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Kia Corp. is planning to launch a hybrid compact sports utility vehicle in India within the next 18 months, aligning with a new emissions policy that encourages transitional technologies and entering a segment bypassed by its Japanese rivals.The upcoming sub-four-meter vehicle will be complemented by a second, larger hybrid SUV, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity as the details are not yet public. The timeline for these rollouts is not final and may change, they added.The launches will mark the South Korean automaker’s entry into dual-powered segments — cars that can run on fossil fuels as well as batteries — in the South Asian country. The Indian units of Toyota Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp. have been the only ones so far to roll out hybrid vehicles but have stuck to larger cars in this technology. The domestic carmakers have largely prioritized their fresh investments in fully electric vehicles.Kia’s strategy underscores how automakers are broadening their lineups to meet stricter emission norms. India’s draft emissions policy last week signaled a shift from EV-centric ambitions to promoting hybrids and other alternatives as part of a multi-fuel roadmap toward cleaner mobility.A representative for Kia in India did not respond to an email seeking comments on the new hybrid launches.Practical AlternativeKia’s compact offering could also help unleash demand for hybrids in the South Asian nation, where affordability and infrastructure gaps make dual-powered vehicles a practical alternative to EVs. As global automakers recalibrate their strategies amid uneven EV adoption and tightening emission norms, compact hybrids could emerge as a new battleground in India as well as other emerging economies where small vehicles still rule the road.The absence of hybrids in the compact segment has so far curbed adoption of the technology in the country, with such vehicles making up just about 2.5% of India’s passenger vehicle market — less than half the share held by EVs, according to government registration data.That makes hybrid entry critical for Kia, which lacks a mass-market EV and relies heavily on diesel and gasoline models such as the Seltos and Sonet in India. Kia India currently sells the locally-made Carens Clavis EV and the imported EV6.The Indian unit of Kia’s parent Hyundai Motor Co. said earlier this year it will add a hybrid vehicle to its product lineup in addition to a broader plan to launch 26 models by 2030.

Australian shares advanced on Thursday in a session of broad-based gains led by miners and gold stocks, with positive sentiment bolstered by Wall Street's performance. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose as much as 0.7% to 8,906.30 points earlier in the session, its highest since September 2, and was up 0.6% by 0032 GMT. The benchmark ended 0.1% lower on Wednesday. Miners led gains on the benchmark for the day by advancing 1.9% as copper prices rose. The sub-index hit its highest level since late-December 2023. Shares of miners BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue rose between 0.9% and 1.4%. Gold stocks jumped to a record high, rising 2.5%, as surging bullion prices on safe-haven demand lifted the commodity. Shares of gold miners St Barbara advanced 5%, while Evolution Mining, Northern Star Resources and Genesis Minerals were up between 1.9% and 2.6%. Technology stocks rose 0.3%, tracking their overseas peers, which closed higher overnight as investors shrugged off weak private payrolls data and uncertainty around the first day of the U.S. government shutdown. Wall Street gains often lift Australian markets by boosting global investor sentiment and risk appetite. Banks added 0.6% to the benchmark's gains, with shares of the "Big Four" banks up between 0.3% and 0.5%. Healthcare stocks advanced 1.3%, while energy stocks inched 0.1% higher. Further south, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.2% to 13,400.88 points. Investors are now focused on next week's Reserve Bank of New Zealand policy decision, with ANZ analysts expecting a 25-basis-point rate cut to 2.75%, according to a note.

Central Asia's maiden Crypto fund has been launched in Kazakhstan.Alem Crypto Fund has started operating in Kazakhstan. It was established by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, managed by Qazaqstan Venture Group and registered within the ecosystem of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).The primary objective of the fund is to make long-term investments in digital assets and to build strategic reserves. In the future, Alem Crypto Fund may also serve as a vehicle for state-level savings, expanding the country’s capabilities in managing the finances of tomorrow."The creation of the Alem Crypto Fund is a step toward advancing digital finance in Kazakhstan. Our goal is to make it a reliable instrument for major investors and a key foundation for digital state reserves," noted Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.The strategic partner of the fund is Binance Kazakhstan - a locally licensed company within the global Binance ecosystem, the world’s leading player in the digital asset industry.In partnership with Binance Kazakhstan, Alem Crypto Fund made its first investment by acquiring BNB - the native token of the BNB Chain.BNB is used for processing transactions, paying fees and participating in network governance.