Belarus frees 123 prisoners after U.S. lifts sanctions
Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, following an agreeme...
Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets opened the week on a positive note, buoyed by gains in rare-earth and technology sectors, as investor focus shifted to high-stakes US-China trade negotiations set to begin in London.
China's major indices saw modest gains by midday on Monday, with the blue-chip CSI300 and the Shanghai Composite Index both rising 0.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed over 1%, surpassing the 24,000 mark for the first time since March 21.
Market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic ahead of a crucial round of U.S.-China trade talks. Senior officials, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting in London to address escalating trade tensions. The meeting follows a direct phone call between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, their first conversation since renewed friction emerged after the Geneva accord.
“The tone from Trump suggests potential for progress,” analysts at China Securities noted, adding that any breakthrough could provide a lift to global markets.
Leading Monday's gains was China’s strategically vital rare-earth sector, up 1.6%, as it is expected to be a central topic in the negotiations. Technology stocks also saw strong momentum in Hong Kong, with the Hang Seng Tech Index surging 2.3% to reach its highest level in nearly three weeks.
Meanwhile, the yuan traded flat, last seen at 7.1872 per dollar.
Despite today’s uptick, Chinese equities have largely moved sideways since April 2, when Trump introduced sweeping tariffs in a move that reignited global trade concerns. The CSI300 has shown minimal change since then, while the Hang Seng Index has gained about 3%, still trailing behind the recovery seen in other major global markets.
On the economic front, China’s consumer prices declined for a fourth consecutive month in May, and producer deflation deepened—highlighting ongoing challenges from trade disputes and a stagnant property sector.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, following an agreement with the United States to ease sanctions on the country’s potash exports.
Migration isn’t driven only by politics or social issues. In the era of climate change, the environment itself is becoming a reason to leave home.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Two Syrian security personnel and several U.S. troops were injured on Saturday after a joint patrol came under gunfire near the city of Palmyra in central Syria, local media reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday responded to the release of new photographs from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said he had not seen the photos but downplayed their significance, stating that the images were “no big deal.”
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment