- 'Dark day': Victims mourned around the globe on Oct. 7 anniversary
- Mission to probe smashed asteroid launches despite hurricane
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street slips
- Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street retreats
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Oil extends gains, jobs report lifts Wall Street
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
- Oil extends gains, Hong Kong stocks resume rally
- 'A man provides': Ukrainian miners send families away as Russia advances
- EU states greenlight extra tariffs on EVs from China
- Hong Kong stocks resume rally, oil dips after Middle East-fuelled surge
- Crude stable after Israel-Iran surge, Hong Kong stocks resume gains
- Hera spacecraft to probe asteroid deflected by defence test
- US dockworkers to head back to work after tentative deal
- After Helene's destruction, North Carolina starts to rebuild
- Dockers end three-day strike at Montreal port
- What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
- Israel-Hamas war causes 86-percent dive in Gaza GDP: IMF
- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
- 'Devastating' storm hits Augusta National but Masters will go on
- Relief in Brazil, Asia over delay to EU deforestation rules
- Oil prices jump, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
- Oil prices rise, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
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Europe stocks mostly drop before UK budget
European equities mostly fell Thursday with London on tenterhooks before a painful UK budget set to rip up the country's economic forecasts.
The British stock market slid 0.6 percent and the pound fell versus the dollar as finance minister Jeremy Hunt readied a budget that will hike taxes and slash spending in a bid to balance the books.
In the eurozone, Paris lost 0.5 percent but Frankfurt won 0.2 percent on upbeat Siemens results, and after a mixed Asian session.
Investors also tracked fresh Russian strikes that hit cities across Ukraine, having been spooked Wednesday by a deadly missile blast in Poland.
Thursday's focus remains squarely on Britain's announcement which is scheduled for 1130 GMT.
Traders fear the budget will worsen Britain's cost-of-living crisis after inflation spiked to a 1981 peak of 11.1 percent, as the economy heads toward recession.
"Hunt is poised to unveil a raft of spending cuts and tax increases to plug the estimated £55 billion ($65 billion) fiscal black hole," said Interactive Investor analyst Victoria Scholar.
"With a recession on the horizon and the 41-year high inflation there are concerns that we are heading back to an era of austerity and that could add to the woes facing consumers and businesses," she warned.
The UK government will also give fresh estimates for the country's growth and inflation.
Elsewhere, Wall Street was hit Wednesday after retailer Target posted weak results and warned of a poor festive shopping season.
Two reports showing inflation easing in the world's top economy provided a springboard for world markets over much of the past week as investors took the readings to mean almost a year of monetary tightening was finally kicking in.
But on Wednesday the commerce department said retail sales jumped far more than expected last month, suggesting Americans are still able to weather the higher inflation and interest rate environment.
That was compounded by comments from a top Fed official that she did not see the bank stopping rate hikes, indicating she was willing to push borrowing costs above five percent, from the current 3.75 to 4.0 percent.
Traders have for months grown increasingly fearful that the Fed's hawkish tilt will cause a recession, and policymakers have made clear they are willing to keep lifting even if that means hurting the economy.
The Bank of England, which is also raising interest rates to combat sky-high inflation, says Britain is probably already in recession after its economy shrank in the third quarter and will do so again in the final three months of 2022.
- Key figures around 1000 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.6 percent at 7,309.46 points
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.5 percent at 6,573.74
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.2 percent at 14,262.63
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,876.21
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 27,930.57 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.2 percent at 18,045.66 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,115.43 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 33,553.83 points (close)
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.1878 from $1.1914 on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0360 from $1.0395
Dollar/yen: UP at 139.67 yen from 139.54 yen
Euro/pound: FLAT at 87.21 pence
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $92.46 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.8 percent at $84.94 per barrel
D.Avraham--CPN