- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
- China economy hopes boost global equities
- Ubisoft shares sink after 'Assassin's Creed' delay
- German economy to shrink again in 2024: think tanks
- Hong Kong's New World Development replaces CEO Adrian Cheng
- Swiss central bank cuts rate again amid strong franc worries
- Germany's BASF to focus on 'core units' in major overhaul
- China admits economy facing new 'problems', vows to fix property sector
Stock markets mostly fall before European interest rate decisions
Stock markets mostly dropped Thursday as profit-taking set in after recent strong gains, as traders awaited interest rate updates from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.
While the BoE is expected to hike its rate by a quarter-point to 0.5 percent, the ECB is forecast to sit tight as central banks tackle soaring inflation.
The euro and British pound were largely steady before the announcements Thursday.
"The ECB is not anticipated to make any adjustments, but the recent increase in inflation has many traders pricing in a rate hike before the end of the year," noted Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Avatrade.
Eurozone inflation unexpectedly rose to a record 5.1 percent in January, official data showed Wednesday.
Analysts viewed the figure as a potential headache for ECB President Christine Lagarde, who had ruled out a rate hike this year.
- Oil drops -
Elsewhere Thursday, oil prices fell a day after top producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia announced another modest increase in output.
Wall Street advanced Wednesday but the positivity was dealt a blow after the close as Facebook parent Meta delivered a disappointing earnings update.
Traders in recent weeks have been heavily occupied by the Federal Reserve's timetable for hiking interest rates, with speculation rife over how much it will raise them in March and how many more times this year.
Several officials have come out in recent days to soothe concerns about a hard and fast approach, while US inflation data released next week will be closely watched for an idea about the central bank's plans.
US private companies shed jobs last month for the first time since December 2020 as the Omicron coronavirus variant complicated business -- a potential harbinger of bad news for the upcoming government employment report due Friday.
"Forecasts for Friday's payrolls are now all over the place with many calling for a negative print in January," said National Australia Bank's Rodrigo Catril.
"Depending on the magnitude of the disruption, this can potentially become a solid excuse for the Fed to wait on the sidelines after a first rate hike in March."
In Asian trade Thursday, Tokyo, Sydney, Manila, Mumbai and Jakarta all fell.
Singapore and Seoul were both up about two percent on their first day after the Lunar New Year break.
Wellington was a standout, enjoying more gains as traders cheered news that New Zealand would begin easing its strict border restrictions this month with an aim to fully reopen by October.
- Key figures around 1000 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 7,579.88 points
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.5 percent at 15,537.79
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,090.20
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.7 percent at 4,192.42
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.1 percent at 27,241.31 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: Closed for a holiday
Shanghai - Composite: Closed for a holiday
New York - Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 35,629.33 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1289 from $1.1304 late Wednesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3559 from $1.3573
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.27 pence from 83.28 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 114.77 yen from 114.42 yen
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.9 percent at $88.67 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.2 percent at $87.22 per barrel
U.Ndiaye--CPN