- Guardiola tells players to lead change over workload as Kompany demands cap on games
- Norway limits wild salmon fishing as stocks hit new lows
- Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
- Rotterdam fatal knife attacker suspected of 'terrorist motive'
- First early votes cast in knife-edge US presidential election
- Top-ranked Swiatek out of Beijing due to 'personal matters'
- Hard-right Reform UK looks to the future after vote success
- Embiid agrees to NBA contract extension with 76ers
- Joshua aims to complete road to redemption in Dubois bout
- World champion Bagnaia sets pace with lap record at Misano
- Biden says 'working' to get people back to homes on Israel-Lebanon border
- Pope criticises Argentina's crackdown on protesters
- Court limits screenings of videos in France mass rape case
- Gurbaz century takes Afghanistan to 311-4 in 2nd ODI
- Central banks face 'difficult balancing act': IMF chief
- McLaren's Norris sets Singapore pace as struggling Verstappen 15th
- Guardiola tells players to lead change over workload fears
- Paris Olympics sports equipment moves to new homes
- 'Happy' Kinghorn relishing life at Toulouse
- Norris sets Singapore pace as Verstappen only 15th
- 8 dead in Israeli strike, source says Hezbollah commander killed
- Germany to bid to host women's Euro 2029
- Portugal brings deadly forest fires under control
- Postecoglou defends Solanke after slow start to Spurs career
- US nuclear plant Three Mile Island to reopen to power Microsoft
- Arteta urges Arsenal to take next step in Man City showdown
- Stock markets fall after Fed-fuelled rally
- Top Hezbollah commander 'killed' in Israel strike
- Poland charges Russian over attack on Navalny ally: prosecutors
- Man City have rest 'advantage' in Arsenal showdown: Guardiola
- Maresca has 'no doubt' in Jackson as Chelsea's number nine
- EU chief announces 35 bn euro loan plan for Ukraine before winter
- From TikTok to Hollywood, the irresistible rise of Italy's Khaby Lame
- Verstappen punished for swearing in Singapore press conference
- Sri Lanka lead by 202 in first New Zealand Test
- Brook 'not too fussed' by England's batting in heavy Australia loss
- India's Ashwin 'happy' to embrace pressure
- A modern 'Trojan Horse': two days of mayhem in Lebanon
- Third of Burundi mpox cases in children under five: UN
- Man Utd appoint Foster + Partners to develop Old Trafford 'masterplan'
- Israel-Hezbollah exchanges intensify on Lebanon border
- French mayor sorry for 'no one died' remark over mass rape trial
- Mohamed Al-Fayed, outsider shunned by British high society
- Lawyers say 'monster' late Harrods owner abused dozens of women
- India in box seat after Bumrah takes four against Bangladesh
- Taiwan retains death penalty but limits use to 'exceptional' cases
- Ferrari's Leclerc sets early pace in Singapore ahead of Norris
- 10 years into Huthi rule, some Yemenis count the cost
- France poised to finally get new govt
- Kompany, Alonso call for action on player workload amid strike talks
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Asian markets drop as inflation spike fans rate fears
Asian markets sank Friday as traders resumed their Ukraine-fuelled selling after the previous day's bounce, with data showing US inflation at a 40-year high adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to ramp up interest rates.
Bets on a more aggressive approach by the Federal Reserve to rein in runaway prices added to nervousness on trading floors, while the failure of high-level talks between Moscow and Kyiv to de-escalate the war also helped torpedo a brief rebound in equities.
However, oil struggled to regain the 14-year highs touched this week as governments embark on a diplomatic push to replace the output erased by strict sanctions and an embargo on Russian exports.
While the war in eastern Europe continues to rage, investor focus turned to the release Thursday of figures showing US inflation hit 7.9 percent in February, the highest since January 1982.
The reading comes just ahead of the Fed's next policy meeting, where it is expected to announce the first of what could be up to seven interest rate hikes this year.
While a phase of tightening is certain, speculation has been rife about how many and how steep the rises will be.
The war has provided officials an extra headache as the surge in oil markets will add upward pressure to consumer prices, though the bank must tread a fine line between fighting inflation and trying to prevent a recession.
"The headline print was a 40-year high, reflecting higher gasoline, food and shelter costs. And now with energy prices on the rise following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and sanctions, expectations are for inflation to rise even more," said National Australia Bank's Rodrigo Catril.
The "net takeaway is that US inflationary pressures are proving to be more persistent and expansive, increasing the pressure on the Fed to lift the funds rate and cool the economy".
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted rising prices were a problem and annual inflation will likely "remain very uncomfortably high".
Also Thursday the European Central Bank hiked its inflation forecast for the year and slashed its economic growth outlook while taking a more hawkish stance on policy.
The prospect of higher US borrowing costs has spurred a rally in the dollar, which at one point hit a more than five-year high of 116.38 yen, despite the Japanese unit usually outperforming in times of crisis owing to its value as a safe haven.
All three US indexes ended in the red, having enjoyed a strong burst higher the day before and Asia followed suit after its own advance on Thursday.
Hong Kong shed more than three percent and Tokyo more than two percent, while Shanghai, Seoul, Sydney and Manila gave up more than one percent.
There were also losses in Singapore, Taipei, Manila, Jakarta and Wellington.
Still, Stephane Michel at Federated Hermes saw some positives.
"Despite markets suffering their worst start in memory, they do feel like they're trading in an orderly, albeit volatile, manner with support and tentative buying at cheaper levels," he said in a commentary.
"Any positive rumours or announcement is met with enthusiasm and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and buy the dip have been such good performers as investment strategies through the previous crises.
"Occasionally, however, we do get reminded of the prospects of military escalation, stagflation, supply chain disruption, sanctions, energy blockades etc and we move lower still. What is clear is there is little consensus or conviction on which direction we go next."
Oil prices have been a key driver of the extreme volatility in markets since the invasion, with Brent stuck below $110 days after touching a 14-year high of $139 on Monday after the US said it would embargo Russian crude.
The black gold is down around eight percent on the week, with moves to find other sources of energy keeping the market tamped down. However, observers warn prices could rocket again and some have forecast an eye-watering $250 a barrel at some point.
"It's been a rollercoaster ride for oil this week, and for some, the weekend cannot come quick enough," said Stephen Innes Managing Partner at SPI Asset Management.
"There is still an abundance of chatter under the surface that diplomatic efforts will prove successful in unlocking supply alternatives, with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran seemingly the most likely candidates."
“Still, Russia remains the most significant risk for oil, and the prospect of lost production will keep a relatively high floor on oil prices."
- Key figures around 0230 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.4 percent at 25,064.74 (break)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 3.5 percent at 20,159.33
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.3 percent at 3,253.02
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 1.3 percent at $107.94 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $105.42
Dollar/yen: UP at 116.26 yen from 116.12 yen Thursday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1000 from $1.0986
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3090 from $1.3081
Euro/pound: UP at 84.02 pence from 83.96 pence
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.3 percent at 33,174.07 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 1.3 percent at 7,099.09 (close)
C.Kovalenko--BTB