- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
Stock markets drop before key US jobs data
European and Asian stock markets fell Friday ahead of highly-anticipated US jobs data that could determine by how much the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this month.
As a rollercoaster week drew to a close, debate centred on Fed plans for interest rates when it meets in less than a fortnight, with most observers expecting a 25-basis-point cut after inflation cooled.
However, analysts say it could go twice as big if Friday's non-farm payrolls report for August comes in well below forecasts, as a series of recent figures suggest the US economy is slowing more sharply than initially thought.
"Today's US jobs report appears to hold the keys to public perception over whether we are seeing the US economy falling into a recession," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.
US data Thursday showed a miss on private-sector hiring, which was slightly offset by a dip in first-time and continuing claims for jobless benefits.
A separate report pointed to a better-than-expected marginal increase in activity in the key services sector.
"There has been nothing in the latest batch of US economic data... to materially impact on expectations for (Friday's) all-important employment data or to move the dial on expectations for what the Fed is likely to do on September 18," said National Australia Bank's Ray Attrill.
Wall Street ended on a tepid note Thursday, while the dollar traded mixed against main rivals ahead of the jobs report.
Tokyo's stock market was weighed down Friday by a strong yen, which has picked up against the dollar on bets of a Fed rate-cut and growing expectations that the Bank of Japan would continue hiking its own borrowing costs.
Hong Kong's stock market shut Friday owing to a typhoon.
The broadly calm end to the week came after markets were sent tanking Wednesday, in part over worries about tech firms' huge valuations -- particularly chip giant Nvidia.
Analysts warned there was a lot of risk in Friday's jobs figures, with a sharp drop likely to boost bets on a 50-point cut but stoke fresh recession worries, while an above-forecast read would dent hopes for a series of cuts before next year.
Traders have factored in one percentage point's worth of reductions before the end of 2024.
"Concerns about economic weakness in the US have already led to two big shockwaves on the stock market in the past few months, and there is a potential for more tremors if the data looks bleak," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
- Key figures around 1100 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 8,211.50 points
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,408.30
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.6 percent at 18,459.78
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 36,391.47 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: (closed)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.8 percent at 2,765.81 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 40,755.75 (close)
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 142.85 yen from 143.42 yen on Thursday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1108 from $1.1110
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3171 from $1.3180
Euro/pound: UP at 84.34 pence from 84.29 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.2 percent at $72.85 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $69.21 per barrel
O.Karlsson--AMWN