- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
Stock markets waver before Fed decision
US and European stock markets wavered on Monday as investors cautiously awaited the US Federal Reserve's first interest-rate cut since 2020.
In New York, the Dow was up but the wider S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq were lower shortly after opening. In Europe, London was marginally higher but all the main continental exchanges were slightly lower.
The dollar fell ahead of the rate cut announcement, while haven investment gold rose to a new record high.
US stocks surged last week on positive economic news and as investors increasingly priced in a full half-point cut, with the Dow and S&P 500 reaching a whisker of their record highs.
Fed officials have widely signalled a rate cut Wednesday -- the first since the Covid recession four years ago -- but debate remains over whether it will be 25 or 50 basis points.
The high valuations stocks hit last week leaves them susceptible to a correction, said David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation.
"Investors appear to be pricing in a Goldilocks scenario of cheaper borrowing costs, with more rate cuts to come, in an economy which shows few signs of a hard landing or recession," he said.
"If so, they may prove to be over-optimistic. Traders should prepare themselves for some large price swings on Wednesday evening."
Although expectations of a 50-basis-point cut have risen, some analysts warned that decision-makers may wish to avoid giving the impression they are concerned about the health of the world's largest economy.
Worries over the Chinese economy also weighed on sentiment.
Other central banks have policy meetings this week.
London's FTSE 100 index dipped Monday ahead of the Bank of England's own decision on borrowing costs due Thursday, one day after the Fed outcome.
The BoE is expected to keep its key rate unchanged after cutting it in August, while the European Central Bank further reduced borrowing costs last week as inflation cools.
Asian stock markets fluctuated on Monday, with Hong Kong edging up but Singapore slipping. Trade was muted with holidays in Tokyo and Shanghai.
On currency markets the yen briefly hit 140.07 per dollar -- its strongest level since July last year -- ahead of a policy meeting at the Bank of Japan (BoJ) starting Thursday.
Most analysts expect the BoJ to hold rates steady after a surprise hike at the end of July sparked market turmoil.
Gold struck a fresh record high of $2,589.70 per ounce.
Traders are keeping tabs on developments in China after more weak data on credit, retail sales, industrial production and house prices stoked concerns about the state of the world's number two economy.
The figures "collectively add to concerns that policy measures announced in recent weeks and months have so far failed to have any measurable impact in lifting economic growth", said National Australia Bank's Ray Attrill.
Oil prices have fallen recently on concerns about Chinese demand, but they jumped over one percent Monday as much US Gulf production is still offline after the passage of Hurricane Francine.
- Key figures around 1340 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 41,634.38 points
New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.2 percent at 5,614.87
New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 17,490.58
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,284.07
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,453.53
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.4 percent at 18,631.09
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.3 percent at 17,422.12 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: Closed for a holiday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1133 from $1.1079 on Friday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3209 from $1.3125
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 140.44 yen from 140.76 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.30 pence from 84.40 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.9 percent at $72.96 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.3 percent at $70.22 per barrel
F.Moura--PC