Global markets moved cautiously in Asian trading as investors digested political upheaval in Venezuela, fresh trade tensions between Japan and China, and renewed rhetoric from Washington over Greenland. Oil prices extended losses, resource stocks diverged, and currencies held steady as traders looked ahead to key US economic data later this…
Japan’s top government spokesperson condemned China’s ban on exports of dual-use items as “absolutely unacceptable and deeply regrettable” on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in the diplomatic dispute between Asia’s two largest economies.Dual-use items are defined as goods, software, or technologies possessing both civilian and military utility. A key example is…
Chevron and private equity group Quantum Energy Partners are teaming up on a bid to acquire the international assets of sanctioned Russian oil producer Lukoil, Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The assets are valued by Lukoil at around $22 billion and include oil and gas production,…
China has rolled out a new set of e-commerce regulations aimed at controlling how its biggest online platforms compete, signalling a renewed push to stabilise a sector shaken by aggressive discounting and subsidy wars, said a Bloomberg report.The measures, unveiled on Wednesday, target business practices by major platforms that regulators…
Rising demand for advanced memory chips is beginning to strain global supply chains, creating fresh pricing pressure across the electronics industry. Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest memory chipmaker, has signalled that shortages are no longer confined to specialist markets such as data centres and are now spilling into consumer…
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence start-up xAI has raised $20 billion in new funding in an upsized round that more than doubles its valuation since last spring, underscoring investors’ appetite for AI even as the company faces mounting criticism over the content generated by its technology.The company, which develops the Grok…
IKEA is closing a number of its large-format stores in China as it reworks how it reaches customers in a market reshaped by a prolonged property downturn and tougher competition. The Swedish furniture retailer is moving away from its long-standing blue-box model in some major cities and placing greater emphasis…
Mounting evidence, from easing inflation to a softening jobs market, suggests the Bank of England’s fight against price rises is nearing a conclusion, with financial experts now predicting a shift to rate cuts in March and June, though February is considered too soon for action.Despite the impending possibility of rate…
Valero Energy has emerged as a key focus for investors after renewed attention on Venezuela’s oil sector following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and US President Donald Trump’s push to encourage American oil companies to help revive the country’s battered industry.The US-based refiner has drawn backing from both Wall…
Even as oil prices gyrated and a cloud of uncertainty looms over the market, the potential for rapid increase in Venezuelan oil production remained a distant dream. Experts and analysts believe that Venezuela would need a considerable amount of investments to even prop up oil production in the country to above…