- Clarke backs Scotland to bounce back from 'tough' run
- Harris, Trump target crucial Pennsylvania as US vote looms
- NASA probe Europa Clipper lifts off for Jupiter's icy moon
- Lebanese Red Cross says 18 killed in strike in north
- Mendy borrowed money from Man City team-mates for legal fees
- Palestinian officials say Israeli forces kill two in West Bank
- Football leagues, unions file EU complaint against FIFA in calendar dispute
- Nigeria boycott AFCON qualifier in Libya after 'inhumane treatment'
- India to recall top envoy to Canada: foreign ministry
- Hezbollah, Israeli troops in 'violent clashes' after drone strike
- China insists won't renounce 'use of force' to take Taiwan as drills end
- Painkiller sale plan to US gives France major headache
- Italy begins landmark migrant transfers to Albania
- Russia jails French researcher for three years
- 'Unsustainable' housing crisis bedevils Spain's socialist govt
- Stocks shrug off China disappointment but oil slides
- New Zealand 4-0 up in America's Cup but British show signs of life
- Russian prosecutor demands 3 years prison for French researcher
- 'Innocent' British nerve agent victim caught in global murder plot: inquiry
- Afghan Taliban vow to implement media ban on images of living things
- Russian prosecutor demands 3 years, 3 months jail for French researcher
- England ready for Pakistan's spin assault in second Test
- New Zealand's Ravindra excited for India Tests with father in crowd
- India's capital bans fireworks to curb air pollution
- Stocks diverge, oil retreats as China disappoints markets
- FIFA to open 'global dialogue' on transfer system after Diarra ruling
- Trio wins economics Nobel for work on wealth inequality
- Starmer vows to cut red tape as he urges foreign investors to 'back' UK
- Ex-Stasi officer jailed over 1974 Berlin border killing
- 'Not viable': Barcelona turns against surging tourism
- Hezbollah says targeted Israeli naval base after deadly drone strike
- Rice praises 'unbelievable' England interim boss Carsley despite uncertainty
- Nepali teenager hailed as hero after climbing world's 8,000m peaks
- England captain Stokes back from injury for second Pakistan Test
- Shanghai stocks gain after stimulus briefing as markets rally
- Shanghai stocks gain after stimulus briefing as Asian markets rally
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone flights anger North
- Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases
- Nearly 90, but opera legend Kabaivanska is still calling tune
- Smith experiment as Test opener over, Green out of India series
- With inflation down, ECB eyes faster tempo of rate cuts
- Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate
- Dodgers crush Mets 9-0 in MLB playoff series opener
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone tensions soar
- Cummins back, Marsh and Head out of Pakistan ODI series
- Shanghai stocks swing after stimulus briefing as most of Asia rises
- New Zealand's Latham promises 'no fear' as he takes charge for India Tests
- Kyrgios vows to 'shut up' doubters with December comeback
- Public hearings start into death of Brit by Russian nerve agent
- Ex-Stasi officer faces verdict over 1974 Berlin border killing
Asian markets mosty up as traders eye Fed minutes
Asian stocks mostly rose Monday following small gains on Wall Street as investors grow increasingly optimistic that the Federal Reserve has come to the end of its interest rate hiking cycle.
After a string of reports pointing to slowing inflation and a cooling jobs market, traders are shifting back into riskier assets as they bet on a loosening of financial conditions in the new year, with many eyeing rate cuts.
Focus will be on the release later in the week of minutes from the Fed's November policy meeting, where officials held borrowing costs and hinted that they could be finished with their tightening campaign.
"While the Fed is likely pleased with the evolving data, the minutes will be scrutinised in the context of easier financial conditions since the meeting and a more favourable macro environment supporting the soft landing narrative," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes.
All three main indexes on Wall Street ended slightly higher Friday, while observers said they expected this week to see light trading heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.
In Asia, Hong Kong rose after Friday's hefty loss fuelled by a 10 percent collapse in e-commerce titan Alibaba. The market heavyweight gained more than one percent Monday.
There were also gains in Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Jakarta and Wellington, but Tokyo fell, having briefly hit a 33-year high in the morning, while Mumbai, Singapore and Manila were also in the red.
Marty Dropkin, of Fidelity International, warned that the path might not be completely risk-free.
"The risk... is that with yields falling and equities rising, financial conditions are loosening," he said in a note.
"If that continues to such an extent that the Fed becomes unsettled, potentially with some upside surprises in inflation prints, the Fed may reassert its hawkish rhetoric, which could spark volatility. That is probably more of a story for next year, and in the short term a year-end rally in equities is looking credible."
Expectations that interest rates will more than likely come down instead of rising further weighed on the dollar, which struggled to recover from last week's losses.
And crude prices edged up, extending Friday's gains of more than four percent ahead of a meeting of OPEC and other key producers, where Russia and Saudi Arabia could extend output cuts.
- Key figures around 0700 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 33,388.03 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.5 percent at 17,722.18
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,068.32 (close)
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.14 yen from 149.64 yen on Friday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0917 from $1.0916
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2480 from $1.2465
Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.48 pence from 87.55 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.9 percent at $76.73 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.8 percent at $81.29 per barrel
New York - Dow: FLAT at 34,947.28 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 1.3 percent at 7,504.25 (close)
J.Williams--AMWN