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London's benchmark FTSE 100 index drifted 0.5 percent lower to 7,295.84 points compared with Thursday's close, dragged down by losses in the mining sector.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 climbed 0.3 percent to 12,149.99 points while the Paris CAC 40 was flat at 5072.12.
Asian markets were mostly weaker as geopolitical tensions around the Korean peninsula continued to weigh down investors, although Tokyo stocks closed higher as the yen fell in response to the US treasury secretary reportedly showing his support for a strong dollar.