- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- 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
European equities extend gains on inflation slowdown
Europe's stock markets advanced Friday on news of slowing eurozone inflation and a UK economy performing slightly better than thought.
The dollar climbed before US inflation figures that should show how much impact the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate hikes are having in taming prices in the world's biggest economy.
The eurozone's annual inflation rate slowed sharply to 6.9 percent in March from 8.5 percent in February, beating expectations as energy prices eased, the EU's statistics agency said.
Inflation still remains well above the two-percent level targeted by the European Central Bank (ECB), despite falling from a peak of 10.6 percent in October.
London stocks were boosted by upgraded data showing that the UK economy grew 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year to narrowly avoid recession. An initial reading had output flat in the final three months of last year.
The Bank of England and ECB have raised interest rates repeatedly to tame red-hot inflation but the size of the next hikes are unclear after recent turbulence in the commercial banking industry.
The eurozone data also showed eurozone core inflation, a key indicator that strips out volatile food and energy, edged up to 5.7 percent.
"Headline inflation is coming down sharpish due to energy base effects -- but core is rising and showing an extremely sticky tendency which is the real worry," noted Finalto analyst Neil Wilson.
In Asia, stock markets built on gains as banking-sector worries faded and traders grew optimistic that central banks could be near the end of their rate-hiking cycle.
With the financial turmoil of recent weeks subsiding, traders are refocusing on the battle against inflation, though expectations for how high borrowing costs will go have lowered.
The Fed had been tipped to push rates well above five percent by the end of the year, but with credit seen narrowing in light of the latest upheaval, forecasts are for them to finish just above four percent.
That has helped push up global equities, which had been under pressure through February and March.
Hong Kong stocks were boosted also by a rally in tech firms after it emerged that e-commerce giant Alibaba's logistics arm was preparing for a listing in the city.
News of the IPO by Cainiao Network Technology came after Alibaba said it intended to split into six units and go public.
Factory and services activity data suggesting that China's powerhouse economy continued to improve also lifted confidence.
- Key figures around 1030 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 7,636.86 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 15,579.38
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.5 percent at 7,298.28
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.4 percent at 4,301.26
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 28,041.48 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.5 percent at 20,400.11 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,272.86 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 0.4 percent at 32,859.03 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0892 from $1.0905 on Thursday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2381 from $1.2386
Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.93 pence from 88.04 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 133.40 yen from 132.70 yen
Brent North Sea crude: FLAT at $79.25 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $74.63 per barrel
burs-rfj/bcp/lth
A.Levy--CPN