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Deadly earthquake forces Thai patients into sports hall
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'Everyone was screaming': quake shocks Thailand tourists
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Rallies grow in South Korea as court weighs president's fate
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Scientists explain why Myanmar quake was so deadly
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Turkey opposition calls mass rally in Istanbul
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Chapman blasts ton as New Zealand win first Pakistan ODI by 73 runs
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French chefs quake as Michelin prepares new guide
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Mike Leigh on the 'hard truths' of film, happiness and World War III
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Myanmar quake toll passes 1,000 as rescuers dig for survivors
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Lights out: Bali guards protect island's day of silence
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Myanmar-Thailand quake toll passes 700 as rescuers dig for survivors
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UK gallery to return Nazi-looted painting to heirs of Jewish collector
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UK dreams of US trade deal before Trump tariffs
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'Blink of an eye': survivor tells of Bangkok skyscraper collapse horror
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The hand of GOAT, Mensik wins with Messi touch
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Partial solar eclipse to cross swathe of Northern Hemisphere
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Tunisian startup turns olive waste into clean energy
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Guinea ex-dictator sentenced for 2009 massacre pardoned: junta
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Chapman ton lifts New Zealand to 344-9 in first Pakistan ODI
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Myanmar quake: what we know
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Vu fires 64 to seize lead at LPGA Ford Championship
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Resurgent Liu wins women's figure skating world title
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Djokovic to face Mensik with 100th title within reach
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Rescuers dig for survivors after huge quake hits Myanmar, Thailand
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South Korea firefighters deploy helicopters as wildfires reignite
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'Defiant' Canada autoworkers vow to fight tariff layoffs
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Performance, museums, history: Trump's cultural power grab
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Russian-born 12-ranked Kasatkina says to play for Australia tennis
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Wallabies back Jorgensen suffers serious ankle injury
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Academy apologizes after stars say it 'failed to defend' Palestinian filmmaker
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UN rights chief demands end to 'horrific suffering' in Ukraine
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Djokovic oozing confidence ahead of century bid
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US regulators to investigate Disney diversity efforts
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Elon Musk says xAI startup buying X platform
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'Jail or death': migrants expelled by Trump fear for their fate
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Djokovic closing in on 100th title after Dimitrov downed in Miami
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Leverkusen beat Bochum to stay hot on Bayern's heels
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Global markets slide as fears over US tariffs intensify
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Dorival Junior sacked as Brazil coach after Argentina humiliation
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Djokovic cruises past Dimitrov into Miami Open final
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No.1 Scheffler ties Houston Open record with 62 to grab lead
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Trump auto tariffs strike at heart of North American trade
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Vance says Denmark has 'under invested' in Greenland
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Green light for Winter Olympics bobsleigh slope
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Musk's DOGE team emerges from the shadows
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Film stars blast Academy for 'failing to defend' Palestinian filmmaker
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Record fine for UK university renews free speech row
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Grizzlies fire head coach Jenkins: team
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'Game-changing' Hazlewood shines as Bengaluru thrash Chennai in IPL
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Table-topping Bengaluru thrash Chennai by 50 runs in IPL

Stocks mostly rise on trade optimism, but Trump uncertainty lingers
Lingering hopes that Donald Trump's planned tariff blitz next week will not be as painful as feared lifted most Asian markets Wednesday, though uncertainty about the president's policies and the US economy tempered optimism.
With the White House's "Liberation Day" on April 2 approaching, investors have been bracing for a wave of sweeping levies on imports amid warnings of crippled global trade, recession and a fresh spike in inflation.
But suggestions from Trump and others in Washington that the measures could be more targeted, with some countries hit harder than others, have provided a sliver of hope that the worst-case scenario can be avoided.
The president told Newsmax that "I don't want to have too many exceptions" but added: "I'll probably be more lenient than reciprocal, because if I was reciprocal, that would be very tough for people".
Signs of a less severe approach helped Wall Street record two successive days of gains, paring hefty losses suffered in recent weeks fuelled by fears that the hardball US policies would hit companies' bottom lines.
And after a mixed start to the week, Asia followed suit.
Hong Kong battled to edge higher a day after tanking more than two percent on profit-taking and selling in the tech sector, while Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok and Wellington also advanced.
Jakarta jumped more than three percent after a hefty sell-off this year fuelled by worries over the Indonesian economy. However, the country's rupiah remained stuck around its lowest levels since the Asian financial crisis at the end of the last century.
Shanghai was flat while Taipei, Mumbai and Manila edged down.
Copper futures traded on New York's Comex exchange touched a record high after Trump said he could impose duties on imports of the commodity within weeks.
While there is some hope over tariffs, Americans' fears about the economic outlook indicated the United States could be in for a bumpy ride.
The Conference Board's closely watched gauge of consumer confidence dived to its lowest level since 2021 -- during the pandemic -- as concerns grow over higher prices.
Meanwhile, another reading on expectations for the next six months hit a 12-year low.
The figures come as the Federal Reserve re-evaluates its monetary policy in light of Trump's tariffs agenda, with some analysts warning it might have to hold off any interest rate cuts this year.
At the end of a volatile first quarter, Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo, said it had "challenged conventional thinking".
"While rate cut hopes dominated headlines early in the year, markets moved on quickly as economic resilience, sector rotation, geopolitical shifts, and regional divergences took centre stage," she wrote in a commentary.
"Trade policy returned to focus as the US election narrative picked up. Even without concrete tariffs, the potential for disruption hit sentiment across global sectors."
There was little major reaction to news that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt military strikes in the Black Sea and on energy sites following talks brokered by Washington.
The Kremlin said the deal could come into force only after the lifting of restrictions on its agriculture sector.
- Key figures around 0700 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 38,027.29 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.4 percent at 23,433.67
Shanghai - Composite: FLAT at 3,368.70 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0784 from $1.0791 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2941 from $1.2943
Dollar/yen: UP at 150.49 yen from 149.90 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.33 pence from 83.37 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $69.31 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $73.33 per barrel
New York - Dow: FLAT at 42,587.50 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,663.80 (close)
B.Finley--AMWN