Asian investors moved cautiously Monday as last week's US missile strikes on a Syrian airfield fueled geopolitical tensions and led to sabre-rattling between Washington and Russia.

There are fears about brewing tensions between the two powers, with the US suggesting there can be no peace while Moscow-backed Bashar Assad remains Syria's president.

Barclays on Monday confirmed it was under investigation along with its CEO Jes Staley over his attempts to uncover the identity of a whistleblower within the British financial giant.

Recent high-profile advertising missteps by Pepsi and skin-care company Nivea underscored anew Madison Avenue's awkward relationship with racial diversity at a time when the United States is becoming less white.

The outlook for London's financial sector has improved since Brexit was triggered, insists the man charged with its policy, even as banks remain set to move some jobs abroad.

China has opened an investigation into the head of its top insurance regulatory body, the anti-corruption watchdog said Sunday in an announcement that could signal problems for some of the country's most powerful companies.

South Africa's ruling party on Sunday said the government will have to re-think its costly and highly contentious nuclear expansion program following last week's relegation of the country's creditworthiness to junk.

An Italian court on Friday banned the use of smartphone apps for the ride-hailing group Uber, saying they contribute to traditional taxis facing unfair competition, local media reported.

Wall Street stocks finished modestly lower Friday following a disappointing US jobs report, while Pentagon missile strikes on Syria lifted defense shares and oil prices.

Gold prices, a traditional safe haven in times of turbulence, also rallied following the Syria action, while global stock markets were mixed.

Global stocks markets fell on Friday, as investors sought out safe havens such as gold and the yen after U.S. missile strikes on Syria fanned geopolitical concerns.

The U.S. unemployment rate fell in March to 4.5 percent, its lowest level in nearly 10 years, but job creation tumbled unexpectedly, underscoring the challenges President Donald Trump faces to fulfill his 25-million-job pledge.