12 h. ago Alipay+ announces sponsorship deal with WNBA team New York Liberty amid global push

Ant International, the Singapore-based affiliate of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, on Friday announced a partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team New York Liberty. The multi-year initiative would see the company’s Alipay+ fintech platform become an “official sponsor” and “innovation partner for sustainability” of the team, to “jointly support community programmes designed to advance community empowerment, environmental sustainability and youth development”...

Economics

14 h. ago Putin vows new Ukraine offensive as Russia advances and US pushes for deal

Vladimir Putin hailed his troops’ progress in Ukraine during Friday’s annual press conference – a staple of his 25-year rule. The Russian president appeared emboldened by recent battlefield gains as the US pushes for a diplomatic end to the nearly four-year war. Addressing the EU’s failed proposal to use frozen Russian assets to fund Kyiv, Putin labelled the plan “robbery”. He warned that “severe consequences” would have followed for the bloc had they followed through, adding, “Why can’t they...

Politics

14 h. ago Putin warns West as Russia eyes more Ukrainian territory, as peace talks stall

Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday said the ball was in the court of the West and Kyiv in talks to end the war in Ukraine, while hailing Moscow’s recent battlefield gains and threatening more. Putin spoke during his annual end-of-year press conference – a staple of his 25-year rule – in which he told Russians Moscow was intent on pressing on in Ukraine, striking a confident tone. The 73-year-old has repeatedly said in recent weeks that Moscow will seize the rest of Ukrainian land he has...

Events

22 h. ago EU agrees US$106 billion loan for Ukraine, but without Russian assets

EU leaders struck a deal Friday to provide Ukraine a €90 billion (US$106 billion) loan to plug its looming budget shortfalls - but failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to come up with the funds. The agreement - which came after more than a day of talks at a summit in Brussels - offers Kyiv a desperately needed lifeline as US President Donald Trump pushes for a quick deal to end Russia’s war. “We have a deal. Decision to provide 90 billion euros of support to Ukraine for 2026-27...

Economics

44 h. ago Putin vows victory in Ukraine as US and Russia prepare for Miami talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in victory for his war in Ukraine during a meeting with senior military officials on Wednesday amid a renewed diplomatic push to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. He said that more than 300 localities in the neighbouring country have been conquered this year alone. “Among them are also large cities that have been turned by the enemy into fortress nodes with permanent defensive installations,” Putin said. The Russian president said...

Politics

4 d. ago Chinese mining giant CMOC pays US$1 billion for Brazilian gold mines with 8 tons of output

CMOC Group, one of China’s biggest miners, extended its push into precious metals with a US$1 billion deal to buy the Brazilian operations of Equinox Gold. It will take full ownership of two Equinox entities – Leagold LatAm Holdings and Luna Gold – that control several mines or deposits in the South American nation. Equinox will receive US$900 million in cash, plus a contingent payment of as much as US$115 million one year after the deal closes, CMOC said in an exchange filing on Monday. The...

Economics

1 week ago Trump’s Nvidia Deal Reshapes US’s China Strategy, Risks Supercharging Xi’s AI Push

Trump’s Nvidia Deal Reshapes US’s China Strategy, Risks Supercharging Xi’s AI Push  Yahoo Finance

Politics

1 week ago Chinese firms gear up for Russia’s reopening amid talks aimed at peace deal

Chinese cross-border e-commerce entrepreneur Andy Guo has just opened two warehouses covering a total of 5,000 square metres (53,820 sq ft) on the outskirts of Moscow. He said the move was not about addressing logistical bottlenecks, but preparing his business for a potential geopolitical shift that could reshape his fastest-growing yet most uncertain overseas market if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal. US President Donald Trump has continued to push for the end of hostilities between...

Economics

1 week ago India and Russia agree to boost trade to US$100 billion by 2030

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit and agreed to diversify mutual economic ties, as the United States presses India to revise its decades-old partnership with Russia. The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the US pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine...

Economics