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Gold prices sank further Wednesday and major stock markets mostly fell on fresh economic jitters caused by China-US trade uncertainty and a batch of weak company earnings.Most European equity indices were lower and Wall Street fell slightly at the US open after declines in most Asian markets earlier.Further earning reports from US tech giants and other blue chips in the coming days, including from Tesla later Wednesday, were also keeping investors wary as they gauged the business outlook and the impacts of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index was a rare climber as the pound dropped on lower-than-expected UK inflation data that signalled another potential interest-rate cut from the Bank of England this year.Gold was once again a major focus after plunging six percent on Tuesday, a sell-off from record highs that rattled investor confidence in what is traditionally a safe-haven asset.Traders are “desperately trying to gauge whether… (Tuesday’s) historical collapse was indicative of a new period of weakness or simply a case of blowing off steam after a dramatic surge into record highs”, said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.Gold fell a further 1.4 percent to around $4,060 an ounce Wednesday after chalking up a record peak above $4,381 on Monday.The retreat hit the share prices of gold miners, while individual companies were impacted by earnings updates.In Paris, L’Oreal shed 6.7 percent after the cosmetics giant posted third-quarter earnings that undershot analysts’ expectations, with US tariffs weighing on American sales in particular.On the upside, Barclays and UniCredit posted positive results, easing fears of a new banking crisis emerging in the United States. There were also concerns regarding US-China trade relations after Trump said a meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping might not occur.Trump said Tuesday that he expected to seal a “good” trade deal with Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea next week, adding: “I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people that are waiting for it.”But he then added: “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty.’ But it’s really not nasty.”Oil prices rallied on speculation that India would agree to cut its purchases of the commodity from Russia as part of a trade deal with the United States.Trump has claimed New Delhi pledged to reduce its imports from Russia, which Washington says helps finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.Indian officials have neither confirmed nor denied any policy shift.- Key figures at around 1550 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 46,829.77 pointsNew York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,716.56New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 0.7 percent at 22,782.73London – FTSE 100: UP 0.9 percent at 9,515.00 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.6 percent at 8,206.87 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.7 percent at 24,151.13 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: FLAT at 49,307.79 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 25,781.77 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,913.76 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1611 from $1.1606 on TuesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3372 from $1.3374Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.79 from 151.92 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.86 pence from 86.78 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 2.5 percent at $62.86 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 2.7 percent at $58.81 per barrel

Gold prices sank further Wednesday and major stock markets mostly dropped on fresh economic jitters caused by China-US trade uncertainty and some weak company earnings.London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index was a rare climber as the pound dropped on better-than-expected UK inflation data that signalled another potential interest-rate cut from the Bank of England this year.But after Chinese stock indices ended lower, major eurozone equity markets were in the red in midday trading.Focus was very much on gold, with traders “desperately trying to gauge whether… (Tuesday’s) historical collapse was indicative of a new period of weakness or simply a case of blowing off steam after a dramatic surge into record highs”, said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.Gold, seen as a safe-haven investment, tanked as much as six percent at one point Tuesday and continued to fall during Asian trading hours.The precious metal dropped to around $4,000 an ounce Wednesday after chalking up a record peak above $4,381 Monday.The retreat hit share prices of gold miners, while individual companies were impacted by earnings updates.In Paris, L’Oreal shed 6.5 percent after the cosmetics giant posted third-quarter earnings that undershot analysts expectations.   On the upside, Barclays and UniCredit posted positive results, easing fears of a new banking crisis emerging in the United States. There were also concerns regarding US-China trade relations after President Donald Trump said a meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping might not occur.Trump said Tuesday that he expected to seal a “good” trade deal with Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea next week, adding that “I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people that are waiting for it.”But he then added: “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty.’ But it’s really not nasty.” Oil prices rallied Wednesday on speculation that India would agree to cut its purchases of the commodity from Russia as part of a trade deal with the United States.Trump has claimed New Delhi pledged to reduce its imports from Russia, which Washington says helps finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.Indian officials have neither confirmed nor denied any policy shift.- Key figures at around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.9 percent at 9,511.17 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,241.52Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 24,320.53Tokyo – Nikkei 225: FLAT at 49,307.79 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 25,781.77 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,913.76 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 46,924.74 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1587 from $1.1606 on TuesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3315 from $1.3374Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.80 from 151.91 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.05 pence from 86.78 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.7 percent at $62.35 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.8 percent at $58.24 per barrel

Gold and silver sank for a second day Wednesday, bringing a rally in the precious metals to a juddering halt, while stocks were mixed after US President Donald Trump remarked that a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping might not take place.Bullion has seen an eye-watering run-up since the turn of the year, helping it climb more than 60 percent and hitting multiple records, with observers suggesting it could soon hit $5,000 an ounce.The rally has been built on a range of issues including a weaker dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts, falling bond yields and central bank buying.Lingering worries about the global outlook have also boosted its haven status, while a fear of missing out on the surge has equally played a part.But the buying reversed Tuesday, tanking as much as six percent at one point, and continued its retreat in Asia, hit by profit-taking, hopes for a further easing of China-US tensions and a stronger dollar.At one point Wednesday it hit a low around $4,000 — after chalking up a record peak above $4,381 in Asian trade Tuesday. Silver, which has been riding the coattails of the rally, also plunged.The retreat hit gold miners and producers. Northern Star Resources in Sydney dived more than eight percent, with Perseus Mining losing more than six percent.Hong Kong-listed Zijin Gold International shed more than four percent and Shandong Gold Mining was off nearly two percent, while Merdeka Copper Gold dived around four percent in Jakarta. “Gold’s glorious charge finally met gravity. After months of one-way conviction and relentless inflows, the metal took a six-percent cliff dive,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.”Volatility in gold has now surpassed equities, echoing the pandemic’s manic heartbeat,” he said.However, he added that the commodity would likely still retain support among investors.”Beneath the surface, the structural demand for insurance remains.”Central banks will keep stacking reserves, investors still question the durability of fiat promises, and the monetary plumbing remains swollen with debt and distortion.”Charu Chanana of Saxo Markets added: “None of this means the precious metals story is over. In fact, these are healthy developments, helping to cool what had become an overheated trade and preventing the rallies from turning into a bubble.”The selling matched losses in equities, with most Asian markets falling following two days of strong gains.While investors were taking a breather from the latest run-up — fanned by hopes for a thawing of relations between Beijing and Washington as well as rate-cut bets — comments from Trump raised eyebrows.The US president said Tuesday he expected to seal a “good” trade deal with Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea next week, saying that “I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people that are waiting for it”.But he then added: “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty.’ But it’s really not nasty.” Hong Kong and Shanghai dropped along with Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila, though Singapore, Seoul and Jakarta rose.Tokyo ended flat, eroding early losses fuelled by profit-taking after a strong rally sparked by an end to political turmoil in Japan.London rose and sterling fell as data showing UK inflation came in below forecasts and boosted bets on the Bank of England cutting interest rates to support the stuttering economy.Paris and Frankfurt edged down.Oil prices jumped more than one percent on speculation that India will agree to cut its purchases of the commodity from Russia as part of a trade deal with the United States.Trump claims New Delhi has pledged to reduce its imports from Russia, which Washington says helps finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.Indian officials have neither confirmed nor denied any policy shift.India is one of the world’s largest crude importers and relies on foreign suppliers for more than 85 percent of its oil needs. It began buying heavily discounted Russian crude in 2022, taking advantage of Western sanctions that limited Moscow’s export options.