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China’s ByteDance, owner of TikTok, has seen its valuation surge to US$500 billion on the private market as it advances a survival plan in the US, up sharply from US$400 billion earlier this year, according to two sources.With the deadline for a sell-or-ban law looming, TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi informed employees last week that the company had signed a binding agreement to divest its US entity into a joint venture controlled by American investors.“Investors are happy about the deal’s terms as ByteDance can continue to reap earnings from TikTok in the US,” said one of the sources, who is…

MUMBAI: Indian government bond yields climbed on Monday, with the benchmark bond yield posting its biggest single-session rise in four months, as increased state debt supply sparked a selloff, triggering stop-losses that further intensified the pressure. The benchmark 10-year yield ended at 6.6678%, highest since March 18, after ending at 6.6017% on Friday. Bond yields rise when prices fall. “With 6.65% taken out without much effort, stop-losses have been triggered, which is leading to levels that were not even imagined some time back,” trader with a state-run bank said. “Bond yields may remain stickier on the higher side due to…

India’s decision to suspend visa services from Bangladesh’s port city of Chittagong after a fresh bout of political violence underscores how difficult it may be for bilateral ties to return to normal any time soon, analysts have said.Thousands of protesters marched on Thursday after Hadi’s death was confirmed, demanding the arrest of those responsible as demonstrations in Dhaka and elsewhere turned violent.A member of the country’s Hindu minority, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was reportedly lynched and killed by a mob in Bhaluka, in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, during the unrest. Separately, several buildings in Dhaka – including those housing the…

Huawei Technologies cut prices on its widescreen, flip-style Pura X handset over the weekend, as the foldable smartphone market braced for a new wave of high-profile launches from rivals Samsung and Apple.The Shenzhen-based smartphone giant said it was trimming as much as 800 yuan (US$114) from the Pura X, which debuted in March.The vertically folding model now starts at 6,899 yuan.The Pura X stands apart from Huawei’s other foldables for its wider 6.3-inch display and 16:10 aspect ratio – closer to a small tablet than a typical phone. It was also Huawei’s first foldable to run HarmonyOS Next, the company’s…

ROME (AP) — Italy’s antitrust authority fined Apple 98.6 million euros ($116 million) on Monday after determining that operating one of its privacy features restricted App Store competition. Apple said it would appeal the sanction.Apple abused its dominant position with its App Tracking Transparency, ATT, policy, which forces apps to obtain permission before collecting data to target users with personalized ads, the antitrust authority said in a statement.The company rolled out ATT starting in April 2021 as part of an update to the operating system powering the iPhone and iPad. While the feature was designed to tighten up privacy, it…

Gold prices in Pakistan reached on Monday a record-high while silver also rose to hit an unprecedented level. In the local market, gold price per tola reached Rs462,362 after a gain of Rs6,200 during the day. Similarly, 10-gram gold was sold at Rs396,400 after it increased by Rs5,315, according to rates shared by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA). On Saturday, gold price per tola reached Rs456,162 after a gain of Rs1,300 during the day. The international rate of gold was up by $62 to reach $4,400 per ounce (with a premium of $20). Meanwhile, the price of…

Funds raised in Hong Kong reached nearly HK$275 billion (US$35.4 billion) from 106 initial public offerings (IPO) as of December 12, helping the city become the world’s top listing venue, the stock exchange operator said in a year-end review.“2025 has been a year of momentum – global investors returned with conviction, and innovation from the Chinese mainland and across Asia kept our markets vibrant,” said Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX).Four of these companies featured in the world’s top 10 IPOs this year, according to HKEX, citing data from Dealogic.The HK$41 billion IPO of Chinese…

Funds raised in Hong Kong reached nearly HK$275 billion (US$35.4 billion) from 106 initial public offerings (IPO) as of December 12, helping the city become the world’s top listing venue, the stock exchange operator said in a year-end review.“2025 has been a year of momentum – global investors returned with conviction, and innovation from the Chinese mainland and across Asia kept our markets vibrant,” said Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX).Four of these companies featured in the world’s top 10 IPOs this year, according to HKEX, citing data from Dealogic.The HK$41 billion IPO of Chinese…

Hong Kong is putting gold at the centre of its push to become a global commodities trading hub, with officials prioritising plans for an international gold trading centre alongside a broader strategy to expand the city’s role in physical trade, derivatives and logistics.The government’s newly formed Commodity Strategy Committee held its first meeting on Monday under Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, as Hong Kong looked to build out a commodities ecosystem that would generate new growth beyond traditional finance.Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu told a mainland media outlet that developing an international gold trading centre…

Hong Kong is putting gold at the centre of its push to become a global commodities trading hub, with officials prioritising plans for an international gold trading centre alongside a broader strategy to expand the city’s role in physical trade, derivatives and logistics.The government’s newly formed Commodity Strategy Committee held its first meeting on Monday under Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, as Hong Kong looked to build out a commodities ecosystem that would generate new growth beyond traditional finance.Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu told a mainland media outlet that developing an international gold trading centre…