Asian shares rose on Friday, but were set for weekly losses as investors favored safe haven assets due to fears that Britain will vote to quit the European Union, though the killing of a pro-EU lawmaker was seen swaying sentiment toward the "Remain" camp.
Campaigning for Thursday's referendum, which overshadowed this week's U.S. and Japanese central bank meetings, was temporarily halted after a British member of parliament, Jo Cox, was shot and fatally wounded on Thursday.
The recently volatile pound rose 0.4 percent to $1.4255 GBP= with analysts noting the pro-membership MP's death could generate sentiment in favor of remaining in the EU.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was up 0.8 percent, but was down nearly 2.5percent for the week.
Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Friday, rebounding from four-month lows, as the surging yen steadied.
The Nikkei ended up 1.1 percent at 15,599.66 points after tumbling 3.1 percent on Thursday following the Bank of Japan's decision to refrain from introducing more stimulus, which caused the yen to spike.
The Nikkei was still down 6 percent on the week in which Brexit concerns buffeted global equity markets and sent investors into safe assets such as the yen and government bonds.
China shares rebounded on Friday morning, tracking gains in Asian markets as investor jitters calmed after the killing of a British lawmaker was seen turning sentiment against a vote to exit the European Union.
But for the week, China's main market indexes fell more 1 percent, as investors worried about the fragile economy and the weak yuan, and unwound their bets after MSCI decided not to add mainland shares to its emerging market index.
The CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen rose 0.5 percent, to 3,110.36, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4 percent, to 2,885.11 points.
For the week, the CSI300 was down 1.7 percent and the SSEC was 1.4 percent weaker.
Reference: Reuters
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