Gold fell over 2 percent ‌to a more than two-month low on Wednesday as fresh fighting in the Middle East dimmed hopes of a resolution to the US-Israeli war with Iran, heightening concerns about inflation and interest rate hikes.

The US trade deficit shrank slightly in April, government data showed Tuesday, with energy exports bolstered by a supply crunch following war in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia launched its second national carrier Riyadh Air after more than a year of delays on Wednesday, defying the economic turmoil triggered by the Middle East war and strong competition from established Gulf airlines.

Chinese consumer prices remained stable in May, as official data Wednesday showed the impact of soaring energy prices had started to fade, while increased demand for AI-linked tech goods pushed factory gate costs up for a third straight month.

Facebook-parent Meta and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries on Wednesday announced a deal to develop an AI-enabled data centre in the state of Gujarat, as the US tech giant scales its digital footprint globally.

US consumer inflation likely increased at its fastest pace in three years in May as the Middle East conflict raised prices of energy products, which would provide more ​ammunition for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged this year.

20th Bangladesh Denim Expo begins in Dhaka

The World Bank will provide $379 million in loan assistance, along with $25 million in grant support from the Global Financing Facility (GFF)

Worries over the Middle East crisis were also weighing on sentiment and pushing oil prices up

Oil prices fell on Tuesday, ‌erasing most of the previous session’s gains, after Iran and Israel said they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from US President Donald Trump, though both sides warned they could resume hostilities.

A few months ago, India’s economy was humming along nicely. Inflation was benign and growth was steady - the strongest among the world’s leading economies.

Japan will provide Bangladesh a concessional loan of around $312 million to help bolster energy security and economic resilience as the conflict in the Middle East places growing strain on the country’s finances.

China's new five-year policy blueprint laid out its ​ambitions to aggressively adopt AI

The spike marks a bright spot for the Chinese leadership as it struggles to kickstart growth following the pandemic and amid trade frictions with the United States

Why raising revenue is central to development

Japan is looking to increase imports of garment products from Bangladesh, with Japanese companies seeking local business partners to strengthen sourcing under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed between the two countries.

Gold prices extended losses ​on Monday to their lowest point in more than two months, on ‌fears of a US rate hike following a strong jobs report, while renewed hostilities in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher and fanned inflation concerns.

Bangladesh and South Korea explored new avenues for cooperation in infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital transformation at the opening day of the AI-ICT & Infra Roadshow 2026 in Dhaka yesterday.

US chip titan Nvidia announced on Monday a raft of artificial intelligence deals in South Korea, where booming business for semiconductor companies is fuelling debate over how much of the profits go to workers.

The biggest oil supply shock in decades has entered its fourth month – with no resolution in sight as neither the US nor Iran appears willing to budge - yet the market remains surprisingly calm. This disconnect reflects an uncomfortable reality: the biggest drivers of today’s energy market are a host of unknowns.