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- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
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- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
- Phasing out teen smoking could save 1.2 mn lives: study
- 'Welcome relief': Asia producers hail EU deforestation law delay
- Japan PM slated to announce plans for 'happiness index'
- Turkish inflation falls less than expected in September at 49.4%
- Easing inflation lifts profit at UK supermarket Tesco
- Skiing calls on UN climate science to combat melting future
- China wine industry looks to breed climate resilience
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong drops after surge
- Dutch airline KLM unveils 'firm' cost-cutting measures
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- Will AI one day win a Nobel Prize?
- Climate change, economics muddy West's drive to curb Chinese EVs
- Argentina's Milei vetoes university budget after huge protests
- TotalEnergies plans to grow oil and gas production until 2030
- 2024 Nobels offer glimmer of hope as global crises mount
- Tokyo rallies on weak yen, Hong Kong reverses after surge
- Tunisia readies for vote as incumbent Saied eyes victory
- High childcare costs in US weigh on women's employment
- US voters seek help with crushing childcare costs
- Taiwan shuts down for second day as Typhoon Krathon to land
- Supercharged storms: how climate change amplifies cyclones
Asia stocks up before Powell speech, China tech adds support
Asian markets rose Friday after a Wall Street rally ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell that is expected to reiterate his plan to ramp up interest rates to fight inflation.
Adding to the strong buying sentiment were signs of progress in talks between US and Chinese regulators that could see tech titans including Alibaba and JD.com avoid a delisting from New York.
Global equities have staggered in recent weeks after a near two-month rally from their June lows as a string of Fed officials lined up to reaffirm their commitment to tighten monetary policy, despite some promising economic data.
All eyes are now on Powell's remarks later Friday at the annual symposium of top bankers and finance chiefs at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Most expect him to confirm that more hikes are on the way as officials try to bring inflation down from painful highs not seen in four decades.
Analysts said that while a number of board members have lined up this week, the hawkish tilt has largely been baked into market prices.
The key issue now is by how much the bank will tighten over the coming months, with expectations for a half-point lift in next month, after two three-quarter moves in June and July.
Wall Street's three main indexes ended well up Thursday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 more than one percent to the good.
And Asia followed the lead, with Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Wellington all well up.
- US-China tech boost -
Hong Kong and Shanghai were among the best performers with a surge in tech companies thanks to news that China-US regulatory talks were progressing.
More than 200 Chinese firms have for months had the threat of New York delisting hanging over them as they are caught in a wide-ranging row between the superpowers.
But reports said Thursday that Beijing had called on top accounting firms to prepare to bring US-listed companies' audit papers to Hong Kong, to be reviewed by US officials.
US lawmakers set a 2024 deadline for the removal of businesses that do not comply with listing rules and the latest move could provide a big step in avoiding that.
"To see that both sides are communicating, it is a good thing," said Daisy Li, at EFG Asset Management.
"Still, we will need to see if the US side is actually willing to accept the disclosure. If this can be resolved, it could help lower some (of the) China market's geopolitical risk premium."
The reports came as China announced plans to boost its flagging economy by pumping in tens of billions of dollars to kickstart lending, consumption and investment.
However, analysts have warned that while the cash injection will be welcomed, investors were more keen to see an easing of the zero-Covid policies that have led to the lockdown of major cities and battered industries.
- Key figures at around 0230 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 28,745.42 (break)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.7 percent at 20,100.06
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,260.75
Euro/dollar: UP at 0.9970 from 0.9968 Thursday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.1823 from $1.1826
Euro/pound: UP at 84.33 pence from 84.28 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 136.76 yen from 136.36 yen
West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.0 percent at $93.41 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 1.0 percent at $100.34
New York - Dow: UP nearly 1.0 percent at 33,291.78 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 7,479.74 (close)
P.Gonzales--CPN