon test to set up Berrettini clash
- George joining 76ers, Thompson heading to Mavs in NBA free agency
- France coach Deschamps savours reaching Euro 2024 quarter-finals
- Coach Tedesco curses Belgium's luck after Euros exit to France
- France star Kounde calls on voters to block far right in elections
- Taliban told to 'include women' in public life at UN talks
- NBA Celtics put up for sale two weeks after winning title
- Gauff breezes into Wimbledon second round as rivals fall
- NHL Predators land free agents Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjei
- Games organisers will hope for peaceful reaction to French election: ex-IOC executive
- Girmay gatecrashes 'father' Cavendish tilt at Tour history
- France edge tense clash with Belgium to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals
- Nigeria weekend suicide bomb attack toll climbs to 32
- England's Bland beats Japan's Fujita in playoff to win US Senior Open
- Dan Ashworth joins Man Utd as sporting director
- Girmay dedicates Tour de France stage win to Africa
- George joins Embiid with 76ers as NBA free agency heats up: reports
- Trump advisor Bannon reports to jail to serve sentence
- Austria glory at Euro 2024 'not impossible', says Rangnick
- Aboriginal ritual passed down over 12,000 years, cave find shows
- England midfielder Barkley returns to Aston Villa
- Osaka wins first match at Wimbledon since 2018
- MLS St. Louis City dumps South Africa's Carnell as coach
- Coe makes pre-Olympics visit to Ukraine to give athletes support
- Powerful Hurricane Beryl slams into Caribbean island of Carriacou
- Wawrinka, 39, makes flying start at Wimbledon
- Eritrean Girmay wins Tour de France stage as Carapaz takes race lead
- Alcaraz wins Wimbledon opener as Murray wants 'closure'
- Nepal jails 'Buddha boy' for 10 years over child sex abuse
- Moscow takes two more east Ukrainian villages
- Supreme Court rules on Trump immunity, delaying trial
- Rusty Alcaraz sees off qualifier in Wimbledon opener
- Paqueta 'suffering' over betting allegations says new Hammers boss Lopetegui
- Under-fire Dutch not hitting panic button, says Koeman
- Bellingham's celebration gesture to be investigated by UEFA
- No 'cold sweats' before Spain Euros showdown, says Germany's Raum
- 'Heartbroken' Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon
- Pickford grateful to 'golden boy' Bellingham for sparing England's Euros blushes
- Austrian Grand Prix - three things we learned
- Alcaraz starts Wimbledon title defence as Murray wants 'closure'
- European sprint champion Asher-Smith 'so happy' as she bids for Olympic gold
- Anderson set to mentor England's quicks after Test exit
- Hope for Mekong dolphins as Cambodia numbers increase: minister
- France's far-right vote in figures
- France detains two filmmakers over sexual abuse allegations
- Israel strikes Gaza as militants claim rocket barrage
- Meta risks fines over 'pay for privacy' model breaking EU rules
- Williams takes spotlight as Spain power through to Euros quarters
- Macron aims to thwart French far right in election runoff
Yen weakens further to put focus on Tokyo, Asian equities rise
The yen extended losses to a fresh 38-year low Friday, putting investors on guard for a possible intervention by Japanese authorities ahead of the release of key US inflation data later in the day.
Asian equity markets advanced following a positive lead from Wall Street, though there is speculation of a possible pull-back on profit-taking and concerns the recent tech-fuelled rally may have run too far.
Traders took the Japanese unit to as much as 161.27 per dollar as they pushed the envelope with officials in Tokyo, who stepped into forex markets twice in April and May after the yen tumbled.
However, while vice finance minister Masato Kanda said this week that the government was ready to act 24 hours a day, analysts said authorities were more concerned about the pace of the movements rather than any particular red line.
On Thursday, finance minister Shunichi Suzuki added that "we have strong concerns" about the yen's weakness and "necessary measures" would be taken if needed.
But Luca Santos, at ACY Securities, said: "While these verbal interventions may temporarily slow the yen's decline, they must be backed by direct market intervention to be effective.
"However, the success of such measures remains uncertain, considering previous efforts in late April and early May took about two months to counteract losses before the (dollar) surged to new highs this week."
Commentators say Japan is unlikely to move before the release later Friday of the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index reading -- the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation that could determine its plans for interest rates.
The report is tipped to show a further slowdown in prices, though there is a fear that a forecast-busting reading could dent hopes for a cut this year, while a lower-than-expected figure could ramp up bets for more than one before January.
There was some hope for a softer number after data Thursday showed a pick-up in continuing jobless claims, a slowdown in personal consumption and an economy still in rude health.
Fed officials have tried to temper rate cut expectations, warning they wanted to see more evidence that inflation was being brought under control.
On Thursday, the bank's Atlanta boss Raphael Bostic said he saw one reduction this year.
Asian equity markets were on course to end a choppy week on a positive note, tracking gains on Wall Street, with investors also keeping an eye on the election debate between US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were all in the green.
France's weekend first-round legislative polls were also in view, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance facing defeat to a surging far right, whose spending plans could put Paris on course for a standoff with the European Union.
That is followed by the general election in the United Kingdom on Thursday, which is expected to see the ruling Conservatives of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ousted after 14 years in government and replaced by the opposition Labour Party.
- Key figures around 0230 GMT -
Dollar/yen: UP at 161.09 yen from 160.79 yen on Thursday
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 39,727.91 (break)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.7 percent at 17,834.71
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 2,967.12
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0691 from $1.0707
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.65 pence from 84.67 pence
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2627 from $1.2642
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $82.09 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $86.73 per barrel
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 39,164.06 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.6 percent at 8,179.68 (close)
Nogueira--PC