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Gold was broadly steady on Thursday after hitting a near two-week high in the previous session, as market participants weighed the possibility of a December U.S. interest rate cut amid conflicting signals from the Federal Reserve. Spot gold was down 0.2% at $4,154.09 per ounce, as of 0200 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery fell 0.3% to $4,151.20 per ounce. “At this moment the Fed isn’t clear in terms of what they’re going to do next and gold is just consolidating before the run up (to the Fed meeting) beginning this week,” GoldSilver Central MD Brian Lan said. Conflicting…

TOKYO: Oil prices fell on Thursday on expectations of a Ukraine‑Russia ceasefire which could pave the way for the unwinding of Western sanctions against Russian supply, though trading was set to remain thin due to the US Thanksgiving holiday. Brent crude futures shed 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $62.92 a barrel as of 0108 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 21 cents, or 0.4%, to $58.44 a barrel. Both contracts settled about 1% higher on Wednesday as investors assessed oversupply risk and the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel…

Russia’s offer to transfer fifth-generation fighter jet technology to India is being seen as a strategic overture at a time when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over trade disputes and diplomatic spats.Analysts say the proposed transfer – involving the Su-57 stealth fighter – not only signals Moscow’s desire to revitalise defence ties with one of its top arms buyers, but also offers India a timely opportunity to demonstrate that it has “strategic options” as it navigates a balancing act between rival powers.Moscow’s ambassador to Delhi, Denis Alipov, told Russian state news agency Tass on November 20 that both…

Hong Kong stocks approached a two-week high on Thursday as hopes of an interest-rate cut in the US continued to power a rebound from sell-offs triggered by concerns about frenzied sentiment on artificial intelligence.The Hang Seng Index rose 0.4 per cent to 26,023.23 as of 10.21am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 0.7 per cent.On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.7 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.6 per cent.Plush toymaker Pop Mart International Group rallied 5 per cent to HK$214.80 and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International gained 3.6 per cent to HK$71.35. Xiaomi added…

Hong Kong stocks approached a two-week high on Thursday as hopes of an interest-rate cut in the US continued to power a rebound from sell-offs triggered by concerns about frenzied sentiment on artificial intelligence.The Hang Seng Index rose 0.4 per cent to 26,023.23 as of 10.21am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 0.7 per cent.On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.7 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.6 per cent.Plush toymaker Pop Mart International Group rallied 5 per cent to HK$214.80 and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International gained 3.6 per cent to HK$71.35. Xiaomi added…

A report published on Wednesday highlighted examples of behind-the-scenes manipulation where subordinates were told how to vote in advance, and of collusion between corrupt officials or sham public consultations.“In recent years, to standardise collective decision-making, systematic procedures and requirements were introduced in many places, including mandating public hearings and transparency mechanisms for matters closely related to the public interest,” the report by Banyuetan, a magazine run by state news agency Xinhua, said.“However, these rules and procedures are either ignored or deliberately bent in some individuals’ hands.”It gave the example of an unnamed town Communist Party secretary, who had been disciplined…

KARACHI: The SITE Association of Industry (SAI) has lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to abolish the 0.25 percent Export Development Surcharge (EDS), terming it a timely intervention that will bolster the national export sector. The association said the move would provide much-needed relief to exporters, enhance their international competitiveness, and serve as a catalyst for economic growth. However, they stressed that the more than Rs 50 billion collected under EDS must be utilised transparently and directed back to the export sector. Ahmed Azeem Alvi, President of the Site Association of Industry (SAI), said the prime minister had fulfilled a…

PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron will unveil a new national military service plan Thursday as France seeks to bolster its armed forces to address growing concerns over Russia’s threat to European nations beyond the war in Ukraine.Macron will stress the “need to prepare the nation for growing threats,” the president’s office said ahead of his visit to the Varces military base, in the French Alps.Earlier this year, Macron announced his intention to provide French youth with a new option to voluntarily serve in the military. Conscription, which France ended in 1996, is not being considered. France is seeking to…

LONDON: Trafigura lawyers said Prateek Gupta’s allegations that the group concocted a secret scheme to swap expensive nickel for low-value metals were full of inconsistencies, as the Indian businessman gave evidence in a long-running fraud case on Wednesday. Switzerland-based commodity trader Trafigura sued Gupta over two years ago, alleging he was the mastermind of a scam in which he and his companies agreed to provide pure nickel but delivered steel or scrap instead. That large quantity of pure nickel, worth about USD625 million at the time, would be difficult to source and also prove problematic in terms of credit insurance…

KARACHI: The Sindh government has formally approved the Strategic Partnership submitted by ADM Group China to establish 600 plus Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations across Sindh, marking a major step toward clean mobility and sustainable infrastructure development. The approval was granted by Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, in a meeting held Wednesday with Malik Khuda Baksh (CEO/ Chairman, Malik Group of Companies). During the meeting, Baksh presented the strategic partnership proposal for the establishment of EV charging infrastructure throughout the province. The Minister not only approved the initiative but also directed that the proposal be forwarded to Syed Muhammad Ali…