European stocks sink at open

LONDON: Europe’s main stock markets tumbled in opening deals on Friday as a global selloff gathered pace.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading blue-chip companies sank 0.9 percent to 7,901.93 points.

In the eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 index lost 1.2 percent to 8,055.17 points and Frankfurt’s DAX also shed 1.2 percent to 18,189.27.

European stocks rise ahead of inflation data

Asian stocks mostly fell Friday and oil extended the previous day’s surge on worries that Israel’s war with Hamas could widen to a regional conflict with Iran as both sides ratcheted up tensions.

The threat of regional war compounded fears that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates as much as previously expected, with focus now on the release of key US jobs data later in the day.

All three main indexes on Wall Street ended more than one percent down on Thursday.