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Gold prices rose in European trading on Monday, extending gains for a second consecutive session and reaching a six-week high, supported by strong safe-haven demand and a weaker US dollar in the foreign-exchange market.   Despite strong expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this December, investors are awaiting additional key US economic data.   Price Overview   • Gold prices today: Gold rose 0.9% to 4,256.52 — the highest level since 21 October — from an opening of 4,218.00, after recording an intraday low of 4,205.73.   • On Friday, gold settled 1.5% higher, marking its second…

The International Criminal Court’s ruling that Rodrigo Duterte is too politically connected to be trusted on interim release – citing his entrenched networks and even a “joke” from his daughter about breaking him out – has entwined the former president’s legal predicament with the political dynamics shaping the 2028 race.Analysts told This Week in Asia that the decision has narrowed the 80-year-old’s room for political manoeuvre while potentially strengthening, under some circumstances, the positioning of his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, the current vice-president.In a forty-page decision delivered on Friday, the ICC’s Appeals Chamber ordered Duterte to remain in detention in The…

Another senior official in Xinjiang has been placed under investigation amid Beijing’s vow to resolutely “eradicate the soil for corruption”.Chen Weijun, executive vice-chairman of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was “under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation” for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law”, China’s top anti-graft agency said on Sunday, referencing a euphemism for corruption.The announcement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) came two days after the Politburo, the Communist Party’s central decision-making body, vowed to strengthen supervision over officials holding “leading positions” and their power. 04:30China’s fourth plenum: party leaders call for boosting self-reliance against ‘raging storms’China’s…

Air Link Communication Limited (AIRLINK) announced on Monday that it had approved the incorporation of a wholly owned subsidiary under the name ZEXO Technologies (Private) Limited, with an authorised investment of Rs200 million. The technology firm shared the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). The subsidiary will be established with an authorised investment of Rs200,000,000/-, divided into 20,000,000 ordinary shares at a nominal value of Rs10/- per share. The notice said that the primary objective of the proposed subsidiary would be to undertake the manufacturing, import, export, distribution, retail and e-commerce operations of smartphones, laptops, related…

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces a more complex political landscape ahead after his coalition was routed in Sabah’s polls, as analysts warn he would need to craft a compelling narrative to win over voters ahead of the next general election.Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won a single seat of the 73 up for grabs in Saturday’s election, from his own Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a stinging rebuke to a government perceived to have failed to fix Sabah’s perennial problems, ranging from irregular water supply to low funding. The Democratic Action Party, a key part of Anwar’s coalition, lost all its eight…

Workers assemble mobile phones at a Dixon Technologies factory in Noida, India, on Jan. 28, 2021. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIndia’s industrial production grew just 0.4% in October, a 14-month low that indicated a sharp slowdown in the economy.The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) fell short of September’s 4% growth and is even lower than the 3.1% expected by economists in a Reuters poll.Domestic consumption improved across major consumer categories, after a goods and services tax cut took effect Sept. 22.The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation said the slow industrial production growth could be due to fewer number of working…

Lucky Cement Limited, one of Pakistan’s largest business conglomerates, announced on Monday that its joint venture in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nyumba Ya Akiba (NYA), had approved a major expansion to meet the African nation’s growing construction-driven demand. In a filing submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), LUCK said NYA would expand its existing cement production capacity from 1.31 million tons per annum (MTPA) to 2.91 MTPA. The upgrade includes the installation of a new, fully integrated 1.6 MTPA production line. Pakistan’s leading conglomerate warns of rising competition from Chinese auto brands “Keeping pace with the growing…

Sharing secrets behind his success story in Pakistan, the co-founder of startup Qist Bazaar, Arif Lakhani, said his company placed advertisements on big billboards along the route frequently traveled by their potential partners and investors. The approach helped in building familiarity and winning partnerships and investors. The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company ran four different advertisements in a short duration of a month on a billboard along a route frequently traveled by a key partner before meeting them. “When we went to meet them and introduced ourselves, they said they recognized us due to the billboard advertisements that cost…

Long overshadowed by India’s dominance in regional fintech, Pakistan is finally stepping into its own, buoyed by renewed investor confidence and a regulatory framework that is finally catching up to market demand, reported Forbes. As per the international media outlet, Pakistan’s fintech sector, after years of underperformance, is entering a strong revival phase, after its venture funding “surged from just $10.4 million in 2019 to $150 million by 2022, seemingly positioning the South Asian country to become one of the top emerging digital finance markets”. The report noted that Pakistan’s startup funding plunged to just $12.5 million in 2023 amid…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A South African radio presenter appeared in court on Monday accused of recruiting men to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine.Nonkululeko Mantula, 39, was arrested alongside four men after a tip off, South African police said. She is accused of recruiting the four men and organizing for them to join the Russian army. South African police said three of the men were detained while trying to board a flight to Russia via the United Arab Emirates. Police said they believed another person had already traveled to Russia after being recruited by Mantula.It…