- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
Asian markets boosted by tech rally, traders eye US inflation
Tech firms led an Asian market rally Thursday on renewed optimism about demand for AI equipment following a strong earnings outlook from US chip giant Micron.
News that South Korean behemoth SK hynix had started mass production of a more advanced artificial intelligence chip also fanned optimism among investors already upbeat after China unveiled a raft of economy-boosting measures this week.
The positive sentiment on trading floors comes ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation which could play a role in officials' plans for interest rates, following last week's mood-boosting bumper cut.
Tech shares have been the main driver of a surge in global markets this year -- pushing several to record highs -- as demand for all things AI heats up.
While they have seen a lull in recent weeks on worries the rally may have been overblown, there is optimism that there are more gains ahead.
The latest jump came after Micron Technology on Wednesday unveiled better-than-expected sales and profit forecasts, which ramped up hopes for demand for AI gear.
That was followed Thursday by reports that SK hynix had started producing the new, advanced chips, pushing its stocks more than eight percent higher in Seoul.
There were also big gains for rival South Korean giant Samsung and Japan's Sony, while e-commerce titan Alibaba and JD.com joined the tech surge in Hong Kong.
Tokyo rose more than two percent as exporters were lifted by the weaker yen, which was sitting at three-week lows despite bets on further Fed monetary policy easing.
Hong Kong and Shanghai continued to build on the week's strong advance, while Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Wellington, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were also well up.
China announced a fresh batch of measures aimed at boosting jobs in China -- particularly among young people -- and helping the poorest with handouts, amid hopes for more to come as the country heads for a week-long break.
A raft of stimulus on Tuesday and Wednesday suggested leaders were listening to calls to reinvigorate the world's number two economy, fanning optimism for a much-needed recovery.
But while the policies were broadly welcomed, analysts have warned that there is much more to do to drag China's economy back on track.
"There is no silver bullet that can bring China back to the double digit growth levels markets have been used to," said Charu Chanana, head of FX strategy at Saxo Capital Markets.
"There is no single policy step that will resolve China's structural issues of debt, deflation and demographics. But the direction of travel is encouraging, and this can help to repair some of the confidence levels in the economy and policymakers."
Attention is also turning to Friday's release of US personal consumption expenditure figures, which is the Fed's go-to measure of inflation.
Debate is swirling on the central bank's next move after last week's 50-basis-point rate cut, and another PCE reading pointing to a slowdown could boost the chances of another big move.
- Key figures around 0300 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.5 percent at 38,812.94 (break)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.6 percent at 19,439.11
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 2,917.58
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1139 from $1.1130 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3330 from $1.3317
Dollar/yen: UP at 144.89 yen from 144.81 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 83.56 pence from 83.54 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.2 percent at $69.84 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $73.66 per barrel
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.7 percent at 41,914.75 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,268.70 (close)
S.Gregor--AMWN