Asia / Pacific

The latest trade war and foreign policy salvos from Donald Trump are upsetting the global markets. But the question is if these ructions escalate or disappear, like they did in the past 12 months. It is more likely that the latter scenario, but it is clear that investors struggle to accurately price the fundamental shifts of the geopolitical plates. The changes that have already occurred in 2026 will be truly astounding. The Trump administration removed Venezuela's leader, and it appears that he is now the de facto ruler of the Latin American nation. The threat of an American response is...

The Finance Ministry announced on Monday that Russia had a budgetary deficit of 5.6 trillion roubles, or 2.6% of GDP, by 2025. This is the largest deficit in terms of percentage of GDP since 2020 and in roubles since 2006. In 2024, Russia's fiscal deficit was equal to 1.7% of its GDP. The?government increased the deficit target in 2025 from the initial?1.2 trillion Rubbles or 0.5% GDP due to the shrinking energy revenue and a strong Rouble. Budget revenues were 37.28 trillion rubles, down 7.5% on the original target. This was due to the 24% drop in oil and gas...

Economy Minister Faisal Al-Ibrahim said Saudi Arabia will hand over the scope of some Vision 2030 Projects to the private sector, as it adjusts timetables to avoid economic "overheating". Ibrahim stated in an interview conducted in Davos in Switzerland that the government was "agile" when managing its ambitious pipeline of development projects. He said some projects were rescoping, but maintained momentum in its Vision 2030 goals for economic transformation. Ibrahim stated on Monday that the private sector was ready and eager to participate. He added: "Recently some whole scopes of project were given to private sector with regulatory support and...

The U.S. must intervene more aggressively to stop a Syrian offensive which has gained key territory from Kurdish militants in the past few days, according to the leader of 'the main kurdish forces. Officials and security sources reported that government troops launched an offensive Saturday in territory controlled by semi-autonomous Kurdish authority for the past decade. They captured towns on both side of the Euphrates as well as the largest oilfield as well as a gas field. Sipan Hamo, commander of the People's Protection Units(YPG), said that a meeting held on Saturday between U.S. envoy Tom Barrack (and Kurdish officials)...

Trade data revealed that India's Russian imports in December fell to the lowest level since?two? years, as Western sanctions pushed refining companies to look for alternatives. This boosted OPEC?s?share?of imports?to an 11-month peak. The lower imports of Russian crude oil at a discounted price will likely hit the profits of refiners and consumers in the third largest oil consuming and importing nation in the world and force them to look for suppliers in the Middle East and the U.S. The data shows that tighter U.S. sanctions and European Union sanctions have slowed Russian oil exports to India. Imports dropped by...

OPEC's monthly?data on Wednesday showed that Russian oil production dropped by 0.7% to 9.129?million bbls per day. Russia has'managed' to keep its oil production largely steady, and this, along with natural gas, accounts for about a quarter (or more) of the federal budget tax revenues, despite drone attacks by Ukraine against energy infrastructure, as well as lower crude prices. Russia is a part of OPEC+, a group of leading oil producers that decided earlier this month to maintain its?production steady. The oil price dropped by more than 18% in 2025, the steepest drop since 2020. According to OPEC, the Russian...

By America Hernandez PARIS, January '14 - French giant TotalEnergies signed an agreement to sell its 10% non-operated stake in the Nigerian oil asset SPDC (renamed Renaissance JV) to Vaaris. This follows a failed sale to Mauritius based Chappal Energies last year. Total retains a 'full economic interest in the?deal, which includes stakes of three other licenses that produce mainly?gases for Nigeria LNG. The company did not provide any further information on the buyer. The inability of the buyer to pay the $860 million price tag was the reason why Nigerian regulators rejected Total's first deal with Chappal Energies for...

Next week, business and political leaders will be attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos to test their vision of a global economic order based on rules. The expected appearance of U.S. president Donald 'Trump' in the Swiss resort shows the difference between his agenda, and the consensus-driven approach taken by the?the?WEF. This organization has been criticized for years as a talk shop for the rich. His "America First' policy has resulted in trade tariffs as punishment, military interventions in Venezuela, a threat to take over Greenland with force, and the U.S. retreating from international cooperation on climate...

