Brazil's central bank said Wednesday it would ease banks' reserve requirements for the second time in less than a month, freeing up $4.5 billion to stimulate lending and boost the sluggish economy.

Under the new rules, banks will be allowed to use up to 60 percent of reserves for credit operations, an increase from the 50-percent limit announced on July 25.

Oil prices edged lower in Asia Thursday on fading fears that conflicts in crude producers Libya and Iraq could result in a major supply disruption, analysts said. 

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery was down six cents at $93.39 while Brent for October eased 24 cents to $102.04 in late-morning trade.

Nakheel, the real estate giant at the heart of Dubai's financial crisis, confirmed Wednesday that it would repay all of its 7.9 billion dirhams ($2.15 billion) bank debt almost four years ahead of schedule.

The group said it had "issued instructions" for 5.54 billion dirhams to be paid to lenders on Thursday, after a previous payment of 2.35 billion dirhams was made in February.

Freshly split Apple shares closed at a high on Tuesday, with investors evidently betting the California company will debut popular new gadgets, perhaps a smart watch and an iPhone 6.

Shares in the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Macintosh computer maker were trading at $100.53 each when the formal trading day ended at the Nasdaq exchange, and shed just a dime in after-market transactions.

New York state's banking regulator hit Standard Chartered Bank with a $300 million fine and restrictions on its dollar-clearing business Tuesday for not detecting possible money laundering.

The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) said the British bank's internal compliance systems had failed to detect or act on a large number of "potentially high-risk transactions" mostly originating from Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

Crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin should not be considered as money or a foreign currency when it comes to taxation, Australia's tax authority ruled Wednesday.

In guidance designed to help people finalise their tax returns, the Australian Tax Office said Bitcoins were a form of property, disappointing those hoping they would be seen as a currency. 

BHP Billiton's shares closed almost four percent lower in Australia Wednesday, as investors fled over the lack of a stock buyback and the global mining giant's demerger plans.

The slump came as global credit agencies affirmed their ratings for the world's biggest miner and maintained a stable outlook.

The heads of Britain's largest companies earned 131 times as much as their average employee last year, a study said Monday, exposing the growing pay gap between bosses and workers.

The wage divide has more than doubled since 1998, when the average chief executive of firms in the FTSE 100 earned 47 times as much as staff, the report found.

Britain's 12-month inflation slid to 1.6 percent in July from 1.9 percent in June, official data showed on Tuesday, easing pressure on the Bank of England to raise rates.

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation measure headed back towards May's figure of 1.5 percent, which at the time was the lowest level for four and a half year years.

The dollar held steady in Asia on Tuesday as concerns over a Ukrainian clash with Russia eased, while investors looked to a speech by the US Federal Reserve chief this week.

In afternoon Tokyo trade, the greenback rose to 102.62 yen, from 102.57 yen in New York and 102.32 yen in Tokyo earlier Monday.