- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
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- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- Fans immerse themselves in Marina Abramovic's first China exhibition
- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Djokovic 'overwhelmed' after 'greatest rival' Nadal's retirement
- Zelensky in Berlin says hopes war with Russia will end next year
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Djokovic proves staying power as progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Hurricane Milton leaves at least 16 dead as Florida cleans up
- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
- Tears, warnings after Japan atomic survivors group win Nobel
- 'Unspeakable horror': the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- Christian villagers 'trapped' in south Lebanon crossfire
- Sabalenka sets up Gauff showdown in Wuhan semis
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Kim Sei-young holds lead with late birdies at LPGA Shanghai
- Toulouse welcome Dupont 'boost' as Olympic star returns to Top 14
- Japanese atomic bomb survivor group Nihon Hidankyo wins Nobel Peace Prize
- Deadly Israeli strike on Beirut likely targeted Hezbollah security chief
- Bangladesh Islamist chief backs crimes against humanity trial for ex-PM
- Everest climber's remains believed found after 100 years
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack
- Clashes on South China Sea, Ukraine dominate Asia summit
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Zelensky meets Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- Hello Hallyu: why is South Korean culture sweeping the globe?
- UK economy rebounds in August in boost to new govt
- Voice of Japan's beloved robot cat 'Doraemon' dies
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
Markets struggle ahead of key US jobs data
Equities were mixed on Thursday as investors try to assess the Federal Reserve's plans for interest rates after boss Jerome Powell indicated they would start to come down this year.
Focus is also on the release of key US jobs data due Friday, following a positive set of figures showing the labour market remained healthy but appeared to be softening.
Gold and bitcoin were essentially flat after edging back from record highs earlier in the week.
In closely watched testimony before lawmakers Wednesday, Powell flagged progress on bringing inflation towards the Fed's two percent goal and said borrowing costs could be lowered as a result.
He warned that the battle was far from over, while investors are eyeing a first move in June after their March hopes were scrubbed by a strong inflation report last month.
"If the economy evolves broadly as expected, it will likely be appropriate to begin dialling back policy restraint at some point this year," he told the House Financial Services Committee.
"But the economic outlook is uncertain, and ongoing progress toward our two percent inflation objective is not assured," he added.
While prices have been tempered by the Fed's decision to push rates to a two-decade high, officials have lined up to warn that cutting them too early could erase all their hard work.
The economy continuing to be in rude health has allowed them to maintain that line, and stocks have pushed higher as confidence appears to be returning.
Powell's remarks saw all three main indexes rise on Wednesday, and Asian traders struggled to maintain the positive momentum.
Shanghai and Hong Kong fell even as data showed Chinese exports surged more than forecast in January-February, while Tokyo was weighed by a strong yen as investors ramp up bets on the Bank of Japan soon shiftingaway from its ultra-loose monetary policy.
Singapore, Manila and Wellington were also off.
Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok rose, though.
London, Paris and Frankfurt all opened lower.
"Powell stuck to the script. The January inflation blip evidently hasn’t shifted the broader calculus much and Chair Powell did little to break from recent Fed commentary," said National Australia Bank's Taylor Nugent.
Jose Torres at Interactive Brokers added that "his positivity concerning the trajectory of inflation amidst confidence that the central bank’s current rate is likely at its peak is enough for market participants".
Traders are also keeping an eye on a policy meeting of the European Central Bank later Thursday, which is not expected to see any movement but investors are hoping for some guidance.
- Key figures around 0810 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.2 percent at 39,598.71 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.3 percent at 16,229.78 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,027.40 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,653.28
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.00 yen from 149.44 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0894 from $1.0899
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2737 from $1.2732
Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.54 pence from 85.58 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $79.06 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $82.87 per barrel
New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 38,661.05 (close)
D.Kaufman--AMWN