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Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles jumped more than 40 percent in China last year, as demand for new energy models continues to surge and the sector remains entrenched in a gruelling price war.The Chinese electric vehicle market has witnessed explosive growth in recent years, driven in part by generous subsidies from Beijing.But the world’s largest automotive market has also seen fierce competition among domestic car manufacturers as a consumption slowdown fuels a price war that is weighing on profitabilityIn 2024, almost 11 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) were sold, a year-on-year increase of 40.7 percent, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said Thursday. NEVs accounted for nearly half — 47.6 percent — of all retail sales last year, the association said.By comparison, such vehicles accounted for just 22.6 percent of sales in the European market in November, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.In China, NEV sales surpassed 1.3 million units in December, CPCA data showed, up 37.5 percent year-on-year and representing the fifth consecutive month of sales of more than one million.Beyond just NEVs, the total number of vehicles sold last year in the Chinese market swelled 5.5 percent, reaching nearly 22.9 million units, the CPCA said.For EV companies, the price war is likely to carry on in the new year, CPCA secretary general Cui Dongshu said during a Thursday press conference.More than 200 car models saw price cuts last year, compared to 148 in 2023, Cui added. BYD has emerged as a clear leader in the Chinese market — the Shenzhen-based firm sold more than four million vehicles globally in 2024.- Bleak overseas market -While BYD occupies roughly one third of the Chinese market, the situation is bleaker overseas, where various governments have hiked customs duties on vehicle imports from the country.In December, sales in foreign markets accounted for just 12 percent of BYD’s overall sales, according to the company’s figures.”We are now experiencing significant pressure on exports,” Cui said Thursday, adding that Chinese NEV sales are “currently being suppressed by the European Union”.The European Union has said that extensive state support by Beijing for its domestic carmakers has led to unfair competition, with an investigation by the bloc finding that subsidies were undercutting local competitors.Foreign automotive giants, on the other hand, are battling against slumping sales in the world’s second-largest economy.BYD’s quarterly revenue surpassed global rival Tesla’s for the first time during the third quarter last year.

Asian markets fell Thursday after a tepid lead from Wall Street, with investors increasingly worried about the outlook for inflation and US interest rates as Donald Trump’s second presidency looms.A report saying the president-elect was considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal cover to impose tariffs on all imported goods added to the sense of uncertainty on trading floors.Sentiment was also clouded by data showing that Chinese consumer inflation remained almost non-existent despite a raft of stimulus measures in the final three months of last year.And the pound weakened to lows not seen for more than a year on worries about the UK economy.Equities have had an unremarkable start to 2025 after the Federal Reserve in December made a hawkish pivot and indicated it would not cut rates as much as initially expected over the next 12 months owing to sticky inflation and a still-strong labour market.Worries about Trump’s plans to slash taxes, regulate immigration and ramp up tariffs have also led to warnings that prices could reignite.That has sent the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note surging and fanned speculation it could top five percent for the first time since October 2023.Friday’s US employment figures are now well in focus for trade, with markets in New York closed Thursday to mourn former US president Jimmy Carter.Forecast-topping data on job openings and prices paid by services firms compounded traders’ concerns, while analysts said there was unease among investors about Trump’s unpredictable governing style, particularly with him not having to face another presidential election.After fluctuating through the day, the Dow and S&P 500 ended slightly higher on Wall Street, but the Nasdaq dipped.Hong Kong and Shanghai fell after data showed Chinese inflation eased in December, likely piling pressure on officials to ramp up stimulus to boost consumption.Leaders have unveiled a range of measures to kickstart the world’s number two economy, with a focus on getting people to spend, and support for the troubled property sector.”Given the various high-level meetings and policy communiques over the past month, it appears a safe bet to expect more aggressive fiscal policy support from China in 2025, as well as continued monetary policy easing,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING.”There is the obvious and extensively discussed angle of a less favourable external environment with a high likelihood of additional tariffs and sanctions from the US once President Trump enters office. “Another less discussed element is that there appears to be a greater consensus building domestically on the need for stronger policy support to shake the economy from its extended period of heightened pessimism.”There were also losses in Tokyo, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok, though Seoul, Manila and Jakarta eked out small gains.London slipped at the open and the pound sat at its lowest levels since November 2023 on worries about Britain’s fiscal position and elevated inflation. The drop in sterling comes even as UK 10-year bond yields surge.The dollar also extended gains against the euro.Paris and Frankfurt were also both down.- Key figures around 0810 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.9 percent at 39,605.09 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 19,240.89 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.6 percent at 3,211.39 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 8,244.29Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0295 from $1.0316 on WednesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2269 from $1.2361Dollar/yen: DOWN at 158.18 yen from 158.38 yenEuro/pound: UP at 83.93 pence from 83.44 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $73.24 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $76.07 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 42,635.20 (close)

