- Syria authorities say torched 1 million captagon pills
- Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' across world
- 32 survivors as Azerbaijani jet crashes in Kazakhstan
- Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan, Kabul says
- Liverpool host Foxes, Arsenal prepare for life without Saka
- Zelensky condemns Russian 'inhumane' Christmas attack on energy grid
- Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
- Pope kicks off Christmas under shadow of war
- Catholics hold muted Christmas mass in Indonesia's Sharia stronghold
- Japan's top diplomat in China to address 'challenges'
- Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires
- Demand for Japanese content booms post 'Shogun'
- As India's Bollywood shifts, stars and snappers click
- Mystery drones won't interfere with Santa's work: US tracker
- Djokovic eyes more Slam glory as Swiatek returns under doping cloud
- Australia's in-form Head confirmed fit for Boxing Day Test
- Brazilian midfielder Oscar returns to Sao Paulo
- 'Wemby' and 'Ant-Man' to make NBA Christmas debuts
- US agency focused on foreign disinformation shuts down
- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis launches holy Jubilee year
- 'Like a dream': AFP photographer's return to Syria
- Chiefs seek top seed in holiday test for playoff-bound NFL teams
- Panamanians protest 'public enemy' Trump's canal threat
- Cyclone death toll in Mayotte rises to 39
- Ecuador vice president says Noboa seeking her 'banishment'
- Leicester boss Van Nistelrooy aware of 'bigger picture' as Liverpool await
- Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
- Maresca expects Man City to be in title hunt as he downplays Chelsea's chancs
- South Africa opt for all-pace attack against Pakistan
- Guardiola adamant Man City slump not all about Haaland
- Global stocks mostly higher in thin pre-Christmas trade
- Bethlehem marks sombre Christmas under shadow of war
- 11 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Indonesia considers parole for ex-terror chiefs: official
- Postecoglou says Spurs 'need to reinforce' in transfer window
- Le Pen says days of new French govt numbered
- Villa boss Emery set for 'very difficult' clash with Newcastle
- Investors swoop in to save German flying taxi startup
- How Finnish youth learn to spot disinformation
- 12 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Panama leaders past and present reject Trump's threat of Canal takeover
- Hong Kong police issue fresh bounties for activists overseas
- Saving the mysterious African manatee at Cameroon hotspot
- India consider second spinner for Boxing Day Test
- London wall illuminates Covid's enduring pain at Christmas
- Poyet appointed manager at South Korea's Jeonbuk
- South Korea's opposition vows to impeach acting president
- The tsunami detection buoys safeguarding lives in Thailand
- Teen Konstas to open for Australia in Boxing Day India Test
- Asian stocks mostly up after US tech rally
Oil prices soar, equities sink on Ukraine invasion
World oil prices again soared Tuesday while European and US equities sank after investors were unnerved by key crude producer Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Oil prices surged more than 10 percent during the session before pulling back slightly. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate finished at $103.41, up eight percent.
The International Energy Agency said member countries had agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves in an effort to reassure a market rattled by worries that Russian crude will be impacted by sanctions or used by Russia as a political weapon.
The announcement came on the eve of a key output meeting of OPEC and non-member producers, including Russia.
"The oil rally has seriously accelerated today, breezing past $100 and gathering momentum along the way," Craig Erlam from OANDA said.
Frankfurt and Paris stock markets accelerated losses to close 3.9 percent lower.
London slid 1.7 percent, as investors shrugged off Asian gains.
Wall Street followed suit, with major indices finishing down more than 1.5 percent.
The session was the worst in New York since the Russian invasion. US indices rose both Thursday and Friday and suffered only modest declines on Monday.
Art Hogan, chief strategist at National Securities, said investors see less of a chance Russian President Vladimir Putin could deescalate the conflict.
"Russia is doubling down and we're going to have to strap in and see how this plays out," said Hogan, who also warned of a rising economic toll from sanctions.
Sanctions on Russia have sent the ruble crashing to a record low and forced the central bank to more than double interest rates to 20 percent.
The Moscow Stock Exchange remained shut on Tuesday in an attempt by authorities to stave off another expected sell-off.
The crisis has also ramped up fears about supplies of crucial commodities from the region, including wheat and nickel but particularly crude, just as demand surges owing to economic reopenings.
The conflict provides an extra headache for global central banks, who will likely have to recalibrate their plans to tighten monetary policy as they try to support their economies.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is due Wednesday to kick off two days of congressional testimony.
In London, Shell's share price dipped 0.7 percent after the energy major announced it would sell its stake in all joint ventures with Russia's Gazprom.
The news came after rival energy titan BP also signaled its exit from Russia.
TotalEnergies on Tuesday said that while it would stop providing capital for new projects in Russia, the French giant was not withdrawing from current projects in the country.
Tech giant Apple meanwhile announced a halt to all product sales in Russia, saying "we are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence."
- Key figures around 2100 GMT -
Brent North Sea crude: UP 7.1 percent at $104.97 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 8.0 percent at $103.41 per barrel
New York - Dow: DOWN 1.8 percent 33,294.95 (close)
New York - S&P 500: DOWN 1.6 percent at 4,306.26 (close)
New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 1.6 percent at 13,532.46 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 1.7 percent at 7,330.20 points (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 3.9 percent at 13,904.85 points (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 3.9 percent at 6,396.49 points (close)
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 4.0 percent at 3,765.85 points (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 26,844.72 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 22,761.71 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.8 percent at 3,488.83 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1126 from $1.1219 late Monday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3326 from $1.3420
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.46 pence from 83.60 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 114.90 yen from 115.00 yen
burs-jmb/cs
A.Seabra--PC