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- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
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- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Mumbai mourns Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- China opens $71 bn 'swap facility' to boost markets
- Asian markets track Wall St record as Hong Kong, Shanghai stabilise
- 'Denying my potential': women at Japan's top university call out gender imbalance
- China's central bank says opens up $70.6 bn in liquidity to boost market
- Youth facing unprecedented wave of violence, UN envoy warns
- 'A casino in every kitchen': Brazil's online gambling craze
- Nobel chemistry winner sees engineered proteins solving tough problems
- Discord seen as online home for renegades
- US forecasts severe solar storm starting Thursday
- Ratan Tata: Indian mogul who built a global powerhouse
- One dead as storm Kirk tears through Spain, Portugal, France
- Indian business titan Ratan Tata dead at 86
- Fed minutes highlight divisions over rate cut decision
- Steve McQueen debuts new WWII film at London festival
- Nobel winners hope protein work will spur 'incredible' breakthroughs
Most markets rise ahead of Powell testimony, US jobs data
Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as traders geared up for this week's release of key US jobs data and Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell's testimony to lawmakers.
His remarks will be closely followed for an idea about the central bank's plans as it ramps up interest rates to quell inflation.
A recent run of figures has suggested the world's top economy continues to run hot and inflation is not coming down as quickly as hoped, putting pressure on the Fed to keep hiking borrowing costs.
Several officials have lined up to warn that rates would have to go higher and be held there for some time.
The prospect of more tightening has dealt a blow to investors who had grown optimistic the Fed would be able to cut rates by the end of the year.
OANDA's Edward Moya said traders were looking at two or three more quarter-point rises before the Fed holds fire.
He added: "This week will likely deliver a make-or-break moment for risk appetite as we will hear Fed Chair Powell's testimony to Congress and find out if the hot January jobs report was an aberration.
"Stocks probably won't be able to have a meaningful rally until we hear from... Powell."
Powell is due to speak to lawmakers on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the closely watched non-farm payrolls report for February is set to be released Friday.
That comes after January's reading showed more than half a million new jobs were created, far more than expected.
"The key focus will be on how Powell sees the US labour market, and whether the (policy board) think that economic conditions have improved or deteriorated since the last Fed meeting," said Michael Hewson at CMC Markets.
"Markets will also be paying attention to whether Powell continues to peddle the same narrative of disinflation, which was a hallmark of his last press conference. If he acknowledges that inflation could be much stickier than the Fed thought over a month ago, that could prompt a pullback in US equity markets."
Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Mumbai, Bangkok, Taipei, Wellington and Manila rose.
Hong Kong and Shanghai erased earlier gains to sit in negative territory in the afternoon as data showed Chinese imports and exports fell in January and February.
London, Paris and Frankfurt inched down at the open.
The gains came after a tepid lead from Wall Street and a soft performance Monday in Asia after China set a lower-than-expected target for economic growth this year.
The news dented hopes for fresh government stimulus, though observers said it could benefit the global economy as a powerful Chinese recovery would likely further fan inflation.
"China reopening trades have severely underperformed, with Asian equities being some of the worst-performing indices this year," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes.
"It is unclear if this merely reflects a positioning unwind or a market downgrade of China's reopening prospects."
- Key figures around 0820 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 28,309.16 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 20,534.48 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,285.10 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,925.82
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0679 from $1.0684 on Monday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2037 from $1.2023
Euro/pound: DOWN at 88.72 pence from 88.84 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 135.64 yen from 135.95 yen
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.2 percent at $80.62 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.4 percent at $86.51 per barrel
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 33,431.44 (close)
X.Wong--CPN