Bets against the greenback build ahead of US data dump

Gold prices have steadied after a five-day rally, as investors are closely monitoring upcoming US economic data that may influence the Federal Reserve's decisions on interest rates. This pause in gold's upward momentum comes amid anticipation of potential rate cuts by the Fed.

Asian equities opened with a modest decline as investors adopted a cautious approach ahead of the release of critical US economic data, which is expected to provide insights into future interest rate movements. The Japanese yen, however, gained strength during this period.

Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA has recently suffered a cyberattack, leading to significant disruptions in operations and causing tankers to make abrupt U-turns amid rising tensions with the United States.

The United States has paused its £31 billion tech prosperity deal with Britain, citing insufficient progress on resolving trade barriers. This decision represents a significant setback in US-UK relations, particularly as the deal was initially celebrated as a transformative step in bilateral cooperation during Donald Trump's presidency.

The United States has requested that the European Union exempt its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a proposed methane emissions law, as revealed in a recent document. This demand comes amid ongoing discussions about energy supply and environmental regulations, highlighting the complexities of transatlantic energy relations.

Chevron has lowered the price of Venezuelan crude following the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move that has heightened tensions between the two nations. This seizure reflects ongoing U.S. military operations aimed at curbing Venezuela's oil exports and has led to fluctuations in oil prices.

US homebuilder sentiment has reached an eight-month high in December, indicating a positive outlook among builders as they navigate the current market conditions. This increase reflects growing confidence in the housing sector, which is crucial for economic recovery and stability.

Four northeastern US states have declared emergency transport orders following an outage at a major underground heating fuel storage facility, raising concerns about delivery disruptions amid a severe cold snap.