- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- 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
European stocks rebound as Credit Suisse grabs lifeline, ECB meets
European stock markets rebounded slightly Thursday after troubled banking giant Credit Suisse secured a big financial lifeline and before a crucial interest-rate decision by the European Central Bank.
Frankfurt, London and Paris won modest gains, a day after plunging about 3.5 percent over fears about the health of Credit Suisse and the wider banking system following the implosions of two US lenders.
The euro advanced against the dollar ahead of the ECB's rate decision due Thursday.
Oil prices dipped slightly after plunging to their lowest levels in 15 months on Wednesday.
"One minute the market is worried about a banking crisis, the next minute it is more relaxed," noted Russ Mould, investment director at stockbroker AJ Bell.
"The next test for the markets will be the ECB's interest rate decision... It seems unthinkable that it would go for an aggressive 50-basis point hike given the nervousness around the banking system."
The ECB call is the first by a major central bank since markets were rocked by banking crisis fears, testing the eurozone institution's resolve to implement another hefty rate hike.
Investors say the ECB should reconsider its plans following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature, the sector's biggest failures since the 2008 global financial crisis.
There is much debate also over whether the US central bank will continue with its rate tightening campaign as the collapse of SVB has been widely linked to the sharp rise in borrowing costs over the past year.
Some commentators expect officials to lift rates once more next week but possibly hold afterwards, while there is a growing belief that it could even announce cuts before the end of the year.
The market rout has forced Credit Suisse to tap on a financial lifeline from the Swiss central bank.
After seeing its stocks in freefall Wednesday, Switzerland's second biggest bank, already battling multiple scandals, sought to stave off the latest crisis by announcing it would borrow up to $53.7 billion from the country's central bank.
Its shares soared more than 30 percent at the open Thursday.
"Fear has once again gripped the markets, concerned about a repeat of past crises... and the implications for the financial system and global economy," said Craig Erlam, senior analyst at OANDA trading group.
"Of course, this is natural when so little is known about the situation and what it ultimately means for the health of the rest of the system."
- Key figures around 1130 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 7,395.95 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 14,775.50
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.5 percent at 6,922.92
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.4 percent at 4,049.54
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.8 percent at 27,010.61 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.7 percent at 19,203.91 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,226.89 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.9 percent at 31,874.57 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0611 from $1.0578
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2039 from $1.2055
Euro/pound: UP at 88.13 pence from 87.71 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 132.74 yen from 133.45 yen
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.2 percent at $67.46 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $73.62 per barrel
burs-bcp/rfj/lth
O.Ignatyev--CPN