The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other units, was at 100.76, set for a weekly drop of 0.2 percent

Preliminary data showed the university's consumer sentiment index came in at 54.4 points in July, up nearly 10 percent from June's reading

Brent crude futures settled $3.87, or 4.59 percent, higher to $88.10 a barrel

Gold fell on Thursday as an escalating Middle East conflict fuelled concerns that the US Federal Reserve could hike interest rates this year.

The United States announced on Wednesday a new tariff on various imports from Brazil, following a year-long investigation into the Latin American giant’s trade and other policies.

Oil prices eased on Thursday as traders weighed escalating tensions between the United States and Iran and the risks to oil supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

Britain’s economy rebounded slightly in May with growth of 0.1 percent thanks to expansion in the services sector, official data showed Thursday as Britain awaits a new prime minister.

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday flagged that consumers were pulling back on non-essential spending, as higher fuel costs weighed on sales in other areas.

US chip giant Nvidia Corp. said Thursday it will expand its partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. and help Fujitsu Ltd. forge partnerships with Japanese robotics makers in the physical artificial intelligence sector.

China caught the oil industry by surprise during the Iran war. It pulled powerful levers to shield itself from the biggest energy shock in decades. In the process, it established itself as a new force in global energy markets. It is now an independent, opaque, massive power.

Bangladesh needs urgent policy reforms to prepare its workforce for the technological and structural changes that will reshape jobs over the next decade, experts said at a global webinar organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

The dollar was steady on Wednesday after falling the day before. Softer-than-expected inflation data curbed bets for a near-term rate hike from the Federal Reserve, despite concerns that elevated oil prices could fuel inflation risks.

US consumer inflation cooled more than expected in June as energy costs fell on a temporary easing of the US-Iran war, government data showed Tuesday, but renewed hostilities could stoke price pressures.

Oil extended gains by around 2 percent on Wednesday as President Donald Trump reimposed a naval blockade on all Iranian ports and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to close “all other export corridors that benefit the U.S. and its allies”.

India approved a new semiconductor programme on Wednesday, offering more than $13 billion in financial assistance to accelerate local chip production, as it seeks to become a global electronics powerhouse.

The world’s tallest unoccupied skyscraper was meant to boast a rooftop pool and a luxury hotel after completion, but instead it has stood deserted in the Chinese port city of Tianjin for years.

Bangladesh Bank eased regulations on external borrowing by fully foreign-owned industrial enterprises, allowing them to access loans from parent companies, associates, and shareholders abroad under a general authorisation framework.

A drop in energy costs had more than offset upticks in housing and food prices

Brent futures climbed 58 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $85.31 a barrel

The dollar steadied on Tuesday ahead of US inflation data, with Middle East tensions lifting oil prices.