London — World stocks were knocked off 22-month highs on Wednesday as a renewed flare-up in China-US tensions and the creeping return of US recession fears fueled a bid for bonds and other “safe” assets such as gold.

European equities tumbled 0.5% at the open, edging further off recent four-year highs hit when it had appeared Washington and Beijing were about to agree the first phase of a trade deal. Wall Street futures were marked lower while oil prices suffered their biggest daily loss in seven weeks...

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