Australia is deeply concerned by Meta’s decision to scrap US fact-check operations on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a senior minister said Thursday. The government — which has been at the forefront of efforts to rein in social media giants — was worried about a surge of false information spreading online, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.”Misinformation and disinformation is very dangerous, and we’ve seen it really kind of explode in the last few years,” Chalmers told national broadcaster ABC.”And it’s a very damaging development, damaging for our democracy. It can be damaging for people’s mental health to get the wrong information on social media, and so of course we are concerned about that.”Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday the group would “get rid of fact-checkers” and replace them with community-based posts, starting in the United States.Chalmers said the decision was “very concerning”.The government had invested in trusted Australian news providers such as the ABC and national newswire AAP to ensure people had reliable sources for information, he said.Disinformation and misinformation had become “a bigger and bigger part of our media, particularly our social media”, the treasurer said.- Social media restrictions -Australia has frequently irked social media giants, notably Elon Musk’s X, with its efforts to restrict the distribution of false information or content it deems dangerous.Late last year, the country passed laws to ban under-16s from signing up for social media platforms. Offenders face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for “systemic breaches”.But in November, a lack of support in parliament forced the government to ditch plans to fine social media companies if they fail to stem the spread of misinformation.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday he stood by the ban on children’s access to social media because of the impact it had on their mental health.Asked about Meta’s fact-checking retreat, Albanese told reporters: “I say to social media they have a social responsibility and they should fulfil it.”Australian group Digital Rights Watch said Meta had made a “terrible decision”, accusing it of acting in clear deference to incoming US president Donald Trump.AFP currently works in 26 languages with Facebook’s fact-checking programme.Facebook pays to use fact checks from around 80 organisations globally on the platform, as well as on WhatsApp and Instagram. Australian fact-checking operation AAP FactCheck said its contract with Meta in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific was not impacted by the group’s US decision.”Independent fact-checkers are a vital safeguard against the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation that threatens to undermine free democratic debate in Australia and aims to manipulate public opinion,” said AAP chief executive Lisa Davies. 

Japanese startup ispace vowed its upcoming second unmanned Moon mission will be a success, saying Thursday that it learned from its failed attempt nearly two years ago.In April 2023, the firm’s first spacecraft made an unsalvageable “hard landing”, dashing its ambitions to be the first private company to touch down on the Moon.The Houston-based Intuitive Machines accomplished that feat last year with an uncrewed craft that landed at the wrong angle but was able to complete tests and send photos.With another mission scheduled to launch next week, ispace wants to win its place in space history at a booming time for missions to the Moon from both governments and private companies.”We at ispace were disappointed in the failure of Mission 1,” ispace founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada told reporters.”But that’s why we hope to send a message to people across Japan that it’s important to challenge ourselves again, after enduring the failure and learning from it.””We will make this Mission 2 a success,” he said.Its new lander, called Resilience, will blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 15, along with another lunar lander built by US company Firefly Aerospace.If Resilience lands successfully, it will deploy a micro rover and five other payloads from corporate partners.These include an experiment by Takasago Thermal Engineering, which wants to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas with a view to using hydrogen as satellite and spacecraft fuel.- Rideshare -Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will arrive at the Moon after travelling 45 days, followed by ispace’s Resilience, which the Japanese company hopes will land on the Earth’s satellite at the end of May, or in June.For the programme, officially named Hakuto-R Mission 2, ispace chose to cut down on costs by arranging the first private-sector rocket rideshare, Hakamada said.Only five nations have soft-landed spacecraft on the Moon: the Soviet Union, the United States, China, India and, most recently, Japan.Many companies are vying to offer cheaper and more frequent space exploration opportunities than governments.Space One, another Japanese startup, is trying to become Japan’s first company to put a satellite into orbit — with some difficulty so far.Last month, Space One’s solid-fuel Kairos rocket blasted off from a private launchpad in western Japan but was later seen spiralling downwards in the distance.That was the second launch attempt by Space One after an initial try in March last year ended in a mid-air explosion.Meanwhile Toyota, the world’s top-selling carmaker, announced this week it would invest seven billion yen ($44 million) in Japanese rocket startup Interstellar Technologies. “The global demand for small satellite launches has surged nearly 20-fold, from 141 launches in 2016 to 2,860 in 2023,” driven by private space businesses, national security concerns and technological development, Interstellar said.

