- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines confronts China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Kim Sei-young shoots 62 to take two-stroke lead at LPGA Shanghai
- The haircuts that help traumatised Ukrainian soldiers heal
- Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- England's Harry Brook blasts triple century against Pakistan
- Chinese electric car companies cope with European tariffs
- Zelensky in London for whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Record-breaking Root, Brook both pass 200 as England pile up 658-3
- Football mourns Greek defender George Baldock's shock death at 31
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Home is far away for Madagascar in AFCON qualifying
- Two months on, Donbas soldiers begin to question Kursk offensive
- Rugby Australia to counter-sue in dispute with Melbourne Rebels
- Mumbai mourns Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines challenges China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Mets advance on Lindor blast, Dodgers stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Injury-ravaged Krygios aiming to return at Australian Open
- Greek international Baldock, dead at 31: family
- EU talks deportation hubs to stem migration
Equities mostly fall on hot US inflation before ECB
Asian and European stock markets mostly fell Thursday before the European Central Bank's latest interest rate decision, after hotter-than-expected US inflation dented hopes for Federal Reserve rate reduction any time soon.
Forecast-busting US inflation figures dealt a blow to hopes for a June rate cut and forced traders to re-evaluate the Fed's outlook for monetary policy, with a warning that the next move could even be a hike.
Thursday's losses tracked a Wall Street selloff and saw the dollar strike a 34-year high against the yen, fuelling speculation Japanese authorities will step in to support their beleaguered currency.
The ECB is expected to hold its key interest rate at a record high again but could pave the way for a first cut in June as eurozone inflation eases -- in contrast with the United States. A decision is due at 1215 GMT.
World oil prices meanwhile sagged although Brent held above $90 per barrel on simmering tensions in the crude-rich Middle East, further stoking inflationary pressures.
- US inflation weighs -
"European markets struggle as the US inflation concerns continue to weigh on sentiment," noted analyst Joshua Mahony at trading firm Scope Markets.
"Equity bulls will hope that the ECB can turn the tide on market sentiment today, with (president) Christine Lagarde expected to take on a notably more dovish tone that could set us up for a rate cut in June," he added.
Falling interest rate tend to lift stock markets because they lower loan costs for businesses and individuals, boosting investment and disposable incomes -- and in turn stimulating economic activity.
Yet stronger-than-expected US inflation has prompted a recalibration of the outlook for Fed monetary policy.
"Inflation is refusing to lie down, which has forced investors to relinquish any lingering expectations of an imminent interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve," said Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, in reference to the US data.
Hunter added that the latest minutes from the Fed's most recent gathering implied that the US central bank's "battle against inflation has some way to go".
ECB policymakers, meanwhile, have kept euro-area borrowing costs on hold since October, after a historic run of hikes to bring runaway price rises under control.
But calls have been growing for cuts to begin as inflation falls rapidly and higher rates take their toll on the 20-nation single currency area.
- 'Future ECB cuts' -
"We expect the ECB to keep rates on hold... but the economic backdrop looks increasingly conducive for future cuts," noted Henk Potts, market strategist at Barclays Private Bank.
"Key indicators suggest that activity is stabilising and inflation is descending towards targeted levels."
US data showed Wednesday that the consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.4 percent on-month and 3.5 percent on-year -- both above consensus for the third month in a row -- and observers warned the pick-up might not be a blip but could point to a worrying trend.
It also came on the back of other data -- most recently a forecast-busting jobs report -- suggesting the world's number one economy was still in rude health despite borrowing costs being at a two-decade high and inflation well above target.
The reading will give Fed officials more to mull over ahead of their May policy meeting, with their recent guidance of three rate cuts this year now in doubt.
The dollar has meanwhile surged to 153.29 yen, the strongest since 1990, on the back of the US CPI reading. Tokyo authorities have said they would keep their options open on supporting the unit.
- Key figures around 1030 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,947.31 points
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 8,041.25
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.5 percent at 18,014.86
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.4 percent at 4,981.04
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 39,442.63 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 17,095.03 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,034.25 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 1.1 percent at 38,461.51 (close)
Dollar/yen: UP at 153.22 yen from 152.96 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0737 from $1.0747
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2544 from $1.2543
Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.59 pence from 85.67 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.2 percent at $90.26 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $86.13 per barrel
burs-rfj/rl
D.Kaufman--AMWN