The National Times - News around the clock from Sydney, Australia and around the world

Most equities rallied Tuesday after the previous day's global rout fuelled by US recession fears that have led to calls for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates before its next meeting.

Spectators poured into Benin's capital for a new festival celebrating traditional masks over the weekend as the West African country seeks to attract visitors and showcase its cultural heritage.

Tokyo's key Nikkei index closed more than 10 percent higher Tuesday, bouncing back from a record selloff the previous day on worries over the US economy and a stronger yen.

Saudi oil giant Aramco on Tuesday reported net income of $29.07 billion in the second quarter, a slight drop from the same period last year as output remained subdued.

Families of political prisoners secretly jailed in Bangladesh under the autocratic rule of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina waited desperately Tuesday for news of their relatives, as some of those missing were released.

Try-scoring "Ferrari" Will Jordan is set to rev up the All Blacks attack as he returns from shoulder surgery for Saturday's home clash against Argentina in Wellington.

A jailed Kurdish leader and a Turkish writer on the other side of the bars have used their penpal exchanges to write one of Turkey's highest-selling books.

Halloween may not be for months, but it's already peak haunted house season in Japan, where seeking a bone-chilling fright is a long established summer tradition.

Lim Young-woong may not have as many fans as BTS, but the trot singer is rivalling the global superstars, showing there's more to South Korean music than K-pop with his billions of streams and a sold-out stadium tour.

Vitaliy Asinenko watched anxiously as his colleague sat perched on a crane, hovering over power cables in a village just a few kilometres from the frontline in east Ukraine.

A Polish man accused of drunkenly punching Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen goes on trial in Copenhagen on Tuesday, risking prison time and deportation if convicted.

The mayor of Hiroshima said Tuesday that wars in Ukraine and Gaza were deepening fear and distrust worldwide, on the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing that devastated the Japanese city.

Nelly Korda will start her Olympic women's golf title defence on Wednesday as the gold-medal favourite despite her brilliant season threatening to come off the rails in recent months.

Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred will bid for a historic sprint double when she races the 200m at the Stade de France on Tuesday.

Japanese striker Yuya Kubo scored the go-ahead goal in the 86th minute on Monday as FC Cincinnati captured a 4-2 fightback Leagues Cup group stage victory over New York City.

Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred targets an Olympic sprint double on Tuesday as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr go head to head in a 1500m grudge match that promises fireworks.

Tokyo stocks surged Tuesday following a record selloff the previous day that was fuelled by worries over the US economy and a stronger yen.

Bangladesh's military was in control of the country on Tuesday after mass protests forced longtime ruler Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee.

Western powers called Monday for calm in Bangladesh after long-ruling leader Sheikh Hasina fled, with the United States saluting the military for forming an interim government rather than cracking down further on protesters.

Asian equities rallied Tuesday after the previous day's global rout fuelled by US recession fears that have led to calls for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates before its next meeting.

Kamala Harris was set to announce her running mate Tuesday before the pair head out on a five-day swing through America's hottest battleground states, just three months out from the presidential election.

France's Kauli Vaast won men's surfing Olympic gold Monday on his Tahitian home waves at Teahupo'o, while the United States' Caroline Marks claimed gold in the women's event in a thrilling final that went down to the wire.

The Grand Palais, which is hosting Olympic events in Paris, and around 40 other museums in France were victims of a ransomware attack at the weekend, police sources told AFP Monday.

After seeing his once-lush rice field shrink in recent years due to relentless drought, Iraqi farmer Muntazer al-Joufi fought back using tougher seeds and water-saving irrigation techniques.

Hollywood film director David Lynch disclosed Monday he was living with emphysema, a chronic lung disease, but it has not forced him into retirement.

A self-proclaimed "shaman" who was among the Donald Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol can have his horned fur headdress and spear returned to him, a judge ruled on Monday.

US investigators will on Tuesday open a two-day hearing into a near-catastrophic January incident on a Boeing 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines that required an emergency landing.

France's Kauli Vaast won men's surfing Olympic gold Monday on his Tahitian home waves at Teahupo'o, beating Australia's Jack Robinson who had to settle for the silver medal.

China's embassy in Beirut urged citizens to "travel with caution" should they visit Lebanon, warning they face "higher security risks" as fears of a regional conflict soar.

Tokyo stocks bounced back in early trade Tuesday following a historic selloff on worries over the US economy and a stronger yen.

Three-time surfing world champion and viral photo sensation Gabriel Medina had to settle for Olympic bronze in Tahiti on Monday after going into the Games as a widely tipped favourite.

Venezuela's opposition leaders on Monday appealed to the army, the main pillar of support for President Nicolas Maduro, to turn on him and "take the side of the people" after his disputed reelection -- a call swiftly met with a criminal probe.