- Key figures at around 0810 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: FLAT at 49,307.79 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 25,781.77 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,913.76 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 9,487.01 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1603 from $1.1606 on TuesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3332 from $1.3374Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.80 from 151.91 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.03 pence from 86.78 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.6 percent at $58.13 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.4 percent at $62.20 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 46,924.74 (close)

Gold and silver tumbled for a second day Wednesday, bringing a rally in the precious metals to a juddering halt, while equities also sank after US President Donald Trump remarked that a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping might not take place.Bullion has seen an eye watering run-up since the turn of the year, helping it climb more than 60 percent and hitting multiple records, with observers suggesting it could soon hit $5,000 an ounce.The rally has been built on a range of issues including a weaker dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts, falling bond yields and central bank buying.Lingering worries about the global outlook have also boosted its haven status, while a fear of missing out on the surge has equally played a part.But the buying reversed Tuesday, tanking as much as six percent at one point, and continued its retreat in Asia, hit by profit-taking, hopes for a further easing of China-US tensions and a stronger dollar.At one point Wednesday it hit a low of $4,000 — a day after chalking up a record peak of $4.381.51. Silver, which has been riding the coattails of the rally, also plunged.The retreat hit gold miners and producers. Northern Star Resources in Sydney dived more than eight percent, with Perseus Mining losing more than six percent.And Hong Kong-listed Zijin Gold International shed more than four percent and Shandong Gold Mining was off nearly two percent, while Merdeka Copper Gold dived around four percent in Jakarta. “Gold’s glorious charge finally met gravity. After months of one-way conviction and relentless inflows,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. “Volatility in gold has now surpassed equities, echoing the pandemic’s manic heartbeat.”However, he added that the commodity would likely still retain support among investors.”But beneath the surface, the structural demand for insurance remains. “Central banks will keep stacking reserves, investors still question the durability of fiat promises, and the monetary plumbing remains swollen with debt and distortion.”The selling matched losses in equities, with most Asian markets falling following two days of strong gains.While investors were taking a breather from the latest run-up — fanned by hopes for a thawing of relations between Beijing and Washington as well as rate-cut bets — comments from Trump raised eyebrows. The president said Tuesday he expected to seal a “good” trade deal with Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea next week, and that “I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people that are waiting for it”.But he then added: “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty’. But it’s really not nasty.” Hong Kong and Shanghai stocks dropped along with Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila. Tokyo was also down profit-taking after a strong rally sparked by an end to political turmoil in Japan.The weak start followed a tepid day on Wall Street.- Key figures at around 0230 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.5 percent at 49,077.56 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.6 percent at 25,863.79 Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,911.40Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1608 from $1.1606 on TuesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3376 from $1.3374Dollar/yen: DOWN at 151.70 from 151.91 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.79 percent from 86.78 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $57.50 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $61.55 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 46,924.74 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 9,426.99 (close)

Most stock markets extended gains Tuesday on signs that China-US trade tensions were easing and as investors digested a deluge of generally good earnings.Tokyo hit another record as Japan swore in new prime minister Sanae Takaichi and brought an end to a period of political uncertainty.But the price of gold tumbled more than six percent on profit-taking after recent record highs for the precious metal, seen as a safe haven investment. Silver tumbled more than eight percent.On Wall Street the Dow surged to a fresh all-time record while the Nasdaq edged lower as several leading industrial companies reported solid results.”Earnings continue to be a buoy for this market,” said Tim Urbanowicz of Innovator Capital Management. “We clearly have an environment where companies have the ability to thrive.”But, “we have valuations that have run