Asian markets were mixed Thursday after a tepid day on Wall Street, with traders looking forward to a string of US data that could help sway Federal Reserve officials ahead of their policy meeting next week.

Asian markets were mixed in holiday-thinned trade Friday as investors struggled to build on another record-setting day on Wall Street, with focus on the upcoming release of key US inflation data.

While US stocks closed up, the picture in Europe was less positive: London, Paris and Frankfurt all ended lower as investors locked in profits from recent gains.

Asian markets rose Friday following a tech-led rally on Wall Street that helped soothe traders' concerns that the Federal Reserve will likely not cut interest rates as early or by as much as hoped this year.

Oil prices sank further Thursday after the shock decision by OPEC+ to delay a key policy meeting, suggesting fresh discord in the bloc.

Nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6-3 in favour of maintaining the current rate, in a move that was widely anticipated.

The preliminary reading of the S&P Global UK PMI for the services sector, often referred to as the "flash" PMI, fell to 49.2 in October from 49.3 in September.

The figures are worrying reading, as the Bank of England (BoE) prepares for its latest interest rate decision next week.

US stock markets fell Thursday after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell warned inflation is "still too high" despite a recent slowdown, leaving the door open for another interest rate hike if needed.

Modern DNA technology identified two more victims of the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks. New York City officials have identified a man and a woman, but their names are being withheld.

Stock markets had a mixed showing Thursday as European indices rallied while Wall Street slipped on concerns over interest rates.

Stocks diverged Thursday as investors weighed strong US economic data against further signs that central banks are likely to continue hiking interest rates to fight inflation.

AI's impact on the job market is debated as leaders like Arvind Krishna and Sam Altman see opportunities, while experts warn of potential disruptions, urging social issue resolution.

Australia employment rebounded strongly in February after two months of declines, while the jobless rate fell back to near 50-year lows, suggesting the country's labour market remained tight amid a slew of interest rate hikes by the central bank.

Growth in pay in Britain - which the Bank of England is watching closely as it weighs up whether to pause its run of interest rate hikes next week - lost pace in the three months to January, official data showed on Tuesday.

Australia employment surprised in January by falling for a second straight month while the jobless rate jumped to its highest since last May, a soft result that could lessen pressure for further aggressive interest rate hikes.

According to Eshoo and Lofgren, foreign-born workers make up nearly a quarter of the US science and tech workforce.

U.S. main stock indexes rose on Thursday with Disney and Salesforce boosting the blue-chip Dow index, while data showing a rise in weekly jobless claims helped ease concerns about the Federal Reserve's rate-hike path.

Marta Pizza, a 26-year-old swimming instructor, has worked at a Rome sports centre for the last two years earning 8.50 euros per hour with no pension contributions, sick pay or holidays.

Australia employment unexpectedly dipped in December following an outsized gain the month before in a sign the red-hot labour market might be cooling, though the jobless rate stayed near five-decade lows.

Pay growth in Britain - which is being closely watched by the Bank of England as it gauges how much higher to raise interest rates - picked up more pace in the three months to November, official data showed on Tuesday.

Global equities traded sideways and the dollar bounced as investors braced for a crucial U.S.

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a three-month low last week while layoffs fell 43% in December, pointing to a still-tight labor market that could force the Federal Reserve to keep hiking interest rates.

For much of the global economy, 2023 is going to be a tough year as the main engines of global growth - the United States, Europe and China - all experience weakening activity, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday.

World stocks were steady and U.S. stock index futures indicated a lower open on Wall Street on the last trading day of 2022, but equities are on course for a 20% drop over a year marred by high inflation and war in Europe.

European stock indexes were mixed on Thursday as global recession fears weighed on markets and soaring COVID-19 cases in China countered earlier optimism about the country dropping its strict zero-COVID policy.

Japanese retail sales rose for a ninth straight month in November, data showed on Tuesday, as the lifting of COVID-19 border controls and the government's domestic travel subsidy helped consumer demand.

Britain's jobless rate rose for a second month and there were other signs in data on Tuesday that some of the inflationary heat in the labour market is cooling as the economy stumbles, including an increase in older people looking for work.

European shares inched higher on Friday as gains in industrial and financial stocks on China-led optimism offset weakness in the energy sector, while Credit Suisse climbed on news of a capital raise.

The dollar eased on Friday as worries over a slowdown in the United States mounted, with traders on guard ahead of a slew of central bank meetings next week, where the Federal Reserve takes centre stage.