- Ex-Barcelona and Spain great Iniesta retires aged 40
- Duo wins Physics Nobel for 'foundational' AI breakthroughs
- German 'Maddie' suspect could be free in 2025 after cleared of separate sex crimes
- China slaps provisional tariffs on EU brandy imports
- Ex-skipper Skelton eyes Wallabies November return
- Spanish great Iniesta leaves indelible legacy after retirement
- Indian Kashmir elects first regional government in a decade
- Hong Kong stocks crash, oil prices retreat on fading China boost
- Man City accuse Premier League of 'misleading' claims after legal case
- Duo wins Physics Nobel for key breakthroughs in AI
- Agha defies England as Pakistan post 515-8 in first Test
- September second-warmest on record: EU climate monitor
- Pastor wanted by US for sex trafficking to run for Philippine senate
- Mozambican writer Mia Couto dreams future leaders set an 'example'
- German 'Maddie' suspect could be free soon after cleared of separate sex crimes
- China says to take anti-dumping measures against EU brandy imports
- German suspect in 'Maddie' case cleared in separate sex crimes trial
- Israel expands offensive against Hezbollah in south Lebanon
- China stocks rally fizzles on stimulus worries amid Asia retreat
- Bangladesh's Yunus says no elections before reforms
- England strike twice as Pakistan reach 397-6 at lunch in first Test
- China stocks rally peters out on stimulus worries amid Asia retreat
- Taiwan's Foxconn says building world's largest 'superchip' plant
- Kenya's deputy president faces impeachment vote
- N. Korean soldiers 'highly likely' killed in Ukraine: Seoul
- 'Appeals Centre' to referee EU social media disputes
- US Supreme Court to hear 'ghost guns' regulation case
- 'Small' oil leaks detected in Samoa after NZ navy shipwreck
- Nobel literature jury may go for non-Western writer
- At Istanbul church, blessed spring offers hope to Christians and Muslims
- From Bolivia to Indonesia, deforestation continues apace
- Myanmar to send rep to regional summit for first time in three years
- Prabowo set to lead bolder Indonesia on world stage
- Tampa zoo rushes Chompers the porcupine and others to safety as Milton nears
- Shanghai stocks pare early surge on stimulus worries amid Asia retreat
- New Japan PM to hold talks on ASEAN sidelines
- Record number of climbers chase 14-peak dream in Tibet
- Former South Korea clinic for US 'comfort women' to be demolished
- China holds off on fresh stimulus but 'confident' will hit growth target
- Chiefs battle past Saints to stay unbeaten
- Deal on climate aid hangs in balance at UN COP29 summit
- Royals hit back against Yankees, Tigers maul Guardians
- German suspect in 'Maddie' case faces verdict in sex crimes trial
- Top economic official 'confident' China will hit 2024 growth target
- COP29 fight looms over climate funds for developing world
- Shanghai stocks soar to extend stimulus rally amid Asia-wide drop
- Australia moves to expand Antarctic marine park
- Tragedy of Madrid street sweeper highlights how heatwaves kill
- Survivors wait for aid as Trump's lies help cloud Helene response
- Fleeing Israeli bombs, Lebanon's displaced met with suspicion
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Eurozone stocks rise, euro slides as ECB holds fire
Eurozone stock markets rose Thursday while the euro slid as the European Central Bank remained vague about when it will raise interest rates in the face of soaring inflation.
Meanwhile oil prices, whose recent surge has contributed to inflation around the globe reaching the highest levels in decades, came off the boil.
The ECB stood still in the face of record inflation, keeping its stimulus plans and rates unchanged, as the war in Ukraine cast a pall over the eurozone economy.
Meeting for the second time since the outbreak of the conflict, the bank's 25-member governing council stuck to a plan that "should" see its bond-buying scheme come to an end in the third quarter.
An interest rate hike would follow "some time" after the stimulus programme comes to an end, and any increases "will be gradual".
The decision leaves the ECB further out of step with many of its peers. Central banks such as the Bank of England, US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada have already triggered their first interest rate rises in response to soaring inflation.
Prices were already soaring in major economies when Russia's invasion in late February sent shockwaves through the global energy, food and commodity markets.
Data this week from the United States -- the world's biggest economy -- showed inflation at a level not seen in 40 years.
The euro took a knock after the ECB's decision, losing ground against the dollar and pound.
However, eurozone stocks rose, with Frankfurt and Paris both rising 0.8 percent in afternoon trading.
Wall Street opened higher although another major bank reported a big fall in profits and set aside money due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Citigroup said its first quarter profits tumbled 46 percent to $4.3 billion, in a similar performance to JPMorgan Chase which reported Wednesday a sharp drop in profits and warned of downside risks from the Ukraine war and surging inflation.
Citigroup said it set aside $1.9 billion in reserves due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Elsewhere on the corporate front, Tesla chief Elon Musk launched a hostile takeover bid for Twitter, offering to buy 100 percent of its stock and take it private, according to a stock exchange filing.
Musk offered $54.20 a share, but the company's share price only rose by around 2.4 percent to $46.90 after 10 minutes of trading.
Despite falling Thursday, both main oil contracts stayed firmly above the $100 per barrel mark, with fears swirling about global supply constraints over the invasion of Ukraine by Russia -- a major producer of oil and gas.
- Key figures around 1330 GMT -
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.8 percent at 14,185.2 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.8 percent at 6,594.80
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.7 percent at 3,785.59
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.5 percent at 7,619.60
New York - Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 34,735.73
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 27,172.00 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.7 percent at 21,518.08 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.2 percent at 3,225.64 (close)
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 1.3 percent at 107.44 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.5 percent at 102.80 per barrel
Euro/dollar - DOWN at $1.0829 from $1.0894 at 2100 GMT
Pound/dollar - DOWN at $1.3085 from $1.3109
Euro/pound - DOWN at 82.78 pence from 83.03 pence
Dollar/yen - DOWN at 125.53 from 125.59
P.Costa--AMWN