In a vast Bangladeshi factory hall thrumming with sewing machines, garment workers churn out seemingly endless pairs of mountain hiking trousers for customers in Europe and North America.Bangladesh’s key clothing manufacturing industry supplying global brands was crippled by a revolution that toppled the government last year, in which garment sector protesters played an important role.While owners say business has bounced back, frustrated workers say hard-won concessions have done little to change their circumstances, and life remains as hard as ever.”It is the same kind of exploitation,” said garment worker Khatun, 24, asking that only her first name be used as speaking out would jeopardise her job.Production in the world’s second-largest garment manufacturer was repeatedly stalled by the months-long violence, before protesters forced long-time autocrat Sheikh Hasina to flee in August.An interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, took over.Protests, however, continued in a string of garment factoriesfor better conditions and more pay, with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) warning in October of $400 million in losses.Scores of factories closed and tens of thousands lost their jobs.But after a five percent wage hike was agreed in September, the industry rebounded.- ‘Operating at full swing’ -“We are doing well,” said garment producer factory owner S.M. Khaled, who heads the Snowtex company, employing 22,000 workers.The South Asian nation produces garments for global brands — ranging from France’s Carrefour, Canada’s Tire, Japan’s Uniqlo, Ireland’s Primark, Sweden’s H&M and Spain’s Zara.The apparel industry accounts for about 80 percent of Bangladesh’s exports, earning $36 billion last year, dropping little despite the unrest from the $38 billion exported the previous year.”I am working with at least 15 international brands, and our products will be available in 50 countries,” Khaled said.”Almost all garment factories are operating at full swing after waves of unrest. We are on the growth side.”Despite challenges with a cooling of demand, Anwar Hossain, the government-appointed administrator of BGMEA, said the industry was returning to strength.”The largest contributor to exports was the apparel sector,” Hossain said.The garment industry recorded a 13 percent increase from July-December 2024 — the period after the revolution — compared to the same period the year before, he said.- ‘Half my basic wage’Workers tell a different story.Khatun welcomed the wage rise but said factory managers then hiked already onerous demands for “nearly unachievable production targets”.Scraping by in the capital Dhaka’s gritty industrial suburb of Ashulia, she earns $140 a month including overtime and benefits to support a family of four.The wage increase of $8.25 a month seems a miserly addition.Opening her fist, she showed a 500-taka note, just over four dollars, all she had left after paying rent and other expenses.”We have good facilities inside the factory, like toilets, a canteen, and water fountains,” she said. “But we don’t get even a 10-minute break while trying to meet the targets”.Many factory owners were close to the former ruling party.In the immediate days after Hasina was toppled, several factories were damaged in retaliatory attacks.Some owners were arrested and accused of supporting Hasina, who is herself in exile in India skipping an arrest warrant for “massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity”.Mostfactories are now back in operation, but employees say some offer conditions far worse than before.”We weren’t receiving salaries on time after the owner was arrested,” said worker Rana, also asking not to be identified.”Now, they’ve offered me half my basic wage, around $60 to $70. I have a six-month-old child, a wife, and elderly parents to support”, he added.Hussain, who lost his job in the unrest, tells a common tale.While he has since found work packing clothes, the new job means he “doesn’t benefit from the increment” deal, while living costs have risen.”House rents have shot up with the news of the pay rise,” he said.- ‘Take more responsibility’ -Taslima Akhter, from the Bangladesh Garment Workers’ Solidarity (BGWS) group, a labour rights organisation, said that “workers are struggling to maintain a minimum standard of living”.Akhter said factory bosses must push back against global purchasers wanting to maximise profits at the expense of a living wage.”Garment (factory) owners need to take more responsibility and learn to negotiate better with international buyers,” she said.”This industry is not new, and problems are not impossible to solve.” Despite the industry’s apparent fiscal success, Abdullah Hil Raquib, a former BGMEA director, warned it was on fragile ground.”The stability in the garment sector we see now is only on the surface,” he said.

