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Xi warns protectionism 'leads nowhere' as starts SE Asia tour
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Brazil ex-president Bolsonaro surgery ends 'with success'
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Ten birdies not enough as Rose falls to McIlroy in Masters playoff
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Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion primed to close out Coachella
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Zelensky urges Trump to visit Ukraine to see war devastation: CBS
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Trump warns no country 'off the hook' on tariffs
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Incumbent Noboa leads Ecuador presidential runoff
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McIlroy completes career Grand Slam with emotional Masters playoff win
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Harden bags 39 as Clippers edge Warriors to clinch play-off spot
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Trump downplays tariffs walk-back, says no country 'off the hook'
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Polls close in Ecuador's razor-tight presidential runoff
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USA, Japan win to qualify for BJK Cup finals
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Russian missile strike on Ukraine city kills 34
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Lyon close in on Champions League, Saint-Etienne snatch draw
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McIlroy leads by four as Masters back-nine battle begins
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Lazio and Roma share derby spoils as Atalanta relaunch Champions League bid
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Children's show 'Yo Gabba Gabba!' takes Coachella by storm
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Fabio Grosso's Sassuolo return to Serie A after a year away
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Red Bull reflect on 'bad' Bahrain weekend
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WHO says child killed after Israel strike hits Gaza hospital
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Trump advisor Navarro looks to cool spat with Musk
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Moviegoers digging 'Minecraft Movie,' tops in N.America theaters
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Paris Olympic torches, other memorabilia auctioned off
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Ecuador votes in razor-tight presidential runoff
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Kohli, Karn star as Bengaluru and Mumbai win in IPL
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Amorim has no excuses for Man Utd's latest meltdown
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McIlroy tees off in quest of Masters title and career Grand Slam
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Marc Marquez survives brotherly shove to win Qatar MotoGP
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Mumbai clinch thriller to end Delhi's winning streak
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Electric Ekitike keeps Frankfurt on Champions League course
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'It's up to them': Maresca won't plead for Chelsea fans' backing
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Liverpool within touching distance of title, Man Utd thrashed by Newcastle
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Van der Poel demands action after being hit in face by projectile at Paris-Roubaix
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Barnes brace routs Man Utd as Newcastle rise to fourth place
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McLaren's Piastri powers to 'mega' win in Bahrain
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Mbappe sent off as Real Madrid beat Alaves
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Last-gasp 'dream' Ramos penalty sends Toulouse into Champions Cup semis
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McLaren's Piastri wins Bahrain Grand Prix
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Mbappe sees red as Real Madrid beat Alaves
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Last-gasp Ramos penalty sends Toulouse into Champions Cup semis
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US says tech tariff exemptions may be short-lived
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'I love this club' - Van Dijk hints at Liverpool stay
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Trump's doctor finds US president in 'excellent health' after physical
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King of the cobbles van der Poel wins third straight Paris-Roubaix
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McIlroy aims for Masters win and career Slam but DeChambeau threatens
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Liverpool within touching distance of title, Wolves add to Spurs woe
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Van Dijk's late winner edges Liverpool towards Premier League title
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Alcaraz caps 'difficult week' with first Monte Carlo Masters title
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China calls on US to 'completely cancel' reciprocal tariffs

Stocks recover on Russia sanctions impact
Stock markets mostly rose and oil prices held relatively steady Wednesday as economic sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Russia-Ukraine crisis were deemed less harsh than expected.
Brent crude stood at $96.73 per barrel, having soared to a seven-year high of $99.50 Tuesday on fears of disruptions to key Russian oil supplies.
Other commodities have also hit multi-year peaks on fears of all-out war.
"Market mood is not cheerful but the softer-than-feared sanctions somewhat help," SwissQuote analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya noted Wednesday.
Trading floors remain on edge, with Ukraine mobilising its military reserve and urging its citizens to leave Russian territory as Moscow sharpens its demands, increasing fears of all-out war.
"There isn’t much in the way of economic data to provide any fresh impetus, meaning investors will probably keep focusing on those headlines coming out of Russia and Ukraine," said ThinkMarkets analyst Fawad Razaqzada.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has defied an avalanche of international sanctions to put his forces on stand-by to occupy two rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine.
Sanctions include moves against Russian banks, cutting the country off from Western financing by targeting Moscow's sovereign debt, and penalising oligarchs and their families who are part of Putin's inner circle.
US and allies including Britain have warned of further sanctions should Putin extend his country's military grip beyond the two territories in the eastern Donbas region.
So far the sanctions were not as bad as markets had feared -- crucially with none aimed at Russia's crude exports -- providing some much-needed breathing room for investors and halting the surge in oil prices that has seen both main contracts pile on more than 20 percent so far this year.
Germany has though halted certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia.
- 'Considerable risk' -
"There's still considerable risk that oil prices may surge above $100 a barrel" if the situation escalates, said Vivek Dhar at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
"Oil markets are particularly vulnerable at the moment given that global oil stockpiles are at seven‑year lows."
Dhar added that spare oil capacity among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, was "being questioned due to disappointing OPEC+ supply growth".
The crisis comes with investors preparing for a series of interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve as it tries to rein in 40-year-high inflation.
Commentators said that while a March hike is baked in, forecasts for further increases this year are being affected by events in Europe as officials try to assess the impact on the economy.
If energy prices jump further it could also force the hand of the ECB, which has moved slowly to wind down stimulus and hike rates.
ThinkMarkets' Razaqzada said "inflationary pressures might exacerbate in the near term and force the ECB to apply the brakes by tightening its policy faster."
- Key figures around 1430 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 7,544.63 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.0 percent at 14,835.10
Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.3 percent at 6,872.74
EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.2 percent at 4,033.59
New York - Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 33,816.68
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.6 percent at 23,660.28 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 3,489.15 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $96.73 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.2 percent at $91.76 per barrel
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1343 from $1.1330 late Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3590 from $1.3588
Euro/pound: UP at 83.45 pence from 83.35 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 115.10 yen from 115.08 yen
burs-rl/bp
A.Williams--AT