Previous session overview : The U.S. dollar gained Friday as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's surprising decision to stay in office in the face of mass protests fueled uncertainty and a bid for safer assets.
The euro was at USD1.3573 as of 0530 GMT compared with USD1.3600 Friday morning in Asia, while the U.S. dollar was at JPY83.48 compared with JPY83.22.
Mubarak's defiant stance kept political uncertainty simmering in Egypt as enraged protesters marched toward the presidential palace, amplifying fears that the situation could turn violent.
Sterling is also lower against the USD this morning, but gained against all 15 of its other most-actively traded peers on speculation of tighter monetary policy before the end of the year. Although, the BoE left interest rates on hold, as was widely expected, investors have begun pricing in future rate hikes as inflation remains uncomfortably above the Bank's 2% target limit for more than a year.
Elsewhere, spot gold was at USD1364.35 per troy ounce, up USD1.85 from its New York close Thursday.
The Australian dollar took a slight tumble after Reserve Bank of Australia Gov. Glenn Stevens said the RBA isn't contemplating a rate hike right now. The Australian dollar was at USD0.9983 as of 0530 GMT, from around USD1.0037 prior to Stevens' speech. The currency has bounced around parity for much of Friday after the initial fall on Stevens' speech.