Asian markets struggled Thursday after a tepid lead from Wall Street, with investors growing increasingly worried about the outlook for inflation and US interest rates as Donald Trump’s second presidency looms.A report saying the president-elect was considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal cover to impose tariffs on all imported goods added to the sense of uncertainty on trading floors.Sentiment was also clouded by data showing that Chinese consumer inflation remained almost non-existent despite a raft of stimulus measures in the final three months of last year.Equities have had an unremarkable start to 2025 after the Federal Reserve in December made a hawkish pivot and indicated it would not cut rates as much as initially expected over the next 12 months owing to sticky inflation and a still-strong labour market.Worries about Trump’s plans to slash taxes, regulate immigration and ramp up tariffs have also led to warnings that prices could reignite.That has sent yield on the 10-year US Treasury note surging and fanned speculation it could top five percent for the first time since October 2023.Friday’s US employment figures are now well in focus for trade, with markets in New York closed Thursday to mourn former US president Jimmy Carter.Forecast-topping data on job openings and prices paid by services firms compounded traders’ concerns, while analysts said there was unease among investors about Trump’s unpredictable governing style, particularly with him not having to face another presidential election.After fluctuating through the day, the Dow and S&P 500 ended slightly higher on Wall Street but the Nasdaq dipped.In early trade, Hong Kong edged up while Shanghai fell as investors assessed data showing Chinese inflation eased in December, and officials face calls to ramp up stimulus to boost consumption.Leaders have unveiled a range of measures to kickstart the world’s number two economy with a focus on getting people to spend and support for the troubled property sector.”Given the various high-level meetings and policy communiques over the past month, it appears a safe bet to expect more aggressive fiscal policy support from China in 2025, as well as continued monetary policy easing,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING.”There is the obvious and extensively discussed angle of a less favourable external environment with a high likelihood of additional tariffs and sanctions from the US once President Trump enters office. “Another less discussed element is that there appears to be a greater consensus building domestically on the need for stronger policy support to shake the economy from its extended period of heightened pessimism.”Tokyo, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila also dropped, though Seoul and Jakarta rose.On currency markets, the dollar held gains against its major peers after getting a bump from Trump’s reported mulling of an economic emergency declaration, with sterling at its lowest since April last year and the euro around its weakest since November 2022.- Key figures around 0230 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.8 percent at 39,678.93 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.3 percent at 19,339.31Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,216.11Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0318 from $1.0316 on WednesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2362 from $1.2361Dollar/yen: DOWN at 158.06 yen from 158.38 yenEuro/pound: UP at 83.46 pence from 83.44 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $72.99 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $75.86 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 42,635.20 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,251.03 (close)

Stock markets were rattled Wednesday by worries about incoming US president Donald Trump slapping tariffs on imports as well as the fading prospects for interest rate cuts.A CNN report that Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal cover to impose tariffs on all imported goods sent US and European stocks into the red and the dollar higher against major rival currencies.”Perhaps more than even during his last term of office, traders will need to pay close attention to everything coming from the new president,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation.”And, just to prove a point, the dollar has soared while risk assets have tumbled on reports that Trump is mulling a national emergency declaration to allow for a new tariff program.”Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that there is nervousness about the future given Trump’s unpredictable governing style.”Aside from the impact on global trade and growth prospects, the big worry is that a big swath of tariffs will stoke the embers of inflation and fan consumer prices,” she said.”Expectations are growing that this will tie the Fed’s hands and limit interest rate cuts in the US even further this year,” she added, referring to the US central bank.The Federal Reserve has already lowered its outlook for rate cuts to two reductions this year, down from the four forecast in September before Trump’s election victory.Data released Tuesday and Wednesday pointed to price pressures and a relatively robust US labor market, denting hopes of several more cuts to interest rates in the world’s biggest economy.The diminished expectations of rate cuts are “weighing on big tech stocks in particular, given that a higher rate environment pushes down the value of their future earnings,” said Streeter.US bond yields have also risen in recent days on the fading expectations of additional US interest rate cuts.Focus now turns to Friday’s release of the key non-farm payrolls report, which will provide a fresh snapshot of the US economy.US stocks ended the day modestly higher and markets will be closed on Thursday to mark the death of former US president Jimmy Carter.In Europe, German industrial orders fell more than five percent in November, official data showed Wednesday, in the latest sign of headwinds facing the continent’s largest economy. On the corporate front, shares in British energy giant Shell slid 1.4 percent on a weak trading update ahead of its full year results, capping gains on London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index.Asian stock markets closed mostly down Wednesday. – Key figures around 2140 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 42,635.20 points (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.2 percent at 5,918.25 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 19,478.88 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP less than 0.1 percent at 8,251.03 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,452.42 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 20,329.94 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 39,981.06 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 19,279.84 (close)Shanghai – Composite: FLAT at 3,230.17 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0316 from $1.0342 on TuesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2361 from $1.2479Dollar/yen: UP at 158.38 yen from 157.98 yenEuro/pound: UP at 83.44 pence from 82.87 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.2 percent at $76.16 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.3 percent at $73.32 per barrelburs-rl/jxb/bys/nro

Stock markets diverged and the dollar rose Wednesday after data pointed to a robust US economy, further denting hopes of several more cuts to interest rates in the world’s biggest economy.The latest readings added to worries about a fresh uptick to US inflation, already on traders’ radar owing to Donald Trump’s pledges to slash taxes, regulations and immigration when he returns to the White House this month.”A mixture of macro fears for inflation and concerns about what the next Trump presidency may hold are dominating markets,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB.Asian stock markets closed mostly down Wednesday while the bulk of European indices gained nearing the half-way stage. All three main indices on Wall Street ended in the red Tuesday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 each shedding more than one percent.Tech firms, which had led a surge on Monday, were again the key drivers of action, with chip titan Nvidia tanking after a disappointing product presentation. A closely watched survey of the crucial US services sector saw a pick-up in December, with the prices component soaring far more than expected to hit the highest level since last January.A separate report showed job openings also outstripped forecasts in November to touch a six-month high.Tuesday’s readings made the case for the Federal Reserve to slow its pace of rate cuts, having lowered them three times last year thanks to easing inflation.Focus now turns to Friday’s release of the key non-farm payrolls report, which will provide a fresh snapshot of the US economy.The Fed has already lowered its outlook for rate cuts to two reductions this year, down from the four forecast in September.”But speculation is brewing that this could be reduced to just one if price pressures persist,” said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.In Europe, German industrial orders fell more than five percent in November, official data showed Wednesday, in the latest sign of headwinds facing the continent’s largest economy. On the corporate front, shares in British energy giant Shell slid 1.5 percent on a weak trading update ahead of its full year results, capping gains on London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index.- Key figures around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,255.87 pointsParis – CAC 40: FLAT at 7,488.89Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.6 percent at 20,452.31Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 39,981.06 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 19,279.84 (close)Shanghai – Composite: FLAT at 3,230.17 (close)New York – Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 42,528.36 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0319 from $1.0342 on TuesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2445 from $1.2479Dollar/yen: UP at 158.32 yen from 157.98 yenEuro/pound: UP at 82.92 pence from 82.87 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $77.26 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.6 percent at $74.66 per barrel

