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* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4 * Nikkei rises, China stocks highest since early 2022 * Israel and Hamas agree first stage of ceasefire deal * Oil dips on lessened geopolitical risk, gold holds gains (Adds China holiday spending, wait for French PM) By Wayne Cole SYDNEY, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Asian stock markets scored fresh highs on Thursday as investors doubled down on all things AI-related, while gold held atop $4,000 and the dollar retained its recent hefty gains. Oil prices dipped as geopolitical tensions eased a little on news that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire plan to end the two-year conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might travel to Egypt this weekend to discuss further steps in the deal. In equity markets, a resumption of the bull run in AI-related tech saw the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reach record highs as funds were again rewarded for buying the dips. "The AI Theme remains intact as we see another stream of multi-$bn investment come into the space," wrote analysts at JPMorgan in a note. "Investors can talk all they want about the 'circularity' of this AI investment cycle, but these daily headlines are being rewarded with strength until proven otherwise." They noted estimates for earnings growth in the tech sector had risen to 20.9% for the looming reporting season, from 15.9% back in June. Some 81% of the stocks in the tech sector have seen estimates increase, led by Nvidia and Apple . Earnings overall are expected to grow 8% for the third quarter, with revenue up 6.3%. A jump in tech pushed Japan's Nikkei up 1.5% and back near all-time peaks. Data showed offshore funds bought a net 2.5 trillion yen ($16.40 billion) worth of Japanese shares in the week through October 4. Stocks in Taiwan climbed 1.2% to a fresh record, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan firmed 0.3%. Chinese blue chips added 0.4% as they reopened from a week-long holiday. Beijing reported consumers spent 809 billion yuan ($113.52 billion) during the holiday, while taking 888 million trips. Beijing also announced new restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals and equipment that have been a sticking point in trade talks with the United States. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures steadied after Wednesday's gains. EUROSTOXX 50 futures eased 0.2% while FTSE futures fell 0.5% and DAX futures 0.1%. FED STILL SEEN CUTTING Bond markets were largely unruffled by minutes of the last Federal Reserve meeting that showed a majority of members cautioned about upside risks to inflation even as they sanctioned an easing in policy. Futures continue to imply a 94% chance of another quarter-point cut in November, and have 44 basis points of easing priced in by year-end. "While most Fed officials want to cut further, some participants want to approach further cuts with caution," economists at Citi wrote in a note. "We expect that further labour market weakening will push most Fed officials to support cutting the policy rate at each of the next four meetings." Yields on 10-year Treasuries were down a fraction at 4.115%, having also shrugged off a middling auction of new notes on Wednesday. In currencies, the dollar held near eight-month highs on the yen at 152.54, having surged 3.5% so far this week amid concerns about more Japanese government borrowing. The euro steadied at $1.1641, after touching a six-week low of $1.1598 overnight when data showed German industrial output suffered the biggest monthly fall in over three years in August. Investors were now waiting to see if French President Emmanuel Macron could name a new prime minister that would have any chance of hammering out a budget deal. Gold held at $4,037 an ounce, for a gain of 3.9% on the week so far. The metal has been buoyed by the prospect of a series of U.S. rate cuts, along with investor demand for assets that cannot be debased by governments and buying by central banks for reserves. There is also in part a desire to hedge against the risk of a sustained decline in the U.S. dollar and a selloff in bond markets as governments need to borrow ever more. Oil prices slipped as news of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire lessened one potential threat to supplies. Brent dropped 0.6% to $65.89 a barrel, while U.S. crude eased 0.7% to $62.12 per barrel. ($1 = 152.4800 yen) (Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Sam Holmes)

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IMF: ECONOMIC REFORMS IMPLEMENTED BY SRI LANKA HAVE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE RECOVERY

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By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) – New Zealand's parliament was suspended for a short period on Thursday when people in the public gallery broke into a haka, a traditional Maori dance, after the newest member of parliament for the Maori party finished her maiden speech. Te Pati Maori's Oriini Kaipara was elected to parliament in September to fill a vacant seat and made her first speech to the House on Thursday. Following the speech, members of parliament from across the house and those in the public gallery sang a planned and approved Maori song to celebrate her arrival. The public gallery then erupted into an unsanctioned haka and some members of parliament joined in. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee asked them to stop. "No, not that. The guarantee was that would not be taking place," he said. When they continued he suspended the sitting. Parliamentarians and political parties must get permission if they or their supporters want to sing or perform haka in the public gallery. Parliament later resumed and Brownlee said he planned to investigate whether any party or members of parliament had prior knowledge of the haka, describing the public gallery's actions as contemptuous. In June, three members of Te Pati Maori received historically lengthy suspensions for performing a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori. The bill has since failed to pass into law. The haka was traditionally a way for Maori to welcome visiting tribes or to invigorate warriors ahead of battle. It is now performed at important events as well as ahead of matches by New Zealand's rugby teams. (Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

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INDONESIA FOREIGN MINISTER: MOU SIGNED WITH THE NETHERLANDS SUPPORTS PALM OIL, SMALLHOLDERS

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CHINA SAYS 809 BILLION YUAN SPENT DURING HOLIDAY PERIOD – STATE MEDIA

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UK PM STARMER: THE UK WILL SUPPORT THESE CRUCIAL IMMEDIATE STEPS AND THE NEXT STAGE OF TALKS TO ENSURE THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PEACE PLAN

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(Adds details throughout) BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba announced on Thursday a multi-year partnership, as the league returns to the Chinese market for the first time since 2019, with two games in Macau. The NBA is due to play two pre-season games in the Chinese special administrative region on Friday and Sunday, part of a five-year contract with Las Vegas Sands' Macau unit Sands China. It marks the first time the NBA is playing in Macau, the world's largest gambling hub, and follows a years-long absence amid controversy over the 2019 Hong Kong protests. The Macau games aim to bolster the NBA's profile in China, where around 300 million play basketball, at a time of rising political tensions between the United States and China. The announcement by Alibaba Group said it would provide artificial intelligence and cloud computing services with the NBA and enhance fan experiences on the NBA app in China. Alibaba Cloud will be the official cloud computing and AI partner of NBA China, it said. (Reporting by Liam Mo and Brenda Goh; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kate Mayberry)

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Oct 8 (Reuters) – The United States has approved several billion dollars worth of Nvidia chip exports to the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. (Reporting by Yazhini M V in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

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(Adds background) BANGKOK, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Thailand will start buying bad household debt this month, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Thursday. The government, which is trying to revive a sluggish economy, will also support investments in technology while enhancing fiscal discipline, he said. Soaring household debt in Thailand has held back consumption and economic growth. Ekniti's comments come a day after the central bank unexpectedly held rates steady at 1.50% (Reporting by Orathai Sriring, Kitiphong Thaichareon and Chayut Setboonsarng, Editing by David Stanway)

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THAI FINMIN: WILL START BUYING BAD HOUSEHOLD DEBT THIS MONTH

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