- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
Asian stocks rally on hopes of Shanghai gradually reopening
Hong Kong led a rally across Asian markets Tuesday on hopes that China's economic engine Shanghai will ease its weeks-long lockdown and gradually reopen businesses, though analysts caution against any long-term relief.
Much of the city of 25 million has been under lockdown since April as Beijing attempts to stamp out an Omicron-fuelled virus surge under its strict zero-Covid policy.
Vice Mayor Chen Tong said Sunday that the city would gradually reopen businesses starting this week.
Though no details were given and residents were still in their homes on Tuesday, Asian markets have cheered over the announcement.
"Hopes that the Shanghai lockdowns will ease, along with the ensuing supply chain disruptions, have been enough to lift Asian equities as well, which are staging a modest bounce," said Jeffrey Halley of OANDA.
Tuesday's rally coincides with the third day in a row that Shanghai has recorded no Covid-19 cases outside of its quarantine facilities, he said.
"We should continue watching the headline ticker for daily Omicron cases. Most especially, in Shanghai, where if literally one case appears again, any relief rally in Chinese markets could disappear in a puff of smoke."
The impact of Beijing's zero-Covid strategy on the world's second-largest economy was revealed Monday when official data showed that retail sales and industrial production in April on-year had slumped to their lowest levels in more than two years.
World markets have also been roiled by surging inflation and Russia's war in Ukraine -- leaving investors jittery.
"Markets remain in fight or flight mode while rolling the dice on recession odds," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said.
"Investors' hopes remain elevated that yesterday's worse than expected Chinese outruns could prove to be a 'whatever it takes' moment, and local policymakers will step hard on the stimulus pedal."
China has announced measures to help young people find jobs, with the urban unemployment rate at its highest in over two years, and officials have lowered the mortgage rate for first-time homebuyers as well.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong rose by more than 3 percent, while the mainland's two indices -- the Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Composite Index -- closed higher.
Manila, Singapore, Seoul, and Sydney were also in the green all day.
European markets followed the lead, with Frankfurt, Paris and London all trading up at opening.
- Commodities concerns -
In commodities trade, wheat prices soared to a record after major producer India banned its export because of a heatwave hitting production.
New Delhi said the move was needed to protect the food security of its 1.4 billion people in the face of lower production and steep global prices.
Worldwide wheat prices had already surged on tight supply concerns after Russia's February invasion of agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, which previously accounted for 12 percent of global exports.
By Monday's close of the Euronext market, the price of wheat jumped to 438.25 euros ($456.68) per tonne, breaking the previous closing record of 422.40 struck on March 7, according to trader Damien Vercambre at grains brokerage Inter-Courtage.
Oil also jumped overnight, and by Tuesday US crude benchmark WTI hovered around $114 a barrel.
"The EU's rising tensions with Russia and the resulting uncertainties over the bloc's oil-and-gas supply remain front-and-centre," Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights in Singapore, told Bloomberg.
"Having said that, with a $10 jump since last Tuesday, it's hard to see much more upside in crude unless events take a sudden turn for the worse."
- Key figures at around 0720 GMT -
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 3.1 percent at 20,573.61
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 3,093.70 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 7,491.42
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.4 percent at 26,659.75 (close)
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $114.07 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.1 percent at $114.37 per barrel
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0459 from $1.0436 at 2030 GMT Monday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2415 from $1.2323
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.24 pence from 84.67 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 129.39 yen from 129.08 yen
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 32,223.42 (close)
-- Bloomberg News contributed to this story --
A.P.Maia--PC