Dollar slumps on Russia probe report, Tokyo stocks slide

HONG KONG: The beleaguered dollar struggled to recover from a fresh slump Friday triggered by a report on the probe into alleged Russian interference in the US election.The greenback was under sustained pressure against the Japanese yen, testing 110 in afternoon forex trade, with soft US economic data adding to negative sentiment. Analysts warned it could go lower still with US wages data out later Friday unlikely to offer much relief.

The emboldened yen, seen as a safe haven currency, dragged down the Nikkei, which closed 0.4 percent lower. Toyota later announced upward revisions in full-year profit as it forecast a downturn in the yen.Shanghai drifted lower by the close of play as Chinese stocks lost momentum, while Hong Kong was broadly flat in afternoon trade.