Japan's Nikkei loses over 5% on strong yen
Japan’s Nikkei stock index plunged over 5% to a 16-month low on Friday, after the US dollar dropped to a 15-month low of 110.985 against the yen, raising investors' concerns over Japanese exporters' earnings. The prices of yen, gold and several liquid government bonds rose on Thursday as investors rushed to safe-haven assets amid a slump in major global markets.