US sentiment slide: Consumer confidence falls to 7-month low; are Americans pulling back on spending?

US consumer confidence weakened in November, falling to its second-lowest reading since April as Americans grew more wary of elevated prices, sluggish job gains and the fallout of the prolonged government shutdown, according to an AP report.The Conference Board said on Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dropped to 88.7 in November, down from an…

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Trade boost: Exports rebound in November; Piyush Goyal says shipments back in ‘positive territory’

India’s merchandise exports, which had fallen sharply in October, have bounced back this month and entered positive territory till November 21, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.After chairing a meeting of the Board of Trade, Goyal told reporters that the latest quick estimates show a clear uptick, according to PTI.“Exports are in…

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Price strain: US retail sales cool in September; businesses face higher input costs; consumer resilience tested

US retail sales grew slower than expected in September as consumers grappled with persistently higher prices and companies faced rising input costs, according to government data released on Tuesday.Retail sales rose 0.2% month-on-month, the Commerce Department said, easing from 0.6% in August and falling short of analyst estimates. The moderation in spending comes at a…

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Mining backlash: Kyrgyzstan detains China firm head; mining probe widens amid environmental damage claims

Kyrgyzstan has arrested the Chinese chief executive of a gold mining company accused of causing “large-scale” environmental damage, marking a sharp escalation in local scrutiny of Chinese investment in the Central Asian nation.The Chinese national, who heads Kemin Resource Group, was detained last Thursday for allegedly damaging thousands of square metres of land and providing…

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AI bets pay off: Alibaba posts 5% revenue rise as AI app hits 10 million downloads; cloud business accelerates

Alibaba reported a stronger September quarter on Tuesday, buoyed by the blockbuster launch of its redesigned Qwen AI app and a sharp pickup in cloud-computing revenue, even as net profit fell sharply.The Chinese tech major said revenue for the three months ended September 30 rose 5% year-on-year to 247.8 billion yuan ($35 billion), ahead of…

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Fiscal strain: Moody’s says tax cuts slow govt revenue; will it limit support for the economy?

India’s fiscal space is tightening as recent tax cuts weigh on revenue growth, leaving the government with less room to support the economy through policy measures, Moody’s Ratings said on Tuesday, according to PTI. The global agency flagged that lower collections in the current financial year have added pressure on the fiscal consolidation path.Speaking at…

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Trade compliance push: Commerce Ministry maps global non-tariff rules; exporters asked to share data

The commerce ministry has begun a detailed mapping of mandatory and voluntary non-tariff measures across major global markets as part of a new effort to strengthen export quality and technical compliance.In a note, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said it is compiling a database of regulatory requirements — including certifications, testing protocols, inspections,…

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