U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday that recent consumer price inflation data was "a tad higher" than expectations, but Americans should focus on longer-term declines in inflation trends and a strong economy and rising wages.

Asian stocks rose on Thursday, with the Nikkei breaching a new 34-year peak, while the dollar took a breather near a three-month high as markets assess when the Federal Reserve is likely to start its easing cycle after a run of strong economic data.

Oil prices fell in Asian trade on Thursday, extending losses after a substantially bigger-than-expected build in U.S. inventories pointed to well-supplied markets, while Japanese recession signals drove up concerns over slowing demand. 

The U.S. dollar held below a three-month high on Thursday, as market players tried to gauge when the Federal Reserve will likely begin cutting interest rates as Fed officials weighed in on Tuesday's inflation data.

Terms for the integration of Ukraine's agricultural sector into the European Union will be determined during negotiations, two ministers said on Tuesday, denying Kyiv was considering seeking an easing of the EU's Green Deal requirements.

British pay grew at the weakest pace in more than a year at the end of 2023 but the slowdown was probably not significant enough to spur the Bank of England into quicker action towards cutting interest rates.