- Kenya deputy president falls ill during impeachment trial
- Mbappe to keep any explanations for Swedish justice, 'if necessary' - lawyer
- 345,000 Gazans face 'catastrophic' hunger this winter: UN
- ECB makes back-to-back interest rate cuts as inflation falls
- France's richest family, Red Bull in 'exclusive talks' for Paris FC takeover
- Public money 'must be at core' of new climate pact: UN's Stiell
- Russian MPs back ban on 'propaganda' of childless lifestyles
- New Zealand on top after India bowled out for 46 in rain-hit Test
- UK's Lammy visits China in bid to reset London-Beijing ties
- What's next in Swedish rape investigation into Mbappe?
- Nestle overhauls executive team as sales slump
- US B-2 bombers strike Huthi facilities in Yemen: military
- Eurozone stocks climb as ECB rate cut looms
- Lebanon crowdfunded ambulances under fire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- S Korean Nobel winner Han Kang hopes daily life 'won't change much'
- Pakistan extend lead beyond 200 in second England Test
- Liam Payne: One Direction singer swept up by teenage stardom
- Zelensky defends 'victory plan' at EU and NATO
- Vietnam death row tycoon jailed for life in separate trial
- Hard talk on migration tops agenda at EU summit
- Beckham says Ratcliffe needs time to revive Man Utd
- Conway puts New Zealand in lead after India bowled out for 46
- New Japan PM sends offering to Yasukuni war shrine
- S Korean court recognises misogyny as hate crime motive
- Couche-Tard executives in Japan to push 7-Eleven deal
- Martin targets mistake-free Australia MotoGP as Bagnaia lurks
- Tennis world No. 1 Swiatek hires stars' coach Fissette
- French Senate speaker 'astounded' by Macron 'ignorance' on Israel
- Israel strikes Syria, US pounds Huthis in Yemen
- India all out for record home Test low of 46 against New Zealand
- China says UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to visit this week
- Iran Guards chief warns will hit Israel 'painfully' if attacks Iranian targets
- Pakistan tottering at 43-3 in England Test after Bashir takes three
- Zelensky in Brussels to defend 'victory plan' at EU and NATO
- Markets mixed as China's latest stimulus leaves traders wanting
- Climate-hit Pacific Islands plot landmark UN court case
- India collapse to 34-6 after opting to bat against New Zealand
- Israel strikes Syrian city, US pounds Huthis in Yemen
- Taiwan's TSMC posts sharp rise in third quarter net profit
- Pakistan's Sajid takes seven as England all out 291, trail by 75
- Kenya Senate to vote on deputy president's impeachment
- Bronski Beat's gay anthem 'Smalltown Boy' strikes chord 40 years on
- NATO to weigh Zelensky plan in US vote's shadow
- Trial into Brazil mining disaster to open in London
- Italy's Di Giannantonio to miss final two MotoGP for surgery
- Hard talk on migration expected at EU summit
- South Korea's Hwang Ui-jo faces four years in jail for sex video
- Israel pounds Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon
- India slams 'cavalier' Trudeau in Sikh separatist murder row
- 'Love match' apps rival traditional matchmaking in Pakistan
Eurozone stocks climb as ECB rate cut looms
Paris and Frankfurt stock markets climbed and the euro traded mixed Thursday before an expected interest-rate cut from the European Central Bank as the eurozone faces weakening economic activity and falling price pressures.
Outside the eurozone, London gained in midday deals after Asian stock markets mainly struggled, with Beijing's latest plan to boost China's troubled property sector coming up short of expectations.
Investors are expecting the ECB to cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis-points Thursday, after two previous reductions this year.
Eurozone inflation for September has been revised down to 1.7 percent from 1.8 percent, official data showed Thursday. The rate is below the ECB's two-percent target.
A weak economy has also added pressure on the ECB to reduce borrowing costs.
"A rate cut today might not be an isolated event as it could take a lot more cuts to regain positive momentum in the economy," noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
"Economic data from the region has been weak of late, meaning the central bank needs to lower the cost of borrowing to encourage more businesses and consumers to spend."
- China's property sector crisis -
Hong Kong and Shanghai stock markets closed down, with property stocks tumbling after traders were left disappointed by fresh measures from China's housing minister to ease a real estate crisis.
Housing minister Ni Hong said Thursday that officials would almost double the amount of credit available to complete unfinished housing projects to $562 billion and also help renovate a million homes.
However, "there was no new initiative to excite markets about a meaningful revival in a sector", said Patrick Munnelly, market strategist at traders Tickmill Group.
China, the world's number-two economy, has struggled to recover since lifting strict Covid controls at the end of 2022, battered by a debt crisis in the property sector and torpid consumer demand.
Tokyo also closed lower Thursday, while focus around the world was also on the latest earnings season.
Taipei and New York-listed TSMC, which controls more than half the world's output of chips, announced a bigger-than-expected increase in net profit for the third quarter.
Analysts hope the announcement will offset fears over the tech sector after Dutch powerhouse ASML this week cut its 2025 guidance and forecast a slump in sales bookings.
"Early earnings from semiconductor manufacturing giant TSMC has allayed fears over a potential slowdown in demand for chips signalled by Tuesday's dour ASML data," said Joshua Mahoney, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.
Shares in Finnish telecoms equipment maker Nokia dropped more than four percent after it reported an eight-percent drop in sales.
Nestle's stock price rose 2.7 percent after its new CEO, Laurent Freixe, announced an overhaul of the executive team as sales slump at the food giant.
- Key figures around 1045 GMT -
Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.2 percent at 7,578.93
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.8 percent at 19,583.12
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 at 8,355.82 points
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 38,911.19 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 20,079.10 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,169.38 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 0.8 percent at 43,077.70 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0863 from $1.0859 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3008 from $1.2986
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.61 yen from 149.63 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.50 pence from 83.62 pence
West Texas Intermediate: FLAT at $70.37 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: FLAT at $74.21 per barrel
Y.Aukaiv--AMWN