GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks on solid ground, battered bonds take a breather – Reuters

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks on solid ground, battered bonds take a breather – Reuters

* Stocks rally, bond yields edge off highs

* U.S. stock futures higher

* Upbeat earnings support sentiment (Updates prices, adds chart, fresh comment)

LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - World stocks rallied on Wednesday, putting aside worries about rising interest rates for now to take some comfort from positive headlines on Ukraine and upbeat earnings, while a semblance of calm returned to battered sovereign bond markets.

The pan-European STOXX 600 climbed 1.4%, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.5% to a two-week high and the blue-chip Nikkei closed just over 1% higher.

And Wall Street, where shares rallied on Tuesday, were set for a strong open, trade in stock futures suggested.

News headlines over recent days suggesting tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine may be easing and a string of upbeat earnings lifted sentiment towards risk assets.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, said on Tuesday he believed steps can be taken to de-escalate the crisis in which Russia has massed troops near Ukraine but says it does not plan an attack.

On the earnings front, French fund manager Amundi on Wednesday posted a strong rise in earnings, quarterly results from British drugmaker GSK beat forecasts and