- Geoffrey Hinton, soft-spoken godfather of AI
- 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
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Europe stocks advance after Wall Street records
Europe's stock markets rose Wednesday following a record-breaking Wall Street performance after US Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell hinted at interest-rate cuts later this year.
London, Frankfurt and Paris also rebounded from recent losses sparked by French post-election uncertainty.
Traders shrugged off a mixed Asian showing and awaited further comments from Powell.
The dollar traded mixed.
Although his semi-annual Senate testimony on Tuesday did not indicate when Fed interest-rate cuts may come, analysts are predicting the first in September and a second before year's end.
"Powell placed emphasis on needing 'greater confidence' that inflation was moving back towards target but also acknowledged the risk of leaving interest rates high for too long, pointing to cooling labour market conditions and the risk of unduly weakening economic activity," noted Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter Investors.
"The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, core PCE inflation, now providing a more reassuring message, together with the signs of a cooling economy, (means) that investors' expectations of two rate cuts... are reasonable" by the end of the year.
James stressed however that the US central bank would refrain from any move in rates in November, in order to show impartiality close to a US presidential election.
Powell is set to testify before a House committee later Wednesday, and investors will also be eyeing US consumer inflation data due Thursday for further insight that price rises are still easing as hoped.
"Thursday's CPI data could be crucial in determining whether the probability of a September rate cut increases further from the current 70 percent," said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes.
In Asia on Wednesday, Hong Kong stocks finished in the red after earlier rising more than one percent. Shanghai closed lower, and Sydney, Mumbai and Manila were also down.
But Tokyo stocks advanced with the benchmark Nikkei 225 reaching an all-time high. Seoul was flat, while Taipei, Wellington, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur all rose.
- Key figures around 1110 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 8,188.46 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.7 percent at 7,559.45
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.6 percent at 18,348.80
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.6 percent at 4,934.44
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.6 percent at 41,831.99 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 17,471.67 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 2,939.36 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 39,291.97 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0822 from $1.0819 at 2040 GMT on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2807 from $1.2790
Dollar/yen: UP at 161.47 yen from 161.29 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.51 pence from 84.56 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $81.30 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.2 percent at $84.46 per barrel
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A.Jones--AMWN