up to a point where there’s not a lot of room for any bad news,” he added. Shares in General Motors raced about 15 percent higher after the automaker reported better-than-expected profits and boosted some full-year projections based on lower tariff costs.In Europe, the Paris stock exchange set fresh intra-day and closing records, pulled higher by a nearly 20-percent gain for financial services firm Edenred after it reported better-than-expected sales.Asian markets also posted gains, with Hong Kong and Shanghai closing up more than one percent. “The focus is now on US interest rate cuts, the new corporate reporting season, and US-China trade talks,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.Investors will look to US inflation figures due Friday for further signals about the pace of the rate cuts.Investors were back in a buying mood after last week’s ructions sparked by Donald Trump’s threat to hammer China with 100-percent tariffs over its latest rare earths export controls.The US president has since struck a more conciliatory tone ahead of an expected meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in South Korea.Trump said Tuesday he expected to seal a “good” trade deal with Xi next week, although the US president said the meeting was not a sure thing. “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty.’ But it’s really not nasty.” In Japan, the yen weakened after Takaichi was appointed prime minister, which raised expectations for a slower pace of interest rate rises.”Takaichi is expected to cut taxes and boost defense spending, she is also not a fan of interest rate hikes,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group.Meanwhile gold and silver pulled back.”The drop was always going to come, and some would argue, what took it so long,” City Index and FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada told AFP.”Multiple factors have come together all at once — from hopes that the US and China will agree to extend the trade truce, to a rebound in the US dollar and an overall positive risk appetite,” he said.The pound fell against the dollar on official data showing UK public borrowing reached a five-year high in September.Among individual companies, Warner Brothers Discovery shot up 11 percent as the company announced it was considering a sale of all or part of itself “in light of unsolicited interest the company has received from multiple parties.”- Key figures at around 2015 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 46,924.74 (close)New York – S&P 500: FLAT at 6,735.35 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 22,953.67 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 9,426.99 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.6 percent at 8,258.86 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 24,330.03 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 49,316.06 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.7 percent at 26,027.55 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.4 percent at 3,916.33 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1606 from $1.1642 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3374 from $1.3405Dollar/yen: UP at 151.91 from 150.75 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 86.78 percent from 86.84 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.5 percent at $61.32 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $57.82 per barrelburs-jmb/ksb

Sanae Takaichi was named Japan’s first woman prime minister Tuesday, with the social conservative saying she wanted “candid discussions” with US President Donald Trump just days ahead of his visit to Tokyo.Japan’s fifth premier in as many years leads a minority government and has a bulging in-tray, not least the scheduled arrival of the US leader next week.But in her first remarks in office, she said her priority was to tackle inflation, a major source of anger among voters, and would soon draft an “economic package” to deal with rising prices. The former heavy metal drummer and Margaret Thatcher admirer became head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on October 4, but its coalition collapsed days later. This forced Takaichi to form an alliance with the reformist, right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which was signed on Monday. She was approved by parliament as prime minister on Tuesday and formally took office.Her first challenge will be Trump’s visit, during which she plans to discuss bilateral issues as well as the broader Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Ukraine. “I want to build relationships of trust,” she told journalists.Being in a minority in both houses of parliament, the new coalition will need support from other parties to push through legislation.Takaichi’s many other headaches include Japan’s declining population as well as the flatlining economy.”Prices have gone up, and it’s tough,” said pensioner Satoe Tominaga, saying she was “50-50” about the new prime minister. “Honestly, I mostly shop at 100-yen ($0.66) stores now,” the 77-year-old told AFP in Nara, Takaichi’s hometown.