The chief executive of TotalEnergies, a French oil company, said that the company would consider returning to Venezuela. However, it is not a top priority. "People want a quick return to Venezuela, but it's going to take some time to get a clear investment framework in place. TotalEnergies left Venezuela in 2021. Pouyanne pointed to 'the high capital investment needed to produce and transport Venezuelan heavy crude oil, and to manage greenhouse gas emissions. Pouyanne stated that adding 100,000 barrels a day would require an additional $100 billion. The CEO stated, "We will look at it, we'll be sure to...

Next week, business and political leaders will be attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to test their?vision for a global economic order based on rules. The expected appearance of U.S. president Donald Trump in the Swiss mountain resort highlights the difference between his agenda, and the consensus-driven approach taken by the WEF. It has been criticized for years that the WEF is just a rich people's talking shop. His "America First' policy has resulted in trade tariffs as punishment, military interventions in Venezuela, threats to take over Greenland and a retreat by the U.S. from international cooperation...

The oil price rose on Tuesday, as concerns about Iran and possible supply disruptions overshadowed the?prospects of an increased crude supply coming from Venezuela. Brent futures were up 22 cents or 0.3% to $64.09 per barrel at 0430 GMT. They are hovering around the two-month high reached in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude climbed 23 cents or 0.4% to $59.73. The ING commodities analysts said that the price rise coincides with the intensifying protests against the Iranian regime, which raises the possibility of a U.S. intervention. Iran, one of the largest producers of the Organization of the...

India's stock indexes dipped on Tuesday as a decline in Reliance Industries?and profit taking in TCS and HCLT after the IT service?firms quarterly results weighed down on sentiment. As of 10:24 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 dropped?0.1%?"to 25,766.7 while the Sensex fell 0.09%?to 83,803.86, Both benchmarks opened up about 0.4% higher. After declining for five straight sessions, they each rose by 0.4% on Monday as expectations grew about the India-U.S. Trade Talks regaining?momentum following a U.S. Envoy's statement that New Delhi would be discussing?trade matters in a phone call later that day. V.K. Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments....

The price of copper dropped on Tuesday as industrial consumers began to resist paying high prices for inventory levels that are multi-year highs. Benchmark -three-month copper at the London Metal Exchange fell?0.8%?to $12,868 per metric ton by 1045 GMT. The previous session saw a 1.3% rebound. LME copper prices have risen by 30% in the last six months. Last week they reached a record high of $13,407, driven by speculation on the backs of fears that disruptions at mines would lead to shortages. Ole Hansen is the head of commodity strategy for Saxo Bank, Copenhagen. He said: "Copper can't run...

Iron ore futures declined for a third straight session on Monday, after an accident at a Chinese steel plant sparked concerns about the demand for this steelmaking ingredient. As of 0250 GMT, the most-traded contract for May iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), traded at 786 Yuan ($112.92) per metric ton. The benchmark iron ore for February on the Singapore Exchange fell 0.63% to $104.66 per ton. Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union's subsidiary, which owns the steel plate factory, reported earlier on Monday that an explosion occurred at a factory producing steel plates in China's northern region of...

Australian shares dropped on Tuesday. Heavyweight miners, financial stocks and other sectors led the losses. Global risk sentiment was soured by escalating tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose extra tariffs against Europe. As of 0007 GMT, the?S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.5% to?8,832.9. The benchmark closed Monday 0.3% lower. Overnight, global stocks fell as Trump announced he would add 10% to the tariffs imposed on eight European nations that oppose his takeover Greenland. U.S. stock markets were closed for a public holiday. S&P 500 Eminis futures fell 70.75 points or 1.01% early on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei dropped...

A source familiar with the situation said that Canada was considering sending a small contingent of troops to Greenland in order to take part in NATO exercises. The first to report the news were CBC News and Globe and Mail. Source: Military officials have "presented" plans for the operation to government, and are "awaiting a decision by Prime Minister Mark Carney," said the source. The source requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue. Carney's office declined to comment. Carney is challenged by the threats of U.S. president Donald Trump to annex Canada. He wants to be on...

