European stock markets closed lower on Friday as heightened tensions in the Middle East rattled investors, overshadowing optimism from improving US-China trade relations.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped 0.89% to finish at 544.94 points. Germany’s DAX 40 fell 1.07% to 23,516.23, France’s CAC 40 declined 1.04% to 7,684.68, and Italy’s FTSE MIB 30 tumbled 1.28% to 39,438.75. In the UK, the FTSE 100 slipped 0.39%, ending the session at 8,850.63.
Investor sentiment deteriorated sharply after Israel launched a large-scale military strike on Iran, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. The attack, which killed dozens including top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists, prompted Iran to request an emergency UN Security Council meeting and pledge severe retaliation.
The euro also lost ground amid the uncertainty, declining 0.181% against the US dollar to trade around 1.156 as of 7.20 p.m. local time (1620GMT).
While markets had been buoyed earlier in the week by signs of progress in US-China trade talks, the sudden spike in geopolitical tensions shifted investor focus toward safe-haven assets and away from equities.
“Geopolitical shocks like this tend to spike volatility and reduce risk appetite,” said one analyst. “Even positive news like easing trade friction takes a backseat when investors are concerned about military escalation and energy market disruption.”
Market participants will be closely monitoring developments over the weekend for further clues on how the conflict may evolve and its potential impact on global markets.
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Erin Patterson, the woman at the centre of Australia’s “mushroom murders”, has been sentenced to life in prison for killing three of her estranged husband’s relatives with a meal of beef wellington laced with deadly death cap mushrooms two years ago.
Thousands of supporters of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro staged protests across several cities on Sunday, days ahead of the conclusion of his trial for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.
Polish border guards reported the discovery of debris from an unidentified flying object in a village near the border with Belarus, police said late on Sunday, the latest in a series of similar incidents in the NATO-member state.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Taliban authorities to lift restrictions on Afghan female aid workers, allowing them to travel without male guardians and help women struggling to access care after a powerful earthquake killed 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Erin Patterson, the woman at the centre of Australia’s “mushroom murders”, has been sentenced to life in prison for killing three of her estranged husband’s relatives with a meal of beef wellington laced with deadly death cap mushrooms two years ago.
Thousands of supporters of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro staged protests across several cities on Sunday, days ahead of the conclusion of his trial for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.
Polish border guards reported the discovery of debris from an unidentified flying object in a village near the border with Belarus, police said late on Sunday, the latest in a series of similar incidents in the NATO-member state.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Taliban authorities to lift restrictions on Afghan female aid workers, allowing them to travel without male guardians and help women struggling to access care after a powerful earthquake killed 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan.
Venezuela will send 25,000 troops to coastal states to fight drug trafficking, President Nicolás Maduro’s government said, following a U.S. deployment of 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for operations against drug cartels.
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