Equity markets mostly rose as tech firms saw a touch of bargain-buying

The AI boom has helped drive investments in intangible assets such as software, data and research to a record high in 2025, the United Nations’ patent and innovation agency said Wednesday.

The US dollar was steady at around its highest level in roughly a week on Wednesday.

The IMF on Wednesday cut its 2026 growth projection for the world economy again, saying an AI boom has not fully offset the fallout from war in the Middle East.

Oil prices jumped more than 5 percent on Wednesday, hitting a two-week high after US President Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding to end the conflict with Iran was “over”, renewing fears of disruptions to Middle East oil supplies.

Bangladesh has a strict anti-money laundering framework, but implementation remains uneven across the banking sector, according to a paper presented yesterday.

Price pressures are expected to moderate due to the drop in energy prices following the signing of a preliminary US-Iran peace deal

The greenback firmed 0.1 percent to 162.33 yen

The sudden flare-up has stoked concerns about peace talks between the foes as they look to end their conflict and fully reopen the crucial waterway

The US trade deficit widened sharply in May to its largest in over a year as imports rose, government data showed Tuesday, with analysts noting that businesses could be gearing up for further tariffs.

Saudi Arabia is considering expanding the capacity of its crude oil pipeline to the western Red Sea coast, five sources close to the matter said, enabling the kingdom and possibly neighbours to transport more oil without crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

German industrial production ticked up more than expected in May, official data showed Tuesday, as Europe’s top economy defied the worst following the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Indian rupee eked out gains on Tuesday, tracking an uptick in most Asian peers even as dollar demand from merchant payments and maturing non-deliverable forward contracts limited room for the currency to gain.

Bao Zhang began driving for a Chinese ride-hailing app this year after losing his job as a software tester and says the weak job market gives him little hope of returning to the tech sector.

Brent crude futures gained 38 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $72.37 a barrel

The world's largest memory chipmaker estimated April-June operating profit at 89.4 trillion won ($58.4 billion)

Oil prices fell by more than 1 percent on Monday after Opec+ agreed to further increase its output targets from August while exports from key producers via the Strait of Hormuz are recovering, potentially adding to global supplies.

During a five-day visit to Bangladesh, Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) President Tanaka Akihiko underscored the strategic importance of the Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative.

Londoner Zainab Hussain once saw air conditioning as a luxury in Britain. Now, the 35-year-old “can’t see how we’ll survive without it”.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) President Tanaka Akihiko, during a five-day visit to Bangladesh, underscored the strategic importance of the Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative