North and South Korean officials held talks July 6 in an effort to reopen the Kaesong Industrial zone, the jointly run complex located just north of the Demilitarized Zone that was shut down by the North in April, Reuters reported, citing South Korean media.
Egypt's central bank has instructed banks to close their branches early and has advanced the time for a foreign currency auction, a banker said, Reuters reported.
Portuguese Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar, who designed the country's economic reforms under the EU-International Monetary Fund bailout, has resigned, Al Jazeera reported July 1.
China's purchasing managers' index fell for the manufacturing sector fell to 50.1 percent in June, according to data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, Xinhua reported July 1.
Vietnam's central bank devalued its currency June 28 for the first time since Dec. 26, 2011, when its reference rate was fixed at 20,828 dong per dollar, Bloomberg reported.
The United States will suspend trade privileges for Bangladesh due to concerns about safety issues and labor rights violations in the Bangladeshi garment industry, U.S. officials said, The New York Times reported June 27.
