- Ohtani eyes MLB history after surpassing 50 stolen bases
- Barca downed by Monaco as Arsenal held in Champions League stalemate
- Head's 'good night at office' after century seals win over England
- Dubois seeks legitimacy with Joshua scalp
- Rate cut could lift consumer spirits before US elections
- Last-gasp Gimenez strike sends Atletico past Leipzig
- Barca stumble at Monaco after early red card
- Raya heroics save Arsenal in Champions League opener at Atalanta
- Cathay Airbus engine fire linked to cleaning: EU regulator
- Guardians beat Twins to secure MLB playoff berth
- Jihadist attack in Mali capital killed more than 70: security sources
- Alonso hails 'efficient' Leverkusen after Feyenoord rout
- Head's hundred seals Australia win over England in 1st ODI
- Ex-Man United striker Anthony Martial joins AEK Athens
- NFL unbeatens meet as Texans visit Vikings, Steelers host Chargers
- Head's hundred seals Australia win over England in 1st ODI after Labuschagne strikes
- Dream debut for Wirtz as Leverkusen thump dire Feyenoord
- Myanmar flood death toll climbs to 293: state media
- Israel army says West Bank air strike kills 4 militants
- LIV golfers get green light for US Ryder Cup team, PGA Championship
- US accuses social media giants of 'vast surveillance'
- Ten Hag to bed Hojlund, Mount in carefully when they return for Man Utd
- Breaking bad as McIlroy endures 'weird' day
- EU chief announces $11 bn for nations hit by 'heartbreaking' floods
- Spanish PM, Palestinian leader urge Mideast de-escalation
- New study reinforces theory Covid emerged at Chinese market
- World Bank boosts climate financing by 10 percent
- Bagnaia eyeing summit on home ground in 100th MotoGP
- 'Something was wrong', defendant in French mass rape tells court
- Hezbollah chief admits 'unprecedented' blow in device blasts
- Sales of US existing homes slip slightly in August
- Fear, panic haunt Lebanese after devices explode
- Labuschagne sparks Australia fightback in England ODI opener
- S.Africa's HIV research power couple says fight goes on
- Why is Israel focusing on border with Lebanon?
- Mpox vaccines administered in Rwanda, first in Africa
- US Fed rate cut is 'very positive sign' for economy: Yellen
- Unknown Mozart string trio discovered in Germany
- 'Are we five-year-olds?' F1 drivers won't mind their language
- Brazil judge orders X to reimpose block or face hefty fine
- Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer
- Champions Italy to face Argentina in Davis Cup Final 8
- The winding, fitful path to weight loss drug Ozempic
- Italians defeat American Magic to reach Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Norris has 'nothing to lose' as he hunts Verstappen in Singapore
- Kyiv 'outraged' at Swiss showing of Russian war film
- French city renames Abbe Pierre square after abuse claims
- Footballer charged after huge cannabis seizure at UK airport
- Vatican recognises Medjugorje shrine, but not Virgin's messages
- Israel bombs Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon after wave of deadly blasts
European stocks rise tracking big corporate news, China growth
European stock markets climbed on Monday as China's unexpectedly muted growth slowdown and optimism over the impact of the Omicron coronavirus variant boosted investor confidence.
Oil rose modestly on limited supply concerns, while the dollar was up against major rivals as Wall Street was closed for a US public holiday.
The fast-spreading Omicron strain had initially sparked fears for the global economic recovery, but studies indicating that it causes milder illness and government booster vaccine programmes have calmed traders' nerves.
London, Paris and Frankfurt all ended the day higher.
"The relatively lower mortality rates, coupled with ongoing vaccinations efforts, has raised hopes we will transition to endemic and that the economy will recover strongly," said market analyst Fawad Razaqzada of ThinkMarkets.
Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 index climbed to new highs in 2022 after pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline rejected a bid worth £50 billion ($68 billion, 60 billion euros) from Pfizer for a consumer healthcare unit.
GlaxoSmithKline shares rose to the top of the index, while Pfizer's sank to the bottom as the US pharma behemoth said it would press on with a bid for GSK Consumer healthcare.
Concerns over soaring inflation and the US Federal Reserve's stance on hiking interest rates to counter it did not temper investor confidence in European stocks.
The trend was "due to a relatively more dovish central bank and the potential for a strong rebound in economic growth as nations ease travel restrictions amid ongoing booster vaccination efforts", said Razaqzada.
"As we head into 2022, we believe that the post-pandemic bull market remains broadly intact," added Bank of Singapore analyst Eli Lee.
"Historically, bull markets do not end at the beginning of rate hike cycles, and positive trends in global economic growth and earnings continue to be positive fundamental drivers for the market."
China on Monday defied expectations and posted growth figures of 8.1 percent in 2021, although this slowed in the final months amid fresh coronavirus outbreaks, disruptive regulatory crackdowns and property market crises.
Covid infections in the world's second-largest economy climbed to their highest level since March 2020 as Beijing pursues its zero-Covid policy ahead of the Winter Olympics.
But mainland China shares were supported by news that the country's central bank had cut interest rates for the first time since the height of the pandemic last year as officials look to kickstart stuttering growth.
"Rising infections in China just three weeks before the Winter Olympics could lead to widespread economic uncertainty, particularly if the situation is not handled effectively in the short term," said XTB market analyst Walid Koudmani.
Benchmark oil contract Brent North Sea briefly reached the highest level for more than three years at $86.71 per barrel, adding to strong inflation concerns.
"Markets remain focused on the delicate balance between supply and demand which has appeared to impact price fluctuations quite significantly throughout most of the post pandemic economic recovery," said Koudmani.
Credit Suisse fell almost 1.8 percent after the Swiss bank's chairman resigned less than a year after taking the reins following reports he had broken Covid quarantine rules.
Antonio Horta-Osorio's immediate departure adds to the bank's troubles after it was last year rocked by links to the multi-billion-dollar meltdowns at financial firms Greensill and Archegos.
- Key figures around 1630 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.9 percent at 7,611.23 points (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 15,934.62 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.8 percent at 7,201.64 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.7 percent at 4,302.11
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 28,333.52 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.7 percent at 24,218.03 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,541.67 (close)
New York - DOW: Closed for a holiday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1407 from $1.1418 late on Friday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3652 from $1.3680
Euro/pound: UP at 83.55 pence from 83.43 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 114.58 yen from 114.25 yen
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.3 percent at $86.38 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.3 percent at $84.16 per barrel
K.Thomson--BTB