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The dollar steadied on Tuesday ahead of the release of the December meeting minutes from the Federal Reserve, while the Chinese yuan extended its gains and broke above a key psychological level against the US currency.   Year-end holidays continued to drain liquidity from markets, as traders increasingly expect the dollar to remain under pressure.   The dollar is on track to post its worst annual performance since 2017, with losses approaching 10%.   Some analysts said the December Fed minutes, when the central bank cut interest rates, could reinforce expectations for further monetary easing, as markets have already priced…

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with its record-breaking spree as the benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at a new all-time high on Tuesday. The benchmark index remained in positive territory throughout the day. The market opened on a firm note and quickly climbed to an intra-day high of 174,805.15 during early trading. However, profit-taking led to a mid-morning pullback, with the index slipping to an intra-day low of 174,121.41. Thereafter, the market stabilised and traded in a narrow range as the index recovered gradually through the afternoon session. At close, the KSE-100 Index settled at 174,472.79, an increase of 576.45…

Chinese artificial intelligence firm Zhipu AI kicked off a share sale on Tuesday to raise HK$4.35 billion (US$560 million), moving closer to becoming the first large language model (LLM) developer listed in Hong Kong amid a surge of technology initial public offerings (IPOs).The start-up, officially known as Knowledge Atlas Technology and marketed overseas as Z.ai, set its offer price at HK$116.20 for more than 37 million shares, with 10 per cent allocated to retail investors. The company plans to debut on January 8.With rival Minimax Group still in the pipeline, Zhipu is on track to be the first Chinese AI…

But the caravans of politicians criss-crossing the nation and blitzing social media have so far failed to inspire a public, which has seen its electoral choices repeatedly nullified by courts and coups, as conservatives find ways to return to power.The political establishment is also looking to cut through the chaos of the last two years, during which winners were shunted into opposition, two prime ministers were ousted by courts and the economy sagged under debt, US tariffs and a record-strong baht.The cannabis-legalising and sax-playing Anutin called the snap election just as scandal over scams and money laundering began to touch…

Washington is securing bilateral health deals with countries across Africa to ensure direct access to critical pathogen data and specimens following the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO).Analysts say the US’ strategic retreat from multilateral organisations has created a vacuum that China is likely to exploit to deepen its influence within global health bodies and position itself as the main partner for the developing world.Under the “America First Global Health Strategy”, more than a dozen African countries – including Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Rwanda – have signed bilateral agreements to receive health financing from the US…

Santa runs on diesel. Every year, the global holiday economy relies on a short, intense surge in distillate fuel consumption to power trucks, ports, warehouses, cold-chain logistics, and backup generators — all operating under winter conditions. This holiday-driven commercial surge places heavy strain on logistics systems and exposes just how thin the safety margin has become in diesel markets that are already structurally tight, particularly in Europe.   After crude oil, diesel is the most economically important fuel in the global energy system — and Christmas reinforces that reality. In the United States, distillate demand typically rises as December begins,…

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Thieves stole tens of millions of euros worth of property from safety deposit boxes inside a German bank vault that they drilled into Monday during the holiday lull, police said.Some 2,700 bank customers were affected by the theft in Gelsenkirchen, police and the Sparkasse bank said.Thomas Nowaczyk, a police spokesperson, said investigators believe the theft was worth between 10 and 90 million euros ($11.7 to 105.7 million).German news agency dpa reported that the theft could be one of Germany’s largest heists.The bank remained closed Tuesday, when some 200 people showed up demanding to get inside, dpa…

As the Philippines counts down to the new year, authorities are bracing themselves for another familiar increase in injuries and deaths linked to fireworks, despite decades of regulation, annual warnings and stepped-up police raids.Health officials say dozens of people have already been hurt in the run-up to December 31, with more casualties expected as Filipinos usher in the new year with explosive celebrations that light up streets, backyards and skylines across the country.The Department of Health said as of Saturday, at least 57 people had been treated in government hospitals for firework-related injuries, including children who lost fingers when fireworks…

Hong Kong stocks wavered on Tuesday, with the benchmark hovering near a two-week low as trading waned towards the end of year.The Hang Seng Index rose 0.2 per cent to 25,698.37 as of 10.10am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1 per cent.On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.1 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 per cent.Search engine operator Baidu surged 6 per cent to HK$126.30, and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp rallied 2.4 per cent to HK$71.25. Alibaba Group Holding gained 0.7 per cent to HK$144.30. On the downside, Pop Mart International…

Hong Kong stocks traded in a narrow range on Tuesday, as the last full trading day of the year saw investors holding off bets while awaiting more clarity on policy signals in 2026.The Hang Seng Index rose 0.2 per cent to 25,731.05 as of 11.13am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1.1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index both slipped 0.1 per cent.Search engine operator Baidu surged 7.2 per cent to HK$127.70, and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp rallied 3.3 per cent to HK$71.85. Alibaba Group Holding gained 0.9 per…