April 18 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index opened muted on Thursday, propelled by materials stocks tracking higher prices of metals, while investors awaited fresh cues on the timing of interest rate cuts by central banks. At 9:31 a.m. ET (13:31 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 49 points, or 0.23%, at 21,705.05. ...

* TSX up 0.3% * Materials shares lead gains * Lithium Americas ( LAC ) discounts equity offering; shares plummet (Updated at 10:00 a.m. ET/ 1400 GMT) By Purvi Agarwal April 18 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index edged marginally higher on Thursday, propelled by materials stocks tracking higher prices of metals, while miner Lithium Americas ( LAC ) tumbled...

* U.S. weekly jobless claims unchanged at low levels * Israel has signalled it will retaliate against Iran (Rewrites as of 1344 GMT) By Ashitha Shivaprasad April 18 (Reuters) - Safe-haven gold gained on Thursday as persistent tensions in the Middle East added to the metal's appeal despite robust economic data from the U.S. that raised prospects of fewer interest...

* European stocks trade higher, focus on earnings * Oil prices fall, easing inflation worries * U.S., Japan, Korea make currency statement (Updates prices throughout, adds Wall Street futures) By Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - Global markets showed signs of recovery on Thursday, with European stocks rising slightly and the U.S. dollar pulling back from recent gains, while...