Indonesia on Wednesday upheld a ban on iPhone 16 sales despite Apple’s $1 billion pledge to invest in the country after a negotiation deadlock, citing the company’s failure to meet domestic market requirements.Indonesia in October prohibited the marketing and sale of the iPhone 16 model over Apple’s failure to meet local investment regulations requiring that 40 percent of phones be made from local parts as the country seeks to boost investments from giant tech companies.Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani told reporters on Tuesday that Apple was fully committed to invest $1 billion to build an AirTag factory on Batam island, which was expected to supply 65 percent of the global supply.It was unclear if the deal on the factory in the industrial zone had been signed.”AirTag is an accessory, not a component or part of gadgets,” Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita told a press briefing on Wednesday, referring to the Apple tracking device.”Until this afternoon, the ministry doesn’t have any reason to issue the domestic component level certificate for Apple products, especially iPhone 16,” he said.Agus met with Apple representatives on Tuesday, but he said a deal had not been reached.He said Indonesian officials gave Apple a counterproposal and the giant phone maker did not give an immediate answer.”If Apple wants to sell iPhone 16 as soon as possible, the ball is in their hand, please respond to our counterproposal immediately,” he said.Apple previously offered to increase its investments in Indonesia by $100 million to lift the iPhone 16 sales ban, but the Indonesian government refused the proposal in November.Despite the sales ban, the government allows iPhone 16s to be carried into Indonesia if they are not being traded commercially. The government estimates about 9,000 units of the new model have entered the country that way. Indonesia also banned the sale of Google Pixel phones for failing to meet the 40 percent parts requirement.About 22,000 Google Pixel phones entered the country last year despite the ban.

Equities wavered on Wednesday as sentiment was knocked by a sell-off on Wall Street sparked by data indicating the US economy and jobs market remained robust, further denting hopes for interest rate cuts.With inflation worries already elevated owing to Donald Trump’s pledges to slash taxes, regulations and immigration when he returns to the White House, the latest readings added to uncertainty on trading floors.A closely watched survey of the crucial US services sector saw a pick-up in December, with the prices component soaring far more than expected to hit the highest level since last January.A separate report showed job openings also outstripped forecasts in November to touch a six-month high.The readings made the case for the Federal Reserve to slow its pace of rate cuts, having lowered them three times last year thanks to easing inflation.Focus now turns to Friday’s release of the key non-farm payrolls report, which will provide a fresh snapshot of the state of the labour market and US economy.Yields on key 10-year US Treasuries rose and options suggest they could hit five percent for the first time since October 2023, according to Bloomberg News.That comes after the central bank undertook a more hawkish pivot last month and lowered its outlook for cuts, while several decision makers have recently championed a more cautious approach.All three main indexes on Wall Street ended in the red on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 shedding more than one percent each.Tech firms, which had led a surge the previous day, were again the key drivers of action, with chip titan Nvidia tanking after a disappointing product presentation. Asian markets, however, diverged.Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Mumbai and Jakarta all fell, though Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Wellington and Bangkok rose. Shanghai barely moved.London and Frankfurt edged up at the open, while Paris was flat.”Recent Fed signals suggest a cautious approach to rate cuts amid a resilient job market and sticky inflation,” said Stephen Innes.”Still, investors are now unanimously betting against any rate changes this month. Moreover, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, odds are tipping below 50 percent for a rate cut before June, underscoring a tense watch on the Fed’s next moves.”- Key figures around 0810 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 39,981.06 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 19,279.84 (close)Shanghai – Composite: FLAT at 3,230.17 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8.254,06Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0330 from $1.0342 on TuesdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2461 from $1.2479Dollar/yen: UP at 158.16 yen from 157.98 yenEuro/pound: UP at 82.90 pence from 82.87 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.7 percent at $74.73 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.5 percent at $77.46 per barrelNew York – Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 42,528.36 (close)