- US, regional ties -With Trump’s visit on the horizon, Takaichi handed the foreign minister role to Toshimitsu Motegi who was credited with handling trade ties with the president’s first administration. The US leader wants Tokyo to stop Russian energy imports and boost defence spending.Details of Japan’s mooted $550 billion in investments in the US, as part of its latest trade deal with Washington, remain unclear. Takaichi previously said that “Japan is completely looked down on by China”, and that Tokyo must “address the security threat” posed by Beijing.But she has since toned down her rhetoric, and last week stayed away from the Yasukuni shrine that honours Japan’s war dead, long a flashpoint in Tokyo’s regional ties.China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday urged Tokyo to “honour its political commitments on major issues including history and Taiwan”.China and Japan are key trading partners, but friction over territorial rivalries and military spending has frayed ties in recent years.Japan hosts around 54,000 US military personnel and the close ally of Washington is part of the Quad group, along with Australia and India, which is seen as a counter to Beijing.- ‘A woman’s perspective’ -EU chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Takaichi for “making history” as Japan’s first woman premier. Takaichi had promised a cabinet with “Nordic” levels of women, up from two under predecessor Shigeru Ishiba. The record for Japan is five.But she named only two other women in her 19-strong cabinet, with Satsuki Katayama in charge of finances and the Japanese-American Kimi Onoda taking on the economic security portfolio.Japan ranked 118 out of 148 in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. Around 15 percent of lower house MPs are women. Takaichi has said she hopes to raise awareness about women’s health struggles and has spoken candidly about her own experience with menopause.But she is seen as socially conservative, opposing revising a 19th-century law requiring married couples to share the same surname, and wants the imperial family to stick to male-only succession. “I’d be happy if we saw more policies from a woman’s perspective: support for childcare, and help for women returning to work after having children,” student Nina Terao, 18, told AFP in Nara.Yu Uchiyama, political science professor at the University of Tokyo, described Takaichi’s appointment as “epoch-making”.But “just because she has become the first woman prime minister doesn’t mean we will move more toward the direction of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion),” he told AFP.Takaichi will also be under pressure to restore the fortunes of the LDP after a string of poor election results that cost Ishiba his job. Smaller parties gaining support include the populist Sanseito, which calls immigration a “silent invasion”. 

Most stock markets extended gains Tuesday on further signs that China-US trade tensions were easing and as investors looked to corporate earnings.Tokyo hit another record as Japan swore in new prime minister Sanae Takaichi and brought an end to a period of political uncertainty.European equities were mostly higher, tracking gains in Asia where Hong Kong and Shanghai closed up more than one percent. “Wall Street enjoyed a particularly strong session on Monday, and that optimism has extended to Asia and Europe,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.”The focus is now on US interest rate cuts, the new corporate reporting season, and US-China trade talks,” he added. Investors will look to US inflation figures due Friday for further signals about the pace of the rate cuts.Ahead of Wall Street reopening Tuesday, General Motors reported better-than-expected profits behind good vehicle pricing as it boosted some full-year projections based on lower tariff costs. London advanced in midday deals, while the pound declined on official data showing UK public borrowing reached a five-year high in September.Frankfurt ticked lower while Paris rose, with financial services firm Edenred surging 15 percent after it reported better-than-expected sales in the third quarter.Investors were back in a buying mood after last week’s ructions sparked by Donald Trump’s threat to hammer China with 100-percent tariffs over its latest rare earth export controls.The US president has since struck a more optimistic tone ahead of a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in South Korea.He said he wanted a “fair” trade deal between the superpowers and praised his relationship with Xi. Trump also played down fears of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, saying: “I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that.”The remarks, which followed other conciliatory words at the weekend, helped push Wall Street higher on Monday, as the tech-led rally resumed.In Japan, the yen weakened after Takaichi was appointed prime minister, which raised expectations for a slower pace of interest rate hikes.”Takaichi is expected to cut taxes and boost defence spending, she is also not a fan of interest rate hikes,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group.Traders kept tabs on Beijing, where China’s leaders are holding a four-day conclave expected to discuss strategies to address sluggish household spending and persisting woes in the vast property sector.Mineral producers fell in Sydney, having opened sharply higher following a deal between Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ramp up shipments of rare earths to the United States.Hastings Technology Metals, Lynas Rare Earths and Iluka Resources all surged at the open but gave up gains as the day wore on.- Key figures at around 1040 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 9,423.91 pointsParis – CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 8,224.39Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 24,244.57Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 49,316.06 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.7 percent at 26,027.55 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.4 percent at 3,916.33 (close)New York – Dow: UP 1.1 percent at 46,706.58 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1611 from $1.1641 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3373 from $1.3409Dollar/yen: UP at 151.96 yen from 150.73 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.83 percent from 86.82 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.9 percent at $61.52 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.9 percent at $57.54 per barrel

