- Surging Ko claims LPGA Queen City crown in spectacular style
- 'Impossible': Alcaraz shoots down Federer comparisons after Laver Cup win
- Scholz's party beats far-right AfD in east German state vote
- Verstappen says 'silly' swearing row could hasten F1 exit
- Calls for Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the abyss
- Israel and Hezbollah urged to avoid 'catastrophe'
- Colombia battles fires as drought fuels Latin American flames
- Pressure piles on new French government from day one
- Arteta proud as Arsenal salvage point from 'impossible' task
- Barca rout Villarreal in thriller but Ter Stegen hurt
- Roma stroll past Udinese as fans protest De Rossi sacking
- Horschel outduels McIlroy to win PGA Championship play-off
- Audiences summon 'Beetlejuice' to top of N. America box office for third week
- Stones salvages point for Man City against 10-man Arsenal
- Egypt fears 'all out' regional war: foreign minister to AFP
- Last-gasp Boniface gives Leverkusen victory, Stuttgart outclass Dortmund
- Scholz's party beats far-right AfD in east German state vote: projections
- Olympic champion Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Horschel's eagle beats McIlroy in PGA Championship play-off
- Mourners at commander's funeral express loyalty to Hezbollah
- Norris hails his 'mega' McLaren after dominant win at Singapore
- Monaco beat Le Havre to join PSG at the top of Ligue 1
- Scholz's party narrowly leads far-right AfD in east German state vote: exit polls
- New leftist president vows to 'rewrite Sri Lankan history'
- UN adopts pact to tackle volatile future for mankind
- Leclerc hails Ferrari fightback from torrid Singapore GP qualifying
- Belgian Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Sosa rescues point for Forest against Brighton
- Last-gasp Boniface gives Leverkusen victory over Wolfsburg in seven-goal thriller
- Swiss voters reject environment, pensions reforms: official results
- No fairytale ending for Ricciardo after 13 years in Formula One
- Israel and Hezbollah urged to step back from the brink
- What is the UN's 'Pact for the Future'?
- Norris dominates Singapore Grand Prix to cut Verstappen's title lead
- From bullets to ballots: Sri Lanka's comrade president-elect
- McLaren's Lando Norris wins Singapore GP to narrow F1 title race
- UN adopts pact promising to build 'brighter future' for humanity
- Military escalation not in Israel's 'best interest': White House
- Marxist leader declared Sri Lanka's president-elect
- Classes resume at Bangladesh university at heart of protests
- 'Barely anyone left': Sudan's El-Fasher devastated by fighting
- 'Warrior' Joshua vows to fight on despite Dubois mauling
- Martin extends MotoGP lead as Bastianini wins at Misano and Bagnaia crashes out
- New French government instantly under pressure on multiple fronts
- Australia's Brown adds world title to Olympic time trial gold
- Russian strike on Ukraine's Kharkiv wounds 21
- UK's Starmer rules out austerity as Labour conference opens
- Swiss voters reject environment, pensions reforms: projected results
- Israel says 'landed blows' on Hezbollah as Lebanon violence intensifies
- Roma CEO steps down amid anger over club icon De Rossi's sacking
Oil prices, stock markets steady after recent volatility
Oil prices and stock markets steadied Thursday, as Western leaders gathered for emergency summits in Brussels triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
NATO, G7 and European Union gatherings were taking place as the EU debates a possible embargo on Russian oil.
"After a period of sharp volatility, the oil market is enjoying a moment of calm," noted Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.
The recent surge in oil prices on tight supply fears has fanned already sky-high inflation, causing central banks around the world to hike interest rates, in turn threatening economic recovery.
"We may see volatility increase further regarding multiple 50 basis point (US) hikes and even emergency rate hikes in the near term," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes, referring to the Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell's warning that the next increase could be higher than a quarter point.
But the European Central Bank is sitting tight on rates for the time being, as it reacts also to weak growth in the eurozone.
Business activity in the single currency bloc slowed in March, according to a closely watched survey Thursday, as high prices and a gloomy outlook raised fears the Ukraine war could snuff out economic recovery.
The S&P purchase managers' index slipped one point this month to 54.5. A figure above 50 indicates growth.
The survey underscores the "immediate and material impact" of the war on the economy and "highlights the risk of the eurozone falling into decline in the second quarter", said S&P's chief business economist, Chris Williamson.
- Gold reserves -
Elsewhere Thursday, the Moscow Stock Exchange resumed trading of some shares, the second stage in a phased re-opening.
The Moscow exchange suspended trading hours after President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of troops into pro-Western Ukraine on February 24.
Trading resumed for only around 30 of the largest companies that make up the ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index, which saw early gains of more than 10 percent.
Britain has meanwhile slapped sanctions on 59 more Russian individuals and entities, as well as six Belarusian enterprises.
It comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the world to prevent Russia using its gold reserves.
"The more we do that now, the more pressure we apply now, particularly on things like gold, ... I believe the more we can shorten the war, shorten the slaughter in Ukraine," he said.
- Key figures around 1200 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 7,476.70 points
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 14,261.99
Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 6,579.96
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,865.22
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 28,110.39 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 21,945.95 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.6 percent at 3,250.26 (close)
New York - DOW: DOWN 1.3 percent at 34,358.50 (close)
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.2 percent at $121.37 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $115.06 per barrel
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1000 from $1.1013 late Wednesday
Pound/dollar: UNCHANGED at $1.3204
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.30 pence from 83.36 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 121.56 yen from 121.12 yen
N.Fournier--BTB