- China opens $71 bn 'swap facility' to boost markets
- Mets advance on Lindor grand slam, Yankees and Tigers win
- Taiwan President Lai vows to 'resist annexation' of island
- China's solar goes from supremacy to oversupply
- Asian markets track Wall St record as Hong Kong, Shanghai stabilise
- 'Denying my potential': women at Japan's top university call out gender imbalance
- China's central bank says opens up $70.6 bn in liquidity to boost market
- Zelensky on whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Youth facing unprecedented wave of violence, UN envoy warns
- 'A casino in every kitchen': Brazil's online gambling craze
- Nobel chemistry winner sees engineered proteins solving tough problems
- Lindor powers Mets past Phillies into NL Championship Series
- Wildlife populations plunge 73% since 1970: WWF
- 'Sleeper agent' bots on X fuel US election misinformation, study says
- Death toll rises to 109 after Haiti gang attack, official says
- Tigers beat Guardians and on brink of advancing in MLB playoffs
- Argentina MPs back Milei's veto of university funding
- Man City sink Barca in Women's Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal
- Greek international Baldock, 31, found dead in pool: state agency
- Florida seaside haven a ghost town as hurricane nears
- Pharrell Williams to co-chair Met Gala exploring Black dandyism
- Wall Street indices hit fresh records as Chinese shares tumble
- Taiwan's president to deliver key speech for National Day
- Sea row on the menu as ASEAN leaders meet China's Li
- Injured Kane won't start England's Nations League clash with Greece
- Discord seen as online home for renegades
- US forecasts severe solar storm starting Thursday
- Mozambique starts tallying votes in tense election
- Zelensky moves to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Ratan Tata: Indian mogul who built a global powerhouse
- Rodgers rejects 'false' suggestions of role in Saleh dismissal
- One dead as storm Kirk tears through Spain, Portugal, France
- Indian business titan Ratan Tata dead at 86
- Lebanon facing 'catastrophic' situation as 600,000 displaced: UN
- US warns Israel not to repeat Gaza destruction in Lebanon
- Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge
- Call her savvy? Harris unleashes unconventional media blitz
- Lucian Freud 'masterpiece' fetches £13.9 million at London sale
- SoFi Stadium to hold next two CONCACAF Nations League finals
- McIlroy and DeChambeau set for PGA-LIV 'Showdown' in Vegas
- Fed minutes highlight divisions over rate cut decision
- Steve McQueen debuts new WWII film at London festival
- Run blitz edges India and South Africa closer to World Cup semi-finals
- Zelensky to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Israel captain says 'difficult' to focus on football in time of war
- Macron to host Ukraine's Zelensky after meeting Ukrainian troops
- Root says 'many more to get' after England Test runs landmark
- India pile up World Cup high to rout Sri Lanka
- One year later, Israeli hostage family learns of loss
- Texans receiver Collins, Pats' safety Peppers out for NFL clash
Wall Street lower as tech rebound loses steam
Wall Street's top indices fell on Thursday as a rebound in tech shares lost steam, adding to losses triggered by fears of new trade tensions.
After posting Wednesday its worst daily decline since late 2022, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was down 1.1 percent in late morning trading.
The S&P 500 shed 0.6 percent while the blue-chip Dow slid 0.3 percent after having set a third consecutive record close on Wednesday.
Europe's major stock markets ended the day mixed, with London getting a boost by the previous day's oil price surge.
Oil prices had vaulted two percent higher Wednesday after signs of strengthening crude demand in top consumer, the United States, though the market stabilised Thursday.
Energy majors tend to win a shot in the arm from rising crude futures that boost their revenues and profits.
The dollar firmed following losses caused by growing expectations the US Federal Reserve would cut interest rates at least once this year.
As expected, the European Central Bank on Thursday kept its key interest rates steady as it waits for firm indications that consumer price rises are stable before reducing borrowing costs again.
The bank kept the key deposit rate at 3.75 percent, after the first cut in June ended an unprecedented streak of hikes to tame runaway inflation.
But ECB chief Christine Lagarde said there was no pre-determined rate path and the decision at September's meeting was "wide open" and would depend upon the data.
- Tech worries -
On Wednesday, tech firms took a hit after a report said US President Joe Biden would target firms supplying China with key semiconductor technology.
Biden is reportedly looking at imposing strict curbs on companies including Tokyo Electron and Dutch firm ASML if they continue allowing Beijing access to their chip tech.
Sentiment was also dented by Donald Trump's comments that crucial chip supplier Taiwan -- home to TSMC and other major producers -- should pay the US for helping the island defend itself militarily against China.
Nvidia shares, which slumped more than six percent Wednesday, lost another 0.9 percent.
Shares in ASML, which makes machinery to etch the circuitry on computer chips, slid another 2.0 percent after having tumbled 12.7 percent on Wednesday.
Shares in Tokyo Electron dived 8.8 percent in trading in Tokyo on Thursday.
"An interview with Donald Trump, for Bloomberg Businessweek, saw the former president casting doubt on US willingness to defend Taiwan, should he be (re)elected in November," said Steve Clayton, head of equity funds at Hargreaves Lansdown.
"With much of the world's most advanced chip manufacturing capabilities located within Taiwan... that was not a message the market wanted to hear.
"Nor did it want to hear the Biden administration talking about tougher trade restrictions against China," Clayton said.
Tech shares have been the main drivers of the market to fresh records this year as investors pile into companies involved in artificial intelligence, but some analysts say the rally appears to have extended too far.
Meanwhile, the latest data showed modest increases in first-time and continuing claims for unemployment benefits in the United States.
"The key takeaway from the report is that it fits with the view that there is some softening in the labour market, which is a trend that will massage the market's belief that the Fed is likely to cut the target range for the fed funds rate before the end of the year," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.
- Key figures around 1530 GMT -
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.3 percent at 41,071.64 points
New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.6 percent at 5,555.16
New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 17,800.60
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,204.89 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 7,586.55 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.5 percent at 18,354.76 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.4 percent at 4,870.12 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.4 percent at 40,126.35 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 17,778.41 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 2,977.13 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0906 from $1.0941 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2970 from $1.3012
Dollar/yen: UP at 156.77 yen from 156.33 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 84.09 pence at 84.07 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at $82.78 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $84.99 per barrel
L.Durand--AMWN