- 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'
- Bangladeshi Hindus defy attack worries to celebrate festival
- Kiwis three up in America's Cup as Ineos pay for time penalty
- In a first, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Dominant England crush Scotland at Women's T20 World Cup
- Dropped: The rise and fall of Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam
- Israel fights Hezbollah on the ground, pounds Lebanon from the air
- Sabalenka outlasts local hero Zheng to win third Wuhan Open title
Equities mixed before Fed rate decision
Stocks rose Wednesday in Europe but stumbled in Asia before this year's final monetary policy decision from the Federal Reserve, one day after an unremarkable US inflation report tempered expectations for an interest-rate reduction early next year.
Main European indices moved slightly higher, but London gains were capped by news of a worse-than-expected contraction in monthly UK economic output.
Frankfurt held firm after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition reached a last-minute deal to end a budget deadlock.
In Asia, Tokyo, Sydney and Wellington climbed but Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok fell, as caution prevailed with the US central bank forecast to hold its key lending rate at a 22-year high.
With a pause deemed extremely likely, attention is on the language of the Fed decision, along with its accompanying economic forecasts, and the post-meeting press conference by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
"The final Fed meeting of the year could be the most eventful, with the central bank likely to acknowledge it's done with tightening and even signal rate cuts next year," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at trading firm OANDA.
"The question is how many, with markets now pricing in four starting in May."
The Fed kicks off a flurry of releases by key central banks on both sides of the Atlantic, with both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England due to announce their decisions on Thursday.
London investors absorbed official data showing that the UK economy slowed more sharply than expected in October as high BoE borrowing costs continued to take their toll.
Wall Street had ended Tuesday on a bright note -- with the S&P 500 at a near three-year high -- following news that US consumer prices slowed marginally last month, suggesting the Fed is on course in its fight against inflation.
Data showing core prices remained resilient did, however, leave traders disappointed and highlighted the battle officials still have in getting inflation down to their target.
While there is a broad expectation that the bank will cut rates next year, traders now think it will be by less than previously tipped and the first will be slightly later.
Oil prices ticked higher, one day after tumbling almost four percent on worries over surging US crude output and flagging Chinese demand.
- Key figures around 1200 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 7,564.25 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,564.12
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 16,805.28
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.2 percent at 4,545.76
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 32,926.35 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 16,228.75 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 2,968.76 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 0.35 percent at 36,577.94 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0774 from $1.0794 on Tuesday
Dollar/yen: UP at 145.70 yen from 145.45 yen
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2517 from $1.2563
Euro/pound: UP at 86.07 pence from 85.92 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $68.68 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.1 percent at $73.32 per barrel
H.E.Young--AMWN