- Kimchi threat as heatwave drives up South Korea cabbage prices
- UK economic data delivers fresh blow to new govt
- China to 'gradually resume' seafood imports from Japan after Fukushima ban
- India minister blames dam release for flooding
- O'Rourke strikes early for Kiwis as Sri Lanka trail by three
- Deep takes two as Bangladesh totter in reply to India's 376
- Israel pounds Lebanon's Hezbollah after device blasts
- Revolution or mirage? Controversy surrounds new Alzheimer's drugs
- Ashwin's 113 powers India to 376 in Bangladesh Test
- Biden opens home to 'Quad' leaders for farewell summit
- Sally Rooney returns with 30-something questions
- Wallabies sense 'massive' chance to upset All Blacks
- Taiwan questions two in probe into Hezbollah pagers
- Viral Korean Olympic shooter scores first acting role as assassin
- Farrell set for 'challenge' of downing Bordeaux in Top 14
- Springbok Etzebeth diverts attention from looming caps record
- Inter on a high ahead of Milan derby as Napoli face Juve test
- Bank of Japan leaves key interest rate unchanged
- Arnold quits after six years in charge of Australia
- Asian markets track Wall Street record to extend global rally
- Guirassy and Anton to return to Stuttgart with new side Dortmund
- Marseille bidding to continue 'almost perfect' Ligue 1 start
- Arnold quits as coach of Australia men's football team
- Harris and Oprah hold star-studded US election rally
- Allies to remember failed WWII parachute operation
- Perez leading new-look Villarreal charge against leaders Barca
- Man City face Arsenal in Premier League title showdown, Postecoglou under pressure
- Fake celebrity endorsements, snubs plague US presidential race
- Documentary brings Argentine 'death flights' to the big screen
- Strike shows challenge to Boeing 'reset' of labor relations
- World leaders to gather at UN as crises grow and conflicts rage
- How plastic pollution poses challenge for Canada marine conservation
- Scientists track plastic waste in pristine Canada marine park
- South Africa's Buhai grabs LPGA Queen City lead
- Japan inflation firms to 2.8% ahead of BoJ rate decision
- Russia's Kadyrov accuses Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck
- Titan sub had to abort a dive days before fatal implosion: testimony
- Ohtani makes MLB history with first 50-homer, 50-steal season
- Ohtani eyes MLB history after surpassing 50 stolen bases, 49 homers
- 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
Asian equities rally as volatility eases for now
Asian equities rose Tuesday as the volatility that has gripped markets since Russia invaded Ukraine eased slightly, though oil extended gains as the United States contemplates releasing some of its reserves to temper prices.
With no let-up in the assault on its neighbour, Russia has been pummelled by a series of widespread and debilitating sanctions that have sent the ruble crashing, hammered its stock market and forced the central bank to more than double interest rates to 20 percent.
The crisis has also ramped up fears about supplies of crucial commodities from the region including wheat and nickel but particularly crude, just as demand surges owing to economic reopenings.
Talks between Kyiv and Moscow did not appear to yield anything positive, while Vladimir Putin laid out to French President Emmanuel Macron his demands to end the war.
They include "the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarisation and denazification of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status".
The conflict provides an extra headache for global central banks, who will likely have to recalibrate their plans to tighten monetary policy as they try to support their economies.
Some observers have already eased their expectations for the Federal Reserve's timetable of interest rate hikes. While this month is still tipped to see the first, few now forecast a big move.
Markets analyst Louis Navellier said a drop in Treasury yields "seems to reflect the belief that the US Fed will choose to lighten up their resolve to raise rates and plans to start running off their balance sheet until the impact of the battle in Ukraine, the sanctions on Russia, and even the lifting of most pandemic rules have played themselves out".
"In the short term, a more dovish monetary policy will be good for the stock market, particularly high valuation tech stocks."
On Wall Street the Dow and S&P 500 ended down but off earlier lows, while the Nasdaq was higher. Europe was in the red.
But Asia enjoyed another positive day, with Tokyo, Singapore, Taipei, Manila and Wellington more than one percent up while Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Jakarta and Bangkok also rose.
"Markets may well feel that the worst of the bad news is now out there, especially on the sanctions front," said OANDA's Jeffrey Halley.
"I am not so sure of that, but the market is always right, and we have to respect the momentum from a short-term perspective."
Other commentators foresaw further volatility to come.
"Over the next few weeks we'll see a lot of gyrations and a potential for an even bigger dip," Andy Kapyrin at RegentAtlantic Capital LLC told Bloomberg Television.
"But that will be a dip worth buying because most geopolitical crises are resolved relatively quickly."
Oil prices rose but the gains were more subdued than recent days as President Joe Biden considers tapping the vast US reserves to help mitigate the potential loss of Russia's huge output.
However, analysts said the measure would not likely be enough and Goldman Sachs has warned prices could hit $115.
"Another round of releasing strategic crude reserves might be a temporary solution to rising prices as long as this Russia-Ukraine crisis isn't resolved," Will Sungchil Yun, senior commodities analyst at VI Investment Corp.
A meeting of OPEC and other major producers including Russia will be closely followed on Wednesday as they discuss whether to continue with their plan to lift output.
- Key figures around 0710 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 26,844.72 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.0 percent at 22,935.17
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.8 percent at 3,488.83 (close)
West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.7 percent at $97.39 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 2.0 percent at $99.90 per barrel
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1205 from $1.1220 late Monday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3423 from $1.3418
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.48 pence from 83.59 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 115.05 yen from 114.93 yen
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 33,892.60 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,458.25 (close)
C.Meier--BTB