The Indian rupee ended little changed after trading in a narrow band on Monday, on likely dollar-selling intervention by the central bank which helped the currency navigate the decline in its the Asian peers.

India’s central bank is nudging local banks to ask their clients to settle trade between the United Arab Emirates and India using the dirham (AED) or Indian rupee (INR) to reduce US-dollar-based transactions, five sources told Reuters.

Asean is intensifying its economic integration to improve cross-border trade and investment flows, including by unlocking a potential US$2 trillion (S$2.7 trillion) in its digital economy by 2030

The commission writes a letter to the NBR

The second instalment may come by Aug 30

China cut its one-year benchmark lending rate on Monday as authorities seek to ramp up efforts to stimulate credit demand, but surprised markets by keeping the five-year rate unchanged amid broader concerns about a rapidly weakening currency.

Oil prices rose on Monday as global supply is tightening with lower exports from Saudi Arabia and Russia, offsetting nagging concerns about global demand growth amid high interest rates.

Russia remained China’s largest crude supplier in July, Chinese government data showed on Sunday, even as Russian shipments fall from all-time highs on narrower discounts and rising domestic demand crimps Russian exports.

British retail sales fell more than expected in July, official data showed Friday, with poor weather blamed for the setback as the country tries to revive its flagging economy.

The dollar was flat on Friday but set for a fifth consecutive week of gains in its longest winning streak for 15 months, buoyed by demand for safer assets on worries over China’s economy and bets that US interest rates will stay high.

China’s securities regulator unveiled a package of measures on Friday aimed at reviving a sinking stock market, but investors said they would do little to boost confidence if the economy remains sluggish.

Bangladesh released two varieties of a genetically modified (GM) cotton for domestic cultivation, aiming to increase yields and reduce import dependence. 

Japan’s consumer price inflation eased to 3.1 percent year on year in July, in line with market expectations, government data showed Friday.

Oil prices rose about 1 percent on Friday on signs of slowing US output, but both crude benchmarks also ended their longest weekly rally of 2023 on mounting concerns about global demand growth.

India plans to hold bilateral free trade talks with the United Kingdom, the European Union and Canada and discuss bilateral trade issues with the Russian delegation on the sidelines of a G20 meeting next week, a top trade official said on Friday.

Walmart raised its full-year forecast on Thursday as it posted another quarter of solid results, grabbing market share in groceries and other staples against a backdrop of inflationary pressures.

Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on Thursday, court documents showed, a measure that protects its US assets while it attempts to restructure.

China, the world’s top crude importer, is drawing on record inventories amassed earlier this year as refiners scale back purchases after Opec+ supply cuts drove global prices above $80 a barrel, traders and analysts said.

Asian refiners are on the hunt for crude oil to replace Kuwaiti supply as the Opec producer cuts exports by nearly a fifth to feed its huge new refinery, which is driving up prices for other sour crudes and likely to squeeze profit margins.

Several Chinese manufacturers of solar panels have been shipping their products through third countries including Thailand and Vietnam to circumvent US tariffs, the Commerce Department announced Friday.