South Korean stocks traded 0.64 percent higher late Thursday morning on rising optimism for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had gained 17.8 points to 2,811.81 as of 11:20 a.m. On Wall Street overnight, major indices rallied on hopes for the Fed's dovish move after softening labor data and strong performance by tech shares, including artificial intelligence chip giant Nvidia. In Seoul, Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest memory chipmaker, added 2.57 percent after a news report that its high bandwidth memory (HBM) product has passed Nvidia's quality test. However, SK hynix, a leading supplier of HBM chips to Nvidia, fell 3.18 percent. Major chemicals firm OCI rose 2.12 percent, and major zinc smelter Korea Zinc gained 1.16 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,381.75 won against the U.S. dollar, up 8.85 won from the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency
Myanmar Confirms Nearly 309,000 Rohingya Eligible For Return Once Rakhine Security Improves
August 17, 2026
Naypyidaw: Myanmar has, for the first time, acknowledged that nearly 309,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as former residents of Rakhine state, saying they would be allowed to return once security