Stocks extended gains Tuesday on further signs that China-US trade tensions were easing, with Tokyo hitting another record as Japan swore in a new prime minister and brought an end to a period of political uncertainty.Investors were back in a buying mood after last week’s ructions caused by Donald Trump’s threat earlier in the month to hammer China with 100 percent tariffs over its latest rare earth export controls.The US president — who had lashed Beijing’s “extraordinarily aggressive” moves — has since toned down his rhetoric and on Monday expressed optimism ahead of a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in South Korea.He said he was focused on getting a “fair” trade deal between the superpowers, adding: “I want to be good to China. I love my relationship with President Xi. We have a great relationship.”He also said he doubted China would invade Taiwan, saying, “I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that.”The remarks, which followed other conciliatory words at the weekend, helped push Wall Street higher, as the tech-led rally that has pushed markets to records got back on track.”Markets are travelling on ‘high hopes’ for a thaw in US-China relations, with President Trump listing rare earths, fentanyl and soybeans as top issues ahead of trade talks,” said National Australia Bank’s Rodrigo Catril.Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta were all well in positive territory, along with London, Paris and Frankfurt.Tokyo’s early surge was pared by the Nikkei 225 which ended at a new high, following Monday’s 3.4 percent surge, as Japan’s first woman prime minister was appointed, after Sanae Takaichi reached a deal to form a new coalition. The agreement eased worries about political strife in the country after the Komeito party withdrew from its long-standing alliance with Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party soon after her election.Markets have been cheered by the prospect of her premiership as she has in the past backed aggressive monetary easing and expanded government spending, echoing her mentor, former premier Shinzo Abe.”Markets are focused on the fiscal deficit impact of the budget; excessive measures could trigger a Japan sell-off, while insufficient measures may unwind the Takaichi trade,” said Masamichi Adachi at UBS.Traders are also keeping tabs on Beijing, where China’s leaders are holding a four-day conclave expected to discuss strategies to address sluggish household spending and persisting woes in the vast property sector.The gathering comes after data Monday showed growth in the world’s number two economy came as expected for the third quarter, but was the slowest in a year.Mineral producers fell in Sydney, having opened sharply higher following a deal between Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ramp up shipments of rare earths to the United States.Hastings Technology Metals, Lynas Rare Earths and Iluka Resources all surged at the open but gave up their gains as the day wore on and ended in the red.- Key figures at around 0810 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 49,316.06 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.7 percent at 26,027.55 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.4 percent at 3,916.33 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 9,434.89Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1626 from $1.1641 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3393 from $1.3409Dollar/yen: UP at 151.15 yen from 150.73 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.85 percent from 86.82 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $57.23 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $60.74 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 1.1 percent at 46,706.58 (close)

US President Donald Trump signed a deal on rare earth minerals Monday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and said Washington’s key ally would get its coveted nuclear-powered attack submarines. The two leaders met at the White House to concentrate on a pair of areas — defense and critical minerals — in which Washington and Canberra are cooperating against what they view as an increasingly assertive China.Albanese said the rare earths deal would lead to $8.5 billion in critical minerals projects in Australia and take relations to the “next level.”The Australian premier has touted his country’s abundant critical minerals as a way to loosen China’s grip over global supplies of rare earths, which are vital for tech products.Government figures show Australia is among the world’s top five producers of lithium, cobalt and manganese — used in everything from semiconductors to defense hardware, electric cars