The Bank of England is "looking into" what caused the pound to slump more than six percent against the dollar in less than ten minutes Friday, a spokesman told AFP.

"We are looking into what happened,"  he said after sterling suffered a "flash crash" in Asia trading hours -- hitting a new 31-year low point at $1.1841. The pound slumped also to a 6.5-year trough against the euro, at 94.15 pence.

Sterling suffered a dizzying "flash crash" against the euro and dollar on Friday in a computer-generated sell-off, sending Brexit shockwaves across markets after France warned of perils ahead for Britain.

Samsung Electronics responded warily Thursday to a plan submitted by the US activist hedge fund Elliott Management for splitting the South Korean electronics giant into a separate holding and operating company.

"We will carefully review the shareholders' proposals," the technology conglomerate said in a terse one-line statement, with its spokesmen declining any further comment.

Vietnam and Iran pledged Thursday to boost future trade to $2 billion, as Tehran seeks to jump-start its sputtering economy after crippling international sanctions were lifted this year. 

Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani, in Vietnam on a three-country swing through Southeast Asia, has come under fire from conservative critics who say the nuclear deal signed with world powers has failed to bring a hoped-for economic boom. 

US presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to bring long lost American manufacturing jobs back from China. But he may be too late -- even for products that bear his family name.

A Chinese company that makes shoes for his daughter's fashion line is moving production to Africa, where labour is much cheaper.

Sri Lanka's cash-strapped national carrier said Wednesday it will pay a penalty for canceling leases on four Airbus A350s, with official sources putting the figure at about $115 million.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday she wanted a Brexit deal which offered "maximum freedom" to operate in Europe's single market but also emphasized she wanted control over immigration.

Britain's shock decision to leave the European Union will not be as damaging to developing Asia's economies as feared, the World Bank said Tuesday as it increased its growth forecast for the region this year.

Countries in the Mekong region led by Myanmar are projected to expand at the fastest pace in the next three years, the bank said in an updated report on East Asia and the Pacific, though Thailand was projected to be a laggard.

Diamonds glitter in the display cases of Saddam al-Yafae's shop, but the business has lost its sparkle.

Gold sank Tuesday to the lowest level since the shock Brexit referendum result, taking its cue from the strong dollar -- which climbed on the prospect of rising U.S. interest rates.