- Coldplay ticket scalping fiasco sparks backlash in India
- Droughts drive Spanish boom in pistachio farming
- Tokyo recovers some losses to lead Asian markets higher
- Rural schools empty in North Macedonia due to exodus
- US dockworkers launch strike after labor contract expires
- Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan
- Kenya airport whistleblower fears for his life
- Sheinbaum to take office as Mexico's first woman president
- Scientists fear underfunded Argentina research on verge of collapse
- US port officials gird for strike despite last-minute bargaining
- With 118 dead from Hurricane Helene, Biden defends US government response
- Breeder who tried to create enormous trophy sheep jailed in US
- Qatar Airways seeking 25% stake in Virgin Australia
- US port officials gird for strike as labor talks stay stuck
- As toll crosses 100, Trump puts Hurricane Helene at election center stage
- US Fed Chair sees 'further disinflation' in economy
- Epic Games sues Google and Samsung over app store
- Officials see no shortages from likely US port strike
- UK families of Gaza hostages warn Lebanon attack 'takes focus away'
- Shares in Stellantis, Aston Martin skid on profit warnings
- Dali prints found in London garage sold at auction
- ECB chief backs bank mergers amid UniCredit, Commerzbank talk
- China stocks soar on stimulus, but US and Europe retreat
- 100 dead in storm Helene damage, flooding across US southeast
- 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
Stock markets extend recovery, dollar at multi-year highs
Stock markets powered higher Thursday, extending a recovery on bargain hunting after sharp losses at the start of the week.
In foreign exchange, the dollar traded around 20-year peaks versus the yen and at the highest level in more than five years against the euro as the Federal Reserve aggressively hikes US interest rates.
Trading is volatile across major assets as investors remain on high alert over a range of crises including the Ukraine war, surging inflation, higher interest rates and Chinese Covid lockdowns.
National Australia Bank's Rodrigo Catril said "risk assets in general still need to navigate the consequences from what looks to be an increasingly more aggressive policy tightening by many central banks".
He added that "China's zero-Covid policy remains in place and the prospect of a protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict does not bode well for the energy prices and energy supply for Europe in particular."
The ongoing earnings season has meanwhile seen a mixed bag of results that have weighed on tech firms, though there was some cheer from a forecast-beating reading by Facebook parent Meta on Wednesday, which analysts said could provide some relief to the sector.
Investors took heart also from a report by China's state broadcaster CCTV that said officials had promised more policies on boosting the nation's employment.
Unemployment in China -- the world's second biggest economy after the United States -- has recently jumped on fresh Covid lockdowns in major cities including Shanghai.
It comes at a time of surging inflation that is causing central banks around the globe to hike interest rates.
Sweden's central bank on Thursday became the latest to lift rates, from zero to 0.25 percent.
The Federal Reserve is next week expected to lift US interest rates by half a point and signal further big increases through the year.
So far the European Central Bank has refused to tighten borrowing costs and on Thursday ECB vice-president Luis de Guindos said a surge in eurozone consumer prices is "very close" to reaching its peak.
Soaring prices are impacting consumers and businesses.
Unilever on Thursday announced a jump in revenue after the British consumer goods giant passed on higher costs to customers.
In other corporate news, shares in Standard Chartered soared 16 percent in London after the bank that is focused on Asia and emerging markets globally lifted its annual profits outlook after an upbeat first quarter.
- Key figures at 1100 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 1.0 percent at 7,495.80 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.3 percent at 6,531.51
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.2 percent at 13,964.11
EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.3 percent at 3,783.29
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 percent at 26,847.90 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.7 percent at 20,276.17 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 2,975.48 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 33,301.93 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0501 from $1.0556 late Wednesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2472 from $1.2543
Euro/pound: UP at 84.18 pence from 84.14 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 130.46 yen from 128.43 yen
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $105.20 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.2 percent at $102.22 per barrel
A.Agostinelli--CPN