and wind turbines.China is easily the world’s largest refiner of lithium and nickel, and has a near monopoly on the processing of other rare earth elements. Analysts have said Australia is unlikely to challenge this dominance — but does offer a reliable, albeit smaller pipeline that lessens the risk of relying on China. The Australian government said it and the US government would each invest more than $1 billion over the next six months, while the White House put the figure at $3 billion between the two countries.Albanese had also been pushing for progress on the stalled 2021 AUKUS submarine deal between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.Washington said earlier this year it was reviewing the deal for at least three Virginia-class nuclear attack subs signed under previous president Joe Biden, but Trump promised Australia would get them.”The submarines that we’re starting to build for Australia are really moving along,” Trump told reporters as he sat alongside Albanese in the cabinet room of the White House.”We’ve worked on this long and hard, and we’re starting that process right now. And it’s really moving along very rapidly, very well.”- ‘I don’t like you either’ -The AUKUS deal could cost Canberra up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years. It also includes the technology to build its own vessels in the future.Australia also had a major bust-up with France after it canceled a multi-billion-dollar deal to buy a fleet of diesel-powered submarines from Paris and go with the AUKUS program instead.The nuclear-powered vessels lie at the heart of Australia’s strategy of improving its long-range strike capabilities in the Pacific, particularly against China.But the Trump administration said in June it had put AUKUS under review to ensure it aligned with his “America First agenda,” saying it needed to ensure the United States had enough of the subs.Albanese meanwhile managed to ride out an awkward confrontation between Trump and Australia’s ambassador to Washington — former prime minister Kevin Rudd.Rudd deleted a series of critical social media posts about Trump following the Republican’s election victory last year.”I don’t like you either. I don’t. And I probably never will,” Trump said to Rudd when a reporter pointed out that the ex-premier was in the room and asked the US president whether he minded the comments.Australians have a mostly unfavorable view of the Trump administration, polling shows, though the country relies on the United States to balance China’s expanding military clout in the Pacific region.China loomed large over both of the key issues in the talks.Australia has touted itself as a key US ally against China’s territorial assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, from Taiwan to the South China Sea.On China, Australia announced plans for a strategic reserve of critical minerals to provide to “key partners” such as Washington to help relax Beijing’s chokehold.Trump this month accused China of pressuring trade partners with new rare export curbs and threatened 100-percent tariffs in response.

Timber imports by companies operating in the European Union can be traced to logging on Indonesia’s Borneo island, a new report published Tuesday showed, with NGOs calling for the bloc to stop delaying a ban on deforestation-linked products.The EU last month said it will seek a new one-year postponement of sweeping anti-deforestation rules known as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), legislation that was cheered by green groups but assailed by trading partners, including the United States and Indonesia.The report, published by Earthsight and Auriga Nusantara, traced the biggest Indonesian buyers of deforested wood in Borneo, showing that they all ship to clients in Europe with a high risk that such imports come from forest clearance.”This report demonstrates why the EUDR is urgently needed in Europe’s timber sector: to ensure buyers can be confident in where their wood came from; to stop the flow of deforestation wood into Europe; and to end European complicity in the destruction of tropical forests,” the NGOs said.”It also serves as an urgent call to action for any company importing timber products from Indonesia to the EU: these firms must carefully examine their supply chains and eliminate risk that their imports may be tainted by deforestation wood.”European customers of Indonesian companies handling deforested wood were mainly Dutch, Belgian and German firms, which placed orders for more than 23,000 cubic metres of wood products, such as garden decking and finished plywood from Indonesia in 2024.Companies named in the report — Dekker Hout, International Plywood BV, Seiton BV, Kurz KG, Fepco International and Impan GmbH — did not respond to AFP comment requests.Indonesia has one of the world’s highest rates of deforestation linked to mining, farming and logging, and is accused of allowing firms to operate in Borneo with little oversight.Borneo island has one of the world’s largest tracts of rainforest and hosts orangutans, long-nosed monkeys, clouded leopards, pig-tailed macaques, flying fox bats and the smallest rhinos on the planet.Environmental groups reacted angrily to the prospect of postponing the EU bill, which was to ban imports of products driving deforestation from the end of 2025.But the European Commission said the logistical infrastructure for implementing the law — already once pushed back a year — was not yet ready.