- Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases
- Nearly 90, but opera legend Kabaivanska is still calling tune
- Smith experiment as Test opener over, Green out of India series
- With inflation down, ECB eyes faster tempo of rate cuts
- Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate
- Dodgers crush Mets 9-0 in MLB playoff series opener
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone tensions soar
- Cummins back, Marsh and Head out of Pakistan ODI series
- Shanghai stocks swing after stimulus briefing as most of Asia rises
- New Zealand's Latham promises 'no fear' as he takes charge for India Tests
- Kyrgios vows to 'shut up' doubters with December comeback
- Public hearings start into death of Brit by Russian nerve agent
- Ex-Stasi officer faces verdict over 1974 Berlin border killing
- Role of government, poverty research tipped for economics Nobel
- 'Stolen satire' feeds US election misinformation
- Rookie McCarty captures first PGA Tour title in Black Desert Championship
- Australia all-rounder Green ruled out of India Test series
- Seeing double in Nigeria's 'twins capital of the world'
- UK FM to attend EU foreign affairs talks for first time in 2 years
- Carter, Billups among 13 new Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Ravens rip Commanders as Lions lose NFL sacks leader in win
- Hezbollah drone strike kills four, wounds dozens at Israeli base
- China says launches military drills around Taiwan
- Stewart leads Liberty past Lynx to level WNBA Finals
- England return to winning ways in Nations League, Austria thrash Norway
- UN chief says attacks on UNIFIL 'may constitute a war crime'
- Ravens outlast Commanders while Bucs batter Saints in NFL
- Dozens hurt in Israel as Hezbollah claims drone strike
- England deserve 'world class' coach: Carsley
- Burkina Faso win to become first qualifiers for 2025 AFCON
- AC Milan's Pulisic among five out for USA match in Mexico
- France's Amandine Henry retires from international football
- Centre-left set to win pro-Ukraine Lithuania's vote
- India's World Cup hopes in Pakistan hands after Australia defeat
- Zelensky says NKorea sending troops to Russian army
- England beat Finland to get back on track
- King and Lewis propel West Indies to T20 triumph over Sri Lanka
- Pre-Halloween 'Terrifier' lands atop North America box office
- 'I still plan to compete and play next season,' says Djokovic
- Harris, Trump seek advantage in knife-edge election battle
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record in Chicago
- Kamindu and Asalanka power Sri Lanka to 179 against West Indies
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record as Korir wins in Chicago
- Spain send injured Yamal home 'to prioritise player's health'
- In milestone, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
- Race four abandoned after New Zealand breeze into 3-0 lead in America's Cup
- West Indies win toss, put Sri Lanka in to bat in first T20
- Sudan rescuers say air strike killed 23 in Khartoum market
- Netanyahu tells UN to move Lebanon peacekeepers out of 'harm's way'
Stock markets retreat, oil in slight rebound
European and Asian stock markets retreated Thursday on the eve of key US jobs data, as oil prices rebounded slightly from five-month lows.
Tokyo's stocks index was the by far the biggest faller among major indices, closing down nearly two percent as the yen surged against the dollar, which makes Japanese exports more expensive.
After global equities rallied in November on optimism that the US Federal Reserve would cut interest rates early next year, markets have pulled back on concerns the buying was overdone.
Data released by payroll firm ADP on Wednesday showed a smaller-than-forecast rise in US private sector jobs, reinforcing views that the labour market and economy were slowing as inflation comes down.
All eyes were on Friday's broader US jobs report.
"The slowdown in hiring continues and is becoming more obvious," said Peter Boockvar, author of the Boock Report.
"What I'm mostly focused on right now is the trajectory of activity -- and all I see is slowing in multiple places, including now the labour market."
Wall Street ended in the red Wednesday.
Traders on Thursday were unimpressed with better-than-forecast rise in Chinese exports, as data also showed imports fell unexpectedly, highlighting the continued weakness in the struggling economy.
The yen strengthened more than 1.5 percent against the dollar on speculation the Bank of Japan could announce a shift away from its ultra-loose monetary policy at a meeting this month.
The Japanese currency has tumbled for much of the year owing to the BoJ's refusal to budge but officials are shifting their positions as inflation rises.
Oil prices climbed, but they made little headway into the near four percent losses seen Wednesday that put US benchmark West Texas Intermediate below $70 for the first time since July.
Data pointing to a jump in US petrol stockpiles compounded demand worries as economies slow, while traders remain sceptical that Saudi Arabia and its allies will stick to deep output cuts.
Analysts have begun to consider the possibility that Riyadh could abruptly reopen the taps to maintain market share, similar to a move in 2014 to counter rising US production.
- Key figures around 1115 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,507.33 points
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,430.50
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 16,630.47
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.2 percent at 4,476.26
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.8 percent at 32,858.31 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.7 percent at 16,345.89 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 2,966.21 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 36,054.43 (close)
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 144.92 yen from 147.35 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0771 from $1.0768
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2590 from $1.2559
Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.55 pence from 85.71 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.0 percent at $70.03 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.0 percent at $75.01 per barrel
L.Durand--AMWN