- 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'
- China economy hopes boost global equities
- Ubisoft shares sink after 'Assassin's Creed' delay
- German economy to shrink again in 2024: think tanks
Stock markets rise on eve of US inflation data
Stock markets climbed Wednesday on the eve of highly anticipated US inflation data, with sentiment buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Oil prices extended losses on hopes of an international deal over Iran's contested nuclear programme.
Europe's travel sector was lifted by this week's outlook from German tourism giant TUI, which stated that post-pandemic holiday demand is high across all regions.
Nevertheless, investors remain cautious before Thursday's critical US inflation print for January.
Forecasts are for another pop up from the four-decade-high seven percent seen in December, while a big miss in either direction could have big consequences for markets.
- 'Markets could get jittery' -
"Inflation figures from the US ... will be a major influence on the direction of markets as the figures will be digested by the Federal Reserve in its next decision on whether to raise interest rates or not," said AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould.
"With expectations that inflationary pressures are going to get worse in the near-term, markets could get jittery as we approach the data release."
A higher reading will pile pressure on the Fed to embark on a more aggressive tightening campaign -- but a weaker figure would temper those worries.
"The inflation data has continued to rise faster than many anticipated and we're now in a situation where central banks are racing to catch up and get to grips with price pressures," said Oanda's Craig Erlam.
"Many still expect we'll see an orderly return to inflation targets over the forecast horizon with moderate rate increases but the risk of inaction becomes far greater than the alternative."
With speculation swirling over the Fed's plans to battle soaring prices, global equities have fluctuated wildly since the start of the year as traders try to position themselves for a series of interest rate hikes that are likely to begin in March.
The prospect of the removal of cheap cash -- which has pushed markets to record or multi-year highs -- has particularly hit tech firms as they are more susceptible to higher rates.
However, the sector helped New York's three main indexes to healthy gains on Tuesday, and Asia followed suit.
Hong Kong led the way, jumping more than two percent thanks to a 6.8 percent surge in market heavyweight Alibaba after Japan's SoftBank allayed fears it was planning to offload some of its huge holdings in the e-commerce giant.
Alibaba had taken a hit earlier on speculation about the share sale, which compounded the Chinese firm's woes after suffering hefty losses owing to Beijing's crackdown on the tech sector.
- Key figures around 1200 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 7,609.16 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.3 percent at 15,444.33
Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.3 percent at 7,119.25
EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.4 percent at 4,188.23
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 27,579.87 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.1 percent at 24,829.99 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.8 percent at 3,479.95 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 1.1 percent at 35,462.78 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1425 from $1.1415 late Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3573 from $1.3543
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.18 pence from 84.29 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 115.39 from 115.55 yen
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $90.45 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $88.95
Ch.Lefebvre--CPN