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The agreement brings the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on business licensing. It also covers investment promotion and services for companies operating in sports-related fields. The ministries will coordinate through Indonesia’s Online Single Submission system, known as OSS. Their cooperation also includes compliance monitoring, regulatory coordination and data sharing. The framework applies to investment development across Indonesia’s sports sector rather than establishing a US$521 billion domestic industry target.

Brent crude settled $2.22 lower on Monday at $92.17 a barrel, a decline of 2.35%. WTI dropped $2.05, also 2.35%, to close at $85.01 a barrel. The U.S. benchmark reached a one-week low during the session. The losses followed gains over the previous two weeks and came as traders absorbed new U.S. economic measures targeting Iran and entities maintaining business links with the country.

Alibaba Group has priced an HK$80 billion share placement to fund artificial intelligence investment and expand its AI infrastructure. The Chinese technology group will issue 710 million new ordinary shares at HK$112.70 each. The deal is worth about US$10.2 billion at current exchange rates. Alibaba expects the transaction to close on Aug. 26, subject to customary conditions.

South Korea has begun its first container ship trial through the Arctic to Europe. The 2,758-TEU PanStar Acro left Busan New Port at about 9 p.m. on August 22. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries confirmed the departure and published the voyage schedule. The ship will use the Northern Sea Route before calling at three European ports. The 45-day round trip is scheduled to end in Busan on October 5.

July marked the second consecutive monthly record for imports by value. Crude oil played a major role in the increase as Japan faced higher energy costs. Crude import volumes rose 5.5% from July 2025, ending three months of year-on-year declines. The value of those crude shipments jumped 87.8% over the same period. Japan remains heavily dependent on imported energy, making changes in oil prices and exchange rates important factors in its merchandise trade figures.

Healthcare shares strengthen market gains
Healthcare stocks provided another source of support during Wednesday’s session as several pharmaceutical shares recorded large gains. Moderna shares surged 177%, while Merck advanced 12.6% after the companies announced positive results from a Phase 3 melanoma trial. The INTerpath-001 study tested personalized mRNA therapy intismeran autogene with Keytruda following surgical removal of high-risk melanoma. The combination met its primary endpoint for recurrence-free survival. It also met a key secondary endpoint measuring survival without distant cancer spread.

Eco-friendly vehicles provided the strongest lift to South Korea’s auto exports during the month. Their export value increased 25.5% from a year earlier to US$2.59 billion. Electric and hydrogen vehicle exports rose 31.9% to US$940 million. Hybrid exports advanced 22.2% to US$1.65 billion. By contrast, exports of internal combustion engine vehicles fell 3.1% to US$3.65 billion. Eco-friendly models accounted for about 41.5% of the country’s total automobile export value in July.

Diesel prices remained elevated on Wednesday as tighter refined-product supplies kept pressure on fuel markets in the United States and Europe. U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel futures jumped 7.4% on Monday to settle at $4.19 a gallon. That marked the contract’s biggest daily gain since July 13. Early Wednesday trading put the contract near $4.28 a gallon, while European diesel refining margins remained at historically high levels after rising nearly 10% on Monday.

Denmark’s annual consumer price inflation eased to 1.7% in July from 1.9% in June, with core inflation remaining steady at 2.3%. Restaurants and hotels were the main contributors to July inflation, with higher holiday home rental prices driving the increase. The consumer price index rose 1.3% from June, with holiday home rentals and package holidays accounting for the largest monthly increase. Inflation was led by rising prices in restaurants, hotels, and transport, while food and non-alcoholic beverages saw a decrease in prices. EU harmonized inflation in Denmark fell to 1.6% in July.

Gold advanced for a third consecutive session on Tuesday as bullion extended its rebound from last week. Spot gold gained 1% to $4,432.74 an ounce by 0217 GMT, reaching its highest level since June 5. U.S. gold futures climbed 1.7% to $4,492.60. The move pushed prices above the seven-week peak recorded last week and continued a recovery that accelerated after weaker U.S. employment data.