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Singapore opposition leader fined for lying to parliament
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Stock markets start week on mixed note
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Musk's DOGE seeks access to US tax system: reports
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Champions Trophy set for liftoff after India-Pakistan row, boycott calls
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US tensions plague final phase of German election campaign
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Rodgers urges Celtic to be bold against Bayern
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Chatbot vs national security? Why DeepSeek is raising concerns
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Court finds Singapore opposition leader guilty of lying to parliament
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DeepSeek removed from South Korea app stores pending privacy review
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Rights groups slam Australian plan to transfer criminals to Nauru
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End of the road for Kolkata's beloved yellow taxis
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S. Korea says DeepSeek removed from local app stores pending privacy review
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Navalny's widow seeks to rally divided Russian opposition
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Taiwan bounty hunters kill invading iguanas as numbers soar
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Japan 2024 growth slows despite stronger fourth quarter
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Most Asian markets start week on positive note
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UK ready to send troops to Ukraine as European leaders to hold war talks
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LeBron James says won't play in All-Star game
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Sweden's Aberg wins at Torrey Pines with final hole drama
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Guardiola says Man City have 'one per cent' chance at Real Madrid
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Trump visits Daytona 500 as NASCAR season begins
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'Incredible story' as Bentaleb scores on return from heart attack
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Nine months after heart attack, Bentaleb lifts Lille four minutes into comeback
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Inter Milan denied Serie A top spot by rivals Juventus
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Beleaguered Ravens kicker faces wave of new sex allegations
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Fonseca, 18, captures Argentina Open title in landmark moment
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Shakira cancels Lima concert after being hospitalized
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Fonseca captures Argentina Open title in landmark moment
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Storms in eastern US claim nine lives: officials
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'Conclave' and 'Brutalist' share BAFTA honours
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Hezbollah chief says Lebanon must ensure Israeli withdrawal
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M23 seize key city as fears of DR Congo breakup mount
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Bellingham 'disrespectful' for red card outburst, says Barcelona coach Flick
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'Welcome to my world', Postecoglou tells injury-ravaged Man Utd
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French driver Fourmaux fined for swearing at Rally Sweden
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Spurs match-winner Maddison silences 'outside noise' after Keane blast
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Europeans must do more for collective security: French presidency
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Nice strike early in Le Havre and retake third in Ligue 1
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Frankfurt cruise past Kiel to tighten grip on third in Bundesliga
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Tottenham beat Man Utd in battle of Premier League strugglers
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Rivals eye BAFTA victory over scandal-hit 'Emilia Perez'
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Uganda govt offers to drop military trial of hunger-striking opponent
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New 'Captain America' crushes competition in N.American theaters
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Trump's aid freeze could cause millions more AIDS deaths: UN agency
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European countries to meet in Paris on Monday to discuss security
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Decision to ban Rybakina coach Vukov should be 'respected', says Swiatek
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Vatican says 'stable' Pope Francis watched Sunday mass on hospital TV
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Pogacar over the rainbow as his 2025 season opens with UAE Tour
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Claudel bronze sculpture goes for $3 mn at France auction
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Man Utd's Diallo to miss rest of season, says Amorim

Asian traders cheer Trump AI pledge but China tariff woes return
Most Asian markets extended a global rally Wednesday as investors gave a cautious welcome to Donald Trump's first full day in office amid hopes he will take a more cautious approach on trade than initially feared.
Software investment giant SoftBank soared more than 10 percent -- leading Tokyo-listed chipmakers higher -- after the American president said it was included in a new $500-billion venture to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence in the United States.
However, Hong Kong and Shanghai fell after the tycoon warned China could be included in a list of countries to be hit with tariffs on February 1 "based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada".
Traders have been bracing for Trump 2.0 since his re-election in November, with an initial rally -- fuelled by hopes for market-boosting measures -- giving way to worries he would resume his trade war with Beijing and also target others.
There is also a concern that his plans to slash taxes, immigration and regulations will reignite inflation and crimp the Federal Reserve's ability to cut interest rates.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was the standout performer Wednesday, piling on more than one percent thanks to SoftBank's advance fuelled by news that it will be part of the Stargate venture along with cloud giant Oracle and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
The project "will invest $500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States" Trump said at the White House.
Japanese chipmakers also rose, with Advantest up four percent, while Tokyo Electron and Lasertec gained more than one percent.
Taipei also enjoyed a big jump, with chip titan and market heavyweight TSMC soaring more than one percent, while Seoul was also helped by big gains in SK hynix and LS Electric.
Sydney, Mumbai, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila also rose but Singapore and Wellington slipped.
Hong Kong fell 1.8 percent after a six-day run-up as concerns China will be hit with fresh tariffs dealt a blow to confidence. Shanghai also took a hefty hit.
- 'No winners' -
There had been optimism that Beijing would avoid being targeted in an early flurry of duties by the White House after Trump said Monday he would hit Canada and Mexico.
But he broadened his targets Tuesday to include China and the European Union.
When asked how soon these tariffs could be enacted, he said: "Probably February 1 is the date we're looking at."
The comments come after Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that "protectionism leads nowhere and there are no winners in a trade war".
China saw record exports in 2024, with observers saying they were likely boosted at the end of the year by companies ramping up stockpiles ahead of Trump's second term.
"China will still need to brace for potential tariffs and that’s going to slow down exports this year," Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg TV.
The broader gains in Asia came after another rally on Wall Street and records for London and Frankfurt.
"Investors are now cautiously optimistic, focusing on the US's robust economic indicators, strong earnings reports, and the prospect of lower borrowing costs and increased capital inflows," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.
"This blend of factors is expected to propel US stocks higher throughout 2025, barring any unexpected trade escalations.
"In sum, the delay in imposing new tariffs has been widely regarded as a significant positive for markets."
The yen eased after edging higher against the dollar recently on expectations the Bank of Japan will hike interest rates at its meeting on Friday, while the euro and pound resumed their losses.
Oil prices dipped again after tumbling Tuesday in reaction to Trump's announcement of a "national energy emergency" to ramp up drilling in the United States.
- Key figures around 0710 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.6 percent at 39,646.25 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.8 percent at 19,739.29
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 3,213.62 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0402 from $1.0426 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2321 from $1.2342
Dollar/yen: UP at 155.93 yen from 155.50 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.43 pence from 84.45 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $75.49 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $79.07 per barrel
New York - Dow: UP 1.2 percent at 44,025.81 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,548.29 (close)
L.Janezki--BTB