The government has decided to improve standard of local jute mills for producing viscous, the main raw material of cotton, with technical support of China, reports BSS. “China would provide technical support to improve standard of local jute mills and we have signed a minutes of discussion to…

AFP, SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook yester began letting interactive “bots” inside its Messenger service tap into analytic capabilities once reserved for the social network, ramping up the potential to earn money from e-commerce. The move comes as Facebook is under pressure to profit from services…

BB will provide long-term financing in foreign currency under the Financial Sector Support Project (FSSP) mainly for small and medium scale manufacturing enterprises in the country, reports BSS. “The financing would be provided to the eligible banks, namely the Participating Financial Institutions…

The Indian government has raised the limit on cash withdrawals following widespread public anger about the surprise abolition of 500 ($7.60; £5.90) and 1,000 rupee notes last week, reports BBC. Customers can now withdraw up to 2,500 rupees a day from cash machines, rather than 2,000, the finance…

AFP, SEOUL:  Samsung Electronics said yesterday it would buy US auto parts maker Harman International Industries for $8 billion in a bid to enter the growing market for automotive technology to produce “connected” cars. The deal, the biggest in the firm’s history, will provide…

AFP,BERLIN: German industrial giant Siemens yesterday said it would buy US software firm Mentor Graphics for $4.5 billion, building out its offer to high-tech manufacturing industries. Oregon-based Mentor employs more than 5,700 people and produces software used to design electronics products, especially…

Share prices fell further at the country’s twin stock exchanges due to increasing sale pressure from investors who were either booking profit or  repositioning ahead of December closure, reports BSS. Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw 189 securities closing lower while 84 gaining marginally among…

AFP, DUBAI: Dubai business magnate Mohamed Alabbar announced yesterday the launch of a $1-billion regional e-commerce site in a joint venture with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and other Gulf investors. Noon.com is to go online in January with a 50-per cent investment from the kingdom’s Public…

AFP, LONDON:  Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union has persuaded many British businesses to cancel or postpone investments worth more than £65 billion ($82 billion, 75 billion euros), a study said yesterday. The estimate was based on research from the Centre for Business and…

Mobile phone operator Grameenphone and handset maker Lava have jointly brought two new smartphones to the market with offers, a press statement said yesterday.  Two Grameenphone-Lava co-branded devices, Lava Iris 605 and Lava Iris 821, were launched at a ceremony at a hotel in the capital yesterday. …

Le Meridian Dhaka, a leading luxury business hotel in the capital, celebrated its first anniversary yesterday.  Within this short time, the hotel has bagged four international awards, the hotel management disclosed this at a press conference held on its premises yesterday marking the first anniversary…