• French centrist Emmanuel Macron is set to come out on top in the first round of France's presidential election on Sunday as far right leader Marine Le Pen fell further behind him in an Elabe poll published on Friday.
However, neither is totally assured a spot in the May 7 runoff round as both conservative Francois Fillon and hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon were seen narrowing Macron and Le Pen's lead over them.
• South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.
U.S. officials said there was a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signaling a possible heightened state of readiness by Beijing, reclusive North Korea's sole major ally, although the officials played down concern and left open a range of possible reasons.
• U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Vietnam's prime minister to visit the United States, the Southeast Asian nation's government said on its website on Friday.
Trump will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam in November.
• South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.
U.S. officials said there was a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signaling a possible heightened state of readiness by Beijing, reclusive North Korea's sole major ally, although the officials played down concern and left open a range of possible reasons.
North Korea marks the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army on Tuesday, an important anniversary that comes at the end of major winter military drills, South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng said.
• The Japanese government is looking to implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement among 11 remaining signatories after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the sweeping treaty earlier this year.
• On Thursday, Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan said that two more interest rate hikes this year remains possible but that the U.S. central bank has the flexibility to wait and see how the economy unfolds.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan would meet in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on May 3 to discuss the Syria situation, the RIA news agency reported.
• Oil edged up on Friday but was still set for the biggest weekly drop in a month over doubts that an OPEC-led production cut will restore balance to a market dogged by oversupply.
Front-month Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $53.07 per barrel at 0642 GMT (2:42 a.m. ET), up 8 cents from their last close, but on course for a 5 percent weekly drop, the most since the week of March 10.
Front-month U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1, which rolled-over on Friday, were at $50.82 a barrel, up 11 cents and set for a 4.5 percent weekly decline, also the most since March 10.
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