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- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
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- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
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- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Oil extends gains, jobs report lifts Wall Street
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
- Oil extends gains, Hong Kong stocks resume rally
- 'A man provides': Ukrainian miners send families away as Russia advances
- EU states greenlight extra tariffs on EVs from China
- Hong Kong stocks resume rally, oil dips after Middle East-fuelled surge
- Crude stable after Israel-Iran surge, Hong Kong stocks resume gains
- Hera spacecraft to probe asteroid deflected by defence test
- US dockworkers to head back to work after tentative deal
- After Helene's destruction, North Carolina starts to rebuild
- Dockers end three-day strike at Montreal port
- What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
- Israel-Hamas war causes 86-percent dive in Gaza GDP: IMF
- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
- 'Devastating' storm hits Augusta National but Masters will go on
- Relief in Brazil, Asia over delay to EU deforestation rules
- Oil prices jump, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
- Oil prices rise, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- 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
Global markets mixed ahead of US midterms
Asian and European stock markets traded mixed Tuesday in jittery deals as Americans head to the polls in critical midterm elections.
The dollar clawed back some of its recent losses versus the euro, while oil continued to be weighed down by weaker Chinese demand expectations.
Frankfurt stocks gained ground after overnight Wall Street gains, but Paris flatlined and London slid in value.
"Those US midterm elections today might keep investors on the sidelines a bit before they make any major decisions," noted Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson.
Hong Kong and Shanghai sank as speculation about a rollback of China's strict zero-Covid policies fuelled market volatility, even after Beijing vowed to stick with its harsh lockdowns and testing regimes.
On the upside, Tokyo stocks won 1.3 percent.
Polls opened Tuesday in crucial US elections that could decide the political future of both President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump -- who has all but announced he will seek the White House again in 2024.
Biden's Democrats are facing a gargantuan struggle to hang on to Congress, after a race the president has cast as a "defining" moment for US democracy -- while Trump's Republicans have campaigned hard on kitchen-table issues like inflation and crime.
Polls show Republicans are likely to win at least one house of Congress -- and some see the prospect of further Washington gridlock as a scenario that lessens the risk of policy uncertainty.
"Consensus is that investors prefer political deadlock as it prevents any significant shifts in policy," added Scope Markets analyst James Hughes.
"With that looking like a real possibility, the real market turbulence may appear later in the week."
- US on inflation watch -
On Monday, US stocks climbed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing up 1.3 percent and the broad-based S&P 500 rising 1.0 percent.
The next major data point that investors are watching is US inflation data due on Thursday.
SPI Asset Management analyst Stephen Innes said the data "will be the next marker for the (Federal Reserve) on how high to take interest rates".
Back in Asia, Hong Kong closed down 0.2 percent after jumping nearly three percent in the previous session as investors continued to hope for a relaxation of China's strict Covid-19 rules.
"Speculation about reopening continues to add some market volatility," said Taylor Nugent, an economist at National Australia Bank.
"In a timely reminder of the potential for Covid policy to hit output, Apple warned iPhone shipments will be lower than previously expected after China lockdowns affected operations at a supplier's factory," he noted.
- Key figures around 1130 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,293.16 points
Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 6,416.83
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 13,581.88
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.3 percent at 3,722.09
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.3 percent at 27,872.11 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 16,557.31 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,064.49 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 1.3 percent at 32,827.00 (close)
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.1468 from $1.1514 on Monday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0005 from $1.0020
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 146.26 from 146.93 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 87.23 pence from 87.03 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.2 percent at $90.70 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.7 percent at $97.25 per barrel
A.Leibowitz--CPN