<h1>Markets climb on Fed rate cut hopes as US president sues newspaper for $15B defamation amid US-China trade progress</h1> Global markets rose after Wall Street records and growing investor expectations of a forthcoming Federal Reserve rate cut, with futures up and major tech boosting indexes. A high-profile USD 15 billion defamation suit was filed by the US president against a national newspaper and several journalists alleging long-running malicious defamation related to election coverage. Trade talks between the US and China advanced toward a potential deal to keep a popular app operating in the US, boosting some tech shares amid deal speculation. Corporate earnings drove volatility, and upcoming retail sales data and the Fed's statement and projections pose downside risk if cuts are less aggressive than priced.