Asia markets weaker in early trade as U.S. debt ceiling deal still elusive: In Japan, the Nikkei 225 slid 0.77% and the Topix fell 0.35% in early trade, even as the country’s business sentiment among manufacturers turned positive for the first time in 2023, according to a Reuters Tankan survey. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2% lower, with the Kosdaq down 0.34%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.3% in early trade. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index looks set to extend its losses from a two-month low, with futures at 19,285 compared to the HSI’s close of 19,431.25. Overnight in the U.S., all three major indexes fell, with the Nasdaq Composite leading losses at 1.26% lower, while the S&P 500 lost 1.12% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.69%.