- French police kill man trying to set fire to synagogue
- Hong Kong, Shanghai stocks rally on China property support
- Barca coach Xavi set for sack - reports
- 'Couldn't agree terms': Tuchel confirms exit despite Bayern U-turn
- 'As long as it takes': Georgia's Gen Z leading street protests
- At Thailand dive expo, fears for coral's future
- Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan
- 'We had a great time': Klopp prepares for Anfield farewell
- 'Couldn't agree on terms': Tuchel confirms Bayern exit
- Paul McCartney becomes UK's first billionaire musician
- Energy transition risks critical mineral shortage: IEA
- 'Fight of the century': Fury, Usyk in rare undisputed clash
- Hurricanes survive fightback to regain Super Rugby top spot
- 'Balaclavas and big sticks': New Caledonia tourists trapped by riots
- Thiago, Matip to leave Liverpool at end of season
- Israel says S.Africa 'genocide' case at UN court 'totally divorced' from facts
- Gaza fighting rages after Israel vows to intensify Rafah offensive
- Hong Kong, Shanghai stand out in Asia on China property support
- IEA warns of key energy mineral shortage risk
- Israel says S.Africa 'genocide' case 'totally divorced' from facts
- Defender Matip to leave Liverpool at end of season
- Musk confirms Twitter has become X.com
- Gomes eyes becoming first Portuguese coach to win CAF Cup
- Crisis-ridden Boeing prepares for turbulence at annual meeting
- Hong Kong, Shanghai stand out in Asia after China property move
- Coppola faces press after epic 'Megalopolis' splits Cannes
- China offers to buy up commercial housing to boost property market
- US military says first aid delivered to Gaza via temporary pier
- Muslim professionals quit 'hostile' France in silent brain drain
- China cuts rates, could buy up commercial housing to boost property market
- Costner, Gere, Demi Moore: Hollywood icons on Cannes comeback trail
- Brazil to host 2027 Women's World Cup as Gaza overshadows FIFA meeting
- Palestinians call for Israeli ban as Gaza war spills into football
- Crisis-ridden Boeing hopes for quiet annual meeting
- Vienna Festival director Milo Rau hits back at anti-Semitism accusations
- China says could buy up commercial housing to boost property market
- Rapidus 'last opportunity' to put Japan back on global chip map
- Despite Western pressure, China in no hurry to reduce Russia support
- For sale: unique piece of land in strategic Arctic archipelago
- La Rochelle in the spotlight as tight Top 14 run-in commences
- Three key issues to watch for in La Liga this weekend
- Departing Hayes urges Chelsea to seize 'second chance' in WSL race
- Leverkusen eye 'immortality' as Union fight for final day survival
- Klopp leaves lasting legacy after restoring Liverpool to elite
- Putin in trade push on final day of China trip
- Timberwolves crush Nuggets to stay alive in NBA playoffs
- Taiwan president takes office under close scrutiny
- Israel to hit back at 'genocide' claims at UN top court
- Chinese officials meet to mull support for developers: Bloomberg
- 'Hindu nation': Religion trumps caste in India vote
US stocks advance before Apple earnings, US payroll data
US stocks rose on Thursday as investors digested the Federal Reserve interest rate outlook and awaited Apple's latest results on the eve of critical payroll data.
The yen wobbled following another surge against the dollar that fuelled speculation Japanese authorities had intervened for a second time this week.
Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell warned Wednesday US interest rates would stay higher for longer, after the central bank left borrowing costs on hold once again.
Powell's remarks, however, were tempered by his assurance that rates would not likely be hiked again, soothing worries in some quarters that the bank's battle to bring inflation back to its two percent target would need to be stepped up.
The Fed also said it would slow down the pace at which it shrinks its balance sheet, having bought up vast amounts of bonds previously to keep rates low.
"As expected, the Fed kept its rates unchanged and said that they are not confident to cut the interest rates as inflation has started to show signs of heating up," said Swissquote Bank analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.
"Jerome Powell reassured that the Fed's next move will unlikely be a rate hike. That was a relief. Then, the Fed said that it will start tapering quantitative tightening. The market reaction to the decision was mixed."
Wall Street's three major indices closed mixed on Wednesday, but pushed higher on Thursday.
Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said Powell's comments didn't ease market uncertainty about when the Fed might begin cutting rates.
But O'Hare said "the stock market might be fine living with that uncertainty so long as the economic data and earnings results cooperate with" the Fed's view that the US economy will avoid a recession.
Weekly initial jobless benefits claims came in unchanged at a relatively low 208,000 which O'Hare said can be interpreted as employers remaining optimistic about demand and thus reluctant to cut jobs.
London's stocks rose, helped by forecast-busting first-quarter earnings from energy major Shell, but Frankfurt and Paris retreated as both markets returned from a May Day holiday.
On the earnings front, traders are hotly awaiting quarterly results from iPhone maker Apple amid persistent fears over its performance in Asian powerhouse China.
"Apple results are the focus when the market closes in the US on Thursday night," said XTB analyst Kathleen Brooks.
"We already know that sales of the iPhone, Apple's flagship product, have fallen substantially in China in the first quarter, so the question is what this does to earnings."
Apple shares climbed 1.4 percent in late morning trading on Thursday.
Currency traders will be keeping a nervous watch on the yen on Friday and Monday, which are holidays in Japan that usually cause thin liquidity, while analysts said a strong US jobs report could also send the dollar racing higher again.
Soon after Powell's comments on Wednesday, the yen soared around three percent to 153.04 per dollar, raising suspicion that Japanese officials had stepped into forex markets again.
It subsequently slid back but then pushed higher against the dollar.
A rally on Monday -- after the yen hit a new 34-year low of 160.17 -- had led to similar speculation.
- Key figures around 1530 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 38,078.02 points
New York - S&P 500: UP 0.4 percent at 5,036.73
New York - Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 15,717.75
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 8,172.15 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.9 percent at 7,914.65 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 17,896.50 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.6 percent at 4,890.61 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 38,236.07 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.5 percent at 18,207.13 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: Closed for a holiday
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 153.78 yen from 154.57 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0698 from $1.0712
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2496 from $1.2527
Euro/pound: UP at 85.60 pence from 85.50 pence
West Texas Intermediate: FLAT at $78.99 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.2 percent at $83.63 per barrel
burs-rl/cw
F.Müller--BTB