Frankfurt - European stocks stormed out of the gate Wednesday after hopes of lower interest rates led to a surge in shares across Asia and on Wall Street.

Amid expectations of the US Federal Reserve delivering another hefty cut in borrowing costs Wednesday, Europe's blue-chip Stoxx 50 rose 6.5 per cent to 2,191 in early trading.

This was reflected across national bourses with shares in London gaining more than 5 per cent and Paris jumping 6.5 per cent as the morning session got under way. Stocks in Zurich were up 4.4 per cent.

In addition the European Central Bank is expected to cut the cost of money at its meeting set down for next week.

Islamabad, Oct 29 : Around 100 people were kil

Islamabad - A powerful earthquake rattled Pakistan's south-western Balochistan district on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring scores of others, media reports said.

The US Geological Survey on its website said a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 60 kilometres north-east of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan at 5:10am (2310 GMT).

At least 17 people died in Balochistan's Ziarat district and many were feared trapped under rubble of several houses that collapsed during the strong shocks, DawnNews television channel reported quoting local authorities.

DawnNews said officials in Pishin district also confirmed four deaths.

Islamabad - An earthquake registering a 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale shook western Pakistan early Wednesday, Pakistani broadcaster Geo TV reported on its website.

Washington, Oct 28 : New evidence has emerged after an excavation in Jordan that gives scientific credence to certain Biblical events and characters.

Led by Thomas Levy of UC San Diego and Mohammad Najjar of Jordan’s Friends of Archaeology, an international team of archaeologists has excavated an ancient copper-production center at Khirbat en-Nahas down to virgin soil, through more than 20 feet of industrial smelting debris, or slag.

The 2006 dig has brought up new artifacts and with them a new suite of radiocarbon dates placing the bulk of industrial-scale production at Khirbat en-Nahas in the 10th century BCE – in line with biblical narrative on the legendary rule of David and Solomon.

New York - Western European cities are the most "egalitarian" in the world, said a new study by United Nations Habitat, which compared levels of income inequality in the world's largest cities.

Beijing is the "most equal" in Asia, said UN Habitat, a programme to assist governments in improving housing and living conditions in developing countries.

The study, which was released Monday, said that income inequality is relatively low in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Slovenia.