A blast at a steel 'plate factory in Inner Mongolia, China's northern region, killed four people and left six others missing on Sunday. CCTV reported that rescue efforts are underway. Inner Mongolia's?Baotou Steel Union?, whose subsidiary owned the factory, said in an earlier stock exchange filing that 84 people were injured by the explosion. The?steelmaker stated that the explosion of a saturated steam and water tank?at Baotou City unit?damaged?parts of?factory equipment and buildings. It was also expected to have an impact on production at the plate-mill and adjacent facilities. The company stated that it was still assessing?the extent of losses....

BHP has been denied permission to appeal a ruling that found it liable for a 2015 dam collapse in the southeast of Brazil. The London lawsuit could be worth tens or hundreds of millions of pounds. The London High Court ruled in November that BHP is legally responsible for collapse of Fundao Dam, located in Mariana (southeastern Brazil), which was owned by BHP's joint venture with Vale, Samarco. BHP's request for a?permission of appeal this ruling? was denied by High Court. BHP has said it will directly apply to the Court of Appeal. BHP's spokesperson stated in a press release...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has linked his desire to seize control of Greenland with his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He said he was no longer thinking "purely of Peace", as the row on the Arctic island threatened to reignite the trade war between Europe and the U.S. Trump is intensifying his efforts to take over Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark. He has threatened punitive tariffs against countries that stand in his path and prompted the European Union (EU) to consider retaliatory measures. The dispute threatens to bring down the NATO alliance, which has been...

The copper price rebounded Monday, thanks to a lower dollar and better-than-expected data from China, the world's largest metals consumer. After two consecutive sessions of declines, the benchmark three-month 'copper price on London Metal Exchange rose 0.6% to $12,885 per metric ton at 1030 GMT. LME copper fell to a low of one week on Friday due to profit-taking, and worries about weak Chinese demand. It had fallen from its record high of $13,407 on Wednesday. The price of coal has risen 31% in the last six months on fears that shortages may occur this year due to mine disruptions....

BHP has been denied permission to appeal a ruling that they are 'liable for the collapse of a Dam in Southeastern Brazil?in 2015, as part of a London suit potentially worth tens of millions of pounds. The London High Court ruled in November that BHP is legally responsible for the collapsed Fundao Dam, located in Mariana (southeastern Brazil), which was owned by BHP and Vale's joint venture Samarco. BHP's request for permission to appeal this ruling was denied by the High Court. BHP may still apply directly to the Court of Appeal. After their initial win, the claimants' attorneys sought...

Hindustan Zinc, an Indian company, reported on Monday a 46.2% increase in its third-quarter profits, due to record-high'silver' prices and higher zinc prices amid "resilient" demand. India's largest refined zinc producer,?said?its consolidated profit rose to 39.16 bn rupees ($430.6m) in the quarter ending December 31 from a year ago. The final quarter of 2025 saw spot silver prices soar 52.6%, boosted by strong investment flows and persistent supply restrictions. Meanwhile, benchmark zinc prices in London rose a whopping 5.3%. Hindustan Zinc shares closed 3.6% higher after the results. Earlier that day, HSBC upgraded its ratings after forecasting?earnings growth from higher...

In a letter, U.S. president Donald Trump told Norway's Prime Minister that he did not feel obligated to "think purely of Peace", because he hadn't?been?awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He also reiterated his demand for Greenland. Stoere said in a press release that the letter was written in response to a short message sent by Norway's Premier Jonas Gahr Stoere to Trump opposing his decision imposing tariffs on European allies for refusing to allow the U.S. to take control of Greenland. Trump's letter stated that he no longer felt obligated to only think of Peace. Although it will always be...

Indonesian authorities could seize mining operations on 190,000 acres (733.59 sq mi) of illegally cleared forest. The deputy forestry ministry said this in a parliamentary hearing. Authorities are tackling what they call 'illegal extraction' throughout the resource-rich island archipelago. Indonesia's unprecedented crackdown has caused the industry to be unnerved. It has pushed up the price of palm oil due to fears that it would affect production, and more recently has fueled rallies in metal prices like tin. Rohmat Marzuki, Deputy Forestry minister, said that 191,790 acres (mines), which are not covered by forestry permits and could be considered illegal. He...