• Asian markets were mostly lower, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan down 0.9 percent in the biggest daily drop so far this year.
• Japanese stocks fell on Friday as investors took profits before the weekend, after hitting a 14-month high the previous day on rising expectations for a U.S. interest rate hike this month.
The Nikkei dropped 0.5 percent to 19,469.17 points, after climbing to as high as 19,668.01 on Thursday, the highest intraday level since December 2015.
• China stocks fell on Friday and saw a streak of weekly gains end at three as investors awaited an annual parliament meeting that's likely to send more signals of painful reform than market-friendly stimulus.
The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.2 percent, to 3,427.86 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.4 percent to 3,218.31 points.
• Hong Kong's benchmark share index closed at a one-month low on Friday, pulled down by profit-taking pressure as investors fretted that anticipated higher U.S. interest rates will raise borrowing costs.
The Hang Seng index fell 0.7 percent, to 23,552.72, while the China Enterprises Index lost 1.0 percent, to 10,144.47 points.
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