Seoul stocks sink amid S. Korea drama as Asian markets struggle

• The Kospi index shed as much as 2.3 percent at the open
• The won tumbled more than three percent to a two-year low of 1,444 per dollar

Iran says ready to study any Syrian request for troops

• Iran and Syria have been close allies for decades and Iran has long provided military advisors to the Syrian armed forces
• The Iranian government has been portraying the rebel assault as a US-Israeli plot to destabilise the Middle East

Qatar to invest 1 bn pounds in climate technologies with UK

• British industrial group Rolls-Royce, which manufactures aircraft engines, will receive investments for programs dedicated to energy efficiency, the statement said
• Qatar's investments in the British economy are estimated at over 40 billion pounds and the emirate indicated in 2022 that it intends to invest another 10 billion pounds by 2027

Tech firms aiming for smaller, leaner AI models

Macron attends PIF-hosted Riyadh One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds meet

• Discussions at the summit focused on the pivotal role of sovereign wealth funds as global investors in addressing climate challenges among others.
• Key action tracks were identified to enhance investment decision-making for climate action, boost efficiency and impact within the global financial system.

Developing countries paid $1.4 trillion to service their debts in 2024

• The World Bank report noted that high interest rates have been a key driver of the rising cost of servicing foreign debt.
• Rates charged by private creditors were even worse, rising to a 15-year high of six percent -- an increase of more than one percentage point.

Non-oil sectors drive robust growth in GCC countries, says World Bank report

• "The [GCC] region has shown remarkable resilience in the face of global disruptions, moving steadily on their diversification agenda."
• Saudi Arabia's growth is expected to accelerate to an average of 4.7 percent in 2025-2026 as oil production increases.

Lebanon says nine killed in Israeli strikes on southern villages

• Israel has carried out a near-daily series of strikes in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire
• On Monday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli drone wounded a soldier

QatarEnergy inks gas supply deal for China with Shell

• The liquefied natural gas deliveries would begin in January as part of a "new long-term sale and purchase agreement."
• Qatar is one of the world's top gas producers alongside the United States, Australia and Russia

Israel vows ‘harsh response’ to Hezbollah attack

• At least two people were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon
• The ceasefire came into effect on November 27 and stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations