Farmers in central Japan have begun harvesting and shipping premium grapes known as Shine Muscat. Deliveries of outdoor-grown Shine Muscat began on Friday at an agricultural cooperative in Yamanashi City.

Other large grape varieties were being shipped as well, including Pione and Queen Nina. The local agricultural cooperative said outdoor-grown Shine Muscat harvested in the area makes up about a quarter of nationwide yields. It expects to ship about 5,100 tons this year.

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The Bank of England (BoE) announced on Thursday a cut to its benchmark interest rate from 4.25 percent to 4 percent, the lowest level in more than two years, to boost the weakening British economy. The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-4 in favour of the quarter-point reduction. British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves welcomed the rate cut. She posted on social media that the cut brings down the cost of mortgages and loans across the UK.

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In a record-breaking year for Turkiye’s prized agricultural product, pistachio exports reached an all-time high in the first seven months of 2025. The Southeast Anatolia Region, home to more than 300,000 families who depend on pistachio farming, generated $132.5 million in exports between January and July—marking the highest figure ever recorded for this period.

Often referred to as “Turkiye’s green gold,” Antep pistachios continue to play a vital role in supporting both the national economy and local producers. Compared to the same period last year, exports saw a remarkable 27.8% increase. The industry’s target is to reach $250 million in exports by the end of 2025.

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Pharma giants AstraZeneca, Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim on Thursday announced investments in Mexico worth hundreds of millions of dollars, despite trade tensions between the country and the United States. Britain's AstraZeneca and Germany's Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim, together with Mexico's own Carnot Laboratories, unveiled plans to plough a combined $600 million into their Mexican operations.

The announcement comes as Mexico scrambles to avert a 30-percent tariff on many of its exports to the United States, which had been meant to take effect last week but which Trump agreed to delay by 90 days.

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In southern Turkiye, sunflower harvest season has begun in Kahramanmaraş. Farmers across four major districts are working through 60,000 decares of land, with an expected yield of around 40,000 tonnes.

Favorable weather conditions have boosted production, and growers say the strong harvest is bringing both economic relief and national benefit. The sunflowers are collected using combine harvesters, dried in open fields, and then sent to factories for processing to produce sunflower oil before hitting supermarket shelves across the country.

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Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday said they proudly congratulate the Bangladesh tariff negotiators on securing a landmark trade deal with the United States, a decisive diplomatic victory. 

"The future of Bangladesh is undeniably bright. Today’s success stands as a powerful testament to the nation’s resilience and its bold vision for a stronger economic tomorrow," Yunus said in a message after successful tariff negotiations with the United States.

By reducing the tariff to 20%, 17 points lower than anticipated, he said their negotiators have demonstrated remarkable strategic skill and unwavering commitment to safeguarding and advancing Bangladesh’s economic interests.

Yunus said they have been working relentlessly since February and navigated successfully through a complex negotiating process involving tariff, non-tariff and national security matters. 

"The agreement they negotiated preserves our comparative advantage, enhances our access to the world's largest consumer market and safeguards our core national interests," he said in his message shared by Deputy Press Secretary Azad Majumder.

This achievement not only underscores Bangladesh’s rising strength on the global stage but also opens the door to greater opportunities, accelerated growth and lasting prosperity, Yunus said. 

Ref: dakatribune

Pakistan and Iran formally agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in trade, commerce, tourism and other fields, during a state visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to the residence of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Sunday. President Pezeshkian said the two countries can and will endeavour to increase their "current trade volume from $3 billion to the projected $10 billion".

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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is expected to visit Japan starting Sunday for talks with his Japanese counterpart and other senior officials.

The sources say Sybiha will accompany a Ukrainian delegation to the Ukrainian National Day event to be held at the World Expo in Osaka on Tuesday. The delegation includes First Lady Olena Zelenska and the deputy prime minister. Ukraine's decision to send its foreign minister is apparently aimed at highlighting the importance of relations between the two countries.

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In Turkiye, productivity in the industrial sector is getting a major upgrade through the expansion of Model Factory projects. These centres, aimed primarily at small and medium-sized enterprises, offer a four-stage programme to help businesses improve production quality and become more competitive. The programme is already helping firms boost efficiency, paving the way for stronger digital and green transformation in Turkiye’s manufacturing sector.

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Japan's Nintendo said Friday that around 5.8 million Switch 2 consoles were sold in June, the first month of the gaming gadget's hotly anticipated release. The Switch 2 launched globally on June 5 and sold 3.5 million units in its first four days, Nintendo said previously -- making it the fastest-selling video game console of all time.

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