- North Korea blows up roads, rails to South
- Thomas Tuchel set to be unveiled as new England manager - reports
- Russia working to undermine Moldova vote: US
- Trump says 'obnoxious' tariffs will bring factories to US
- Russia, China step up cybercriminal recruitment, warns Microsoft
- Kylian Mbappe 'shocked' to see name linked to Swedish rape investigation - lawyer to AFP
- Giant pandas flown to US from China aboard 'Panda Express'
- Sri Lanka level T20 series with record-breaking West Indies win
- French footballer Ben Yedder on trial for sexual assault
- India foreign minister in arch-rival Pakistan for rare visit
- Restored 'Apollo Belvedere' marble back on show in the Vatican
- Lagos festival dances to Nigerian icon Fela Kuti's beat
- Italian PM hails 'courageous' Albania migrant deal
- 'Tragedy in Jabalia' as Israel army tightens siege in north Gaza
- Draft UN climate pact leaves open thorny question of money
- Two giant pandas arrive in US from China aboard 'Panda Express'
- Musiala and Upamecano return to Bayern training
- Wirtz return 'unclear' after injury on Germany duty
- Ghulam says 'wait is over' after century on Pakistan debut
- Boeing to raise up to $25 bn as strike weighs on finances
- Two giant pandas arrive in US from China
- Japan hold Australia, S. Korea and China win in World Cup qualifying
- Mbappe's golden-boy image takes a hit amid negative headlines
- Hezbollah threatens to attack targets across Israel
- Oil prices fall on easing Middle East fears
- Wales lock Jenkins to miss November Tests with 'horrible' injury lay-off
- France to play Israel in Paris and allow fans in
- Twin panda cubs to make public debut at Berlin zoo
- Scotland's Kinghorn maintains Lions 'dream' despite Toulouse clash
- Pakistan debutant Ghulam hits century to defy England in second Test
- Boeing announces intention to raise up to $25 bn
- Tuchel 'in talks with FA' over England manager's job
- Dutch rider Lavreysen targets record at world track championships
- Bangladesh suspend Hathurusingha as coach after alleged assault
- Russian Olympic chief announces surprise resignation
- Ferguson to leave Man Utd ambassador role as club cuts costs
- Turkish govt defends tax plan to fund defence industry
- Oil prices tumble on easing Middle East fears
- Eidevall quits as Arsenal Women head coach
- US, Philippines launch war games after China's Taiwan drills, ship collision
- Swedish prosecutor confirms 'rape' probe without naming Mbappe
- England dismiss Ayub but Pakistan reach 173-3 at tea in second Test
- Israel vows to put 'national interest' first in response to Iran attack
- Oil prices hit by easing Middle East fears, most Asian markets rise
- Mbappe-PSG salary row faces hearing as France captain cited in 'rape' report
- K-pop star tells South Korea lawmakers of workplace bullying
- Ex-Wallabies captain Elsom denies wrongdoing after arrest warrant
- Pakistan 79-2 at lunch in second England Test after Leach strikes
- Hopes pinned on peace across Taiwan Strait after drills
- Valencia fans leave Singapore with 'stern warning' after protest
CMSC | 0.92% | 24.92 | $ | |
SCS | 0.95% | 13.105 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.83% | 25.189 | $ | |
BCE | 2.66% | 33.45 | $ | |
RIO | -1.42% | 66.755 | $ | |
NGG | 0.39% | 67.15 | $ | |
BCC | 0.89% | 144.27 | $ | |
GSK | -0.28% | 39.02 | $ | |
BTI | -0.13% | 35.405 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0.28% | 7.05 | $ | |
RBGPF | 1.67% | 60.5 | $ | |
JRI | -0.37% | 13.0389 | $ | |
VOD | -0.21% | 9.66 | $ | |
BP | -3.86% | 30.802 | $ | |
RELX | 1.73% | 48.215 | $ | |
AZN | -0.31% | 77.86 | $ |
Stocks stumble and oil prices surge as Mideast fighting continues
Global markets largely slipped on Friday, while oil prices surged by almost six percent, amid fears that Israel's imminent ground offensive of Gaza could turn a localized war into a regional conflict and impact oil supplies in the crude-rich Middle East.
Wall Street ended the day mixed, with the tech-rich Nasdaq declining 1.2 percent, and the S&P 500 500 falling 0.5 percent.
But the Dow Jones Industrial Average defied the broader downward trend, rising 0.1 percent on the back of positive earnings from JP Morgan and Wells Fargo, two of America's biggest banks.
CFRA chief investment strategist Sam Stovall told AFP that "JPMorgan and Wells Fargo set an encouraging pace" with better-than-expected earnings and revenues.
Recent Middle East turmoil means this "may be the most dangerous time the world has seen in decades", JPMorgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said in a statement earlier Friday.
JPMorgan shares earlier rose 1.5 percent while those of Wells Fargo were lifted 3.1 percent.
All the major European markets fell Friday, as the mood among traders turned more pessimistic.
Asian markets also declined after Chinese inflation data came in lower than many expected, fueling deflationary concerns in the world's second-largest economy.
- Crude surge -
Contracts for Brent North Sea crude for December delivery surged 5.7 percent Friday, while those for America's West Texas Intermediate rose 5.8 percent, as fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip continued.
Thousands of Palestinians fled from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip on Friday after Israel warned it is preparing a ground offensive in response to last weekend's attacks, in which Hamas militants killed more than 1,300 people.
"The market expects it to be a very bad weekend in Israel and Gaza," Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments told AFP.
"That Israel gave notice to the residents to leave suggests it is going to get ugly," he added.
Energi Danmark analysts said a recent pipeline sabotage in the Baltic Sea added to "geopolitical uncertainty" in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Helsinki believes last weekend's leak in the Finland-Estonia gas pipeline was caused by "external" activity, sparking suspicions of Russian involvement.
- Key figures around 2015 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 33,670.29 points (close)
New York - S&P: DOWN 0.5 percent at 4,327.78 (close)
New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 1.2 percent at 13,407.23 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.6 at 7,599.60 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 1.6 percent at 15,186.66 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 1.4 percent at 7,003.53 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 1.5 percent at 4,136.12 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 32,315.99 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.3 percent at 17,813.45 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.6 percent at 3,088.10 (close)
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.53 yen from 149.79 yen on Thursday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0513 from $1.0534
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2138 from $1.2177
Euro/pound: UP at 86.58 pence from 86.48 pence
Brent North Sea crude: UP 5.7 percent at $90.89 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 5.8 percent at $87.69 per barrel
burs/bcp/lcm/jj/da
O.M.Souza--AMWN