China on Wednesday reported a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion in 2025, led by booming exports to non-US markets as producers ​looked to build global scale to fend off sustained pressure from the Trump administration.

Gold climbed on Wednesday to hit a record, while silver breached the $90 mark for the first time, as softer-than-expected US inflation readings cemented bets for interest rate cuts amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

Ready-made garment (RMG) exports to two major destinations -- non-traditional markets and the European Union (EU) -- saw a slight decline in 2025 compared with 2024, mainly due to lower demand for locally made garments.

The global unemployment rate was estimated at 4.9 percent last year

Trade in 2025 "surpassed 45 trillion yuan ($6.4 trillion) for the first time

Mobile phone traders yesterday formed a human chain in Dhaka, demanding a postponement of the implementation of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system and the release of colleagues arrested over protests against the initiative.

The decision on the new pay structure for government employees will be taken after receiving the Pay Commission’s report, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said yesterday, noting that the commission members are reviewing the matter and will submit their recommendations soon.

The global economy is proving more resilient than expected, with 2026 GDP growth expected ‌to improve slightly over forecasts from last June, the World Bank said on Tuesday while warning that growth is too concentrated in advanced countries and overall too weak to reduce extreme poverty.

The yen fell ​to its lowest against the dollar since July 2024 on Tuesday as traders braced for a Japanese election and also ‌hit lows against European currencies, with the dollar pressured by worries about the Federal Reserve’s independence.

Taiwan has reached a “general consensus” with the United States on a trade deal, the democratic island’s negotiators said Tuesday, after months of talks.

Alphabet briefly hit $4 ​trillion in market valuation on Monday, as the Google parent’s sharpened artificial intelligence focus allayed ‌doubts about its strategy and thrust it back to the forefront of the high-stakes race.

Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday as heightened concerns surrounding major producer Iran and potential supply disruptions overshadowed the prospect of increased crude supply from Venezuela.

India is piling into consumer giants’ basket of troubles. Unilever and Nestlé are losing pricing power in the world’s fifth-largest economy amid growing competition from nimble upstarts. It’s an unwelcome headache for the groups that are trying to revive their more established markets in Europe and the US With no easy fixes, the problem may require expensive remedies.

Gold prices were largely steady near its all-time peak on Tuesday, ‌supported by ongoing geopolitical tensions, while investor caution ahead of key inflation data limited upside momentum.

Taiwan is a powerhouse in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips, which are the lifeblood of the global economy

Iran exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said hundreds of billions of dollars would have to be paid back to US companies

Alphabet last week surpassed Apple in market capitalization for the first time since 2019

Iran's main trading partners are China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq

Gold broke through $4,600/ounce for the first time on Monday, while silver also hit a record high, as investors snapped up safe-haven assets amid heightened geopolitical uncertainties and a criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.