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China has promised no-strings-attached aid to Latin American and Caribbean countries as it positions itself as a key voice of the Global South and seeks to expand its influence in a region also actively courted by the United States.In an updated policy framework for deeper economic cooperation with the region, Beijing highlighted what it described as a “significant shift in the international balance of power”, with the Global South gaining greater influence.The strategy paper, the third of its kind, was published in full by state news agency Xinhua on Wednesday.“Global economic growth is lacking sufficient momentum, local conflicts and turmoil…

My top 10 things to watch Wednesday, Dec. 10 1. Stocks were little changed early this morning as Wall Street awaits the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision at 2 p.m. ET. The Fed is expected to deliver a 25-basis-point rate cut, which would be the third such move this year. Investors will keep a close eye on how many central bankers dissent , and what they see for the U.S. economy. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell holds his post-meeting news conference at 2:30 p.m. ET. 2. SpaceX is looking to pursue an initial public offering that would raise more than $30 billion…

Bitcoin posted gains on Wednesday after a mild recovery, as investors positioned themselves ahead of a widely expected Federal Reserve decision to cut interest rates later today. However, the advance remained limited by expectations of hawkish policy signals.   The world’s largest cryptocurrency rose 1.2% to trade at $92,672.7 at 01:55 Eastern Time (06:55 GMT, after climbing above $94,000 on Tuesday.   Bitcoin has remained range-bound in recent days following one of its steepest monthly declines in years during November, when risk assets broadly retreated.   The Fed is expected to deliver a “hawkish cut”   Market expectations point to…

China’s flagship sovereign wealth fund has revealed that it opened a representative office in London shortly after Donald Trump’s victory in last year’s US presidential election, a move made amid increased scrutiny of Chinese investments in the United States.The London office was officially registered in December 2024, with the mission of “advancing the company’s overseas investment business” and “promoting cross-border investment cooperation”, China Investment Corporation (CIC) said in its annual report published on Tuesday.The fund’s third offshore office – joining outposts in Hong Kong and New York – would help facilitate communication, conduct research and analysis, and support deal sourcing,…

Those factors, JLL analysts said, were projected to help trim Hong Kong developers’ swollen inventory, which would drop back to their normal level by the end of next year.“Housing prices have bottomed out, and the outlook for 2026 is cautiously optimistic,” said Joseph Tsang Hon-ping, chairman of JLL in Hong Kong. “We expect capital values to rise by about 5 per cent, while luxury residential values will remain broadly flat. Luxury rents are projected to increase by up to 5 per cent.”Should that forecast unfold, it would be welcome news to the city’s housing property market, which has been in…

The two Shanghai-listed companies late on Tuesday said they cancelled merger talks because “the market environment has changed significantly since the initial planning stages of this transaction”. They added that “the conditions for implementing this major asset restructuring are not yet mature”.During an online briefing with investors on Wednesday, Sugon and Hygon said the market changes referred to fluctuations in both companies’ share prices over the past few months.They said the factors which affected their respective stocks included “changes in the domestic and international environment, the overall trend of the mainland share market, changes in the artificial intelligence industry’s popularity…

LONDON (AP) — Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 years ago.The findings, described in the journal Nature, push back the earliest known date for controlled fire-making by roughly 350,000 years. Until now, the oldest confirmed evidence had come from Neanderthal sites in what is now northern France dating to about 50,000 years ago.The discovery was made at Barnham, a Paleolithic site in Suffolk that has been excavated for decades. A team led by…

Gold prices rose in the European market on Wednesday, extending gains for a second consecutive session, supported by a pause in the US dollar’s advance against a basket of major currencies and by a modest uptick in safe-haven buying of the metal.   However, the current rise remains limited as investors stay cautious ahead of the final Federal Reserve policy decision of the year. The central bank is widely expected to announce a third consecutive 25-basis-point rate cut, along with key updates on the projected path of interest rates through 2026.   Price Overview   • Gold prices today: Gold…

As Japan continues to battle record numbers of bear attacks, a robot wolf invented to scare the animals away has become a surprise hit, with inquiries for the product tripling in recent months.The faux fur-clad Monster Wolf, developed by Hokkaido-based precision machining company Ohta Seiki, may not look realistic – it was initially mocked for its “foolish” appearance – but has proven its effectiveness since it was first released in 2016, according to Kyodo news agency.When the robot wolf’s infrared sensors detect an approaching animal, its eyes will glow red. It will turn its head, flash blue LED lights and…

Alibaba Group Holding named its cloud unit’s technology officer Zhou Jingren, who also leads its artificial intelligence lab Tongyi and the development of its Qwen AI models, as a new member of the group in charge of steering the business empire, according to people briefed about the decision.Alibaba has not updated the information on its official website. The Alibaba Partnership had 17 members before the addition, including co-founders Jack Ma and Joe Tsai as permanent ones.Alibaba did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Wednesday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.According to Alibaba’s website, a partner must…