- China stocks soar on stimulus, Europe slides on automaker woes
- German antitrust watchdog steps up monitoring of Microsoft
- Nepal's urban poor count cost of 'nightmare' floods
- E.Guinea, Gabon clash at ICJ over oil-rich islands
- New blow for UK's Starmer as growth data disappoints
- China's top banks to tweak mortgage rates to boost housing market
- 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?
Asian markets mixed as strong US jobs data boosts rate hike bets
Asian markets were mixed Monday as another strong jobs report provided some reassurance that the recovery in the US economy remained on track but also solidified expectations for more aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
The gains were helped by another drop in oil prices after the 31-nation International Energy Agency agreed to tap its vast reserves to offset the removal of Russian exports, while the start of a ceasefire in Yemen eased concerns over supplies from the region.
Officials said Friday that the world's top economy added 431,000 positions in March while the unemployment rate fell to just slightly above pre-pandemic levels.
The figures showed that while inflation has surged to a 40-year high and the Ukraine war has fanned uncertainty, the recovery continues.
The economy's resilience will be taken as further evidence that the economy could withstand a sharper rise in interest rates to bring prices under control, with many observers now predicting a half-point hike in May.
However, expectations that rates will continue to go up have seen Treasury yields surge with commentators saying there were warning signs that growth will slow as the year progresses.
"It would not be surprising to see yields rise further from here and it is very hard to know where they will land," Angela Ashton, of Evergreen Consultants, noted.
"Markets are volatile and there is every chance they will overshoot."
A positive close on Wall Street was followed by a broadly upbeat start to the week in Asia.
Hong Kong led gains thanks to a rally in tech firms after Beijing removed a rule preventing US authorities from inspecting the audits of Chinese companies listed in New York.
The announcement came after a drawn-out row between the two countries with Washington saying Chinese firms could be delisted by 2024 if they do not comply with audit requirements.
The demand put at risk more than 200 companies including ecommerce titans Alibaba and JD.com and Tencent.
Singapore, Sydney and Seoul also rose, though Tokyo, Manila and Jakarta struggled.
Crude extended Friday's losses -- with WTI holding below $100 -- after IEA members including the United States, Japan the European Union pledged to dip into stockpiles to shore up tight supplies caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The grouping made the promise at an emergency ministerial meeting, having already announced last week a plan to release more than 60 million barrels.
That came a day after Joe Biden said he would release a record 180 million barrels onto the market over six months.
Meanwhile, there was also some cheer from news of a 60-day ceasefire in Yemen's six-year civil war, which has seen several attacks on Saudi facilities that have hit output from the world's biggest producer.
Still, analysts said that while markets equity and crude markets have shown some stability after the wild swings seen at the start of the Ukraine war, uncertainty continued to act as a drag and traders remained nervous.
"Risk sentiment over the past week has been inconsistent," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes.
"Market signals could be characterised by a repetitive cat-and-mouse game whereby headlines initially emerge around the progress in ceasefire talks before being typically walked down by Russian officials who deny the odds of any close peace deal.
- Key figures around 0230 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 27,626.77 (break)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.2 percent at 22,297.32
Shanghai - Composite: Closed for a holiday
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $104.00 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $99.01 per barrel
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1051 from $1.1049 late Friday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3112 from $1.3118
Euro/pound: UP at 84.28 pence at 84.24 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 122.61 yen from 122.49 yen
New York - Dow: UP 0.4 percent at 34,818.27 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 7,537.90 (close)
X.Cheung--CPN