- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
European stocks rebound sharply on bargain hunting
European equities surged Wednesday on bargain hunting, but analysts warned that the temporary bounce would not last due to fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Frankfurt's benchmark DAX index and the Paris CAC 40 each soared about five percent in late morning deals.
Outside the eurozone, London's FTSE 100 jumped 1.5 percent, despite earlier Asian losses.
"European markets rebound as investors fish for bargains," summarised Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Brent crude fell but held near $124 per barrel, one day after the United States and Britain moved to ban imports of Russian crude as part of Western sanctions on Moscow.
- 'Dead cat bounce' -
"It's more than likely a dead cat bounce," OANDA analyst Craig Erlam told AFP in reference to surging European stocks.
A "dead cat bounce" is a market term referring to a rebound that briefly interrupts a prolonged downturn.
"We appear to be seeing a temporary corrective move," Erlam said, predicting the rebound would not last as Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine.
"The invasion is still happening, sanctions are still being imposed and oil prices are still high," he noted.
"None of that is conducive with a sustainable stock market recovery."
Major Asian markets declined Wednesday as investors dwelled on Washington's Russian oil and gas ban.
EU nations, which receive roughly 40 percent of their gas imports and one quarter of their oil from Russia, opted to set a goal of cutting their Russian gas imports by two-thirds.
European natural gas prices languished far below this week's record peak, despite fears over the region's reliance on Russian gas.
Europe gas reference Dutch TTF slid 18 percent to 175.75 euros per megawatt hour, having leapt at the start of this week to an all-time high at 345 euros.
Brent had spiked to $139 on Monday -- about $8 short of an all-time record -- in expectation of the US embargo.
Dealers warn of more markets volatility as Russia showed no sign of letting up on its assault on Ukraine.
- $240 oil? -
Prices could rocket further if more nations slap sanctions on Russian crude, according to Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil markets at Rystad Energy.
"Oil prices could hit $240 per barrel this summer in the worst-case scenario if Western countries roll out sanctions on Russia's oil exports en masse," Tonhaugen said.
"Market volatility is at an all-time high, with ... the expectation that supply will further tighten due to restrictive sanctions on Russian energy from the West."
The crisis has also fuelled fears that the fragile global recovery from Covid-19 will be replaced by a period of stagflation, in which inflation surges and economies flatline or contract.
Haven investment gold declined Wednesday, one day after hitting a near-record $2,070 per ounce -- the highest since August 2020.
- Key figures around 1125 GMT -
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 5.1 percent at 13,486.53 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 4.9 percent at 6,256.33
London - FTSE 100: UP 1.8 percent at 7,091.04
EURO STOXX 50: UP 5.1 percent at 3,685.28
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 24,717.53 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.7 percent at 20,627.71 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,256.39 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.6 percent at 32,632.64 (close)
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 3.3 percent at $123.67 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.3 percent at $119.65
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0966 from $1.0899 Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3167 from $1.3104
Euro/pound: UP at 83.29 pence from 83.18 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 115.87 yen from 115.67 yen
burs-rfj/lth
M.García--CPN