One of the defining characteristics of mature consumer markets is not simply the abundance of products, but the quality of consumer decision-making. Across sectors, rising financial awareness, easier access to information and digital discovery are changing what people choose to buy and how they
Imagine reaching retirement with a bond portfolio that works like a staircase. One bond matures this year, another next year, and another the year after, giving you access to money at different points instead of having to unlock the entire investment at once
Augmont Enterprises IPO Day 2: The initial public offering (IPO) of integrated gold and silver platform Augmont Enterprises Ltd is witnessing its second day of bidding today, August 24. So far, the public issue has been subscribed 2.88 times. The Rs 825-crore IPO
Gold prices remain high in India; check 22K, 24K rates in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru International gold prices also climbed to a more than three-month high on Monday. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:46:24 IST By HT News Desk Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Gold prices remained high in India on
Businesses from India and the U.S. have expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh and made proposals to improve the country's investment climate, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has said. Mr. Muktadir’s remarks on Saturday (August 22
US TikTok investors in limbo as deal set to be delayed again

US TikTok investors in limbo as deal set to be delayed again
A billionaire investor keen on buying TikTok's US operations has told the BBC he has been left in limbo as the latest deadline for the app's sale looms.
The US has repeatedly delayed the date by which the platform's Chinese owner, Bytedance, must sell or be blocked for American users.
US President Donald Trump appears poised to extend the deadline for a fifth time on Tuesday.
"We're just standing by and waiting to see what happens," investor Frank McCourt told BBC News.
But if the moment arrives, we're prepared to move forward... we've raised the capital to buy it - we'll see.
The popular short-form video app was due to be banned or sold in the US in January in accordance with a law passed by Congress in 2024.
Lawmakers said at the time ByteDance's links to the Chinese government threatened national security, and expressed fears Beijing could force the company to hand over data on US users.
It's a concern TikTok and its owners have always said is unfounded.
The law was signed by President Joe Biden while he was still in office and was upheld by the Supreme Court in early 2025.
Trump and members of his administration have previously claimed a TikTok deal was done, and had the blessing of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The president has also said "sophisticated" US investors would acquire the app, including two of his allies: Oracle chairman Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies' Michael Dell.
Members of the Trump administration had indicated the deal would be formalised in a meeting between Trump and Xi in October - however it concluded without an agreement being reached.
Neither TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance nor Beijing have since announced approval of a sale, despite Trump's claims.
This time there are no such claims a deal is imminent, leading most analysts to conclude another extension is inevitable.
Without naming Trump's hand-selected investors, Mr McCourt told the BBC he was concerned "about a concentration of power and influence because platforms like TikTok are very influencing".
He is part of a group of investors including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Canadian investor Kevin O'Leary.
"My hope would be that whatever happens, that it is shut down or sold, and lands in the hands of people that comply with the law," he said.
He said he wants to operate TikTok without any of its Chinese technology, including its powerful recommendation algorithm, and that his Project Liberty has developed other technology that could be used instead.
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Source: BBC
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